《Riaru de Reberu Age Shitara Hobo Chītona Jinsei ni Natta》 Chapter 1: The Level up Fairy and the Guard Dogs Digging a hole and burying the hole. Digging the hole, and burying that hole. Digging up the hole that was just buried, and then proceeding to fill it up again. That was plenty of useless actionsThe point is that the act itself is a futile conduct to repeat. The act rivals putting particles of dandelion (a type of flower that can break into very small pieces) on top of slices of raw sashimi (Japanese raw fish), its the kind of act that can make you go insane. Most likely due to the destructive power of such monotonous acts to the mind, it was used as a form of prison punishment in some far away country. Right now, such a thing was intently done by a lone young boy, at night, in a small park just around the neighborhood residence. Recent social conditions are reflected in the entrance of the park, the signs displayed things like playing ball is prohibited or idle chatting is prohibited there was plenty of other signs up to 77 of them. It would make more sense and convey the message quicker if they had a single sign stating This is a restricted area C Do not enter, it would seem that thinking about such things is pointless, and the existence of the 77 signs seems to be a complete waste of tax payers money. Inside the park Natsuno Taiyo was there. He performed an action that was not restricted by the signboards. Bringing a large winter shovel meant for digging up snow, he was in the middle of the sandpit digging a hole. Digging a hole, and then filling it up. Digging a hole, and then filling it up. Digging up the hole that was just filled, and proceeding to cover it up again. The act that can only be defined as a useless conduct, was whole heartedly performed by this young man. Naturally. This futile act was not part of the 77 prohibited acts displayed in the sign boards. At least for now. The more he digs, he feels that there seems to be something collecting within the depths of his body. Whenever he fills up the hole, he feels that something begins to accumulate within his mind. Taiyo continues to dig and cover up the holes in the pit. Zaku Zaku, Zaku Zaku Zaku.. (Sound of him digging) Hey you there, can I talk to you for a moment? Around the time that his brain fluids was about to burst out from his pointless actions, Taiyo suddenly hears a voice calling out to him, in the next instant a bright light illuminates his face. Faced with the sudden dazzling light, he narrowed his eyes, raised his hand to his face and averts his eyes from the light. What is it? -oh, a Policeman? Although an irritated voice was raised, it was quickly replaced with a startled voice. The person that stood there wore a deep blue uniform with an officer cap/hat. He was a public servant for the government, in other words he was a police officer. If it was a woman, in other words if the other party was a police woman, Taiyo may have become excited or even happy. However, this person was a man and Taiyos interest in a man can be compared to a water fleas snot! Quickly, his mood became sullenly. He was unhappy because the flash light that was shone on his face was too bright and the fact that his actions had been interrupted. Wha, what is it? You, what are you doing here exactly? What am i doing?..ahh At the policemans question, Taiyo was at a loss for words. He looked around his surroundings in order to think of a retort. He thought to shout out You got a complaint?! as a reply, but quickly realised the position he was in and what he was carrying with him, furthermore the actions he was performing right before the policeman arrived, from an objective point of view was indeed very odd. Because of this, the vigour/confidence he had before very quickly withered away. Ehhh.Ummmm. Yeah? That is, I mean Hurry up and spit it out, what exactly where you doing? The hole.. I was digging a hole, yeah thats it It was hard for Taiyo to articulate his words and his mouth felt like it jammed up. After hearing that explanation the policeman whom was usually suspicious under normal circumstances, puckered his eye brows even further, to the extent that he could probably grab a stack of papers just with his eyebrows alone. The policeman used his flash light to illuminate both Taiyos face and also at the hole he dug alternating between comparing the two. What were you digging up? or were you burying something? Eh? no! no! I wasnt burying anything! At the sudden accusatory tone Taiyo became completely flustered. From the policemans question he began to imagine all sorts of scenarios. A person in the rain with an umbrella digging up a hole for a dead bodyusing fire to burn the evidence those kinds of scenes played out in his head. In the direction this conversation was going, there was no doubt he will be accused, therefore he was beginning to panic. I was only digging, let me show you, its like this: dig, bury, and dig bury In attempt to prove his innocence, Taiyo was reproducing the actions he performed previously. However, the more he proceeded with his actions the policemans eyes had even more doubt and stared at him like he was a guilty person. Reporting in, this is at the third junction in the public park, we have discovered a suspicious person. The culprit is wearing a high school uniform Wait a minute! Who are you contacting with your walkie talkie?! You, whats your name? You look like a student but, is that uniform yours? No no, let me explain, like I said all I was doing was digging and burying the hole, there isnt anything suspicious about that is there? Everyone who is guilty says that at first Please give me one last chance to explain, I havent got to the end! You have to believe me I really did nothing at all Is that so, now then, will you finally tell me where the real place is? Like I said, there is no body, I was just digging and burying some sand in the pit Alright, Understood, lets continue this conversation at the police station, shall we? You completely dont understand what I am saying at all do you?! You can leave the hole as it is, just drop the shovel on the ground, put your hands behind your head and do not resist Already treating me like a criminal!? I will wait until the count of 3 No, this is a misunderstanding- In order to make an explanation, Taiyo stabbed his scope into the sand pit. In that moment TEH REH REH TE TE TE TE?Taiyo-chan has levelled up!! (Chapter 1 Illustration: Hera Level up sound) In front of him a fairy of around 30 centimetres suddenly appeared in front of him. She had long flowing golden hair and much like the colour of grass, she was wearing a one piece green dress. On her back were wings that she flapped like a butterfly, there is no doubt she is a fairy. Taiyo was expectantly waiting for her to disclose the information that she came to deliver. Ohhh, finally I levelled up?! Yes sir, you are now Level 3! Level 3 is it, It took much longer than I expected Thats not entirely true?, Taiyo-chan may have felt that it was a long period of time but, in reality the speed at which you progress is within the 1% of geniuses, On the contrary its absurdly fast ya know? Normally this kind of speed would be a cheat so much so that you would definitely be BANNED Is it really that fast? Well, my speciality is after all levelling up in games Yeah! As expected of Taiyo-chan. You have even been called the Deadly Level Upper?(the term deadly was from ؚ which can mean bringing certain death, one hit knockout, one hit kill etc.) Thats enough flattery. More importantly I gained an increase in my abilities with this level up right? Of course, it went up vigorously? its only after you reach around level 90 that your abilities wont improve as much. Unexpectedly there is a game where you cant increase in abilities. In that case, can you please elaborate on this for me? Certainly. Before that what shall we do about the display mode? Should I just specifically display the abilities that increased or also display the abilities that decreased? ? There is abilities that decrease? -He was surprised for only a moment, and then he quickly regained his composure. Well, it is true, for example. if a Zombie Character gains a level his hp may decrease, and if he increases his strength, his speed may also drop That is exactly the case? The fairys answer was very cheerful, and Taiyo raised his hands to his chin to think about what he just heard. In that case, I would like you to display all the changes in abilities, whether they increased or decreased. You can also omit the things that didnt change at all. Can you please do that for me? Of course I can? But what a fast decision you made? The game I played yesterday also had this kind of system, I believe its the best choice to go with I see, I understand. Well then, I will now display your abilities? Alright! Bring it on! After exchanging those words with the fairy, Taiyo made a fist with his hand and did a victory pose, he was very excited to see what changes he would have. To Taiyo, a person whom loves to level up via hard work in games, the moment where he would receive his rewards is his most beloved phase of the game. Because of this, he completely forgot the position he was currently in. He did something that he would not normally do in ordinary circumstances. You, what are you doing? .Ehh? He was literally being talked to by the policeman like he was a guilty culprit charged with murder, his line of vision retracted from the fairy currently giving him a report to the direction of the policeman. Huh? Isnt this too MUCH of an increase?! Ohhh, There is even this many Guard dogs? There was at least 5 policeman standing there, and they proceeding to cautiously surround him. There was even policeman who had a gun attached to their waists, it was an outrageous situation. Ah haha.. When Taiyo remembers the actions he took moments ago, he realises how much trouble he is in right now. He alternates looking between the fairy and the policeman. They cant see you can they? Of course! The only one who can see me is only you Taiyo? They must have thought I was talking to myself like a crazy person, Darn it.. The fairy answered him promptly, but Taiyo could only think his thoughts inside his mind. Hurry up and raise your hands, quickly! I understand, just please dont point your guns at me! Whilst surrendering to the policeman and being dragged away.. Taiyo starts to reminisce his meeting with the fairy. Chapter 2: The High and Lows of a Leveling Game Before he met Hera, Taiyou was a very normal high school student. For exams, he usually studied in the last minute which allowed him to avoid failing. For physical exercise classes he could barely keep up with the track and field students so that he wouldnt be a hindrance. His face was also average lookingAdditionally he thought that there was no chance he would get a girlfriend and each year on Valentines Day and Christmas day he would be alone. He fantasized about having a childhood friend whom he would promise to marry or it was even alright for him to get summoned to another world by a pink coloured beautiful girl (bishoujou) and getting treated as a pet dog. If those were to happen it would be like hitting a home run for Taiyou. Unfortunately for him there was not a single event that could spark his life. (I think the pink haired girl is a reference to an anime called Zero no Tsukaima) Therefore as usual today, for him the: sights, taste, smell, feeling and hearing he will experience are going to be just like any normal day At least it was supposed to be. In the morning, Taiyou was wearing his school uniform and walking on his way to school whilst playing on his smart phone. He just acquired this smart phone yesterday, and it was advertised from a net source as the newest model as a sturdy phone with a great customer guarantee. The screen did not have a single scratch, and on the display was female swordsman in a western style fantasy background, this female warrior was moving very fluently whilst fighting a metallic coloured monster. Whilst walking Taiyou effortlessly maneuvered the character, and one after another he defeated the metallic coloured monsters that popped out. In the corner of his display, his characters level was seen. She was a whopping level 254. For him, the fact his level was so high represented that the game was very close to being cleared. Good morning Natsuno, playing that game again? (Note: Natsuno is main char, in Japanese people are referred to with their last names for politeness at least until they become very good friends) Hm? Oh its you Nakajima. Good morning Because a voice called out to him he raised his face from his phone, and standing next to him he saw his classmate Nakajima Katsuki. He isnt what you would call a close friend/buddy, Katsuki was just a friendly person in general and he would to talk everyone, Taiyou also got used to Katsuki casually talking to him. As he keeps walking side by side with Katsuki, he dropped his gaze back to his smart phone and continued to walk. What ya playing? ..hang on, youve been playing that one for ages, is that a net game? Nope, its just the usual RPG roleplay. There are barely any online functions available on this fellow (Note: they are both talking in impolite form, so I am also trying to use more casual words instead of rigid ones) Hee, Can you really play a normal RPG for such a long period of time? ..Huh, your level is freaking high ?!! It aint too bad Seeing the shocked face of Katsuki, he was pretty satisfied with the reaction he was getting, and he felt a little proud so he responded smugly. This game can only go up to a max level of 255 before the counter stops going up. Most likely I think I can do it by tomorrow That so? It seems to take a lot of dedication to level up. Thats amazing, if you leveled up that much the last boss must be a piece of cake Eh? There is no such thing as defeating a last boss ya know? Taiyou raised his face and had an expression that said, What are you on about? You cant defeat the last boss? Then whats the point of raising your level? ..Because there is experience points to grind? I dont understand the point! Its even more confusing than climbing a mountain! Katsuki fiercely pestered Taiyou. I mean, if you cant even defeat a last boss, why do you try so hard to raise your level? Is it really that fun? Its really fun, because when you increase the level in game, you become that much stronger! Well that fact is true, after all a game is made to be that way Thats the reason I am playing ??? Hearing Taiyous response, Katsuki tilted his head and had a totally confused expression on his face. Although it wasnt such a complex matter, When Taiyou tried to explain to others in detail all he got was weird looks in return, therefore Taiyou did not explain any further. He just became silent, and whilst walking, went back to grinding out those experience points. The female warrior in the game continued to defeat the dark grey colored monsters. Although the amount of experience this monster gave wasnt that high, this particular monster was easy to defeat, and within this game it was the most time efficient way to grind out experience points. Although he didnt count properly and cannot say for sure, the amount of times he has defeated this particular monster can be approximated to be over 10,000 times. Knowing such a fact, rather than a game, it was closer to calling it a chore. However, Taiyou didnt mind this fact at all. Even if it was a chore, if it allowed him to raise his level, he would gladly and continuously repeat the action. He was just that type of human being. Although Katsuki walked side by side with Taiyou who was focused on his game, for a brief moment. He soon discovered his many close friends, and he raised his hands to wave at them. Good morning, Kazane-chan, Kotone-chan and Suzune-chan. Even today the loveliness you three girls display is multiplied by 3! Oh by the way, I happened to overhear the conversation the other day, I heard that because you guys are identical triplets, you guys all like the same guy, is this true? Taiyou raised his head and glimpsed at them. The people Katsuki was talking to just then was precisely the three girls. Although they are identical triplets, they are a bit different from other triplets, this is because they are very famous girls. Not only are they really cute, they are very popular and have a celebrity status. Hearing Katsukis words, Taiyou thought, if only I could get a girlfriend as beautiful as these girlsbut he quickly shook off those thoughts out of his head. After all he was just the average Joe whilst the other party were very desirable, he thought this privately for second, before he went back into his own game world. Even at school Taiyou, spends his free time trying to level up. Even if there was only a minute of break time, he would immediately pull out his smart phone, peta peta pochi pochi (sounds of him pressing buttons on his phone) he would dedicate his time to slaying the same monster with the female warrior over and over. After long years of arduously leveling up, even when he started a new game he would soon find some sort of leveling loophole whereby he would find and defeat the monster that gave the most experience. Even now, he found himself the perfect hunting grounds. Which gave him the highest amount of experience points, and he would focus all his efforts on grinding out his levels. Right after school, the amount of experience he accumulated in his character finally exceeded 99%. He calculated that he could level up every 30 minutes following his crazy methods. For him clearing a game doesnt entail achieving a completed story or by defeating the final boss, it was about achieving the highest level possible. In other words, because he was so close to clearing the game in his eyes, his tension naturally rose to the limits. Just like how he went to school, he took the same path on his way home, he was walking as usual whilst playing on his smart phone. (Just a bit more.99.51, 99.52, 99.53..) With each monster he defeated he gained 0.01% EXP, in the beginning this piled up very quickly, however, now that he is so close to his goals, every percent was counted down. His heartbeat began to quicken, and he did something he normally wouldnt do, which is confirm each time he gained an experience point. He became excited, and it became all that could fill his head. Because of this, the things he would normally do coincidentally slipped from his mind, and he ended up not doing them. The thing he was doing until just recently was completely neglected. That is watching where he was going. -DONN! (Crash sound effect) Suddenly his vision darkens/blurred out, he bumped into something right in front of him, and at the same time a small shriek was heard. In that moment of excitement, his smart phone slipped from his sweaty hands and vanished. ahh His smart phone flew away like a parabola flying through space and he saw all this happening in slow motion. Its almost as if his world had stopped and a feeling that something bad was about to happen. He understood that with his intuition, he desperately reached out towards his phone strap with futility. However, His body could not keep up. Although his brain was in an accelerated state, he was nothing more than a human being. Slowly his phone strap left his fingers. His intention is to grab his phone, but his body wont react. Only in his mind was he able to grab his phone. Before long, the smart phone which has exceeded its trajectory, begins to fall down- CDOKA ! BAKI BAKI BAKI! (Sound effects of phone tumbling) The phone which fell into the road, was run over by a truck and smashed into small little pieces, he couldnt believe his eyes nor process the information, so all he could do was stare dumbfounded at the broken pieces. He did not have a recollection of how he returned to his own room. Before he realized it he was in his own 6 squared one room complex, and the shattered pieces of his smart phone was left on his desk whilst he blankly stared at the pieces. His most prized possession moved no longer, it was because the damage the phone received was nothing like a cracked glass which resembled a spiders web, it was fatally and thoroughly grind to dust. Suddenly, something entered his field of vision. It was the thing that existed on the other side of this table, inside his wooden bookshelf. In that shelf there was a large quantity of games and save datas memory, not only that there was also the previous generation of smart phones which he had used. All the things had one thing in common, that was, it contained all the data that he had accumulated, and every single smart phone device had a character which was max level in it. Seeing his prized treasures, the feeling of depression which dropped him to the bottom was replaced with a burning motivation. He stared intently at his shattered smart phone. This time round, I wont fail to raise to the highest level alright! This, he pledged. Thereupon, as if was responding to his oath. Do you want to increase? Eh? Do you want to increase in level? As if he misheard, he was hearing an echo of a womans voice inside his head. Wh, who is it? Whos talking to me? Its me, Its me, Hey over here? It was as if someone was playing tricks on him. Where are you, show your form! Taiyou rapidly stood up and dashed towards the broom which was nearby in his room, he proceeded to take a vigilant stance with it in hand. Okay, Please wait a minute? Immediately after, the shattered pieces of phone which were on his table began to glitter/shine. After that, shattered pieces gathered together and spun around in high velocity like a tornado, before long it changed into particles of light. The particle of light continuously merges into a solid like shapeit was turning into something very human like. If one were to describe it, it was like one of those fantastical beings, the being called a fairy. Taiyou was completely bewildered and he lost his words. What used to be before his eyes was a real smart phone, but unbelievably it turned into a real living fairy! Chapter 3: And at the Park….. Do you want to increase in level? (Hera says the shortened word Reberage Level Increase) Did you say Level Increase? Thats right. Ah, could it be you didnt understand that? Level Increase is also known as Leveling Up, or more simply put, its when you accumulate enough Experience Points by doing various things in the field in order to Level That explanation is way too complicated and even harder to understand. Not that I dont like it but He put one hand forward and used it to rub his temple. (Temple as in forehead temple) As of this moment, he really doesnt know how to react to the situation which just occurred in front of him. For the time being, let me try pinching my cheeks. It hurts Whats the matter? Taiyou-chan is still level 1, so even if you pinch your cheeks you wont get any experience you know? ? I know that doing this sort of thing wont increase my experience pointsthe better question is, you, what are you exactly? Me? I am the Level Fairy, My name is Hera. ah, just letting you know Im the Level Fairy, not the Level Deity, therefore, dont get any weird ideas about doing any ecchi pranks on me kay?? Sorry, I am below 18 years of age, so I dont really understand that kind of material Taiyou had very distant eyes. Contrary to his words, his mind was still filled with the trauma of not being able to raise his female swordsmans to the max level. Is that really so? However, I am really happy that you arent going to play any mean tricks on C muah! (muah = me said in a really cutesy way) Taiyou grabbed Hera and began to touch all over her body. What are you doing?! Didnt you just promise me you wouldnt do anything ecchi? Ahh, I had to make sure that you were real. I thought your body may not have any substance You can touch me ya know, At least Taiyou-chan can Only me? Yes. Only Taiyou-chan can touch me. Other people cannot see me let alone touch me. Because I am an exclusive being in charge of Taiyou-chan Is that the case? Its true?. At any rate Taiyou-chan is really composed, this is the first time since I was born that someone was not surprised by seeing me Is this, perhaps, one of those punch line jokes, where because this is the first job you had since you were born, you are trying to show redeeming qualities of an experienced worker Biku! (Sound effects of Hera shuddering) Heras body trembled exaggeratedly. I hit it right on the mark, didnt I? Well, I guess this kind of thing happens way too often doesnt it Taiyou-chan..You are way to composed Ive been told that a lot, when I am angry or when I surprised people tell me that I am so calm that its disgusting Is that so? To put this together, you are some sort of a Fairy, and I have achieved some sort of qualifications, and you are my supervisor which can allow me to gain some level ups, is that a good overview? That was a lot you had to say.. But that is correct, you understood so quickly this saves me a lot of time? If you were a god, you would probably be able to explain this a lot faster. Well, you are somewhat of a similar race so lets leave it at that Taiyou, had a distant look on his face again but for a completely different reason. He had a look on his face that said, I cant believe this is happening to me. Nevertheless, why did you choose me? Umm, its because of this Hera buoyantly/floating over the table and flew towards the wooden book shelf. And she began to softly touch the cleared game data and game software which was on the shelf. Its because Taiyou-chan has love/affection? love? Yes, the love of raising a level. Thats why I chose you Taiyou-chan? Thats all there is to it? A person who can continue to carry things out to the extremes, is rare in this world. A person like Taiyou-chan who would complete every single game they played until the max level is like one person in 100 million. In Japan, you are the only one weirdly enough, that doesnt make me too happy. Well, at least I know the reason now Taiyou let out a light sigh. So, what do I have to do in order to gain experience points? Do I have to encounter some Yakuza/hoodlums in the vicinity and fight against them? Just letting you know but I am really weak, I wont be able to defeat a goblin let alone a slime Its alright?, gaining experience points is nothing difficult like what you mentioned, in the beginning anyone can do it? Its more like doing a repetitive chore/task I am completely used to doing something boring in order to level up, I dont care about that at all. So, what is the task exactly? Yes?.. ah, something came up just in time?. Its this? (Note: Hera talks in a cutesy manner so I am adding ~ whenever she ends with ʤΤǤ) Saying those things, Hera pointed towards a box under the shelf as if it was her most prized possession. The box was about as big as her, Taiyou grabbed it and took a long hard look at it. ..Jenga?(note: Jenga is a game where players take turns in removing blocks from a tower in order to balance it on top) Thats right, First off take it out from the box and please arrange/pile it on the table Like this? Now then, please destroy/demolish it in one go ..Like this? Once the blocks have all fallen, now please proceed to piling it up again ..Oi, dont tell me? With this your experience points went up by 1! Hey! This really is a chore! Thats what I told you, the task is something of a fatigue duty?. What will you do? No, even so, I will continue to do it Taiyou continued to repeat the action. He piled up the blocks, then he tips them over, then he piles it up again and tips them over again. No matter which angle you saw it from, you would think that what he was doing was a completely useless action. .Do you really think this will increase my level? Suddenly, Hera had a serious look and she listened intently. Taiyou also glanced at Hera in return. If I was to talk about this to other random people, lets see.. If I told people that I had memory loss and suddenly discovered I had a miniature fairy as a sister, I would be immediately kicked out of my home, and most likely dragged away by a yellow ambulance (for crazy people).thats because to other people you are an inexplicable life existence.Thats pretty much what would happen Is that so?? Anyhow, you, are you a living life form? Do you need to eat something to survive? Food? I dont really need to eat anything to live, but I can also choose to eat. My foundations are omnivorous just like a human, I can eat anything a human can, however if it is at all possible, I prefer to eat meals with a low/diluted/sparse salt content Ahhh, so you like Dog Food? Hey! I am not a dog! Alright fine, I understand, From now on I will officially call you by the name Hera Hetsu, Wait a moment, isnt that the thing that Taiyou-chan wanted to get so badly, the one that was in front of the station?(It doesnt state where he gets her name from. Most likely its a name from a game or maybe the name of one of his characters?) Unexpectedly you know various things eh, because you were a level up Fairy I thought that you would only have knowledge about gaming. Even though you were just born today, how do you even remember such things? Whilst Taiyou was continuing to pile up and demolish his Jenga blocks, he tried to gain some information out of Hera. uuuuThats cheating, Taiyou-chan is way too composed? Whilst he continues his laborious work of piling up and destroying his Jenga blocks for experience points, he tried to ask various questions to Hera in the hopes of gleaming out some sort of useful information, however in the end he didnt really gain anything of value. After a while, most of the interest he had towards Heras background was gone. (More importantly I wonder what happens when I gain a level? and if I achieve the maximum level I wonder what I will be able to do?) Taiyou is a person whom has always raised his game characters to the maximum level. From his general knowledge of gaming, when a person gains a level they will be able to increase their abilities, and if they hit the maximum level, at the very least they will be an invincible/unrivaled existence within the game. However, this was the real world, and in normal circumstances he wouldnt even be able to raise his level let alone gain experience points. It was very natural that he thought about these things as he was suddenly given the power to be able to raise a level by Hera, and it made him imagine the endless possibilities. Whilst thinking of the various possibilities, he continued to pile up and demolish the Jenga blocks for a period of one hour. Oh Hera awoke with a start, and then as if she was dancing around a tree she jumped up. Terere te te teC? Taiyou-chan Leveled up! You are now Level 2? Did it finally happen? With that said, it took a pretty long time to raise my level from 1 to 2 didnt it? Thats just how this works? That so. Well, now what? I increased my level after all Yes, various abilities have gone up? Ah, Taiyou-chan its your real life abilities that went up you know?It a little bit different from the normal parameters a human would normally increase, but still, various abilities really did increase okay?? Huh? And also your cold has disappeared/recovered, your body/skin is gleaming and your nose has cleared up? Why is it my cold?! Well it is natural that your status/stats recover when you level up but. Now now?, we will be moving on to the abilities that you gained, okay? Oh, ooo.. (I think this is his reaction getting of getting excited : P?) Taiyou was attacked by a strange sensation. His head was instantly filled with a torrent of information that consisted of characters and numbers which rushed through his field of vision. Strength 21, Agility 3, HPThis kind of feels like a great amount of abilities to examine Whilst trying to grasp an understanding of his own abilities, he tried to process the information and compare it with his abundant gaming knowledge. It was mostly very similar to the games he usually played so he had an easy time grasping the main concepts of his increase in abilities. Incidentally, he saw an ability value that he wasnt familiar with. Popularity 1, Charm 0..Hmm, This feels like reality just hit me in the face(interestingly, it says Harem (ϩ`) instead of charm but I think the author meant Charm so) Eh? What happened? Dont worry about it, its nothing. Taiyou said this whilst exhaling/sighing. He grasped the concepts of the abilities that he raised in one go, and acknowledged that for a level 1 character, his stats fit the bill..Reality also hit him hard as, he realized that his popularity and charm were close to non-existent. However, he was satisfied with this. As he a hobby, rather than increasing an average amount of status points and distributing evenly, he would rather focus on one thing and be great at that thing. For that purpose, he became motivated more than ever. Now then, shall we grind out a bit more? Saying this Taiyou went back to piling up the Jenga blocks, however. Ah, thats not right. What you need to do now, to get experience points, now that you have achieved level two is different. Simply put, every level the things you must do to advance will be different? Is that so? Then what do I have to do next? Umm that is. Please dig up a hole In this way, in order for him to raise his level, he went towards the park in blissful ignorance, not knowing that a certain policeman was waiting for his arrival. Chapter 4: Overflowing After School Night time: On the way home. Taiyou was completely exhausted. Even though he tried to explain himself, he was taken custody into the police station as he was doing something so suspicious, in the police station he was interrogated thoroughly, but when they investigated from the beginning in reality all he did was dig up some holes and then bury them, therefore no matter how much they examined the scene, all they found was a pile of dirt and couldnt really pin anything on him. In the end, he was treated as a weird/eccentric person and he got his innocence proven therefore he was able to be liberated from his arrest. Darn it.This is the first time since I was born that I have experienced being treated this way by policeman. That was a terrible ordeal wasnt it?? Are you going to eat a Katsu Donbori before you go home? (Note: Katsu Donbori is a delicious bowl of rice topped with fried pork cutlet, egg, and condiments.) Hera looked towards Taiyou with a sympathetic gaze, whilst floating delicately beside him. Im not eating! I mean, whose fault do you think this is?.. Mmmmm? Hera pondered for a bit. Is it by any chance?? Taiyous Mother?? (how adorably kawaii this fairy is Chapter 5: Uninvited School Rumble As a new day begins, much like any normal student would do, Taiyou went to school. He attended a private high school named Orikan, he was in first grade class A. To get to his class room, he needed to enter the school building, go up the stairs and walk to the furthest part of the building that is where he goes to attend school every day. Until yesterday, he had a very easy going attitude when attending school, he would nonchalantly listen to his lectures and in his free time he would be playing some sort of game whilst levelling up. Without generating any special events his life would continue in a peaceful manner, it was that kind of uninteresting place. However, today was different. Natsuno-kun, Its telling me that I have to choose a certain Job Class? Natsuno-kun, if you defeat this mushroom like thing will you gain something called a level? Natsuno-kun, I completely dont get how to play this game? A little before homeroom started, the three Hayakawa Sisters found Taiyou on his way to school, they immediately pulled out their smart phones and surrounded Taiyou. They completely ignored the stares of the surrounding people, and pestered Taiyou with gaming questions. Taiyou was baffled by this. He thought the three sisters actions were a mystery, the other people in the vicinity started to gather and whisper about something or other, and the girls seems to get closer and closer to him, because of this he was able to experience a fragrant womanly scent coming from the girls. Like a rich dribble of honey, it was a refreshing citrus like smell, it was a tantalising smell that could melt his brains. Taiyou whom had no luck with women until now, just being in close proximity with the girls, one part of his body began to have a reaction it shouldnt have. He desperately tried to retain his reasoning, and asked the three sisters. Umm..You guys, what do I owe this pleasure to? We really want to do the things that you like to do, together Before that, its completely fine for you to speak to us without honorifics, alright Yeah, it would be nice if you could talk to us in a more carefree manner? Well, even if you say that Why did you guys suddenly do this? After exchanging glances with one another, the three sisters began to answer one after another like a relay. Do you remember, the thing we said last night? We are really serious about it We want to do the things you like doing uuuu.. Do you dislike. us three? The three sisters had a painful look in their eyes, as they waited expectantly for an answer. Looking at such a facial expression, Taiyou couldnt help but gulp. If he were asked to clarify whether he disliked them or not, Taiyou could answer with confidence that he most definitely did not hate them. Certainly, these three women were a little different from the normal twins. If you took their individual photos you wouldnt even be able to suspect that they were different people, however in reality as explained before the three has a fatal distinction in which their heights were different from each other. Kotones height is 150 cm, Suzune was 140 cm and Kazane was like a little red riding hood at a height of 130 cm. Taiyou didnt really have an idea, why the three sisters suddenly behaved like this, at any rate, it was harder for him to ignore their feelings. Previously the girls held little favour towards Taiyo. Now they suddenly confessed their love, rather than saying that he didnt like it, it was more like he was jumping in joy deep inside. Therefore Taiyou decided to honestly answer to their feelings. I dont hate you girls, on the contrary, Im quite happy Really?! We are so glad!! In that case, with us Uwa Taiyou interrupted what the sisters were about to say with his own surprised shout. It was just like what happened last nightMost likely they were about to confess to him again, however if they were to confess inside his classroom, he felt like there would be repercussions, so he attempted to stop them from saying it. Its amazing, hes so popular. As expected of my Taiyou-chan? When homeroom break started, lacking any true motives he ran away from the three sisters, and he went in the gymnasium whilst calling out to Hera. Heras face was full of smiles, but Taiyou on the contrary had a complicated expression on his face. Did I really become popular.? Arent ya happy?? Those three..Kotone, Suzune and Kazane, arent they really cute girls? Being liked by those cute girls are you somehow displeased? Those girls are really cute.I mean even if they werent cute, being pampered/spoiled by three girls Im extremely happy, however.. When its such an obscure/unknown/ambiguous reason and they approached me like today, I instead felt unpleasant Taiyou let out a sigh and looked seriously towards Hera. He suddenly remembered a certain thing. Hey, am I unable to see my status unless I level up? That is not the case, ? Even if you would like to see your status right now I can bring it up for you? In that case, Please show me one more time Coming right up? After her answer of approval, Hera floated into the air and did a back flip. When Taiyou was in the process of thinking, there is probably some kind of meaning to what she was doing, his head was once again flooded with information and numerals. It was exactly the same as last night, the images went directly to his brain and displayed a clear image, much like the sensation you get when having a daydream. He flew quickly through the irrelevant information such as: Strength and HP, and Taiyou focused on the information he truly desired. He soon found it. Charm/Harem 65535 Its probably because of this stat This one is it?.Eh? Whats wrong? This is, a little weird?. The numerical value is also weird, it was supposed to go down, but it went up instead? Even though it went down, it went up? - You, do you know what the previous number was? I remember it? if Im not mistaken charm/harem was at a value of 0? If it decreased from 0So thats how it is, Its Overflow! Taiyou was startled and spoke. In a game he played awhile back, the numerical had an upper limit and a lower limit, when either side was exceeded, they would instead force the numerals to flow in reverse. In this scenario the value of charm/harem which was originally at 0 decreased, most likely there is no such thing as a negative value in this world, therefore it reversed and instead became a ridiculously large numeric. Aside from that Taiyou took a glimpse at Hera. By guessing, he concluded that the sudden rise in popularity received by the three sisters was because of this fact. At night, Taiyou aimed to become level 4, his current task this time around was to flip over a one yen coin repeatedly. This time the action is a simple matter, all he needed to do was go to his table and start flipping the 1 yen coin to heads then flip it back to tails, and just do this repeatedly.That was the kind of chore it was. Although it was a similar type of repetitive duty as yesterdays event in the park, he could do this particular action at home and Taiyou felt really relieved from the fact that he wouldnt have to be indebted to the policeman once again. [Nevertheless, Taiyou-chan is a really serious person isnt he?? You would get a standing ovation from all the Americans for your seriousness, ya know? What a false picture you paint! Americans wouldnt do such a thing as standing in unison Taiyou experienced Goosebumps just imagining the situation. More importantly, what do you mean by seriousness? Well I mean, you are able to continuously perform these meaningless tasks without resting? The one making me do these things is you, aint it Moreover, not even 3 hours has passed, and if you could level up anyone would do it if they only needed 3 hours Is that so?? Taiyou nodded and with distant eyes he let out a laugh, (sound effect = pfft) I used to play this net game, and comparing the amount of time it took to gain even one level, this is nothing.. Look here/you know what though? Taiyou-chan Un? In later stages of this process. When you reach a high level, it may be just as hard as it was in that game ya know?? Hera had an apologetic look on her face. ..All I have to do is just continue to grind it out to level right? And when I gain a level my stats will increase right? Yes, I can guarantee that! In that case, its all good. Taiyou interrupted whatever Hera was about to say with those words. He then returned, to continue to turn his 1 yen coin back from heads to tails and vice versa. As long as he keeps doing an action he will continue to increase his abilities, which in itself is his obsession and his number one reason for levelling. In real life there are way too many things in which you can do, but wont be rewarded for it. As a student sure if he studies hard he may be rewarded in the long run, however, even then, all a student can do is to increase his grades. However in a game, the more you increase your level, the higher your abilities will be. In other words, the amount of hard work you put in will inevitably be rewarded. This is why comparing to the previous work he did yesterday, and knowing that it is a certain fact that he will grow as a person and receive rewards, for Taiyou doing these kinds of repetitive chores has value/merit. This is why even now he continues to flip his coin repeatedly from heads to tails. At the same time he was thinking about a completely different thing inside his head. Kotone, Suzune and Kazane. The three triplet sisters, whom had differing heights. The three girls really did say, Please go out. with us. And also this morning the same words were repeated. This was him genuinely becoming popular, Taiyou was elated and he rejoiced as he knew he didnt have a genuine/pure personality. If Hera did not exist, he would of assumed that there was a hidden camera somewhere, or some sort of badger game being played on him, Or perhaps, he may have assumed that ahhh the earth is probably going to explode and Im going to die tommorrow as that would be more likely than getting confessed by the three girls. However, now he had a real explanation as to why he was so popular he could believe it was true, and it was all due to his status Charm: 65535 It wasnt the normal kind of confession. These three girls brazenly stated Please go out with us! . Considering the high value of the stat, he could somewhat understand why the effects were so exaggerated. Although he could accept the fact, he had absolutely no idea how to handle it. Before he got his abilities, He had barely any relations with woman, he had never been out on dates before let alone, have any idea what to say to a girl. He really didnt have any of that date experience at all. ..ah? Suddenly as if she noticed something Hera raised her voice, her eyes and body were turned towards Taiyous home entrance. In the next moment, in one breaths time the doorbell wrung. In such a time who could it be? He imagined it to be some sort of telemarketer and simulated how he would decline their offers, he stood up and went towards his entrance and casually opened the door. What stood before him were the feminine presence of three very cute looking girls wearing casual clothing, they were the three twin sisters. He was already surprised at their sudden visit, but even more shocking was what they each held in their right hands. You guysWhat is going on?.. What they brought along was, packed to the brim, a poston bag. (Note: basically a luggage bag) Chapter 6: The Youth with an Unbalanced Die Taiyous room: its a standard one unit bedroom for a single person. Normally the smell in his room gave subdued and calming atmosphere, now if one were go into his room, they would smell the fragrant scent of the girls which most definitely did not calm him down. (Note: here he uses the words womens odour) No, its not entirely correct to use the words a smelly odour of women. Although there is not mistake in calling it that, it is inappropriate to call the scent coming from the girls a smelly odour. In that case, what would be the best way to describe it? -Because since he was born, three girls never entered his room like this before, he totally panicked and he couldnt think of any words to describe it. All his life, the only people of the opposite sex that would have come into his room was just his mother. Inside his bedroom where the low table was at, three young girls and a youth was sitting in place. Facing towards Taiyou, the three girls were setting on their knees with a straight posture. The girls had a feverish gaze towards him, their amorous glances were excessively passionate, and when he returned their gaze, it was almost enough to give him a burn! Taiyous heart began to rapidly beat, and he was flustered. Umm, Hayakawa-san- My name is Kotone Call me is Suzune Call me Kazane Eh? Please call us by our first names Not even adding -san? (When people become very close, they can remove honorifics, this is the girls method of trying to get closer to him :P) Please do so!! They had a very first-class tone. Talking like a relay, they slowly raised bowed whilst pressing three fingers of each hand on the floor. Surprised by their actions Taiyou quickly raised himself. Wai, wait you guys, stop it, raise your heads Before you call our names we arent going to move from this position Hes not sure how they did do it, but their voices seems to harmoniously come out at the same time. Because they were so beautifully lined up, he just couldnt refuse their request as he didnt want to let them down. In that case.Kazane-s In the last second, just as he was about to use the honorific -san, he repressed his words and called Kazanes name out without honorifics. This is the first time ever, hes called a female within the same age group as him without any honorifics, and Taiyou felt as if he could not calm down. Left with such feelings of anxiousness, it did not end there. It would seem that the only one whom raised her face was Kazane. She watched Taiyou ecstatically, whilst the other two people were still bowing. Of course he knew without being told, that they were waiting for him to call out their names. Kotone. Suzune-, please raise your head, I beg of you Yes! I understand! In this way, the three girls lifted their heads and once again face towards Taiyou. Just by calling out their names, even though it was such a simple action, Taiyou was exhausted. Even when he was hunting for monsters three nights in a row, he did not feel the amount of fatigue he felt right now. He thought that if he continued at this pace with the girls, his body would not be able to keep up, thus Taiyou proceeded to question their intentions for their late night visit. (Note: what else are they here for :P, this noob main char) UmmmMay I ask you guys, why did you guys come here for? We want to live here with you Kotone said. Sorry? Can you write that down so I can understand? CWe want to be together with you. Suzune took out a notebook from her luggage, and proceeded to scribble those words. Sorry, it would seem that my eyes are also quite bad -Petatsu (Sound effect) Kazane grabbed Taiyous hand and put it against her own chest! Uwaa! Wh, Wha, What are you doing?! Although the feelings transmitted to the palm of hands were that of a barely developing chest, even then, the stimulus was too strong for Taiyou. He reflexively shook of Kazanes hands, and slithered backwards close to the wall. Ummm, its like that, you still dont understand? Its because we like you We want to live together with you .I mean, even if you say such a thing so suddenly Are we not allowed? We can do anything, and we are really good at domestic chores/housework If you wish, we can even Kazanes speech was cut half way through and her mouth seemed to freeze up, Almost as if imitating her, the two other sisters simultaneously cast their gaze downwards, whilst having their cheeks dyed red in shame. Seeing Kazane stop her sentence midway, Taiyou began to think, what kind of words did she have to say? What kind of feelings was she experiencing? Whilst thinking about such things Taiyou gulped and swallowed his saliva. If a person of the same sex as him were to ask him these kind of questions, he could just return the question and tell them off by saying Hmph? Are you kidding me?, However the person asking him the questions were his classmates and most importantly they were the well-known Bishoujos the Hayakawa familys three sisters. Expectation was building up inside of Taiyou, but at the same time, he was also baffled by the situation just as equally. If even after all this, a man does act upon the advances of a woman, he may even be ridiculed as a person destined to die out, However for Taiyou even then he did not for one second think to take advantage of the situation. The youth named Natsuno Taiyou was a tough nut to crack, he was at the age of his puberty where his hormones would be raging, although this fact just aggravated him even more, Taiyou was a fastidious person and he was very careful about what actions he took. Coming up until here, he took a complete turn in the opposite direction, instead of being enthusiastic he became nonchalant about the girls staying over. He let out a sigh and faced the three sisters. .I understand, however there is a condition Yes, understood Hold on a minute We will make preparations- No, on the contrary Taiyou declared clearly. The three girls were surprised. Im talking about changing the kind of compensation..for staying over here Even now, the girls were trying to present their bodies to him at any given chance, Taiyou calmly interrupted their words. He disliked taking advantage of the girls and those kind of exchange conditions. In the morning, Taiyou could hear distinct and rhythmical sounds of chopping coming from his kitchen, his senses were titillated by the aroma of miso soybeans. Although any of these things should have represented the happiness of a familial life, Taiyou who has never experienced these things took some time to recognise it. He was inside in his bath tub, which was not filled with water and he was absentmindedly trying to wake from his stupor. Last night he was sleeping in this tub, so his body ached all over. Because of that he couldnt get much sleep, but, he thought it was much better than sleeping in a cramped room with the three girls. Last night he refused to sleep together with them, if he were to continue to be in the same space as the girls, without a doubt something irreversible would have happened. For that reason, he took refuge in his own bathroom, and locked the door so the girls could not come in. It was not as if he disliked the girls, however, he did not have a fondness to the term repaying favours, especially not in this way. Taiyou was like a youth in the middle of his puberty, however he also had this weird side to him that was really uptight. In a world/society where there are various methods in which young men deal with women, for example, young men: Who are not competitive, in the avid pursuit of money and sex and who may also be kind, co-operative and or family-oriented, and on the other end of the spectrum; A man that aggressively pursues sex and money. If there was a need to give him a classification, for the time being, Taiyou can be classified as a youth who is either: A person that is not by any means, unpopular or a late bloomer, but will only go out with a girl whom he really likes/ falls in love with; OR the type of nerdy person currently more into games then he is into chasing after women (The type of person he is refers to the title The Youth with an Unbalanced diet Note: this translated paragraph was extremely hard to process/understand and convert into meaningful language, if there is still confusion please feel free to ask some questions) If he doesnt like it, no matter how delicious the food, he will not eat it. (referring to no matter how tempting a girl is he wont go for her unless he truly likes her personality) So that he didnt say anything that could be mistaken. By his own initiative Taiyou escaped towards his bathroom to sleep. Good morning, Taiyou-chan? Suddenly in front of his eye Hera showed her appearance/presence. As Hera went through the bedroom wall into the bathroom, he recognised that once again she was a fantastical existence whom was a fairy. Ahh, Morning. What are the girls up to? From the sound of things he could make a pretty good guess, however, even then he wanted to ask in order to confirm the situation. They are making you breakfast? Whilst saying I see in acknowledgement Taiyou stood up, he then did stretched out his body and cracked his back to relieve the built up tension. As if they heard the sound of him cracking his body, there was a knock on the bathroom door. Excuse meare youawake? The voice sounded like a polite inquiry, and he began to think of which of the three sisters the voice belonged to. Although the girls had distinctive facial features, when only their voice can be heard from the other side of the wall, he could not pinpoint in the slightest who the voice belonged to. He tried to think of the answer, but after a while, he decided to just leave this matter for now. (I cant let them find out the fact that I dont know what they sound like) Whilst thinking such things, he faced the wall and answered the question. Ahh, Is it alright if I come out? Yes! Please go right ahead! Rin-chan, Fuu-chan, if you dont move backwards the door wont open The voice seemed to belong to Kotone, soon shuffling noises could be heard on the other side of the door. He waited for the noises to quiet down, and then he cautiously opened the door and exited his bathroom. What was there, was the three sisters lined up side by side, wearing an apron each. .cute Taiyou couldnt help but to speak without thinking. Hearing those words, the faces of the three sisters turned bright red. Is that really true? Umm, can you please say that again? We want you to say it to us individually, alright? The three sisters shuffled even closer to him and lined up in a straight line in front of Taiyou. They lined up like they were little kids in elementary school. The one at the most front of the line was Kazane, she had sparkling/glittering upturned eyes and was gazing at Taiyou. Although he was still not used to physical contact with girls, even then, merely telling girls in front of him that they were cute was not a problem to him at all. Taiyou looked straight into their eyes. You are cute, Kazane Fuwaa.. (sound effect of her blushing/swooning) You are cute, Suzune Haauu.. You are cute, Kotone Ahhh When he repeated the same words individually to them one by one, the girls facial expression was overcome with emotion, and in that spot they slid down into the ground as if their legs lost strength. Chapter 7: Transparent Conversational Space Taiyou took a different path than the three sisters in order to go to school. Without thinking he instinctually ran away, as he was really, quite a shy/introverted person. Although all he did was look directly into their eyes as he called out their names, nevertheless, for Taiyou whom in the past has had minimal interactions with the opposite sex, it was too much for him to endure. Furthermore, it was hard to return the girls feelings, when it happened so suddenly. Being liked was a pleasant thing, but, when they unconditionally turn their feelings of love towards him, somewhere in his heart he felt bad for the girls. The complexity of the matters combined with the fact that he was merely a young boy of 16 years, made it even more difficult. And at the same time, the reason their affection increased, and the reason his mind was plagued by guilt was due to the status point. Charm: 65535 Several days ago, the three Hayakawa twin sisters were merely his regular classmates, and the main drive and the timing as to why this kind of thing happened was way too coincidental, Taiyou thought that without a doubt it was because of that ability. If he raised the value of the stat, to its highest level, through his own hard work, then as a person whom is crazy about levelling, he could confidently raise his chest and be proud of his achievements. However, this time it wasnt like that at all, because of a numerical bug called overflow the numbers went crazy. in other words it was a result that was obtained through pure chance/accident/luck and was truly unfair/unjust. Because he did not feel he gained his ability through his own efforts, he could not willingly accept the advantages it provided. Many years down the track, the person himself will look back at this event and think to himself, with a bitter smile: Why did I make such a fuss about such a small matter, if I think carefully I was so childish back then obsessing and being stubborn over things which have little meaning ..Haaa Even so, for the Taiyou that was living in the current timeline it was an important matter. Enough for him to let out a frustrated sigh. Good morning Natsuno. Eh? You arent playing a game? Oh its you, Nakajima? Yeah, I have a lot going on.. As usual on his way to school, the overly buoyant Katsuki was walking side by side with him, and this made him let out another small sigh. Whats wrong, somehow you dont seem to be well. Is it some sort of personal problem? Nakajima wiggled his pinkie finger, and gave a mischievous/impish/roguish smile. It was exactly because of that! Taiyou almost wanted to blurt it out, but, the person known as Katsuki was someone who loved to gossip/tease/banter about love matters, he was a person known for such things and he didnt want the direction of the conversation to go that way. Knowing this fact Taiyou narrowly managed to suppress his outburst. No its not what you are thinking, its because my smart phone broke By smart phone you mean the newest model phone that you just recently bought? Yeah For reals? Let me see, let me see, did it have a crack on the screen that resembled a spider web? More than just a cracked screen, its closer to say it was grind to dust.Immediately after dropping it a car ran over it and crushed it to little pieces Wow.my condolences to you. Is that so, thats the reason you werent playing games today huh .Thats how it is Taiyou felt relieved.For someone like Katsuki who loved to gossip about love relationships, if the matter with the three twin sisters were exposed, it would become an immense/disastrous thing, as much as possible, he wanted to hide such secrets, Taiyou thought. Aside from that, seeing Natsuno without a game in hand, even Im starting to feel weird Is it to that extent? Yeah, it makes me unable to calm down. Its like the feeling of seeing a pigeon in front of the station that was afraid to approach the human beings I kind of understand what you are saying but not really Taiyou had a bittersweet smile. But you know, even if you dont have your smart phone, cant you still play some sort of game? In actual fact didnt you used to bring a cell phone and play games on that? Its because that old thing doesnt have the games that I want to play I see Whilst Taiyou was glancing at the consenting Katsuki, he was flipping the 1 yen coin in his hand from heads to tails. Although he said those things, in truth he really didnt smart phones or cell phones to play games. This is because at this moment in the real world he was levelling up, and the only thing he loved about games was the ability to level. At least whilst he was still able to make progress in real life, he didnt need to play games, nor did he feel a compulsion to play them either. Another way to put it is, even though he isnt walking with a game in hand, he feels as if he was playing one right now. Good morning Aoba-chan! Today you also look really cute having that ponytail on you! Finishing their superficial talk, Katsuki as per his usual actions, went to find his circle of friends, as he naturally separated from Taiyou and rushed towards his friends. When Taiyous gaze followed the direction Katsuki was going in, there was a really cute girl with a pony tail that was attached to the top of her head. It wasnt the casual/easy-going kind of pony tail that was arranged, the pony tail was tied in a cocoon like fashion her bangs also flowed down the nape of her neck elegantly, her few strands of hair that managed to escape the cocoon also added to her amorous look, it was as if she painstakingly arranged her hair in a perfect ponytail. There are many other people in his class with pony tails, however, there was none that could compare to her beauty, most people had disappointing level of intricacy and most just negligently tied their hair in any old fashion. Hm? At first, it was just Taiyou one-sidedly admiring her pony tail, but, she incidentally/suddenly turned her eyes to face him. Although she was just talking about something with Katsuki, for some reason or other she was now intensely staring in his direction. No, it was more like she was glaring right at him with her eyes! (Did I, do something bad to her?) Her glare seemed to be filled with a negative feeling that it was enough to make him reflexively think such things. He tried to search his memory, but there was nothing he could remember that would cause him to be hated by her, this was the conclusion he came to. Although she kept her glare at Taiyou for a conceivable period of time, before long her gaze returned to a normal one and she soon went back to chit chatting with Katsuki whilst going on her way to school. Then, I must be going, excuse me Time: Mid-Morning, Break time. He was nominated by one of the teachers to be in cleaning duty for his previous period, and Taiyou barely managed to finish his task with little time to spare, and all he got was a light thank you by one of the teaching staff before he went out of the faculty room. Hello When he was returning to his class room he encountered one of the three twin sisters. It was the tallest one Kotone. Kotone.. You are by yourself? As per usual he was awkwardly trying to suppress saying -san as he gulped down his words. Taiyous image of the girls were that they were a single unit that acted together, when he encountered just one of them in specific, to him it felt almost like he encountered a rare character within a game. Yes, I was trying to find you. We didnt know where you went, so the three of us split up and searched Oh, you guys separated? Yes, I will call Suzu-chan and Kaza-chan here alright? Ahh, ok Although he gave her his consent, she just stood in place, she continued to look at Taiyou whilst smiling at him and it seemed that she was happy about something. .. . Umm.Werent you going to call the other two? He wasnt really comfortable with pressing the matter but, even more than that he was a little weirded out by her behaviour that he asked without thinking. I already called them Eh? Did you do something? Yes, I became delighted .Hm? Taiyou tiled his head in confusion. He was trying to imagine/think of situations that he encountered before that would clarify the matter, but he couldnt pin point any certain thing and he inadvertently tilted his neck in confusion. Like I said, I became really happy. Because I became really happy, Suzu-chan and Kaza-chan will be able to know that I found you Dont tell me, Is this Telepathy? It most likely is, Even we dont really know how it works. However, we can kind of convey/transmit to each other what kind of feelings we are individually experiencing. HeeC (a way Japanese people acknowledge something) Taiyou spontaneously leaked out a voice of admiration. Although the person in question doesnt really understand how her ability works, but if they are actually able to convey each others feelings from such a distance then most likely it was a type of telepathy. The twin triplets that were deeply connected with each others feelings, that kind of telepathy. For Taiyou this matter was extremely interesting..In a good kind of way, it sparked his interest in them. May I, ask various questions regarding this matter? Yes, of course As he received Kotones consent, Taiyou wanted to ask her various questions whilst walking, thus he started in the direction of his class room and began to converse with her along the way. Is the connection, merely based on feelings? Or can you use words.to converse with each other in your mind? We used to able to do such things when we were kids Kotone said that with an apologetic face. However now we cant do such things any longer, please forgive me No its not really anything you should apologize for. So now its only feelings that get transmitted? Can you clearly send the feelings across? Yes, if its just that we can transmit it clearly. In actuality, it is closer to say that we share joint ownership of each others feelings. We are unable to hide each others feelings. When we get worked up or excited our feelings get transmitted with each other without permission So it just leaks out? Yes, the feelings between us that is Thats amazing, this ability. As expected of you three twins. Ah, but if thats the case. Whilst walking Taiyou held his hand to his jaw, and puckered his eye brows in reflection/deliberation. If thats the case, what? Ahh, Im not too sure but I believe in your case, your hearts are linked because there is no barrier. I think, because your hearts are always connected, It amplifies the effects of what you experience on your actual body more than you know it, just like how your minds can share emotions your body seems to also transmit its feelings. However back in the days you used to be able to have a conversation within your minds but now you lost touch with the ability, I think it may be caused by a side effect of you sisters growing apart? If that was the case, I believe its a bit of a shame. Its a shame/waste? Kotone opened her eyes widely and stared at Taiyou with an astonished expression. Yeah, Sorry I spoke out of turn, please forget what I said just now Taiyou waves his hands in panic, and he had an apologetic face. For the sisters who had the power of telepathy. He thought that this was an immensely adventurous/exciting conversational topic. But this is probably only what he thought, it could be that the person in question themselves did not find this topic to be interesting in the slightest. For twins or triplets in general this was most likely a touchy/sensitive topic to talk about, but instead Taiyou was pestering her and asking her all these sensitive questions. Suddenly, Kotone spoke aloud and stood still/stopped moving. She had a surprised look on her face and when Taiyou followed her gaze, at the end of the corridor a lone young woman stood in place, and was staring directly at them. You are?. This mornings.. It was a figure he remembered seeing before, the person who was talking to Katsuki, the figure of a girl with the perfectly styled pony tail. Just like the time when he encountered her in the morning she was still glaring right at Taiyou. Ummm, you are? Natsuno Taiyou, you, which of the three Hayakawa-sans do you like the most? Before he could even complete his words, Taiyou was interrupted by the girl, she then proceeded to make this shocking declaration! Chapter 8: Thirty Students Miyagi-san Miyagi-san? Miyagi didnt respond to her name being called via words, instead all she did was turn to the person whom spoke to her which was Kotone and looked at her with absentminded eyes. Yes, Miyagi Aoba-san, was one of my classmates back in the day (Kotone speaking) Is that so? ummMiyagi-san?(Taiyou speaking) Taiyou called out towards Miyagi in an inquisitive voice. Thereupon her wrath filled gaze, was raised by one level in intensity. What was she so angry about I wonder?, Taiyou thought that, he shouldnt have done even a single thing to offend her in the slightest, however, in the next instant he recalled the words spoken by Aoba and he formulated some sort of understanding ahh so thats what this is about. -Out of the three Hayakawa-sans, which do you like the most? Yesterday, the three sisters were talking quite intimately with him in the classroom. From the get go, they were asking Taiyou questions about the games he was playing, and the crowd could somehow accept the fact that they were asking advice from Taiyou considering his special knowledge in the matter, however, the fact that the three sisters were all vying for his attentionswas something everyone felt was weird/unusual/ridiculous. Simply put, the three sisters were practically swooning all over him. The fact that the three sisters merely used the game as a pretext for approaching Taiyou.. Was so blatantly apparent that even a natural airhead would be able to figure that out. The fact that the three sisters, no longer saw Taiyou as just a regular classmate became so wide spread that the entire school heard the rumours before school even finished. Three famous sisters, the identical triplets. Within the school, the sisters were existences accepted as some sort of a celebrity personality. Consequently, the rumour spread like wildfire. The three were making some moves on a single man. In order to extract the truth from those words, a certain person game to interrogate him. (Even so, her hostility is so fierce I can almost feel it on my skinOh well, lets leave it at that) Ill ask you once again, you, which of the three sisters do you like the most? Aoba repeated her words a second time, without hiding any of the indignation she felt towards Taiyou. Rather than who I like the most, its more like. You wont say you like them all equally right? If I may be bold/daring that is what I meant to say This was his true opinions. For now he hadnt know the girls long enough to find a distinctive component which could clearly differentiate which girl he liked the most. The three girls had the same face, and the amount of time he spent with each individual is about the same. If a favourability/likability factor was converted into numericals, Taiyou predicted that they would all be the same number. Thats why he answered in that manner, however, it would seem it did not meet up to Aobas standards. Youre the worst! Eh? You are that kind of guy arent you? You are just fooling around with their feelings and trying to have an affair with them!! No, I havent done anything to them.. Hayakawa-san! Eh? Yes? Are you ok with that? As you just heard, this is the kind of man he is Hearing Aobas question, Kotone looks unblinkingly at Taiyou. Are we really, all liked equally? Yeah, thats how it is Thank you, this is why we like you ehhhhhh? Aoba raised her voice in a bewildered shriek. Are you insane? That guy, hes clearly just playing around with the three of you? No, in my case, Im not just playing around What did you just say? Aoba gave Taiyou a stern look. However, Taiyou was indifferent towards Aobas reaction, and he looked towards Kotone and began to talk to her. From the previous talk we just had, Id like to clarify, due to your circumstances, is there even such a thing like differential treatment? What do you mean? What I mean is, do you guys think of yourselves as one entity? Or three separated individualistic entities? Ummmm.. Kotone tilted her neck and was trying to think. Apparently, this question was never considered by her before, and this is the main reason that it would be impossible to give and answer and choose a single one of them especially at this early point in time. Whilst in the middle of class, Taiyou was turning over his 1 yen coin above his opened text book. When he was using his smart phone to level his characters in the game, it was not possible to play his games during class and it made him slightly unsatisfied. But now he didnt need to worry, and he was happy with the fact that he could continue accumulate experience points. This is because all he was really doing was just flipping the coin from heads to tails over and over, it wasnt anything overly fancy and even the teachers cant really make out a complaint. Even other students would do similar type of actions, it was like the steady action of spinning pens in class. Whilst doing this action, Taiyou was looking around inside his classroom. Kotone, Suzune and Kazane. The three of them were lacking in uniformity and each of them were absentmindedly staring into space It was the kind of situation where, they had their textbooks out and notes open, but even so the sharp pens in their hands stopped moving and they werent listening to the lecture. It was clear that they were thinking deeply about something. (Were they thinking about what I said to Kotone earlier?) Taiyou was feeling a slight sense of responsibility as the one who asked the question. He didnt know whether the statement he made towards the girls, was good or bad, but that was for the girls to decide, and Taiyou didnt have any power in the matter. However, without a doubt it was his brief comment that made the girls become troubled. Making them feel troubled/worried, he felt a sense of responsibility towards them. When he was just in the process of thinking, what should I do about this?.. Hera appeared out of thin air. It was as if she instantly teleported in front of him, in front of a spatial area that had nothing, she suddenly blinked into existence. (Goku style teleportation) She was floating delicately, but she just fluttered there silently whilst looking at Taiyou. Level Up! Those words surfaced into his mind. Teacher! I have a sore stomach please let me go to the toilet After having said that, without even caring about his classmates attention. Taiyou dashed out of the classroom. Hera was keeping true to her promise, and only after they entered an unpopulated corridor did she begin to open her mouth. Te re re te te te? Taiyou-chan levelled up! ~ So it finally happened! Im level 4 arent I Yeah. You became stronger again Taiyou-chan~ Wait a moment, lets move to a more secure place so that we can confirm He ran through the corridor, went to the stairs located in the interior part of the building and began to climb rapidly into the rooftop, this was a place where nobody seemed to visit. Under the clear blue skies, he turned towards Hera who was following right behind him. Alright, show me my status Roger that~, nanodesu In response Hera began her whirling dance in mid-air. Taiyou lay his back straight on the rooftop ground and closed his eyes, as the torrent of numerical values went straight into his brain. He immediately concentrated on the numerical value he was most anxious about and tried to make it appear. Popularity is 0, Charm is 65535 so I see it hasnt changed Yes? Well, then thats good I suppose Taiyou said this in a disappointed manner. Well for him this was naturally the case, the figures started with 1 and 0, but when it reduced from 0 , the Charm value was instead overflowed and increased to an unimaginable league. He was anticipating/expecting that when he levelled, his values could decrease further or even that the bug may go the other way and his values would reset back to 0. I would like to confirm, these two values, none of them has changed right? Yeah?, both these values were unaffected? I understand He nodded at Heras response and he put these matters at the back of his mind for now, he then proceeded to check the other numeric values. Although he levelled up the other values barely moved at all, it was to a pathetic degree that each value only increased by a maximum of 1. Although there was one particular status value that showed high prominence. The strength/power value, was raised from a value of 6 to a value of 30! So thats how it is After he finished checking his values, Taiyou slowly opens his eye lids. As I predicted, Im some sort of power specialised character, the way in which my stats increase seems to confirm this. Yeah Taiyou inclines his head. Is there something bad about it? Its not really something bad per say, but its more like, how do I explain it. In an offline game a character who specialises in strength will be effective immediately and be battle ready as a valuable war potential. however in comparison to that, Whilst strength is important in an online game, rather than having an all rounded character it is much more stronger to focus your abilities in one category Is that so? ? When the environment changes.. The hypothesis is that the type of specialisation that is advantageous will also change. And I was pondering which of the stats are good to focus on in real life. I believe in Taiyou-chan, so no matter what stat you focus on I think you will become strong?. You will immediately become battle-ready, and continue to become stronger until the end? If that was true, it would be nice Hera was trying to encourage/cheer on Taiyou with such innocence that Taiyou could only put on a wry smile, if it was really true, it would be great he thought. Well, even though my strength has increased, I dont actually feel any difference in my body. To begin with, a value of 30 how much stronger is that in human terms? Im sorry, I am not knowledgeable in that matter? Hera looked pitiful when she realised she couldnt help. Seeing this Taiyou tried to cheer her up. Thats alright, Even though there arent any apparent results yet, being able to increase my level like this is really fun, so dont worry too much Yes?.. More importantly what is the next task I need to accomplish in order to level? Yes! Umm it is?. Hera was folding her arms and thinking. Taiyou thought she was feeling down, but in the next second, she was already recovered. Seeing her like this, it reminded Taiyou of playing with a cute small animal, it gave him a pleasant feeling. Whilst having a small smile that slightly raised the corners of his mouth, he stood up and went to turn the door lever, however BAKI! (Sound effect) A loud sound was heard, and Taiyou fell backwards. He did not comprehend what just occurred, Taiyou fell onto his bottom and it took a while for him to digest what really transpired, but, it turns out that inside his hands was, precisely, the door lever that broke off! Chapter 9: Let’s Go With Muscle At the Park in the Evening: Taiyou was sitting on a wooden bench. Heras face suddenly popped out, from inside the vinyl convenience store bag that was beside him. (Note: wild Pikachu detected!) Pass me the next apple Gushiyaa! (Sound effect of apple being crushed) Steel canned coffee (It is steel this is not a typo, hes just that strong :P) Meri, Baki Baki! (*rip rip*, *snap, crush*) Champion Magazine BiriBiriBiri! (*rip, rip, rip*) Hera passes to him the items inside his convenience store bag one by one, at times he would crush the contents and at other times he would rip it into pieces. Fruits are squished, metallic cans are crushed, and although it was a minor amount of experience points, he even started ripping out the bestselling manga magazines without a shred of mercy. He looked upon the mountainous of remains from his excessive destruction and Taiyou became very astonished. What a terrifying amount of power. Yes?, as expected of my Taiyou-chan? Dont tell me, is this Yes, of course?, its because Taiyou-chans strength/power has increased? As I thought.So this is what 30 strength feels like Taiyou opened both his hands, and whilst gazing at his palms, he opened and closed them. The appearance of his hands did not change in the slightest but, hidden inside was a crazy amount of power that was exceeding anything a mere high school student could exert. I really didnt believe that by leveling I could grow stronger in real life Muka! (note: Pout) Hera jumped out of the plastic bag and was huffy/angry. Taiyou-chan, you didnt believe in my words? Well, I was half convinced & half dubious. I mean..All that I have been doing up till now was stacking up some Jenga blocks and making them fall, digging up holes and burying them, and turning over my 1 yen coin from heads to tails..Those kinds of ridiculous things you know? Normally people wouldnt think that they would get an increase in abilities just from doing those mediocre tasks right? Even so, Taiyou-chan is a meanie?. You need to believe in me more?, that way I can help you more often, kay? Where did a goddess like you come from.Even if I dont want to, It has gone to the point where I cant not believe in you(basically hes saying he believes in herthe double negatives strikes again) Taiyou stood up from the bench, and he approached a tree that was planted within the park. It was a tree big enough for a fully grown man to wrap his arms around it. Taiyou was thinking of applying a small amount of power to the trunk of the tree with his hand. When he did this, the tips of his fingers sunk into the tree and made an indentation/holes that was distinctly apparent on the tree. He wanted to try out something he once saw in a manga. He looked at the hand print he saw on the tree, and suddenly Taiyou became very excited/thrilled. He loved raising levels in games, thats why when Hera appeared in front of him he was able to obtain the feeling of being able to play games in real life. However, if levelling up in real life literally/actually increase his real life abilities then it was a whole new ballpark that he had to consider. Level 4, Strength was at 30. And with this amount of strength, I was able to activate the amount of power I displayed just moments ago. Just thinking about this fact made him exhilarated and he wanted to get up and do something. If it was like this, he wanted to without delay and as fast as possible increase his level.. With these kind of thoughts, he turned his face towards Hera and wanted to ask her of the methods required in order to increase to the next level, however at that moment. Taiyou-san There was someone calling out his name. When he changed his point of view to the direction the voice came from, only one of the three twin sisters stood there, she was the shortest of the bunch (Kazane) and she was standing in the entrance of the park. Maybe it was because of the moonlight or perhaps it was some other kind of thing. But, her cheeks were blushing as she approached Taiyou whilst looking into his eyes. Oh its you? Wont you call me by my name? .Kazane When her name was called out just like she wished it to be, her face reddened even further. Why have you come here? That was exactly my question to you.Before homeroom class even finished you dashed out of the class room, were you ok? I was so worried and I tried searching everywhere for you Yeah, I had some small matters to attend to you see By small matters..you mean that? Kazane moved her face as if she was trying to peek and see what was behind Taiyou, She was looking at the wooden bench which he was sitting on just moments ago. Below the bench the things Taiyou crushed and ripped were littered all over the floor and rolling down like a bunch of wreckage. It was the kind of thing that if you didnt know the internal state of affairs, any normal person would be greatly bewildered and or perplexed when seeing such a spectacle. Of course, Kazane was not an exception. Were you releasing your frustrations and trying to reduce stress? Hm? ahh I guess its something like that Taiyou nods his head in assent. Kazane couldnt see Hera and she also didnt know Taiyou was capable of levelling up, furthermore he thought that it was better for her to remain oblivious to such facts. Is that really so?..Hey, Taiyou-san Eh? If you have some pent up frustrations to release Im, okay with it ..What are you fine with? I will be able to..endure it no, no, no, no, you dont have to do anything, its not that kind of pent up frustrations/desires If its not about that, then, thenn Hmm? Y-you prefer boys? No its not that kind of thing either, Im telling you! Im just a normal guy that is only interested girls A vehement and disastrous misunderstanding was about to occur, so he reflexively used a large voice and desperately tried to justify his point of view. Is that so? Im relieved. As long as you understand than its good, Im so relieved that you didnt misunderstand my intentions you know? Surely he wasnt going to really be thought as a homo right? Taiyou thinking about this matter had an astonished look. But Im really glad If you really said that you liked other men.I, wouldnt know what I should do Kazane. Kazane was truly feeling down, and when he saw that part of her, Taiyous heart skipped a beat. Although she looked like a little red riding hood from primary school, but the maturity of her personality/mind was that of a respectable 1st year high school classmate. To sum it up she was a person who held favour towards Taiyou, and was one of the girls that professed her love towards him. Looking at her graceful figure he was irresistibly drawn to it and, Taiyou spread his arms and embraced it around her petite body. Hau. Kazane who was tightly wrapped around Taiyou, let out loose leaks of hot/passionate breaths from her mouth, into Taiyous chest and it tickled his heart. Taiyou-sanI like you. I really like you Oh-Uwa! As he was about to say Me too Taiyou suddenly let out a surprised yell which totally ruined the mood. Eh? Kazane looked up from within his arms and raised a dubious/confused voice. Taiyou tried to smooth it over and quickly told her that nothing was wrong in a panic. The reason he suddenly raised his voice was not because of Kazane, but because Hera suddenly appeared before him. She was keeping her promise of staying silent so Hera just floated in the air right in front of Taiyou, whilst looking at the two of them, Heras eyes were sparkling with stars, like a fan that was passionately watching a concert that was the kind of gaze she had. It was the kind of look filled with expectation and an inquisitive mind. CWhat is she doing? Hey, right now what is she doing?! Feeling her intense gaze, Taiyou gave off the feeling of someone who stretched out their ears and misheard something. What she was doingEven Taiyou could not discern such matters. Just a couple of days ago he was feeling frustrated and regretful that he could not experience this side of life. However he did not expect in the slightest that he would actually be able to experience such a thing, and worse yet, he didnt have a single idea or know what to do from here now that he actually reached such a stage. And just when he was getting hesitant at what to do next, Hera went into the skies and flew next to the bench where the vinyl bag was and picked it up, then she pointed at Kazanes clothes and began to replicate her behaviour on the bag as she ripped/teared it up. Thats clearly rape! He reflexively made a retort to the actions Hera was trying to endorse him to do and he gave Hera a slap.With a strength of 30, Hera who was hit by Taiyou was like a baseball and flew into far into the skies as if he hit a home run. Taiyou-san? Eh? ahh dont worry its nothing Taiyou was trying to reassure/fool Kazane into thinking that nothing was happening. After a while of just being in the moment and staying silent, Kazane falteringly started to open her mouth to speak. The thing is.I, the truth is Hmm? I like to be treated in a rough manner I didnt just hear that did I?! And also, Kotone and Suzune are also the same as mebecause we are, identical triplets Even if that may be so, I will pretend I didnt hear this?! Thats why, its fine. That isnt fine, I dont have that kind of hobbies You dont? I dont, I like to firmly hold and be gentle with the girls I like Be gentle? Yeah! Firmly hold? Thats right! . Just like what we are doing right now? uuuu.. When asked such a question, Taiyou began to feel shy/bashful and he couldnt answer her. I like you, I really like you. Receiving such a pure and straight feelings of favourability from the three sisters, Taiyou at one stage or other also began to like the three sisters. Although he did indeed like them, getting the words I like you out of his mouth was really embarrassing/awkward that he could not get it out of his mouth. Therefore, instead of talking, he embraced her small body firmly and closely. As of this point in time, that was the utmost Taiyou could do. Holding each other and looking into each others eyes. The air around them became ticklish/lovey dovey. Before long their faces seem to congregate and get closer with each other-. Kotone-chan? Suzune-chan!? Suddenly, the sweet atmosphere popped like a balloon. Somehow or other, after calling out the names of her two sisters, Kazanes face became pale as a ghost. Chapter 10: Twelve Islands The sweet atmosphere which existed between the two several seconds ago, was blown away without a single trace or vestige. Kazane? A puzzled Taiyou. The petite girl known as Kazane whom was still being wrapped around his arms had a surprised look on her face, and he could see, it was like she was frightened by something. Whats wrong, did something happen? Koto-chan and Suzu-chan are feeling scared They are scared? How come- Kazane interrupted what Taiyous was about to speak with a look that said, You understand dont you? The memory of the event in in which he asked Kotone various questions, resurfaced within his mind. Amongst the three girls, the thing known as telepathy exists between them, and even if they were apart they were able to clearly sense and convey each others emotions/feelings. When he was asking them about their psychic connection, he didnt really fully believe in it, but now that he was seeing in action, he completely believes in their telepathy. This is because, the blue pale face Kazane had on her face, told the whole story. If she was acting this out, she would receive an Academy Award. Where are they? Eh? Where are they located? Are you able to discern such info? Ye, yeah.Only the direction they are in though Although she was a little puzzled by Taiyous question, she began to look at the general direction her sisters were in. without asking another question and looking slightly worried/concerned, she was trying to show him the direction her two elder sisters were located in. Alright, lets go Ye, Yeah! The two people headed off. They went out of the park, and they stuck to the residential area whilst running. Kazane appeared to be running at her full speed however, it would seem that she was about to be left in the dust by Taiyous speed at any moment now. Although there was obviously some differences between a man and womans constitution, in this case there was just too big of a gap between them. She was only 130 centimetres, standing at the height of a primary school kid and the distance every step she took could not be compared to Taiyous long strides. Taiyou halts his running, and for the time being he let her catch up to him-. Taiyou-Hyaa! When she reached close to him, he suddenly grabbed her hands and picked her off her bottom and held on to her in his arms. It was the so-called (AKA) princess-carry, he was embracing her in this posture as he continued to sprint. Ta ta ta Taiyou-san? If we do it this way it will be much faster, Please bear with it O, Ok Which way! Ta, Take the right.Then a left I understand! With Kazanes navigation I was able to dash and weave through the dark residential area. Whilst he was doing this he started to think that the situation was getting worse and worse by the minute.If you ask why, it is because Kazane whom is in his arms, her face became more and more pale and her body started to tremble/shiver repeatedly. The triplet sisters convey their pure feelings mutually between each other with telepathy. When he saw Kazane shivering in fear to this extent, he thought that the two sisters must be in deep trouble. Influenced by her condition, Taiyou was feeling really anxious. Do you know whats happening to them? I dont know, back when we were kids, we could have done it though In that case, is there something that comes to mind? Anything that may help? That is Perhaps its Even now Kazane had a face which seemed to be able to cry at any moment. I think its.my father Thats what she just said. Your father? Taiyou had troubled eyebrows. (Note: he puckers his eye brows) Why would they be so afraid of their own father? Is what he was thinking right now. Dont tell me its DV? For one second this thought came into his mind. (Note: DV is = domestic violence) Over there, a right There they are! As she said it, when we took a right turn, we could see the figures of the two girls. Kotone and Suzune, Both of these girls, similar to how Kazane was, were so pale that he could see it from a long distance away. And then he also found the main reason as to why Kazane and the girls were feeling so scared. What he saw was, a middle aged man and a woman wearing a suit saying something to the two sisters, whilst slowly cornering them into the wall. Kotone! Suzune! Taiyou-san!! Their voice was harmonious. (They spoke at same time) The moment they saw Taiyou, it was like the two of them saw their saviour, and their facial expressions were filled with relief. Just like that Taiyou quickly rushed over to them, and he moved in between the man and woman trying to bother the two sisters. Sorry Im late, are you girls alright? He was trying to defend the two sisters, almost as if he was trying to use his wide back to cover them up from the other party. Yeah, we are fine In that case, thats good For the time being, he made it in time and he felt relieved. Thereupon, he switched his focus back on the man and woman. Looking at the man, he seemed to be around his mid-forties. He had a relaxed face, an unshaven beard and crumpled up clothing, it was the kind of getup that implied he was not a prim and proper adult. On the other hand the woman seemed to give the complete opposite atmosphere/ambience/aura. She was wrapped around by a tight skirt suit, breasts that were about to explode/spill out of her top. Contrasted with a slim figure that was thin as a sharp blade and has been properly honed and exercised, that was the kind of atmosphere she gave. The middle aged man seemed harmless to him, but Taiyou wanted to keep vigilant and not let his guard down around the woman. To him that was being vigilant, Kotone called out from the back. Excuse me, Taiyou-san What is it? It may not be appropriate at this time, but i have a favour to ask of you She was hesitantly speaking. What could it be? Taiyou puckered up his eyebrows. When he did, instead of Kotone speaking, it was Suzune which suddenly blurted it out. Please hold us in a princess style carry as well! Do you guys know something called TPO!? (Note: TPO is a Japanese acronym which stands for Time, Place and Occasion. It is sometimes used to draw attention to an experience that was inappropriate or worthy of note. ) Without thinking Taiyous voice broke into a falsetto as he blurted out his response. Now is not the time for those kinds of things, more importantly just moments ago you guys were shaking in fear, what was happening? Thats because, its not fair that only Kaza-chan was able to get all the attention? Thats right, we also want to be held in a princess carry Koto-chan, Suzu-chan..It feels really good Kazane said this whilst her face began to slightly blush. What do you guys mean? uuuu, WeC A-r-e Jeal-ousC (note: We are jealous is what they are saying) Its time to put Kaza-chan down, and take turns with us No, I dont want to switch places? its my long awaited chance to get held by Taiyou-san. If you guys are jealous, isnt it fine if both Koto-chan and Suzu-chan just got carried as well? (note: Kazane is using the words ä, as she ends her sentence, which is almost like a pouting action) Thats also true Yeah, Lets go with that No wait, guys isnt that physically impossible to do?! The two sisters surrounded Taiyou, and as if they thought it was a good idea, the two girls Kotone and Suzune extended their hands and held unto Taiyous neck and stuck to him in that posture. Whilst holding Kazane with both his hands, although it was barely, he was able to support the three sisters holding on to him. Although he was surprised by that fact, he soon realised that it was all thanks to him possessing 30 strength. The ridiculous scene of the three girls hanging from his body, if the situation allowed for it, he would of let out one or two sighs. Youre quite amazing arent you, I didnt know such a man existed whom was able to simultaneously embrace three girls in the hold of his arms at the same time, what an outstanding male specimen you are The woman who was just silently watching until now, had opened her mouth to address Taiyou, she used a tone of voice that seemed to hold both admiration and scorn at the same time and he could not tell if she was just being sarcastic or not as her expression was unreadable. Do you really see this as me holding all three girls at once? No matter what angle you see this from, isnt it more like they are just hanging/dangling from me? You are supporting all three of their weights, that fact is undisputable Rather than supporting their weightits more like Ive become a Konaki Jijii(Note: Konaki Jijii is a ghost in Japanese folklore it has the shape of a small old man with the voice of a babys cry/shriek) After releasing a sigh, as if trying to banter/argue with the woman he challenged the womans reasoning. More importantly, who are you guys? You took the words right of my mouth The middle aged man interrupted the woman and began to talk. Although they were standing three metres apart, he could smell the foul breath coming from the man and it was extremely unpleasant. You brat, what is your relationship with my daughters, hmmm?? Daughter? Dont tell me, you are their father? Thaz right, so, who are you, you brat? Im the classmate Natsuno Taiyou In the mean time I gave my greetings to the father of the Hayakawa sisters.. and turned my gaze at the woman. Who are you? That was the kind of gaze Taiyou gave to the woman. I am known as Juunishima Sakura, I am Pleased to make your acquaintance (she says this with very formal language) Juunishima?] (Twelve Islands?) (note: todays title has island repeated twelve times, Im guessing the author is referring to her, But I didnt want to spam you guys with me typing island 12 times so I will leave it like that) (Illustration: Sakura Measuring Taiyous Worth) Taiyou has never heard such a unique name as Junishima and thus he was a little bewildered. Its a local name, Its a family name that only people who lived in my native island would have In other words, the dwelling of the island people, it has that kind of meaning? (Note: Juu = 夦= ס = dwelling, in this context, it is not the number thats being referred to.) Yes, although in my case, I believe the Kanji I used for my surname does not represent the Kanji for this character (shes basically saying shes not using the kanji for the number 12 ʮ and instead shes using ˫u) Well what do you think of my name? Thats the kind of face Sakura had. Well after all if it is used in that manner of speaking, you cant really just attach numbers to your name Yes, but it would seem that I dont have the general common sense that Japanese people have. I must admit its because I was raised/brought up in such a unique culture And, you were not taught common sense? Only the necessary ones What you mean by Twelve Islands, could it be arranged like uuuuuuuuuuuu夦ˤޡis that how you wish to be called? Thats a brilliant/wonderful way to pronounce it, lets assume that I changed it to that and I would like to be referred to as such from now on Well, Whatever you wish She completely lacks any logic, thats what Taiyou thought. Oi, by the way Hayakawas father cut in the conversation and had an expression of displeasure on his face. When I turned my line of vision to him, I felt as if I was staring at some sort of hoodlum/yakuza, and he was glaring at me with a scowl on his face. What is it? You brat, How long are you goin ta keep standing there and keep my daughters dangling like that? ..Ah When it was pointed out, Taiyou finally recalled that he was talking to the two people, whilst he had the three sisters dangling on his body. Memo written about the progress at the Tenth Chapter Level] 4 Main Abilities] Strength: 30 Charm: 65535 Popularity: 0 His Valuable Possessions] A broken smart phone One room apartment An annoying fairy Brides] Currently: None Acquaintances] Hayakawa: Kotone, Suzune and Kazane Juunishima Sakura Chapter 11: Eternally Little Chapter 10: Twelve Islands Chapter 12: Dodging the Question Taiyou released a sigh, and the previous tension he had seemed to melt away. Guys, for the time being wont you get off me? Ehhh Just a little bit more Its not something that happens often Kazane was the only one that was unique, as she was the only one actually being held by him in a princess carry style. Although their actions were cute, Taiyou couldnt really see what was so special about hanging on his body, and he gradually let out an increasing number of sighs. Guys, it will be fine..Its just for the time being, alright? When Taiyou spoke more resolutely, the girls became obedient and they slowly seperated from him. They moved behind the scenes and was hiding behind Taiyou in silence. Thats because they realised that since they got together, they have been playing around too much. However, even though they were playing around when Taiyou arrived, it was also true that they were slightly shaking. The season was still early in the summer, and it was definitely not because of the cold that their bodies were shaking, anyone could tell you that. When Taiyou came rushing over to the girls, he could tell that from their facial expressions that they were really frightened from the depths of their heart and it was not just about playing a prank on him. Because of this fact, Since Taiyou arrived he has been unable to feel relieved. Taiyou remembered how frustrated he felt he wasbefore he arrived. And he hated the fact that he could not come here sooner to help the girls. And with that, he shifted his anger. He turned towards the two people that made the three sisters shake in fear. Whats with that look on your face, you brat who are you really? The father of the girls had an unpleasant facial expression and challenged/questioned Taiyou. Im the classmate Natsuno Taiyou. I believe I introduced myself just moments ago? Thats not what Im asking you, what is your relationship with my daughters, thats what Im asking you What kind of relation.. For now he stopped his words mid way, and made a glance over his shoulder looking back at the three sisters. When his eyes met with the three sisters, their cheeks blushed red. A picture that was worth more than a thousand words was painted, just from the reactions the girl, and without the need for anymore words, their relationship with him became obvious. When seeing such a reaction from his girls, the father instantly boiled in anger. You scum! Hayakawa-san, Please settle down for a moment Huhhh? Youre telling me to calm down after seeing this?! Yes, please behave yourself Sakura repeated such words in a flat tone of voice. Feeling the pressure coming out from Sakura, Taiyous back was slightly trembling, Even more so to the person whom received the direct scolding, the father let out a meek voice uuu and he backed off silently. After seeing this, Sakura smiled and turned towards Taiyou. Please let me ask you a single question. Natsuno-san by coming here are you planning on become a hindrance to us? That will, depend on what your objectives are? Taiyou responded and probed her for an explanation. Whilst watching Taiyou in silence, without a single change in her expression she began to talk again. You want to know our objectives? As a premise to the explanation, is Natsuno-san aware ofthegroup of peoplenamed Eternally Little? Eternal Light? are you talking about some sort of fantasy game? No, they are people which exist in the real world Although she said they existed in the real world, Taiyou could only tilt his neck as he could not remember ever having heard of such a group before. Suddenly, he could feel that the people behind him were nervous. It was the reaction from the three sisters. It seemed that the girls knew of such a group existing and reacted to the words Eternally Little. Sakura also realised the girls reaction but she only let out an indifferent smile as she proceeded on with her talk. In regards to the limits of the female gender, there are females in this world that grow normally up to the age of ten, but then, after they go past the age of ten, their bodies wont grow past adulthood and they will remain eternally young without being able to age, I am talking about these group of people Their growth, and even their ageing stops.? Yes, Both of those things stop. That process will continue until they die. And when this kind of things happen, you understand the consequences right? Will they become a Loli-Baba? Taiyou used the vocabulary he understood to process the information. Yes, That is another way of saying it. The more generalised name they are known by is beautiful witches. However that name is only for the general public who think that these girls just dress in order to look young without knowing the real reason behind it..As I have just explainedto you, the girls whom stop growing after the age of ten and stay eternally youngThese girls are what is known as the Eternally Little. So such people actually exist? Yes. another unconventional name they are known by is the Old Maidens however because it is rarely mentioned, it is possible to just forget about this term So whats the deal with these so called Eternally Little people anyways? These girls at one stage used to lived in an uninhabited areaThis is because they would be persecuted as witches,their outward appearance was perpetually at the age of ten,and it wasnt strange that they were forced to live in secluded areas .Well, if it was an age where the superstition was regarded highly, that would be the case I suppose Yes, That is exactly right. In this modern age, medical science has proceeded enough to able to clarify the cause of the girls being unable to age, and they hypothesized that it was due to a genetic mutation In other words, its a disease? Its a disease that makes you unable to age She stopped talking momentarily and grinned so that only one side of her mouth was raised. And, this is the important part. Being unable to ageIn other words, being able to be perpetually young and beautiful has become an extremely desirable thing for women all around the globe Well that is probably true In the olden days people would fear the strange appearance of the girls, however now that the cause of it has been identified with modern science, people are instead trying to unlock the answer to achieving perpetual youth, a research team has been created just for this purpose. FurthermoreC Sakura shifted her gaze to the girls who were standing behind Taiyou. The girls behind you, are perhaps the key to making a huge breakthrough in this branch of research What do you mean? You dont understand? Even though they are identical triplets that came from the same chromosomeAnd although they possess the same genesC For some unknown reason, their height is considerably different from each other Taiyou finishes Sakuras sentence. He finally understood, what Sakura was trying to convey to him. Sakura looks at Taiyou like he was a student whom was able to answer correctly when asked a question. Thats how it is In other words, you want to use their bodies as a science experiment What a bad way to put it, Its more like we are trying to help achieve the dreams of the general public and are collaborating for that purpose No matter how you try to gloss things over, the meaning stays the same Thats such a negative attitude Of course Taiyou-san.. He could hear one of the girls speaking from behind. He didnt know who it was that spoke, but the feelings they tried to convey got through to him. Did you think that I would let things stand.If your intentions were to play around with the girls bodies and use them for your own gains? Dont you understand the situation? These girls have the unlimited potential of the human race within them. although it may not be as much as eternal life however it is still incredibly useful for those women who wish to keep their youthful looks Thats a shame but, Since I am a guy I dont have those kinds of thoughts, and neither am I interested in such things Then let me rephrase it. Allowed me to clarify the mechanics of how this can be applied, for a women, they will be able to retain their youth and beauty for a very long time.And for the men, being able to see their lovers perpetually young is an advantage in itself and cannot really be disregarded as irrelevant(Illustration: Sakuras Justification) I understand, It is an amazing thing Isnt it? the girls behind him all held their breath. However, no matter how good it sounds, the methods used to obtain such a result still requires you to experiment on them, is this correct? Yes, that is true And so what if we have to experiment on them thats the kind of facial expression Sakura had. For me, more so than the conversation we just had, I have a problem that is right in front of my eyes right now And, what problem could it be? Trying to kidnap women and take them away against their will, and as a man watching this, this has become my problem This has become pointless hasnt it Well, thats how this is Although you display a very gentlemanly, dignified and beautiful scene, In most cases, these kind of people may not come out obtaining benefits. On the contrary, most of these types of men actually become harmed/injured instead In that time, as a man, I will be able to endure the hardships Did you learn such principles from your parents? If I had to say it was from something, It was from the game I used to play Sakuras face stiffened when she heard the jesting statement Taiyou made. Although it was the cold hard truth, for the other party, they felt as if he was just joking around. Is that so? Sakura had a slight smile on her face, however it was a different kind of smile from the one displayed previously. It was an expression which signified, a failure in the negotiations. You fools, what have you been talking about since a while ago? Suddenly, the father of the girls butted in the conversation. I am the father of those girls. And all I am doing is taking my daughters back home You..Did you sell your daughters? Huhhhh? The father glared at him. Taiyou recognised how despicable the father was, and he gave him a look of pure digust. You brat!Whats with those disrespectful eyes! Whilst shouting, the father threw a fist right at Taiyou. Taiyou who had crossed over the boundaries of just being merely angry had instead become calm, he catches the fist thrown at him by the father, he put a bit of strength in his grip and squeezed. It, it hurts!!! The father gave a shriek/scream. That fist, was about to follow the same fate as the apple in which he bought from the super market. Chapter 12: Dodging the Question Chapter 11: Eternally Little Chapter 13: Code name: Shirokiyami Let me go! The father had greasy sweat dribbling down his forehead as he tried to shake his hands from Taiyous grip. Taiyou had a chilling glare directed towards the father. He wanted to crush the fathers hand just like he did with the apple, but the father managed to slip away before he got a chance. You insolent brat..What is your intentions ? The fathers voice was trembling, his fist turned so white it looked painful and even his whole body was shaking. On the other hand, Taiyou was extremely calm and composed. In retrospect, I should have crushed your fist the instant you attacked me Wha.. The father became speechless. Seeing this scene, Sakura gracefully begins to talk. I see, you arent all about talking big(Shes saying he can actually walk the talk) Sorry, Im just a high school student so I dont understand that particular expression you just used(talking big is the unconventional expression she used) Did you know? I, favour a man like you, instead of boiling up in anger when hes under pressure, he can instantly cool down his mind, I think that this kind of disposition is really desirable Instead of dodging the question, and answering with another question why dont we start communicating more effectively? I believe my conversational skills are logical enough. Well enough about that. More importantly, I will take your actions to mean that you are the ally of the girls, will this be the correct assumption? What is certain, is that I am not an ally of justice Even more than me, arent you the one having fun, by trying to dodge the conversation/question? Sakura covers her mouth, as she lets out a slight laughter. However, I understand. It seems there is no other way, even though I wanted to resolve this in a peaceful manner After saying that, she raised her hands into the air and clicked her fingers together. -Tsu! (surprised) In that moment, the blood in Taiyous whole body froze as if he was in some sort of hallucination. A shiver ran up his spine and without thinking he took a step back in retreat. He soon realised why he was shivering. In compliance with Sakuras summoning, groups of men wearing black clothing started to appear in succession as if out of thin air. That is, twenty men dressed in black appeared from the yonder and surrounded Taiyou from three different directions. Seeing such a Taiyou, Sakura turned towards the father and gave a look of confirmation. Its about to get a little rough, this should not be a problem for you right? The things that was promised to me, they will be delivered on time right? It most certainly will, thats because your honourable-daughters have the hopes and dreams of all the women in the world on the line. Taking that into consideration, a price that corresponds with its high value will surely be rewarded to you Hehehehehehe After hearing Sakuras words, the father of the girls had a satisfied smile and laughed in a vulgar manner. The conversation between the two was about such a vulgar/disgusting topic that Taiyou suspected Sakuras ulterior motives for letting him hear it. I cant believe that there really is a father that would sell their own daughter.. Huhhh, you bratC Hayakawas father whom was about to curse at Taiyou, was stopped by Sakura when she signalled him to stop with her hand. The act of sellings one daughter you can just think of it as a disreputable part time job that one takes in desperate times . Taiyou was silent, for the first time in his life, a horrible feeling that he could not imagine began to rise in his heart. His anger was like magma, he felt it bubbling and boiling from within the depths of his heartCHowever, the violent emotion was not reflected in his face at all, that was the kind of young man Natsuno Taiyou was. On the contrary, his mind began to cool down rapidly. In an instant his heart went cold and calculative, it was as if his fury took him below the freezing point and he reached the pinnacle of absolute zero. He looked around the vicinity. Behind him was a concrete wall, and in front was the blacked clothed men surrounding him from three directions. It was a situation where he and the three sisters were completely enclosed with no way to escape. In order to break out of this situationhe began to think for a little, and without turning his head around he started to talk to the three sisters. I will open a path, When the opportunity arises, please use that chance to escape What about you Taiyou-san? He heard them speaking, but he could not really pin point which of the three sisters was speaking. Because there was no room for him to make a mistake by turning his head around. Dont worry about me, I will make it out somehow But- Please just go Taiyou calmly rebutted whatever they were going to say without giving them a chance to continue. The most I can do for you guys is to create a path of retreat. With this many enemies surrounding us, it will be too difficult to protect you guys at the same time. You understand dont you? I understand. Suzu-chan and Kaza-chan you guys are fine with this as well right? Yeah! Well run to the best of our abilities Alright, thats good then. Taiyou nods his head and refocusses his full attention on the black clothed men. During the time period in which Taiyou was communicating with the girls, Sakura gave multiple instructions out and the men in black clothing started to converge and take position to engage.Even if he could create a diversion to open a gap in between them, the hole would soon close up again. The plan Taiyou discussed with the girls was seemingly the correct course of action to take, however Lets go! UOOOO! Taiyou let out a war cry-and turned his face to look behind him. And he went straight towards the concrete wall and started to hit it! DOKA! GARAGARAGARA. (*punch* *crumble* rocks falling) The concrete wall crumbled to dust and a cloud of sand raised from the ground. A, amazing..as expected of Taiyou-san Is this the time to be impressed?! Quickly get away He was speaking loudly and trying to urge them to escape. When he did the three sisters were shocked to action and began to make their way towards the other side of the hole. The three sisters were unwilling to part with Taiyou and they looked at him one last time before making their escape together. They were taking advantage of the fact that Sakura was taken aback with amazement and using it as an opportunity to escape through the hole, Taiyou had the aura of a mighty warrior and was standing in a daunting pose. Sakura whom was late to react had a bitter smile on her face. I didnt expect that you would be able to open a hole in that concrete wall Did you think I would go towards the black clothed men? If thats the case then its regrettable. To be completely caught off guard, how does it feel? You need to say that kind of dialog more sinisterly, otherwise it wont be effective If a person is good natured, my way of talking is also acceptable Ara (oh), But it seems that you have a wicked heart Sakura was standing on guard, ufufufu, and on the contrary, she began to laugh as if she was enjoying the challenge. Oi, what are you just standing there, quickly chase after them Hayakawas father was shouting at the men in black and tried to get them to move. They were unable to comprehend the event that occurred because it was beyond their expectations, so instead of taking action they seemed to have looked towards Sakura and waited for the next set of instructions. It would appear that instead of taking a detour, it would be faster to just push onwards. There is no other choice, please subdue that child Yes! One of the men clothed in black responded to the order, and he extended a hand which looked tough and muscular towards Taiyou. Taiyou casually grasps the mans hand, and returned a punch of his own. The man in black tried to guard against it, howeverC. Gu.Haa.. Taiyou easily broke past the mans guard, and his fist landed straight in the belly of the man. In an instant, the mans body was raised from the ground, and his body blown backwards and flew like the way you would write the Japanese character. .You, are you for real? The complexion of Sakuras face changed. It was an expression that was filled with astonishment looking at how powerful Taiyou was. Im just an average kid, that is crazy about games Is that so? Sakura erased her surprised expression and jerked her chin, when she did the men in black all moved at once and went towards Taiyou. Taiyou took a step back and went inside the hole in the wall. He went from a position in which he could be attacked from three directions to where it was only possible to attack him from the front. It was the kind of knowledge he applied from the SRPG he used to play back when he was leveling up in his games. (Strategical Role Playing Games) Taiyou began to punch the incoming black men and knock them away one at a time. It was an overwhelming amount of power, all he needed was one punch in order to defeat his opponents. After all, that strength was a power which exceeded common sense..It was a power he obtained from leveling up and reaching 30 strength. However, his other stats were mediocre and because of this, Taiyou were unable to dodge or deflect the attacks coming from the men in black and he actually received plenty of strikes from his opponents as well. The men in black came at him one after another, and he received numerous blows to his body, and the damage was piling up. Even so, Taiyous punches did not seem to get any weaker in strength. He was continuously defeating the black clothed men in one punch. What kind of M, Monster are you? (Hayakawas father) tsu He wiped the corners of his mouth where fresh blood was seeping out with the back of his hand. He completely ignored Hayakawas father who was frightened by him, and looked towards Sakura whom had a sour face right now. Hayakawas father was only a small issue, the main problem was all caused by Sakura. These bunch of good-for-nothing, fellows (Taiyou speaking) Taiyou was grinning and laughing, because the result seemed to be apparent, his next move was to make a bluff. .These guys and I have worked together for a very long time, I know best the extent of their true abilities. They are definitely not one to get beaten by high school student Sakura gave Taiyou a piercing gaze. You, who are you really? Like I saidIm just your regular high school kid that is crazy about his games Since you are not willing to answer, does this mean that if I want to find out, Ill have to use brute strength to pry it out of you? (Sakura speaking) Who knows, we shall see Taiyou responds in a light hearted manner. Suddenly, an uncomfortable feeling welled in him. At first he didnt know what gave him that uncomfortable feeling, so he started to look around to find out what it was. However when he realised what it was, his heart grew even more worried, and it was like a large bell was being wrung loudly in his head. ZOKU! (*tremble*) The hot sweat which came out as he was battling, turned to cold sweat in an instant. The scary chill which ran up his spine returned again. It was the instant, in which Sakura raised up her hand, in which he felt this feeling. However, he was mistaken when he thought that what would appear would be another bunch of men in black. Taiyou instinctively made a step back. An extreme explosion of killing intent was released, and without thinking, Taiyou was reacting with his instincts. Chapter 13: Code name: Shirokiyami Chapter 12: Dodging the Question Chapter 14: Thick and Thin The inside of my brain was painted in white. My thoughts were suspended, the scene in front of me was so unrealistic that I felt like it wasnt real, It was almost as if I was seeing the world from a computer screen and spectating some kind of FPS game. In the residential area where the sun was beginning to set and evening was about to arrive, Taiyou stood in an upright fashion. In the space that seemed to exude darknessa white girl appeared. The girl had a slender build and she was holding an unbalanced sword in her hand. An attack! Even if he realised what was happening inside his brain, Taiyou continued to stand still without moving a muscle. The swaying street light reflected a dark grey light. The dazzling sword..approaches before his eyes! Taiyou-chan! -tsu! Taiyou whom barely reacted to his name being called, fiercely kicked the earth beneath his feet and flew backwards. Because it was so unpredictable, he landed in a unsightly/clumsy way falling unto his back, however, thanks to his timely response he was able to avoid the blade which blurred and sliced the wind creating a howling sound. Taiyou-chan are you ok!? With half his brain still paralyzed from the amount of killing intent that poured towards him, he looked in the direction that the voice came from. Before he was aware of it, what appeared in front of him was the worried expression of his level up fairy, Hera. Gradually, his thoughts began to settle and he regained some control over his body. ..Im safe, theres no problem Im so glad?.. He patted the head of Hera who seemed like she could cry at any moment, and he slowly pushed himself up from the ground. What a strange, person The girl mutters. Taiyou rebuilt his stance, and looked at the girl who launched the slashing attack at him. what stood before him was an unbalanced girl. a distinctive feature of hers, was her long white hair which reached the back of her knees and was fluttering in the wind. possessing a skin that was similar in colour to her hair (albino skin), and red boundless eyes which seemed to be looking at everything and nothing at the same time. In contrast to all of this, she was wearing a black gothic Lolita dress, which portrayed a witch like image. on top of her white(fair) look she covered it with black clothing. That was not the end of her imbalanced look, She appeared to be around 140 centimetres tall but she was holding a normal Japanese katana that had a wooden handle. She was still standing in her battle Iai pose, whilst she looked at Taiyou in a mysterious way. (Iai battle stance = Kenshin move, the one where he draws his sword and uses that momentum to make an attack and immediately sheaths it again.) You.who are you? Taiyou questions her. Maybe because his brain wasnt working properly yet, rather than asking why she attacked him, Taiyou was more interested in who she was. My name is not worth mentioning After the girl declared such a thing, she tilted her head as if she suddenly remembered something. Actually I misspoke.You are not worthy to know my name(Illustration: Shirokiyami Wielding a Katana) Hey, was there a point to stating it like that? Yes. Its the manners I learnt from someone I know. they also told me that I should wear a mask whilst saying such things I dont really know whom you learnt such things from, but they dont seem like good people to me! Taiyou intensely declared. Most likely, you are also not a good person Whys that? The way you were speaking to yourself just know was weird uuuu What she was trying to say was, he had been talking to himself all this while at the energetic thing that kept flying around his vicinity with a twinkle in her eyes. In other words, although it seemed as though he was talking to himself, he was in fact talking with Hera. To Taiyou all he did was thank Hera whom saved him from a pinch by giving her a nice pat on the head. However nobody other than him could see Heras existence, thats the reason it seemed like he was talking to himself in a soliloquy, even if he was called weird for it, there was nothing he could say in rebuttal. Taiyou-chan? Hera also understood this fact and she showed him an apologetic look. Taiyou was smiling and had an expression that said its not your fault . He turned to face the girl and Sakura, and rebuilt his expression to a more serious one and began to speak. That was quite an ambush It was not my intention to hide anything from you, you know? She was right there from the start Since the beginning? Yes, since the beginning. she has been standing amongst the men Arent you lying? I couldnt detect her presence in the slightest Its my specialty to be able to hide myself within the, dark-ness The girl had a slightly proud look on her face as she stuck out her chestwell her chest wasnt something to be boastful about though. Like I thought, wasnt she intentionally trying to hide her presence! Well I guess what you say makes sense Dont just suddenly agree with me! And whats with that dangerous looking sword, isnt it a violation of the law to hold that thing in public? This is a piece of art. I also have a license for it, so its not a problem The fact that the sword can cut people is strange!! No problem The girl quietly repeated her statement, and as if she was showing off her sword, she pointed it towards Taiyou. Even if thats the case, you cant just go around and start cutting people up right? That too, is, no problem nonononono- Obviously there was a huge problem-The moment she casually claimed that chopping people up was not a problem I felt shiver go up my spine. It will all be good, after cutting them up, isnt there always people that will clean up after me? Whilst saying such cruel things, she cutely tilted her head, and looked towards Sakura as if she was trying to confirm the validity of her words. Well now, what were we talking about again? I dont really comprehend the conversation just now Although she was feigning innocence, her unnatural tone of voice told a completely different story. Is this the forgetful giveaway stall? Mhmm, I have absolutely no recollection of such things ever occurring Well, apparently thats how it is the girl faced Taiyou and pointed her sword right at him. Are you prepared..to die? A killing intent that was three times thicker than before rose up and assaulted Taiyou. It was after all a killing intent so strong that it could bind his movements, however, having already experienced this feeling multiple times in a short period he was able to gain some experience dealing with it and he was slightly more used to it. In order to rile himself up Taiyou released a fearsome warcry and savagely headed towards the girl. instead of shrinking back in fear, he faced her head on. Ctsu Perhaps it was because she did not expect him to actually rush at her, the womans noble face was lit brightly in surprise. Facing such a Taiyou, she pulled back the tip of her sword for a moment. However, Taiyou did not let her escape. He extended his hands forwards and faster than she could sheath her sword into the scabbard, Taiyou grabbed the sides of the sword with both his handsand he put strength into his arms. BAKIN! (*snap*) both of his arms crossed each other and in that moment a snapping sound could be heard echoing in the surrondings. Taiyou gripped the girls sword.and crazily enough it seems that he snapped it in two! Completely blowing her mind, the girl looks at her broken blade in utter shock. It would seem that Sakura was also in the same condition, her eyes seemed to grow so big they would pop out and she did not expect for such a development to happen that she was at a loss for words. Its now or never! Thinking such things Taiyou threw the broken piece of the sword which he held in his arms directly at Sakura. He thought that if he threw the sword at the mysterious girl she would just deflect the sword easily, therefore he threw it at Sakura whom he predicted was not a martial artist. And just like he predicted, Sakura could not react to his throw so the mysterious white girl overtook the broken sword piece flying towards Sakura and easily deflected it away. A metallic sound resounded and sparks scattered everywhere. In that moment of opportunity Taiyou turned his body and together with Hera, he dashed away with lighting speed and escaped. Haa..Haa..If I have ran this far, It should be safe right? Taiyou whom ran away with all his might had gone out of the residential district,and he arrived in the down town where it was bustling with people everywhere. Taiyou had a frantic expression on his face, after barely escaping he was out of air and was trying to catch his breath on the roadside, passersby who saw him all gave a doubtful/suspicious look. Although he was being stared like he was some weird person, funnily enough he actually welcomed it right now. If there are this many witnesses around, there was a less likely chance of him being attacked in public. Haa.I thought I was going die.. More like, If I had to fight her again one more time, I would be 100% dead When any one of his emotions became too overpowering or approached their limits, Taiyou would on the contrary become calm and composed, that was the kind of unique personality he had. Even now it was the same, faced with overwhelming killing intent he literally felt his death approaching but instead of pissing his pants, he actually became calm enough to analyse the difference in each others strengths and make a judgement based on that to maximise his survivability. An adult or a child?.No it was more like seeing the birth of a professional hand-to-hand fighter take its first baby steps. There was a huge difference in strength between him and that mysterious girl. facing such a woman he was able to create a moment of opportunity and escape with his life. He imagined that it would be difficult to catch them off guard like that again a second time. If they were to meet again, he thought that the next time he would surely be cut down, he was overlooking this as if he was seeing the problem from someone elses eyes. Even so, Taiyou-chan you were so cool?. As expected of my Taiyou-chan? Before you say anything else, Hera, I have a favour to ask of you. Are you able to part from me and act on your own? Separate from you? uhm, with your level the way it is right now, I can separate from you up to a radius of 1 kilometres? So even that is dependant on my level huh..well for now this kind of this is not something I should worry about. you said that you can do around 1 kilometre radius right? What would you like me to do? Wont you find Kotone and the other girls for me? The situation became quite messy when I was battling and beating the men dressed in black, and as soon as possible I would prefer it if we could regroup together I understand, leave it to me?! After saying such things, Hera rigorously flaps her wings and took off into the night sky. Taiyou saw her off and then he leaned his back against a nearby wall, his whole body was completely exhausted. It was as if his hands suddenly remembered to feel again, pain shot through his fingers into his arms. When he looked closer, the palms of his hands had cuts on it and bloodstains could be seen. It probably happened when he gripped her katana and broke it off with his bare hands. He fumbled around his pockets in search for something to stop the bleeding. However, he was, after all just a high school student boy living alone, things like handkerchiefs or tissues was not something a school boy would bring around in his pockets and he did not have such things on him either. When he thought that there was no other choice but to tear the hem of his shirt to use it as a bandage. Here, You can use, this In front of his eyes a white handkerchief was presented to him. When he looked to see who it was, he discovered that it was the white mysterious girl he had just fought with. Chapter 14: Thick and Thin Chapter 13: Code name: Shirokiyami Chapter 15: Three girl''s makes a Harem To the sudden event that occurred Taiyous head went blank. However that was only for a moment and he soon got his bearings and hopped away like a frog and gained some distance from the white woman in one breaths time. The pedestrians who saw such a peculiar action by Taiyou, gave him various kinds of gazes/reactions. A business salary man had a strange look on his face as he alternated looking between the girl and Taiyou, A mother told their kid Shh, dont look at them and she hurriedly brang her curious kids away from the scene. The people around him were giving him an over exaggerated amount of attention, however, if you compare it to what happened to him moments ago, where a Japanese Katana sword was pointed right at him, their reactions would be even more crazier if they saw such a scene, in fact this kind of reaction would have been insufficient. Taiyou was displaying a posture of extreme vigilance but it seems that such actions were a futile and vain effort. The white girl had a handkerchief in her hands, instead of the Japanese Katana, and there seemed to be no other hidden motives in her actions. Both her hostility and her killing intent was so meek that he could barely feelit. Honestly, the feeling was so different that he almost thought that they were different people, Taiyou was bewildered/perplexed. Looking at the girl, he couldnt hold it any longer and he asked her a question. You, Why are you here? Handkerchief Eh? More importantly, you? That hand is bleeding Taiyou was still breathing irregularly, and he looked at the handkerchief was had been presented towards his hands. It seems shes trying to lend me her handkerchief in order to stop my bleeding? Why.? Having a handkerchief, is part of a womans etiquet, te(Note: she talks in broken sentences: Etiquette) No thats not what I am asking you. it, was what a guy, once told, me A man taught you those etiquette?! After that time, I held it on with me, where ever, I went From that moment onwards? You havent replaced it with a new one? She tilted her neck slightly, and was thinking for a little while. I dont really, remember? Please! cant you start talking in a more political fashion!? It almost seemed like you had a total memory loss or something! .my secretary, talk, to you? Like I said please talk in a more political manner! would you die..for, me? This is so hopeless! A comical dialog between these two people seemed to have unfolded on the road side. The pedestrians who saw the both of them would hurriedly try to avoid their path by walking faster, and this made Taiyou remember something slightly uncomfortable. We are getting way to side tracked here, you, why exactly did you come here for, thats what I am asking you That is, I came to recieve, compensation compensation? For the katana you broke, I want, compensation Oioi.. Taiyou was astonished beyond belief. So you came here just for that? Its not just, a small, matter The mysterious white girl arched her eyebrows. Since the first time I met her, she showed me an expression of displeasure. (pout) Although she was already a beautiful girl to begin with, maybe it was because it was the first time since they were both together that the tension had completely disappeared, but he thought that she was extremely cute. That child (the katana).. is my second favourite masterpiece, moreover..its really, expensive When you say expensiveHow much are we talking about here? The subject changed to money, and this time he mentally prepared himself. Its around..seven digits Thats ridiculous! you could buy a car with that kind of money!? Thats.not it, when I said around, I meant that it was crossing over to eight digits Cant you buy a house with that? just what kind of sword was it!? That sword can be considered cheap, my favourite sword is worth.. Your favourite sword is worth? I gulped a huge amount of saliva in expectation. national treasure for reals? truly. Thats why, its price less.Just like how my smile is Arent you exaggerating a little too much! Although sure she was cute. but saying her smile is priceless was like saying she was a hooker. (Note: in Japanese the act of selling smiles was a term that can refer to a prostitutes way of attracting men to buy their smiles) Complain, to the person, who taught me to say, such things Who is this person really!? .Po I understand, all I need to know is that the person who taught you such things is truly a despicable fellow! unexpectedly Taiyou was a little riled up by the conversation. He hit the wall next to him with his full power. With a strength of 30, the wall crumbled easily. That reminds me. When you broke my sword a little, while ago Hmm? Her voice still contained a little bit of grudge for what he did to her sword as she talked to him. You have amazing strength. I was able to deflect the sword that youthrew at me, but, my hands, they are still shaking/rattling. It was a dreadfully straight aim you had Well Im not sure if it was all that accurate The secret to your strength, I want to know Well, even if you say secret He could not really mention the fact that he was capable of leveling up, as it would definitely lead to huge misunderstanding, However, in the next moment. The facade that he tried to put out of feigning ignorance was blown away by the next set of statements. The power you displayed, with the amount of muscle on your body.. applying the physical laws of natureis most definitely, weird Ctsu! There must be some other source to your strength. maybe its power you obtained from chi/qi? or is it perhaps, the thing known as.magic? The white girl took a good guess but she was still quite far from the real reason. Although most her guessing had been off the bulls-eye, Taiyou had to recover his trembling heart from exposing the secret and he quickly returned to pretending to be senile/dumb/innocent. These days becoming reincarnated as a cheat character is really common.dont you think that this may be my second life? That kind of, Unrealisticthing, I refuse to believe it For you, things like Chi/qi or Magic is that something that is supposed to be realistic!? By the way, for your information, I do not, use, either.of those things You dont?! From the flow of the conversation, you completely fooled me into believing you were some sort of magician or something chi/qi is unnecessary. Physics/law of nature, is important. Thats because, being big, fast and strong. if you have those three things you wont lose to anyone is what someone erotic once told me I think you mean to say admirable person, these particular words are logical and seem straightforward No, it truly was.An ero person who said it. An admirable person would have a thick bible book, however, that person had a thin book in his hands, thats why Indeed, I have no idea what you are saying! The company and Chriss thin book..I love these things This Chris persons gender, its probably better if I dont ask you about it right?! after exchanging such a comedic conversation with the white girl, Taiyou complete let down his guard and couldnt think of such a girl as his enemy anymore. She was cute, a little bit strange, and she reminded him of someone that was familiar to him, she was the type of girl he couldnt hate. It almost seemed as if their previous wild encounter/battle was a complete lie. Therefore, he was awfully confused. He could not grasp the girls real personality. She wasnt his ally, but at the same time he could not see her as an enemy either. She was an opponent he fought once before, and even now the wound in the palm of his hands would begin to pound/pulse whenever he remembered the scene. It was difficult for him to make a clear-cut decision as to their relationship status. Whilst he was thinking about what to do. Taiyou-chan! Ive found them?! Hera appeared right in the empty space beside the white girl and came flying towards him. Seeing her figure instantaneously teleport near him, Taiyou was still surprised as he was not used to it. Uwaa? The white girl leaned her headin doubt. Taiyou was flustered and he tried to cover up his actions. It, its nothing. A telephone call just came in, thats all Taiyou grabbed out his smart phone which was still broken and pretended to touch the screen, he then put the phone next to his ear. Hello Whilst saying such things, he winks at Hera. Hera nods her head in understanding and gave a thumbs up to Taiyou whilst looking at the white girl. Whats up, did you find them? Yes?, I found them? The place? can you please tell me where it is? Its over here? I understand, Ill come over right now He was talking with a fairy nobody could see, normally people would think he was crazy if he started talking in a soliloque, however by holding up a phone to his ears, in this modern age he splendidly solved the problem and could become less conspicuous/suspicious. Taiyou whilst pretending to be on the phone, gave a slight bow towards the white girl, he returned to her the handkerchief he obtained and hurriedly tried to depart. Following Heras guide he started to depart, but he turned back to glance at the white girl. She was just staring silently at him, and she did not seem to intend to follow him. Looking at her not moving to follow, Taiyou was slightly relieved. All the albino coloured girl did was stare silently into the back figure of a young boy as he continued on his path. I was.being avoided/warded off As she muttered she things, she let out a slight sigh of dejection. When compared to other boys and girls of her age, just by a little bit..Her physical strength was above average. Her eyesight was extraordinary like a savannah huntress, and her hearing was also exceptional. it was to such an extent where, if she had been stuck in traffic she could hear the sounds of music coming out from a person wearing earplugs without any problems at all. There was nothing her ears could not zone in on. From Taiyous phone, she could not hear any form of conversation being said by the party on the other side of the phone. From her perspective, it was as if the only reason he did that was to escape from her presence. The stains of fresh blood on the handkerchief reminded her of the existence of theboy whom she had cut in the palm with her katana. Thinking back, it was natural for him to want to avoid her after such a thing. Although it was a natural reaction, even then the action of him trying to avoid her, made her heart ache with sadness, such was the problems of a pubescent young girl. She returned from the road she came from, and her retreating figure, seemed to somehow look really lonely. Chapter 15: Three girl’s makes a Harem Chapter 14: Thick and Thin Chapter 16: Protecting Loved Ones At Night: Taiyou dashes through the shopping district. He ran so fast that he would almost crash into the surrounding pedestrians, or sometimes he would stumble over the maintenance holes/manholes, but he ignored all this and continued to follow Hera as fast as he could. Hey Hera, are the girls are safe? Yes, They are safe? Hera answers me in a very carefree manner. Taiyou responded to Heras comment with an is that so?, and as expected he was worried for the girls wellbeing. Hearing it from Hera was one thing, but unless he actually confirmed it with his own eyes, it was not possible for Taiyou to feel relieved. Whilst keeping such feelings inside him, Hera was guiding him towards a place that he was deeply familiar with. Isnt thisThe apartment I live in? Yes desu?. ummm. Hera was floating in the air and looking around for the three sisters. Before she was able to find them, the girls themselves appeared. Taiyou-san! Although he only heard one voice, it was their speciality of being able to speak all at the same time. Immediately after, the figures of the girls could be seen dashing from the shadow of the building. It was the peculiar identical triplets. The three people with the same face: Kotone, Suzune and Kazane simultaneously appeared and rushed over towards Taiyou. Uwaaa! They came up really close to him and all at once they pounced/jumped on him. Pressed by the sudden weight of all three girls combined, Taiyous lower body was slightly strained. Due to the abrupt action of the girls he lost his balance, he was in a position where the three girls were laying on top of him like he was some sort of table. Crash, Boom, bang! Sounds like this were heard as he fell over. Uwaaaannn, Taiyou-san.Taiyou-san! Kotone repeatedly called out his name with a loud voice. She was holding to his right hand firmly like a childish young girl. The other girls were also in a similar position. The second tallest girl Suzune was wrapped around his waist like a toddler and Kazane who was the smallest of the trio was holding on to his left arm. Being tightly gripped in a snake like hold by the three, Taiyou could barely move a muscle let alone try to get up. No, If he really wanted to try and get up he could easily do it, this is because, due to leveling up, his strength levels as quoted by the white girl is beyond the laws of nature, a strange power If he was motivated enough to get up, he could stand with all three girls still stuck to his body. However, he did no such thing. Previously when they were escaping, Taiyou said to the girls Leave this to me, you guys should head off first, these kind of words were usually a precursor to the death of a character in many films, and without a doubt this caused the girls to become really worried about him. Therefore, he let the girls do as they pleased for a little while. Kyaah! Suddenly, Kotone let out a scream. Checking to see what had happened Taiyou gazed in her direction, Kotone had a surprised expression on her face as she looked at Taiyous hand and her own clothes. After looking at the situation he understood what she was so shocked about. The wound he received in the palm of his hands from the white girl, was not yet completely healed. Due to her being glued to his body so closely, there was a sticky patch of red blood that was attached to her clothes. The amount of blood that was flowing from his hands were almost like a horror scene where the characters would smear blood all over the glass windows. She released another scream. Koto-chan! Whats wrong?! Taiyou-sans hands, is this..Perhaps a cut wound? The wound seems quite deep..Wo, wont it become infected? I think it looks alrightThe cut was clean. Suzu-chan, Handkerchief Here you go Kotone received a white handkerchief from Suzune, she folded it into layers and wrapped it around Taiyous palms. She proceeded to wrap it around his arms in more layers and pressed tightly to stop the bleeding. Itatatata, wha, what are you doing?(Note: itatata= ouch, ouch ouch) Please endure it, Im stopping the bleeding. Suzu-chan, Kaza-chan, you guys hold his wrist Yes! I understand! The two listened to their older sister and grabbed unto Taiyous wrist. Their grip was as strong as a vice. You guys.What on earth.. Because the wound is not dirty, we can put off disinfecting it for a while longer Yeah, First we need to stop the bleeding If we dont it may get dangerous due to blood loss Ahh..You guys want to stop my bleeding by applying pressure? Taiyou finally understood their actions. Although disinfecting the wound was also an important process, to normal people when they lose as much blood as him, it is likely that they will go into cardiac arrest and die. The analogy of disinfection is like, if you dont eat food for 1 week the most that will happen is you will starve, however, if a human doesnt drink water for a mere 3 days they will die, it was similar to that. The concept behind their actions was precisely to stop the bleeding first before later disinfecting the wound, You guys, are really good at this. Where did you learn such a thing? Even though he asked, the girls didnt respond to him. It wasnt like they were ignoring him, on the contrary it was the opposite. They were so focused on their job in tending to him that they couldnt respond. They were so worried for him when they saw the wound that they couldnt hear his voice when he spoke. It was almost as if they were tending to their own wounds..No it was even more dedication than that, they were desperately trying to stop the bleeding of his palms. ..Its really warm Suddenly, such an impression leaked from his mouth. He said those words spontaneously, and from the depths of his heart, he really felt like it was filled with warmth. Kotone was applying pressure on his palms, whilst Suzune and Kazane was gripping around his wrist to slow the blood flow. Although he was gripped so tightly, their hands felt really warm to Taiyou. Suddenly, he began to notice something. The palpitations of a beating heart. It was different from his own heartbeat. From the three girls, their heart beats was getting conveyed to him from their hands. Surely enough, although they were three separate people the three sisters had the exact same rhythm of heart beats. Is this just a coincidence?no At first he didnt believe their synchronicity but he soon threw such notions of impossibility away. This is because, the three people moved in the same exact pace and rhythm as they tended to him. It was like watching a wave that piled on top of each other. Nevertheless, the wave would flow at the same pace. It was not something that could occur merely by coincidence. (After all they are identical triplets) Taiyou thought to himself. At the same time he felt slightly uncomfortable. This is because amongst the four of them there was one heart beat that was different. It was of course his own heartbeat. It was what he was accustomed to hearing, however it was a different rhythm to the girls. Knowing that he was interrupting the flow of their hearts with his irregular pulse he felt slightly guilty. Because of this, he tried to get his hands away from them. AhhYou cant move yet Kotone used more strength to grasp his hand in place. Suzune and Kazane also followed suit and they tightly held onto his wrist whilst turning their gaze towards him. ..My bad Whilst apologizing he once again remembered the pleasant feeling of his hands being held. Their hands were soft, and they were warm. This wasan experienced he never felt before in his life. It was no longer the cold hand which lost a lot of blood, it became a hand that was filled with heartfelt emotions. . He silently gripped Kotones hand in return and placed the other twos hand on top of his. Taiyou-san? Thank you Although it was embarrassing for him to say it out, he managed to get the words out. Most likely, the three sisters didnt really need such words to be said. However, he felt like the foreign substance that.intruded on their harmonious existence. If he didnt say the words of appreciation, he thought that it wouldnt be conveyed properly, thats why he said it. When he gave them his thanks, the three sisters began to get flustered. you, you didnt have to, the people that have to say thank you is us Thats right, you were the one who saved us from those people If we didnt have you, we would have become guinea pigs right about now Ahh, thats also true He actually didnt dare to admit that he had been thanking them for a different matter, so he just agreed with them. He thought if he stated the real reason, he would seem pathetic. Thats why he just opted to hold their hands with a little more strength. More so than the amount of strength he put into his grip, his grip was filled with sincerity. For a little while, all they did was hold into each others hands. It was in the middle of the night at the residential area, right in front of his apartment entrance. One boy and three girls were sitting on the ground whilst they had their hands overlapped with each other. If they were sighted by some pedestrians they would probably be seen as weird/strange people, but thankfully at this time of the night, nobody was passing by the road. The amount of time they were there was unknown but it was enough for the floor to grow cold on their bottoms. Meanwhile, it would seem that the girls emergency treatment had begun to work and the bleeding of his palms had been stopped. However, even when the bleeding was stopped the four people continued to hold hands without separating. The girls were finally able to turn their eyes away from his palms as the bleeding had stopped. It was as if they were waiting for the bleeding to stop before they looked away. Seeing such reactions, he thought the girls were really sweet/precious and way too good for someone like him. Even now, he wanted to embrace them. He wanted to, but right now he couldnt do it. Taiyou was a peculiar young boy that lived by a set of very fastidious rules. If he wanted to be together with the girls, he would first have to convey his ideas to the other party, and then only after reaching a resolution on the problem would he dare to make a move on them. Whilst thinking such things, he looked downwards as he talked to the girls. What do you guys want to do from now on? We want to be together with Taiyou-san!! The three talked in their usual chorus. Thank you.But thats not what I was referring to. What I really want to talk about is what we can do in order to realize our objectives. In order for us to be together, we need to work around the problem you guys are facing and reach a good solution Hearing Taiyous words the three girls glanced at each other, and looked down towards the ground whilst thinking in silence. This question was too difficult for them to answer and they couldnt figure out a solution. It couldnt really be helped. At any rate, their opponent this time around was in fact their real father. No matter how unsympathetic he was, or how outrageous his behaviour was towards them. Naturally these pure girls couldnt really take action against their own father. For these three children, their father was an irrational existence. On one side they revered him like he was a god, yet on the other side, his existence can become akin to the devil. WellWhat should we do, I wonder (note: Taiyou speaking) If thats the case, I can give you a good solution (note: Sakura speaking) JunishimaSakura Her name was gently called out in quiet voice. Before he noticed it, Sakura was already in front of him and all the hairs in Taiyous body stood up. Chapter 16: Protecting Loved Ones Chapter 15: Three girl''s makes a Harem Chapter 17: Kiss all Three! With the appearance of Junishima Sakura, The problem that the girls couldnt solve came crashing right in front of them. Confirming that Sakura was indeed here, Taiyou thought that he needed to protect the three girls, however even before he had the chance to react, the three girls let go of his hands. Suzune and Kazane went to the front of him and Kotone being the eldest was standing at the front of her sisters as if she was trying to protect/shield all of them with her body. Their actions werent planned out, however they did not show the slightest hesitation to jumping in front of Taiyou. Without wavering they jumped in front of their adversary, the girls had strong resolve and was willingly volunteering themselves to become his shield. Taiyou understood their kind intentions. However, He wasnt going to let them do whatever they pleased. Taiyou believed that being protected by girls just because he was slightly injured, was not something he could accept, as a man he thought that he should do something. Thinking such thoughts, Taiyou gently pulled Kotone backwards and he stepped forward in front of the girls to replace their position. Taiyou-san! Im alright, thanks to you guys my bleeding has stopped After he gave a smile to the girls, his line of vision once again turned to focus on Sakura. Her appearance had not changed at all since he last met her. Her cold-hearted piercing smile, the tight skirt she was wearing and even the atmosphere she exuded were all the same. There was only one aspect of her that that was different from before. Her intimidation factor raised another level. It was as if he was facing some sort of boss character from an RPG that appeared to block his way whenever he reached a certain milestone. Taiyou was leading the vanguard and faced her head on. You, Are you alone? Whilst he said this, he was looking around his vicinity-he was looking for Hera, after finding her he exchanged looks with her to communicate something. Roger desu?! After their secret exchange Hera saluted Taiyou and flew into the air and left. Hera seemed to have understood that Taiyou wanted her to scout around the area. After she flew around the vicinity, she looked at Taiyou and made a circle symbol on top of her head with her hands. (Note: a Circle in Japan is commonly used as a positive symbol meaning OK/good/all clear) Yes, I am here by myself .It would seem, that I dont sense any of your bodyguards with you this time around Making use of the information he obtained from Hera, He tried to intimidate Sakura. Oh? I didnt know you had such an ability You never know, what I just said may have been just a bluff That cant be true. You seemed so definite about your statement. If youre telling me that what you said was a bluff, then you certainly have the qualifications to become an actor I dont particularly like Olive Oil, you know?(Note: This particular expression is about how Japanese people drink a little bit of olive oil before going out for drinks, in order to line their stomachs to stop them from getting drunk. If you are an actor in Japan it would seem that going out for drinks and socializing with producers and such is the norm) That is a shame, that is one of the critical aspects of the job Both of them were smiling daggers at each other whilst exchanging a superficial conversation. Dont worry, Im not here to fight with you guys. Actually, its more like I cant interfere You cant? All my subordinates are currently all injured and they arent of any use to me, moreover, the backer that was providing my organisation with funds has mysteriously disappeared without any reason. The girls father was screaming and complaining about something or other, but the fact is I dont have any more chess pieces under my control, and there is nothing I can do about that Arent you giving up way too easily? Who knows? I could just be playing a trick on you, whilst keeping something up my sleeve If what you said just now was all just acting, it would be my pleasure to get deceived It seemed as though she was also trying to play tricks on his mind, and she was able to construct a believable lie in an instant. In terms of being able to physiologically manipulate ones opponent, he thought that she was at least one to two times better than him at it. Although at first..He was the one trying to befuddle her with his witty conversational skills, it was in fact him who began to get absorbed by her pace. Taiyou swallows down his worries and straightforwardly asks her one more time. Youre telling me that you are really alone right? I swear it upon my family name Juniishima Your smile seems so untrustworthy thatI dont think I can believe you Fufufu(*Laughter* in a lady like manner) Then, please enlighten me as to why youve come alone? Arent I allowed to come by myself? Even if I am by myself, you never knowI might be able to defeat you and bring away the girls by myself .You dont really seem that strong to me He once again, took a good look at Sakura. She had killer legs that could probably strangle you to death. Boobs that would burst out of her clothes at any given moment.. And to top it off, her overall style was like a model. Although it may have been too presumptuous of him to say it, her body looked nothing like a seasoned warrior. I could say the same to you, your body does not look as if it could destroy walls Muuu Taiyou was once again at a loss for words. These were words which could also apply to the White Girl. (Note: white girl = shirokiyami) To begin with, the white girl appearance also looked frail and delicate, as if she could be blown away by the wind. Thats why he decided that people could not be judged by their appearance. In such a case, Sakura having a war potential was not so unrealistic anymore.Taiyou re took his fighting stance and carefully watched Sakuras movements. Oh? Are you finally going to believe in my words? Dont you think you are getting tricked way too easily? Even so, there is no disadvantage in taking precautions That is also reasonable For a little while, they were both just staring at each other in silence. Hera and the three sisters were all watching with suspense as to what would happen next. Fufu, Lets leave it at this for today Sakura smiled gracefully. Because I am truly weak. I dont have any individual battle power. If I could do something, it would be to slap someones cheeks with a bundle of money What a cheap technique(note: Taiyou is referring to her ability to bribe people) If it can achieve a desirable outcome and achieve my goals, no matter the methods I believe it is good to use it I also agree with such a statement completely Fufu, Arent the two of us unexpectedly quite matching for each other? From the way it is now, It is more likely that we will grow to hate each other Even if that is so, that could also be a lovely development Whilst saying such things, Sakura had a bewitching smile on her face. Taiyou suddenly notices that he was already sucked into the conversation led by Sakura once again. She had a way with people that was able to enrapture them with her words. Although it was a troublesome thing, he did not feel like it was unpleasant to converse with Sakura. In fact, he quite liked the witty conversations he shared with her. If only they were able to meet under different circumstances. one where the three sisters werent involved, things may have been different between them- As he was thinking such things. Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan! Hera begins to panic all of a sudden, and she flew in front of Taiyou. As he was unable to actually respond to Hera with words, He just looked at her with a glance that said Whats Wrong?. Taiyou-chan you are being aimed at! There, there and there..Even on the rooftop, there are so many people, with sniper rifles all aimed at you! tsu! Taiyous expression changes, and he immediately looks towards the directions Hera pointed out to him. Oh? It seems with the kind of face you are currently showing that you have realised whats going on. What an interesting person you are-Although it may be a little late You have snipers! You are correct. Then without the need for me to to explain..You understand the position you are in right? Your actions are way to exaggerated, using such an underhanded move It is you who is unable to see how important this matter is. If we can establish a method in which we can make a woman stay permanently youthful, the amount of money we could obtain is not in the mere hundred millions, it would result in profits exceeding a trillion. Facing such a large sum of money it is unavoidable that mere words cannot resolve the issue ..The fact that your argument is so persuasive makes me feel irritated Fufu, Now then, It seems that I have you completely cornered with all the snipers aiming at you, How do you wish to proceed, I wonder? Do you have the power to dodge bullets? Taiyou was silent, that kind of powerright now he did not possess the ability to get out of his predicament. Seeing Taiyou not moving a muscle, the three sisters began to talk. Taiyou-san, what does she mean by? A sniper.? ! Are you being aimed at?! You girls dont have to worry, none of my men will aim their guns at you Sakura said such things with her usual expression. Since meeting you, this may well be the most trustworthy thing youve said Taiyou thought, that Sakura was a very clever person, she was the type of person that would be meticulous in their approach to achieving their objectives and it was true that she didnt want the girls to be hurt. In other words, because she wanted them as test subjects the safety of the three sisters bodies were most likely guaranteed. I cant say that I dislike your way of thinking, as expected it would seem that we are quite compatible with each other. If you werent my enemy, it would be enough for me to want to go on a date with you That statement is a complete lie isnt it? Oh? I couldnt get you to believe me this time? Fufu, I guess, Im reaping what I sow after lying so much Whilst giving him a smile she quietly observes Taiyou. Her pupils seem to constrict themselves, as if asking Taiyou Well, what are you going to do now?. Taiyou was thinking. About what he could do to overcome such a pinch. He was desperately searching for a solutionHowever no matter how hard he thought he could not figure out what to do. He had absolutely no method of dealing with the long range specialists. In conclusion, there was nothing he could do in the current situation. He felt despair creeping in and his thoughts started to darken. Sakuras objective is to kidnap the three sisters. Furthermore, he could not stop her. That is to say, he either got shot for resisting and the girls would get kidnapped, or he could just stand there and do nothing as the girls get taken away right in front of him. Those two miserable options were the only ones he could take right now. Although the things he could do were different, they both would result in the girls being kidnapped. If those were the only two options, he thought that it would be more logical to just suck on his thumbs and obediently hand the girls over. (What am I thinking!?) Taiyou clears his head by shaking it, and he threw away such negative thoughts from his mind. Seeing such a reaction from Taiyou, Sakura let out a thin smile and raises her hand high above her head. Sakura joined her thumb and the middle finger together, and readied a pose to snap her fingers together. With that kind of signal, it was obvious that the bullet was about to arrive from the location Hera pointed out as soon as Sakura clicked her fingers. (What should I do, what can I do?!) I will ask you one last time, Wont you kindly hand over the girls to me? Though he was asked, Taiyou had his lips sealed shut. He could not find the answerHe could not answer such a question! In that moment, the three girls as if trying to protect Taiyou, surrounded him from all sides. Their faces was filled with determination. Fall back, you guys dont have to do something like this- The girls did something that was unnecessary for Taiyou. Originally their safety was supposedly guaranteed by Sakura, and he didnt want this to change. Therefore Taiyou was going to tell them to back off and gently push the girls aside. However Taiyou-chan! Hera suddenly calls out towards Taiyou, as if she had discovered something once again. You must kiss these girls? What he heard coming out of Heras mouth was a completely absurd proposition. Chapter 17: Kiss all Three! Chapter 16: Protecting Loved Ones Chapter 18: Hayakawa Sisters What are you doing just staring into space?? Quickly you must give them each a kiss? Hera was standing up shouting at him, However, Taiyou had a face which said Why are you telling me to do such things so suddenly? whilst glaring at Hera. This was definitely not the time and place for such things, and they werent in a lovers relationship either. Quick-a-ly?, You must Kiss them? Even after he glared at Hera she did not turn meek, instead she directly looked at Taiyou, and almost as if she had eight eyes like a bug she urged him on. When it was to this extent he figured that there must be some sort of reason as to why Hera was acting like this. Telling him to do such strange thing and at this exact moment. He thought that it could possibly have some meaning to it, therefore he faced the three sisters. At that moment, all his doubts disappeared and his hesitations were blown away. Kotone, Suzune and Kazane. Although it was only for an instant, the three girls met their eyes with Taiyous. The same rhythm, the same wavelength. The three sisters in that instant were looking towards Taiyou with the same gaze on their face. It was filled with love/adoration and determination. The moment Taiyou saw such eyes which had all their condensed feelings in it, Taiyous heart skipped a beat. There are certain things person can only learn if they put in the effort, and at this time, it was one of those things people could just naturally understand when the time came. The sincere gaze that the three girls looked at him with, he just instinctually knew what it meant in one go. It was the kind of look that meant that they would sacrifice everything for the person they loved, it was filled with that kind of determination. That was the true colours of their looks. Charm: 65535 The reason the girls felt so strongly for him was without a doubt due to the influence of this figure. It was most definitely, not because of his own attractiveness or charm. Even Taiyou could discern something as simple as this and he was not foolish enough to misunderstand. Even if that was the case, the fact that they were letting Taiyou into their hearts at this juncture was also unmistakable. This was a phenomenon which happened for a fact. In that case, at least. I want to repay their sincere feelings and give it my all as well. Taiyou silently moves his hand and entwines it around Kotones waist, he pulls her in close and embraces her in his arms. Kotone didnt expect this to happen at all and her face began to tremble. Just like that, he gave her a kiss! (Illustration: Kiss All Three!) tsu!(*surprised*) At first she was really shocked and opened her eyes wide, however she soon melted into his arms, and she accepted his everything. She wrapped her arms around his back, and she entrusted both her mind and body to Taiyou. Koto-chan.. That looks nice. Looking at their elder sister making out with Taiyou, they started muttering in an intoxicated tone. Their feelings came out uncontrollably and became words. After a good while, their kiss was finally over. The two girls had slightly opened lips, and as if they were going to faint, they released a hot sigh from their lips. Thank you, Kotone After hearing his voice, Kotones legs began to waver and as if she lost the strength to stand, she slowly slid down to the ground. Next was Suzunes turn. He turned to face her and he tenderly held on to her shoulders whilst she was standing on her tiptoes and puckering up her lips. After a while the kiss ended, and just like her sister, Suzunes legs began to sway and she sat next to Kotone on the floor. Last of all it was Kazanes turn. Although at first he felt guilty about kissing Kazane because it felt like he was committing a crime, right now, beyond those feelings he truly felt like she was just so precious/dear to him. Taiyou kneels on one knee, and just as he kissed the other two, he also kissed Kazane in the same way. Kazanes lips were as expected just as soft as the other two. And her beating heart was also just like the other two. If he kept on kissing them, or if he could go to the next level and do something above kissing, would the girls behave in the same exact manner?And would they be able to share the sensations that their body experiences? If they could share such pleasure amongst themselves, the experience was surely wonderful Taiyou thought. Whilst thinking such things, he reluctantly parted from her lips and Kazane joined her two sisters slumping to the floor. Now then, With this TE RE RE TE TE TE C? Taiyou-chan has Leveled Up?! What?! The atmosphere was lovey dovey and even Sakura was effected by it as she was intently watching the scene between them whilst she gently swallowed the saliva she held in her mouth due to the tension. That was all blown away when Hera made her usual rhythmical and comical announcement. It was a completely unexpected development for him, raising his level was the last thing Taiyou expected to happen. Watching Taiyou level up, Hera had a proud/elated facial expression. With this you have reached level 5 desu?. A C N -D! As a privilege of reaching level 5, you are allowed to learn one new Skill? Did you just say Skill? Yes desu?, depending on the person and their level everyone has different skills they can acquire, the current Taiyou-chan has a choice from three unique abilities!?. From here you are only allowed to you choose one, kay? Similar to the sensation he felt when his status had popped directly into his mind, a string of characters suddenly emerged directly into his brain. Active Skill: Super Armor Passive Skill: Experience Boost Passive Skill: Long distance immunity As Taiyou is an avid gamer who actually raised many of his characters to the maximum level, the terms stated here were seemingly familiar to him, additionally, he could imagine what the effects of each skill was going to give him. Normally, following his usual path he would have wanted to optimise the amount of experience points he could obtain and he would without a doubt choose Experience Boost. However right now it was completely different. Means to an end, he was a man who could clearly distinguish between the two and what he needed right now was a way to get out of the predicament. I choose Long range Immunity Yes desu? As she said this, Taiyous body began to glow in a flash of white like a camera flashit settled down shortly after. Is it done now? He gazed at the palm of his own hands, His exterior looks.no its not even about his exterior looks, even the person himself was unable to discern exactly what changed within his own body. Yes desu?, Taiyou-chan has acquired the skill Long Distance Immunityas his first skill?, It is one of the strongest skills capable of making assault rifles become useless against you? I dont reallyFeel anything different about my body though Taiyou nodded, and he once again faced towards Sakura. I made you wait didnt I .Whats with you, where did all this confidence suddenly come out from? Sakura watched him vigilantly. For Sakura who was unable to see what just occurred as Hera is invisible to her, it was natural did she would feel that something was clearly off with Taiyou. My confidence gushed forth?.Well In a certain sense, I guess you could put it that way You arent going to tell me, that the more you kiss the stronger you will become right? What if I say that is exactly the case? Sakura took a quick glance at Taiyou, and she deliberately clicked her fingers. (*Pachin*, *Click*) .Oh Bullets appeared out of nowhere in particular and flew in Taiyous direction, it accurately hit both his hands and both his feet in quick succession. Technically if that hit a normal person, they would be left with holes, bleeding limbs and blood flowing/gushing out like a river. However, this did not happen to Taiyou. In fact the bullets that hit Taiyou made absolutely no sound, it was as if the bullet was sucked up by some cotton wool and it dropped harmlessly towards the ground. Long Distance Immunity. Taiyou immediately feels the amount of power this ability gave him, and his mind leapt at the endless possibilities this presented to him. But, he silently kept such words within his own mouth. That was impressive, they were able to accurately hit all four of my limbs. They were aiming for my non-vital parts and trying to disable me as quickly/effectively as possible without actually killing me Yo, youu exactly what are you?.. Who knows? It could be that Im some sort of cheat character Taiyou smiles mischievously as he throws out another bluff to Sakura. He was able to think things through calmly. Thanks to the ability Long Distance Immunity I am able to eliminate Sakuras trump card which is the Sniper squad and make them completely useless. However, if somebody like that white girl appeared with a Katana to cut me, the situation will turn back to a pinch in one swoop. After all Long Distance Immunity doesnt suddenly make me great at fighting in close quarters combat. Therefore by throwing this kind of bluff, it forces Sakuras hand to be revealed. Taiyou recalls the previous events in which she was able to discern his truths from his lies and beat him at his own game of bluffing. Ahh, let me just say one thing. Even if I got hit by a nuclear bomb, I could probably get away unscathed He stretched his bluff to the utmost, by proclaiming something which sounded completely ridiculous. Its alright now? All of them have left desuyo Hera had become used to scouting for Taiyou. Hearing her report, Taiyou was finally able to let go off the tension he accumulated. Is that so? Thank you, because of you we are saved Ufufu? However, this time around wasnt leveling up way too easy, all it took was three kisses right? I mean literally it was only three times, you know? If you compare it to the amount of times I had to turn the coin over and over again, which was around 10,000 times, it cant even be a comparison Thats not quite true desuyo?, That was not three kisses, it was three different people that you kissed?. Well To be honest, the amount of people who reach level 5 in this world is a really low percentage?. Even if they do reach level 5, they are usually very slow. 90 percent of people usually drop out after reaching level 5 or they return to trying to gain experience by hitting walls?. Well, they cant really obtain any experience from purely hitting walls so most of them also end up dropping out Ahh..If you say it like that, it does seem like an incredibly difficult thing to accomplish Taiyou smiles wryly, He guessed that means that luck must of been on his side for it to be so easy for him. Thats right, Taiyou-chan is a really lucky guy desuyo? Im not really sure whats going on but, we were able to be of some help to Taiyou-san right? Kotone spoke, and the other two girls also joined the conversation. Heyy umm, does this mean that if we kiss you even more, we will become even more useful? If thats the case lets do it! I want to do it more! It is a shame, every level a different action must be done in order to accumulate the experience desuyo? Is that sotsk Its alright Koto-chan, even if its not of any use, we can still kiss whenever we want Or more like we must do it! I want to do it more! Hang on a minute?! Taiyou had just let all the tension in his body dissipate, and half way through the girls conversation he was just absentmindedly staring into space, however, he soon realized that there was something awfully strange going on. He held his hand out and interrupted the girls conversations. Whats wrong?? How are you girls, able to converse normally with Hera? Chapter 18: Hayakawa Sisters Chapter 17: Kiss all Three! Chapter 19: The Proper Way to Love Someone At Taiyous question, Kotone tilts her head and asks a question in return. We arent allowed to converse normally? Rather than saying you cant, Im just really surprised is all. Arent you guys the least bit suspicious or dont you feel this is all really strange? At first it was a little strange, however Yeah, we saw what happened Kotone and Suzune gazed at each other at then nodded as if agreeing upon something. After Taiyou-san finished the kiss with Kaza-chan, around that time, her figure suddenly appeared Before that we couldnt see her. Then suddenly the space/airspace cracked. After that we were able to see Hera-chan! Seeing her trying to help you out, we thoughtoh so this is what its all about Kotone and Suzune starts of the explanation and Kazane finishes off their sentences. At first I wasnt able to see Hera-chan, however I was able to feel and understand what Koto-chan and Suzu-chan felt and soon after Hera-chans name resounded within my head Around the same timing both me and Koto-chan was also able to hear her name within our heads Finally we were convinced of her existence .Ummm Taiyou rubs his temples in contemplation. Their explanations were stopped for the time being. So Hera, why is this all happening? His thoughts were all getting jumbled and confused, therefore he faced Hera and was hoping she could clarify things out. Even for someone like me there are some things that I dont understand desu? Isnt there a time when I can depend on you! Or more like, isnt there more things you dont know, then things you actually comprehend?! I know its a little late but, where exactly did you come from and for what reason are you even here, seriously I was born in order to meet you? You really like those kinds of cheesy lines dont you! Excuse me, Taiyou-san. When they were able to hear what Hera had said, three people from the back called towards Taiyou in a quiet/mellow voice. When he faced them, the three sisters were teary eyed and looked at him with puppy eyes. The voice of the three sisters confessedat the same time. We were also, born just so we could meet with you After hearing such a confession from the girls Taiyous heart shook/faltered. Unlike when a certain silly fairy confessed in a cheerful manner, the feelings of the three girls was deep with emotion and this was definitely conveyed to Taiyou. The confession was filled with so much passion that, he truly believed/was convinced they meant it when they said they were born for the specific purpose of meeting him. He was at a loss for words as his heart strings were stirred up. Like never before, his heart was beating/raging like it was going to burst out of his chest. When his reactions were spotted by Hera who was right next to him, she raised her voice and made an objection. Ahh? Taiyou-chan you meanie desu?. Your reactions are completely different to when I said it desu? S, stop being so fussy Taiyou responds in a snappish tone. Taiyous ears were totally hot, and he thought that for sure his face was burning up and completely red. As if that wasnt enough, the three sisters seemed to pursue him even more aggressively, and they were currently holding their hands in prayer (like a nun praying pose) whilst looking up towards him. They stood still in that pose without saying anything, however their gazes held a different message. Since a little while ago, two kinds of emotions arose within Taiyous heart/mind. The feelings of embarrassment and a craving desire. Although both feelings were on an even balance, looking at the girls passionate gazes, the scales completely tipped to one side. Taiyou took a deep breath in, and reciprocated their intense gaze, he then gave each of the girls another kiss. He barely grazed their lips, and the kiss itself did not last more than a second. A parched sound of a breath being inhaled resounded in the night sky. The girls who were kissed were all enraptured. Whilst Taiyou on the other hand had an earnest expression on his face as he asked the girls a question in a serious tone. Let me ask you guys one thing. You girls, what do you want to do from now on? I understand that you girls like me, and just now, we each shared a kiss. ..But from now on, what do you wish to do? Taiyou-chan thats totally unfair, its boorish/ungentlemanly. In this kind of times, as a man Taiyou-chan should be the one to make the decisions desuyo? Hera tried to butt into their conversation, seeing this Taiyou completely disregarded her existence. Right now, he truly believed that the earnest words he stated was necessary between them. After he exchanged kisses between them he felt it even more, that he could not sense their existence or read their minds and he was an entirely separate individual from them. Furthermore the hearts of the three sisters were connected by the mind. Taiyou didnt possess such an ability, therefore he could not discern their intentions without just straightforwardly asking them. As a result, he wanted to hear it directly from their mouths. The girls did not have an ounce of hesitation.they did not need to exchange glances between each other like usual, instead they were able to immediately reply Taiyous question. We want to be together with you All three of us do Forever and ever .I understand Taiyou nodded in affirmation, and he gently closed his eyes. As usual he wasnt able to feel their existence, however, after hearing their words it was satisfactory/sufficient enough for him. Still having his eyes closedHe had various resolutions made in his mind. And when he opened his eyes, he gave them a bright smile. For some reason the girls seemed to be surprised, but without worrying about such details he spoke to them. In that case, I have one last thing that I need to tell you..It is of the most importance to me Hearing such words from him, the girls had a serious look on their faces. Without saying a single word, they expectantly waited for Taiyous next words. Even when we are apart my thoughts will always be with you girls. This I will promise Yes! The three sisters nodded their heads and jumped into Taiyous arms at the same time. The three girls often accompanied each other, and even when they were apart they were still connected. For the girls this was a natural part of who they were, knowing this Taiyou thought that it would be good if he could build the same level of trust between them. It was not from obligation, the actions he took were because he truly?????liked the girls for who they were. For a while they were embracing each other, until they naturally parted. It was a sweet atmosphere. Then its settled in one go isnt it, congratulations?, with this Taiyou-chan will become even more popular from now on desuyo? Why would it become like that? Let me explain, kay?? Hera closes her eyes and raises her index finger, she talks to Taiyou as if he was a child and she had to make him understand by narrating slowly. Rather than a man which no woman wants to hang out with, a guy who is surrounded by women will become more approachable/popular, this is common knowledge desu?. For someone like you who started out without a single girl to interact with, as soon as they obtain their first girlfriend, they will instantly become popular desuyo? .You are referring to the Caligula Effect? What is that? Its when somebody is prohibited from doing something, they contrarily want to try it instead Dont push that button, definitely do not push itis what you mean desune? Thats a completely different context! Taiyou decisively repudiates her statement. Anyways, the point is, it has a name of its own desune?. As I thought Taiyou-chan is going to become even more popular from now on, only having one girlfriend is enough to make someone popular, let alone Taiyou-chan, who actually has three girlfriends, hes going to become crazily popular desu? No to be honest your logic is way off the mark 1+1+1 is equal to 300 nanodesu? thats 10 times more popular desuyo? Please give me a break already, the more you speak the worst you are starting to sound! When Taiyou raised his voice at Hera to retort her ridiculous logic, the three sisters all at once gathered close to his body. Taiyou-san if you become more popular will you become more happy? Eh? If you will become happyWe will gladly cooperate with you No no, What exactly are you guys saying here? So tell us what you really think He was just staring at the girls who seemed determined to help him become popular. The three eyes he stared at really did seem serious about their proposition. It was the type of eyes that said, if you wished for it, we would even die for you without complaining. I mean he was glad for their feelings, however, this is not what he intended for them at all. He looked back at the three girls with a gaze that wouldnt lose to them in intensity. Those kind of things are not something you guys need to think about. Even if you dont do something like that for me, I will Before being able to finish off his sentence, Suddenly Pechi! Hera slapped him on the head. Although it didnt hurt him, he was slightly annoyed, at this point in time what could she want anyways. Although he was glaring at Hera, he noticed that the girls had a look of astonishment on their faces. As I thought Taiyou-chan is boorish and a blockhead at that? Haa? What are you on about? If you keep on pampering/spoiling them without letting them do anything for you, any woman will become obsolete desuyo? Well if its good woman, they deserve to be spoiNo Taiyou shut his own mouth before finishing his sentence. It was exactly as Hera had said. Thinking that Hera was right, he cleared his throat and once again began speaking to the three sisters. In that case, Please let me become popular After he said such things, the girls actually showed him the best smile hed ever seen plastered on their faces. Chapter 19: The Proper Way to Love Someone Chapter 18: Hayakawa Sisters Chapter 20: Although its an illegal marriage there should be no problem if there''s love right? Morning: Taiyou gets up and starts to dress himself in his school uniform, Hera was wearing her usual one piece dark green dress (the same as when she first met him) as she called out to him. Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan, I believe youve forgotten something desuyo? Did I leave something behind? Taiyou looks doubtful as he asks back to Hera whom was buoyantly floating in the air. Yes desu?, youve forgotten about your jacket desuyo? My jacket? Why do I have to bring such a thing? He tilted his head and stared dubiously at Hera. The season was currently early within the summer, its that time of the year where it will get really hot during the day. Even if you were to examine the current trends of the people with the highest endurance and perseverance in maintaining a professional outlook AKA the Salary man (Businessman) even they were wearing lightly dressed clothing. Taiyou was only wearing a uniform with short sleeves and even then he felt that it was really hot and humid, it was to the point that he thought he didnt even need a jacket. However, Hera insisted him to bring his jacket and she must have had a reason for it. It turns out that the reason was very important for Taiyou. Its because we will be using it in order to accumulate experience points for the next level desuyo? Is that so? It is so ? Taiyou nodded, he went into the back of his room, opened his closet and took out the winter clothing jacket that was still in its hanger. The winter jacket was padded and quite heavy. It was a truly excessive piece of clothing within this time of the season. Not only was it bulky but it was likely to attract the attention of other people in the surroundings if he went out with such a thing, however if this was what it took for him to level up, Taiyou had no hesitation to endure any kind of hardship. Taiyou took the jumper with him and finally left his room. The three sisters were waiting outside the hallway of his apartment complex. The girls had an expression of happiness on their faces mixed in with a tinge of shyness/bashfulness. Taiyou gave them a smile in return, and the four of them departed the apartment and headed together to school. Well lets not forget about the small floating fairy, so in total there was actually four people plus one. Well, will you tell me how Im supposed to use this jacket in order to accumulate experience points? Yes ?. First of all you need to put it on desu? Like this? After you finish wearing it, take it off and drop it on the ground desu? Im supposed to intentionally drop it? After you let it fall into the ground, you need to pick it up and wear it again, this action needs to be repeated over and over I remember seeing this in a kung-Fu movie! Taiyou stood still, similar to how the famous person in the movie took of the jacket, he threw his jacket down against the ground. Taiyou suddenly lost his temper. The three sisters stopped their fluttering footsteps and watched over Taiyou and Hera as they conversed. More so than leveling this feels more like some sort of training Taiyou-chan, you dont like to train? Watching the movie was cool and all, but doing this is not really one of my hobbies! Is that so? but, but Taiyou-chan even if this looks like some sort of training, I guarantee that this will also raise your experience points desuyo? .Seriously? seriously serious? If thats the case, well Ive got no choice but to do it Yes?, Now this is starting to sound like my usual Taiyou-chan? Hera had a big smile across her face, the four of them finally started walking again and headed towards school. Because it wasnt really something Taiyou could do whilst walking, he grabbed the jacket and held it in his hands for the time being, he would later find a time in which he could do the action without attracting too much attention. Suddenly, he notices that the three sisters were keeping silent. When he was about to ask them what was wrong, he turned around and found out that they had a disheartened expression on their faces. Whats wrong with them? he tilted his neck in confusion. You guys, are you alright? Is there someplace you guys feel unwell? When they heard Taiyous question the three girls deliberated with each other using their eyes. The representative that was chosen to talk to Taiyou was the smallest of the three Kazane. Taiyou-san Yeah? Taiyou-san youre..Really close with Hera arent you? Well, if you were to ask me whether I hated her more or liked her more. Taiyou glanced at Hera before he made his answer. I dont hate her Taiyou couldnt be more straightforward and just claim that they had a good relationship with each other. Even though Hera looked like a miniature character, after all she was a female with a girlish personality. It was at the point in his life where he couldnt admit to having a good relationship with another girl without feeling awkward about it. In addition, he wasnt really comfortable with the way this conversation was going so he tried to steer the conversation into a more favourable one for him. Is there something wrong with our relationship? Does Hera-chan feel the same wayAs Taiyou-san? Heh? He didnt really understand what they were trying to say, or what they were trying to imply. That was because of Heras miniature sizeit made him unable to recognise her as another female. If only she was just like the three sisters in relative size, and if she looked more like a human Taiyou would have definitely been able to understand what the sisters were trying to imply here. However this was not the case and Taiyou was left absolutely clueless as to what they wanted to ask him. Is your relationship with Hera just like it is with us? Even after the three sisters said the question right in front of his face, Taiyou didnt immediately understand right away. Before long though, he finally figured out what they were implying when he looked at their expressions. Taiyou was in a fluster as he panicked. no no no, of course its not anything like that, or more like that development is impossible to occur between me and Hera, right? Is that really so? Ahh, just think about it, the size of her body is so small, how am I supposed to make any sort of advances towards her Ah? You are such a meanie ?. What you just said was blasphemy to me desuyo? no please, can you just keep silent, you are just complicating matters even more is that really so..? The three sisters looked down and was in deep thought. They werent totally convinced with what Taiyou said, that was the kind of expression on their faces. However, Taiyou was cautious and he didnt want to really provoke the situation any further as he thought that it might have the opposite effect if he desperately tried to convince them, therefore he stayed silent. Taiyou waited for the conversation to die down. However, somebody was trying to thwart his planshe felt like her actions were similar to performing some sort of unnecessary maintenance. I completely understand? The feelings you girls have? what do you mean by, feelings? This is all stemming from the fact that Taiyou-chan is really indecisive and non-committal in the relationship desu?, if you proceed to the next stage of the relationship these meagre problems will also go away desuyo? The next stageC Taiyou looked doubtful and he inclined his neck in confusion as he stared at both Hera and the three sisters. Kotone, Suzune and Kazane. The girls no longer had expressions of worry, instead they had the face of a maiden who was shy and their cheeks blushed like a cherry blossom. Putting the pieces together, along with the words next stage. Taiyou was able to understand what Hera meant. In an instant, his face was red as if it caught on fire. -tsu! The one being embarrassed was not only him. The two girls Kotone and Suzune covered their own faces and ran towards the school in a dash. The last girl remaining Kazane was of course also feeling the heat, but she had a determined look on her face as she faced towards Taiyou. Anone (the thing is), we share the same feelings Eh? ahh, yeah. Youve told me about that previously Thats why, I know.They dont dislike the idea Although Kazane was speaking in a roundabout manner, the main point was transmitted to him. After saying this Kazane immediately took off after her two sisters, whilst staring at the backs of the three sisters Taiyou was just standing there with blank surprise. His mind just blanked out. The next stagehe was already at the stage of being their boyfriend, so the step after that must be.. In other wordsCthe thing you do after you kiss. He was fantasising about such things. He instinctively imagined the naked figures of the three sisters whom had the same face but different body sizes. As a healthy high school boy, Taiyou couldnt help but let his delusions run wild and his brain was becoming more pink coloured by the second. You have the face of a lolicon predaCtor Uwaa Because he was suddenly talked to, he sprung up in surprise. When he turned around he saw the mysterious white girl he met yesterday, she was also staring the back of the three sisters. I said that I can sense the presence of a person with the Lolita com..plex (Note: as usual she talks in broken sentences) Im not a Lolicon ! But, you had such lecherous eyes, when you looked at those girls Let me just clarify but Kazane is actually my class mate alright?! Furthermore they are actually a little older than me by a little bit, got it?! Theres a reason why I was so insistent on getting the message across. When we first entered the school we were given an attendance number by the educational institution, this number actually decided the order of the students by their age. The three sisters had numbers in the single digits whereas Taiyou had a number that was in the double digits. Using that as a basis he was able to predict that they were around two months older than him. However, the white girl seemed to have completely ignored his words. Even if you are a Lolicon, its alright. If its.now, it wont become a big, iss,ue What are you saying! On the contrary if I truly was a Lolicon thats a really big issue, it would get me hated by the whole world However, if you were really a Lolicon, That would actually help me a lot. Thats because I wont be targeted by you Let me just make one thing clear, you actually look more like a Lolita than the average girl! Taiyou immediately retorted her words. Her height was around the same as Suzune however, when Taiyou looked at the size of her chest, he deemed her chest to be even smaller than Kazane. When Taiyou pointed such a thing out to her, the white girl became overly surprised and slowly retreated from him. Dont retreat silently! LoliCcon, Per-vert Dont say such things whilst retreating! Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan, Im way smaller than the others, therefore if you want toWith me, its fine desuyo? Please for goodness sake, you need to stay silent, he looked at her with that kind of glare. He thought that if this conversation was to proceed any further he definitely would be digging himself into a deeper hole. Therefore he forcefully changed the topic of the conversation. More importantly, what are you doing here? I got, fired, from my, job Huh? You, what did you do, to, the girls father? Taiyou nodded in understanding, so thats what this is about. Last nights events floated within his mind. Chapter 20: Although it’s an illegal marriage there should be no problem if there’s love right? Chapter 19: The Proper Way to Love Someone Chapter 21: What are the triplets trying to tell me?! Taiyou and the white girl was walking side by side. Although Taiyou was perfectly normal looking as he wore his school uniform on the way to school, the white girl gave a sense of incompatibility as she had long hair that dropped to the back of her knees and more importantly she was actually wearing a goth-loli dress. The students who walked past them would show expressions of confusion and marvel at the get up she was wearing. Perhaps the person herself was accustomed to being looked at in such a way, she just continued to talk to Taiyou without worrying about it at all. What did you, do? I used my powers of persuasion, just a bit of it persuaCsion? Taiyou nodded, he grabbed a little stone pebble that was lying on the floor, and he applied pressure and tightly grasped the stone. The stone shatters into dust and it spills in between his fingers falling to the ground. All I did was tie him up, whilst I fixatedly stared at his nether regions, then all I had to do was show him what I could do, just like I just showed you with the stone Is thereA meaning to those act-ions? Well you are a girl so you probably dont understand Taiyou picked up another pebble and this time around, he stared at a passing schoolboy (at his lower body) and he squished the pebble to dust. Hiiii!*squeal* The school boy was terrified and he quickly ran away. He held his hands between his groins and hurriedly ran away to school. You may not know this but, to a guy this particular action is considerably effective But, you didnt actually say, anything persuasive Well, dont fret about it too much, as long as it works its fine isnt it? I achieved my objectives and thats good enough As long as you achieve your goals, are you the type of person thatDoesnt care about the methods? Thats not true Taiyou shakes his head. On the contrary I place extreme importance in the methods I use.The bestI will analyse my options at the time and I will only choose the best and most efficient method to accomplish my goals I under-stand For a while the white girl just remained silent. Taiyou was walking side by side with her and he gave her a side long glance. Although her chest was hopelessly small, her looks were unmistakably very beautiful. Although she looks like she is of pure Japanese origin just from her facial features, due to her outfit she wore, she gave off the atmosphere of a European girl. She was like a Elven beauty and Taiyou couldnt help but to admire her looks. Want to have a go at, me? no- Taiyou was feeling embarrassed because he had been staring at her all this time and he had probably been caught red handed. My Mist-ake The white girl clears her throat. Wanna..Fight me, huhh? (Note: shes talking like a yakuza) Is that where youre going with this?!(TL: it seems that the girl didnt realize Taiyou was checking her out and instead, thought that his stare was like a challenge to fight Chapter 21: What are the triplets trying to tell me?! Chapter 20: Although its an illegal marriage there should be no problem if there''s love right? Chapter 22:Harem Wild Goose Chase Miyagi-san? The classmate whom appeared out of the half broken iron door was Miyagi Aoba. There was a peculiar accessory attached to her long pony tail as it swayed about, she walked at a brisk pace towards the three sisters with a sour look on her face. She came close enough so that the distance could be covered by extending ones hands, she stopped in place and began to speak. I will get right to the point, are the rumors about you guys going out with Natsuno-kun, the truth? Whilst pressing for details in regards to the situation, Aobas stern expression leaves the three sisters slightly shocked. Aobas expression was as if she was looking at her mortal enemies, and it made Kotone flinch when she saw such a gaze. So what is the verdict? Or is it that you cant answer me? Aoba continued her intense interrogation. The three sisters exchanged glances with one another and after deliberating amongst themselves, Kotone stepped forward to represent their thoughts. Thats right, What has it got to do with you? Are you girls, sane? Isnt it strange for three girls to be going for one man? Are you What? Are you,asking this for our ownWellbeing as a third partyor is it for you own personal reasons? Kotone asked a question in return to Aobas sharp questioning. At first the sisters were surprised, but when they detected animosity towards Taiyou, they became defensive. The scene was like a feud existed between Aoba and the three sisters. What do you mean? The meaning is that we want to know the reason as to why you are trying to corner/blame us Do you have good intentions? Or are they filled with malice If you are trying to help us, then we have had more than enough, thank you very much Although they were just going to let Kotone do all the talking, Suzune and Kazane couldnt hold it any longer and joined into the conversation. What is the meaning of this? We understand your point, you want to tell us that one man should only go out with one woman, and anything beyond that is completely inappropriate. This is your point, right? In this case, let us ask you a question in return As triplets whom possess the same personality and disposition, if all three of us meet one person whom we fell in love with, what should we do? Uuuu Aoba flinched as she heard them keep talking, and the confidence/vigor she displayed earlier was all but gone. That isShouldnt you think of something.and make a decision We did, we thought it through and made a decision Yeah, We decided that all three of us would go out with him If by some chance we break it off, all three of us will separate with him Aoba was at a loss for words, she had a face which said that she didnt expect that the three sisters would answer in such a manner. Nevertheless that surprised expression only lasted for a fleeting moment, and her face was soon dyed with anger. I understand, so you think that I am just a bother right?! After leaving such a remark, Aoba departed from the rooftop. What is wrong with that person, I wonder? Who knows.She seems quite different from the person she was before Yeah, I dont think she was out here to give us friendly advice, and more like it was for her own personal benefit/reasons Maybe its because she was cheated on by someone before? Ahh..Thats probably it You think? Well if thats the case I kind of understand. However, even so if shes using that as an excuse to pressure us Id rather not hear it Well, still its better than hearing sales talk from a telemarketer Kotone said such things, and the other two nodded their heads saying yeah, true. Is this where you guys where? Soon after Aoba had just departed, Taiyou actually showed his appearance in the entrance of the rooftop. The boy they loved slowly walked towards them. Taiyou-san..Eh? That is, is there something wrong? Your cheeks, your cheeks! At the beginning when they first saw him the three sisters let out a beaming smile, however after looking at his cheeks.which were really red, they began to panic and ran towards him. The three people gathered to one side and gazed at his cheeks which were faintly swollen. Ahh, I met Miyagi-san just a moment ago , but for some reason she gave me a slap on the cheek when I met her. That girl is.. Wait, I will make an objection for you More like she deserves to be slapped back. Twice the amountno three times the amount (Note: these girls are scary (kowaidesuu) Guys, wait a moment Three sisters were trying to go out of the rooftop entrance in order to chase after Miyagi, but Taiyou calmly detained them. You dont have to do something like that However. Its really ok, truly. When she slapped me on the face she seemed like she was crying, moreover she must have her own circumstances for doing something like that, right? No matter her reason for doing such a thing, we cant accept it! The sisters all talked in the same exact moment in a loud voice. Even if Taiyou himself was seemingly unperturbed by getting slapped, the girls could not consent to such an action taken against him and they had a displeased expression on their face. Its fine He repeated the same words, with a calm smile whilst watching the girls with a confident gaze. When the three girls looked into his eyes they could not help but to lose their anger as it withered away into nothingness. For a while, Taiyou and the three sisters just looked into each others eyes whilst on the rooftop. Suddenly, Taiyou opened his mouth to talk. Hmm, may I embrace you Yes! The start of the school bell resounded and was heard from a long distance, an early summer breeze brushed gently over their bodies as they stood on the rooftop. Around this time students were probably giving it their all to study within the classroom, or they may be a couple of those students who would drift off to sleep in the middle of class. Taiyou was different, he was squatting on the floor with his back entrusted to the rooftop fence as three girls are embraced closely in his arms. The triplets as if they became a single being.leapt at the same time into his arms whilst embracing him at the same time. They were the prominent beautiful triplets, and they were skipping class going to the rooftop and cuddling Taiyou. The fence he was leaning on, as if telling them enough is enough was making creaking sounds as they were putting their whole weight on it. Hey guys, is my body temperature high? Taiyou opens his mouth and asked the three sisters a question. Taiyou-sans body temperature? I think that it is normal Yeah, its normal..Ah, but But? The warmth is..A little different Yeah, when you are holding us like this.It feels really warm Rather its quite hot After finishing their sentences, the three sisters all raised their gazes and looked at Taiyous face. Why are you asking us such things? Thats the kind of face they had. A little while ago someone said that to me. They said that my body temperature is really high The three sisters stared at each other after hearing what Taiyou said. Was it a girl who said it? Ahh, how did you know? Thats cause Kotone was speaking and the three sisters had a wry smile on their faces. Taiyou-san you have the same face as the time when you first met us A face that was kind of troubled and the kind of face that said what should I do However at the same time its a slightly happy face Uuu. Taiyou finds himself at a loss for words. He didnt really know what to think of it himself, and what the girls told him was quite vague. However, he was beginning to be convinced. Although most of the things the white girl said was mysterious, maybe he really did have a high body temperature. Do you like this person? No, I mean that is Please dont put us in the equation Yeah, just think purely using your true feelings, whether you like this person or not That is.. Just like the three sisters told him to do, Taiyou began to think about the white girl in his mind. Her hair which was long enough to reach the back of her knees, looks which were like a pure Japanese girl, white transparent skin. In addition as if she was hiding her beautiful white skin, she wore a black lace dress. He thought long and hard as to exactly what he thought of her. however. Ah.. What went wrong? IHavent got a hold of her name Taiyou finally realized such a thing. After noticing this, he tried to recall in great detail the first time they met and the events which took place. He was first overwhelmed with her killing intent, then she wanted to stab him, then he broke her sword. Then he met her again, she demanded payment, and she touched his face. After piling up the episodes together, he understood that she was not an ordinary person, she wasan expert in using the sword and was a little strange in her ways of speaking, when he thought about it again, she never really introduced herself and he never really asked for her name either. What have you done. You dont know the other partys name And even then you were still anxious about her, right? Its the kind of situation where you ride on the same train with her to school but never get the courage to approach her, right? The three sisters continued to speculate the situation. Even though they were currently being held in his arms, the three sisters were seemingly able to talk enjoyably about another woman that he was thinking about. They were not angry or discouraged, more so than that it would seem like they were having fun whilst discussing such an issue. It felt like, they were children discussing some sort of school trip for tomorrow. This made Taiyou perplexed. Hey guys, arent you angry? Angry? I meanThe fact that Im thinking about another girl, arent you guys bothered? To Taiyous question, the three girls smiled like they were prepared for the question. How can they laugh in such a carefree manner, this made Taiyou perplexed/confused. Umm, You didnt hear our previous exchange with each other so you probably would think like this Koto-chan thats not really correct, even if he heard our conversation, at most he would probably understand half of what we said I guess, since we were mainly communicating using our thoughts Hearing the three girls talk amongst themselves, Taiyou became even more confused. If he didnt hear their conversation he would have no idea, and even if he did listen to what they were saying, he probably couldnt catch the complete meaning. Because he wasnt there when they conversed he was becoming more clueless. Seeing such a Taiyou, the three sisters slipped out of his arms with a smile on their faces. It was our, childhood dream to make a harem! They all talked at the same wavelength, without faltering in the slightest as they declared their ambitions. Chapter 22: Harem Wild Goose Chase Chapter 22:Harem Wild Goose Chase Chapter 21: What are the triplets trying to tell me?! Chapter 23: Tadah! Taiyou was alone in the rooftop, and he was trying to gather experience. He was holding the jacket that Hera specifically told him to bring before he left the house. He wore the jacket, took it off, dropped it on the floor and picked it up. Additionally he put it on, took it off again, subsequently drops it and as expected he picks it up again. To a person whom didnt really know what the heck was going on, if they saw his actions, they would clearly think he went nuts, he repeated such a tedious action innocently and continuously. Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan, its about to be noon desuyo? Ahh, I know Pasa, Syuru, Pasa. (Sound of clothes rustling) Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan, your experience points have exceeded 10% desuyo? Ahh, I know Pasa, Syuru, Pasa. (Sound of him taking off clothes etc.) Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan The truth is I am a virgin desuyo? Ahh, I know Pasa, Syuru, Pasa. This is a serious issue desuWhat should I do so he stops ignoring me desu? Hera seems to be rambling on about something in the background, however none of the contents/specifics of what she said actually got into Taiyous head. This is because, his head was currently filled with the conversation he just had with the three sisters. -It was part of their childhood dreams, to create a harem. It was a sentence which truly blew his mind away. The girls didnt speak as if they were forced to say such things, more like it was as if they were honestly enjoying the conversation and speaking in high spirits. Although many would say that women have a naturally talent in acting since they were born, the three sisters were by no means performing an act, they were passionately discussing how they could achieve their dreams. They seriously wanted to create a harem, moreover it was not a reverse harem, it was the kind of harem that was made up of only one man. If the person saying such things were a guy, that would be fine. Or even if the person that was saying it was an ero elder-sister type character with an eye patch, he could understand it.(Note: I think its referring to this eye patch onee-san) However, because it was the three sisters who said it, it exceeded the boundaries of his comprehension. In other words, right now Taiyou was baffled. Uwaa, Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan, it would seem that there is someone aiming at you with a sniper from a long distance desuyo?! He was able to understand a little of last nights events. They were identical triples. They are people whom share the same genes, another way to put it is they are like SF clones. (Note: SF = science fiction) Therefore, if they liked the same personThere would be no other choice but to go out with that person at the same time. He could understand their logic up to this far. You are being shot at! Taiyou-chan someone is shooting you desuyo! They are firing at your head in rapid succession desuyo! Eh, why are you still keeping your cool!? But, this was at best the most he could deduce from listening to the three sisters talk. In Taiyous heart, he could not understand the reasoning behind the girls wanting to create a harem for him. When he asked them, for an explanation, all the girls did was smile at him without saying anything as they returned to the school building. And Taiyou whom was left behind to ponder, worried endlessly whilst repeating his tedious work. Oh that must be it! Taiyou-chan has the long range immunity skill desu! Even if a nuclear missile was launched at him or even if an Ebola virus was thrown at him, he wouldnt even falter, he has the ultimate skill desu?. It cant be helped, then I shall do this desu?! Haa, truthfully this is what he deserves for ignoring me! Suddenly, the lower half of his bodyspecifically, intense pain ran though his crotch area. Pain so intense it felt like his internal organs were being hit directly. Taiyou suppresses his hands between his groins and crouched to the ground. With cold sweat dripping down his face and his eyes tearing up slightly he looked up towards Hera. There, he saw Heras face which was elated/proud. Y, youWha Finally you noticed me desu?, Mouu, you cant drift off into space whilst I am talking with you desuyo? Still.What are you.? Taiyou-chan has long range immunity thats why, There was no other choice but to kick you desuyo?. Also, you arent allowed to do that, ignoring people whom has been talking with you for a long time? In order for me to noticeYou, couldnt you have just slapped me in the cheeks..? He held his groins, whilst fighting against the intense/acute pain to make a complaint to Hera. Next time I shall do that then desu? Hera says this without being shy. Please.Dont forget Suddenly, Taiyou notices something rolling in front of his eyes. To him it looked like a pile of crushed metal, Taiyou had never seen such a thing before. Moreover when he reached out to get it Thats a rifle sniper bullet desu, Taiyou-chan was being sniped desuyo? .Ha? Like-I-Said-, you were being sniped desu. Looking at the direction its coming from, I think its probably from that building over there? I was being sniped? In that case why. Taiyou was going to finish his sentence but then he became startled. He remembered that he possessed the skill Long Distance Immunity. As he was enduring the agonizing pain between his groins, he slowly stood back up and the bullet was taken into his hands. Did it hit me? It was a beautiful headshot desu? Listening to Heras words, he instinctively rubbed his forehead. However, he felt no pain around his head nor was there even a trace/mark of him being shot at. He was completely and utterly saved by his skill. Taiyou stood at his full height. In normal circumstances a person who hide and crouch down, however he was able to confirm that no one was approaching the roof top or that any short distance attacks were coming at him, therefore he boldly stood up. And he stared into the direction where Hera said the bullet came from. Is it there? In the direction he was looking at there was a particularly tall building. It was a 50 story building called the twin building, it stood at 200 meters tall and was one of the more famous/popular places in town. Judging from the situation and the direction of the bullet, he deducted that the sniper was likely positioned on top of the building. And, towards the opponent who shot at him. It was probably..Junishima Sakuras thugs, right? Yes? Are the girls okay? They are fine desu, they are attending class as per usual desuyo? He couldnt really explain the logic behind it but, right after Taiyou shared a kiss with the three sisters, the girls became able to see Hera. Not only that, even if they were apart, Hera has become able to have a sense/feel if they were to be in any danger. And after hearing that they were safe and sound, Taiyou could calm down his heart for the time being. Nevertheless, I know that Ive become a hindrance towards their objectives.But I would have never thought they would be aiming for my life Back then, they were only aiming for your hands and feet desune? Ahh.Now then, how should we handle this Taiyou was thinking. Whilst he in the middle of thinking, something seemed to hit his forehead as it dropped harmlessly to the ground. When he gripped it using his hands, it was the same bullet which was shot at him like a little while ago. I understand, With my Long distance immunity, let alone feeling any pain, there isnt even any damage. It totally bends the current laws of physics and erases it..I wonder if it works the same way against bombs? Or what about radiation emission or flame throwers, will they also be ineffective towards me? Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan, You should do your analysis of your abilities later desuyo? Ahh, thats true Once again, he looked towards the direction of the sniper and stared at the building. That being said, he didnt really have any brilliant ideas up his sleeves. The things he had was his physical strength which was able to crush concrete walls like they were tofu, and his strongest defensive skill which could make him immune to any long distance attacks. If all he had to do was protect himself, then he could bluff his way and scare them off, however if he had to protect the three sisters, and make his opponents give up, this was something he was not yet able to do with his current abilities. Hey, If I continue doing this, will I be able to gain a new skill? He held the jumper/jacket and asked Hera. No you wont desu?, skills can only be obtained in multiples of five desuyo? Although its easy to understand..But is that how it is? Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan, I have a good idea desu? .For now I guess Ill listen to it, what is it? Slip into their headquarters, Become matchless and KAIMETSU desuyo?(Note: KAIMETSU is annihilate/destroy, shes telling him to destroy their base of operations) As if I could do that?! If I make a mistake, I could be knocked out in a single punch, and killed right on the spot you know?! Even now his groins was still pulsating and he was still in a lot of pain. Living with the existence known as Hera for these past couple of days, he was able to figure out that her physical strength did not match how small her appearance was. Furthermore, receiving such a blow from her, he was able to feel such an intense amount of pain and this reinforced the belief that his short distance fighting capabilities werent the best. If he were to take a big risk and try to challenge their headquarters, he could already predict that he would swiftly be surrounded and defeated. Its impossible to try and fight them head on, also persuading them is.. The laws of persuasion is ineffective? What you just said has nothing to do with battle you know?! Well, persuading those using words is useless, and I dont really know where their base is located, neither do I have the means to search for such information Eh? If you want to search for their base I have a way desuyo?? Hera looked vacant and she spoke those words as if it was the most natural thing in the world. What do you mean? Yadanaa?(oh dear), Taiyou-chan its still 10000 years to 2000 years too early for you to become senile desuyo?? Please speak in a time range where it actually applies to humans!No besides that, you said that you have a way? What could it be? Yes ?, we can just depend on that child. The black child Muu.. Listening to Hera, Taiyou had a doubtful look across his face. Chapter 23: Tadah! Chapter 22:Harem Wild Goose Chase Chapter 24: When you undress it''s amazing (I couldn''t say it was amazing) ThisMust I really do something like this? Taiyou grabbed the Contact Details Memoof the white girl out of his pocket whilst alternating looks between the piece of paper and Hera. Taiyou had a sour expression on his face. Yes?, If you call out to her as per the instructions written on that piece of paper, no matter when or where she is, that black child will come running towards you Iya, I know she said such things but..This kind of thing is just. Give up desu?, Taiyou-chan is the one at fault for leaving his smart phone broken and not getting a new one desu? uuuuu.. Taiyou was at a loss for words, and he understood how powerless he was right now. He looked towards what was written on the Memo and had to think for a while. This Contact Details Memowas currently, his only shot at being able to contact the white girl and depend on her much needed help If he wanted to accomplish his objectives this was probably the most efficient way however there was something he needed to do to get her to come here. I guess it cant be helped..Ive got no choice but to do it Taiyou steels himself, he remember the contents of the memo and put it away into his pocket. And then he stood shoulder width apart, and took a deep breath in-. Yo, Yo, Yoyo. Yo, Yo, Yoyo. Your mother has a protruding navel, your father is a pop-eyed goldfish. Heheyy ei ei, Hoho ho?, Hehei ei, Hoho Ho? As recorded exactly in the memo, Taiyou burst into a dance whilst singing out. Hyuuuuoooooo. (Sound of the wind passing by speechlessly) An uncharacteristically cold wind passes by the rooftop in this summer season. This aint working at all is it?! Without thinking he switched to talking in a Kansai Dialect. how strange desune? it didnt seem like she was telling us a lie desu? In the first place, will someone really appear just because of saying these things? And what is wrong with this dance? Is she trying to make me summon some sort of evil god? Evil spiritsDisperse, begon-e Uwaa! Ohh, its amazing desu, I didnt even feel her approach desu? Taiyou was completely caught off guard, Hera who was showing her admiration. The voice was heard from the other side of the door. He didnt really know when she arrived but the white girl was already standing on the rooftop high fence. She was standing on her tiptoes in a narrow footing as the wind blew her long white hair and made it flutter. This is indeed????an extravagant way to appear tsu! Taiyou turned his eyes away. The girl was standing above him on the fence. She was wearing a skirt lace dress and a ring garter belt that barely covered her hips, that area between the top of her thighs and her knees was exposed generously. Because she was standing, Taiyou panicked and averted his eyes as it seemed that he would be able to look at her most interior parts otherwise. Whats, wrong? N, no, its nothing. More importantly, I didnt expect you to actually appear Physical Limits Eh? It is because, there is, distance? No, I mean you made me do such a weird summoning ritual, you might as well use a teleportation/warp skill and appear instantly That is, not yet, possible Not yet?! If I train for three hours a day.For a period of three years.its a possibility Ohh?, Its the Brazen Cat Formula desune?(Note: Hera actually says the Cеèʽ which literally translates to Machine Cat Method. I believe this is a reference to Doraemon as the manga was originally conceived by Hiroshi Fujimoto following a series of three events feel free to correct me if Im wrong :D) In the other direction?????Hera talked as if she could relate to what was just said and was filled with admiration Naturally the white girl couldnt hear what Hera said so she didnt actually respond back. Because the small talk seemed to have no end he stopped it there, and Taiyou wanted to get down to business. The truth is, my main reason for calling you here is because I have something important to ask of you Wh-at, is it? The white girl adorably tilts her head and Taiyou began to explain the gist of the story. The fact that he had just been sniped a few moments ago, that he suspected it was Junishimas group who targeted him, and in order for him to do something about it, he wanted to discover their base of operations. He summed up such things and explained it to the white girl. I under-stand And, I thought that you whom, once worked with them would know something? You want me to, betray..Them? Uu Even though I may look like this..I am a pr-o. If I betray someone after taking on a contractIt becomes a trust is-sue Her way of talking was still peculiar, but her eyes were resolute. Consequently, Taiyou falls silent. He couldnt really understand how she was actually feeling, however he could understand the reasoning behind her words. Is that so, well in that case I wont insist any longer However, my contract/request has been, cut Are you serious?! It was like he dropped to hell and he saw a spiders thread that could help pull him out of the abyss, he immediately grabbed at it. That is, if I receive a new mission In that case Ill do it, Please lend me your power Is that alright? I am, a really expensive woman, you know? Please restrain yourself when making such a statement! Wait, what I meant to say is, exactly how expensive..are we talking about here? (Note: Taiyou is complaining to the double meaning of Expensive Woman and tells her to be mindful of her words ) Taiyou was really timid as he asked her this question. Hourly wage..41667..Yen Thats expensive!Or more like whats with that incomplete figure?! Daily Wage, is one million yen, thats why(Note: 41667 x 24 = 1,000,008) Is that how is it and is that the standard wage? Or is that actually really cheap? That is..It depends on each situation. Its a really, specializedline of work. Moreover, the supply is low, so it follows the market theory I understand Thats why, I , overcharged, you You are overcharging me?! Im exhilarated I can tell! Taiyou keeps getting mind blown. He didnt really know how to react, her expression was completely blank and he did not know if she was making fun of him or if she was being serious. When speaking to her, Taiyou felt that the conversation always seemed to go in a confusing manner and that the pace was in disarray. Normally Taiyou is a coolheaded person whom doesnt easily get affected by others and would be able to respond calmly, however every time he talked with this girl, he would get sucked into her pace and would inevitably raise his voice. Even now, that is exactly what happened. Taiyou recited in his own mind calm down, calm down, me. What should we do Taiyou-chan, should we ask for her help desuka? The white girl couldnt see Hera, and Hera was asking for Taiyous decision. Taiyou thought for a little.However, in reality he didnt really have any other choices. Even though right now, the girls havent been captured by the devils hands. However, when he thought about the special characteristics the girls had, there was no way that Sakuras group would ever let them go and he understood that one day, things may go awry if he didnt solve the problem at its roots. Therefore, before his opponents made a plan and came at him, he thought it would be better to go to them unexpectedly and get rid of them in one fell swoop. I beg of you, Please lend me your strength The view of the city could be seen from the school rooftop, on the other side of the Meguro River there was a town. It was the town known as Ohashi. Taiyou slipped out of school, and both he and the white girl were walking on the bridge towards Ohashi. And this place we are going is it their base of operations? rather than base.Its more like a Daimyos Mansion.. Daimyos Mansion? Taiyou was slightly dubious when he heard such an old-fashioned term come out. Yeah, Its the Junishima, Feudal Lord Mansion What is that? If I explainIt will take too long. Go look it up on the, internet .I understand Taiyou decided that he would find out more about it once he repaired his smart phone. The fact that the white girl suggested him to do such a thing, must mean that the information is readily available on the net, right? So Junishimas group is located at that place? Most likelyIn this city, it is their headquarters I see More important, by going there..What do you plan to accomp-lish? .How, strong are you exactly? Thats not fair, you asked a question to my question I want to understand your capabilities as much as possible, for the purpose of realistically implementing my plans Hearing Taiyous words the white girl seemed to be convinced as she murmured is that so? she had a thoughtful look on her face. My battle power is.139 I dont really understand what that standard means! For somebody garbageThe standard is a, 5 So thats the standard?! Cdoesnt that mean you are ridiculously strong?! Shes not just a lewd grandpa desune?(Note: Hera is referring to the fact that she always unintentionally (or is it intentionally?) makes dirty jokes) Hera whom was floating buoyantly on the side of the two people made her own remark. Your words, how much of it can I trust? If you believe in meThat would help me, a lot So you are asking me to believe in you, well alright. We shall go with the assumption that its trueOh yeah, I have one last thing to ask Taiyou clapped his hands together. He was on the brink of forgetting something important, luckily he recalled it. Please tell me your name He had forgotten to ask her many times before, and he finally asked for her name. The girl was surprised for a moment and then she turned her face away. Im not goingTo tell you Chapter 24: When you undress it’s amazing I couldn’t say it was amazing Chapter 24: When you undress its amazing (I couldnt say it was amazing) Chapter 23: Tadah! Chapter 25: Bird in a Cradle Taiyou was staring blankly. Until now he hadnt asked for her name so it couldnt be helped, however, now that he specifically asked for her name, why was it that she didnt want to tell him? You arent going to tell me? A long time agoGirls. Only told someone their namesduring the night of their wedding Ahh, I suppose there was a period in time where a womans name wasnt called out so frivolous/thoughtlessly. Because of that though, there were plenty of famous people whose names did not go down in history Hideyoshis wife.For example? Thats one of the prime examples. By the way, what do you prefer to call her? Nene.-chan (TL: Here is a cute pic of Hideyoshis Waifu: Nene) Youre adding a -chan to the end of her name? Well I also prefer Nene, it has a really cute/lovely ring to it after all I am a firm believer of the One name desuyo?(TL: Nene was also known as One, Nemoji and Kdai-in ) Hera tried to join in the tense conversation, but as it stood, the white girl couldnt see her and Taiyou was ignoring her. Well no matter the case, calling your name as you all the time is awkward, so if you have something else you would preferred to be called please let me know With that being said, the white girl thought for a little while. In that caseCall me by, Oi Oi Kora!(TL: Hey! / Interjection meant to scold or reprove someone, or can also mean dear) Yes, my darl-ling?(TL: Anata can mean you or in this case, dear (what a wife calls a husband). Thats not the meaning I was referring to! I wasnt calling you dear! So are you really fine with just being called you? After this was said, the white girl thought for even longer. YeahIt may have been too rash, of me. Well.Call me, Shirokiyami This time she finally answeredIt was the kind of name an adolescent person would come up with when they thought they heard something cool. For her whom had this peculiar way of speaking, she was actually able to pronounce this name relatively well. At least, she seemed accustomed to saying this name, this I could tell. ShirokiyamiC.Well I suppose I understand (TL: Shirokiyami = the white dark) Taiyou had a bittersweet smile. Indeed, she had really pale white skin which didnt get enough sunlight, contrasted with her jet black lace dress and lacquer black over knee socks. Even the ring garter belt that ties it all together is a black laced colored one. Shirokiyami, regardless of the fact that she made this name up or not, the name definitely suits how she displays her figure/appearance. That is..My code name. One portion.of the name is really fam-ous, more so than my real name Having a code name or part of a code name, asking the origins of such a name is quite a scary thing Taiyou shrugs his shoulders and lets out a wry smile. The fact that she lives an abnormal life is something that he can no longer doubt, this he experienced firsthand. No, from the first moment he met her, its safe to say he already knew this fact. Human beings all have a general atmosphere/feeling about them, from the way they interact with the environment and their natural actions. From the first moment Taiyou had met her she was able to let out an extreme killing intent.For an instant it could wrap around your whole body and suffocate your existence, it was the kind of thing that a normal human being could not put out. If words like The Underground Communityor The Underworldwere to come out of her mouth, Taiyou would not be least bit surprised. I understand, then from now on thats what I will refer to you by It will also be fine, if youd like to call me, Yami-chan Im afraid god will get angry if I do that so I will pass on that Or you can refer to me as something that sounds similar, to, it As she said this, Shirokiyamis face was blushing pink. Im not going to do it! I aint going to call you by Cunni four times in a row (TL: I think this is referring to Cun-nil-lingus) Whilst continuing their incoherent conversations the two people head over to Hiroshise Bridge. When they first met they were meeting as enemies, however now, such a thing cannot be seen at all when you looked at them. She lacks emotional ups and downs, In addition, her words are usually interposed with jokes so it was really hard to get the real meaning/intent. However this didnt really make Taiyou think less of her. He was able to keep composed most of the time, however, sometimes the things she said was enough to get his heart throbbing really fast. Therefore, although the conversations he had with her were usually superficial, and Taiyou would often think that it was ridiculous to the point of absurdity, deep inside/secretly, Taiyou was actually having a lot of fun. Just like that, they conversed on their way to Hiroshise Bridge, as they set foot on the upscale residential area in Seikasono Town. They arrived at an area where Taiyou rarely visited, as Shirokiyami was continuing to guide his path. We are about toarrive Is that so? At her words, Taiyou suddenly began to feel a little tense/nervous. Let me confirm one last time. You really have a power level of 139 and is as strong as the Turtle Grandpa, is this right?(TL: as previously contributed by Luan (Thanks Luan), the Turtle Grandpa is most definitely referring to Master Roshi from DBZ ahahahha~) ApproximatelyAround, there I understand. Next is about me Taiyou was again, analyzing the information of his own strengths within his own head. The voice of Shirokiyami interrupts him. YourPower level, is unknown. You are much stronger, than you look Taiyou just let out a bitter smile, and became silent without answering. The strength he obtained was after all from Hera whom had given him the ability to Level Up in real life. This was a power that exceeded common sense, and most definitely was a power that couldnt be measured just by looking at appearance. If purely basing it on looks..Fighting Power, is 4 Im below garbage?!! ..Fine, Ill give you 5 then Oi, That barely means I am on the same level as garbage! No if you wanna say it like that, you also dont look that strong you know ThatIsnt true. If I undress/strip, Im amazing Exactly what are you referring to as Amazing?! It was Taiyous usual retort to her absurd statements, however this time around, unlike previously, she actually look a little depressed. I trained it too much..Its a, body, that doesnt resemble anything woman-ly It doesnt seem like that to me Taiyou said this as a passing comment. To Taiyou, her body was splendidly ?????womanly. He did not want to see her depressed expression, and he wanted to cheer her up. However, the second part of the words did not come out of his mouth. What should he say first, in what way? Taiyou had absolutely no experience in giving compliments to girls and couldnt understand what to do. Without being able to say anything, they proceeded to their destination in silence. From the back Hera was saying Taiyou-chan you are incompetent/good-for-nothing nanodesu?, but Taiyou himself, also thought that he was pathetic and he couldnt say anything in return. We, arrived By here you mean?.Oi oi Shirokiyami and Taiyou both stopped their footsteps and what Taiyou saw was.Something which made his eyes pop. It exists from the T junction, the residence that had been surrounded by a high wall security fence that was adjoined from the right to the left respectively that spanned over 100 meters in diameter. From the front a fortress like gate that was huge stood in place, most likely there were cameras set up in place in order to determine whom their guest was before opening the door. This is Junishimas Feudal Lord Mansion That such a huge building existed so close to meI didnt even know it. Since I was a child, I used to come here often to play Normal people wont be able to find this placeAs they will be prevent from pass-ing I see Well then, Taiyou thought about what he was going to do from here on out. First of all, he wanted to determine his opponents location, so he got Shirokiyami to guide him. And now he has finally arrived safely to the location, but truthfully he didnt really have a clue as to what he was going to do after. Would it really be a good choice to do what Hera said, and just totally annihilate them? (Well that would after all be the most effective choice, however) Taiyou always tries to decide his goals, and then he would go over the options that had the highest chance of making it into a success. In this scenario he had two main goals, 1. To stop them from trying to snipe/assassinate him, and 2. To stop them from trying to kidnap the three sisters. Only these two things. If he acted just like Hera has suggested and he tried to wipe them out, will he really be able to achieve his goals? If he did such a thing, he didnt really mind the fact that it was a little unreasonable, but if it didnt really achieve his goals then it would have no meaning in just destroying their base. Whats, wrong? Shirokiyami was quietly staring at him as she asked. Werent you going to just, kill, them.All? No no, I dont think Ive ever mentioned anything like that? If you do, it will be, easier Even If I were to take such an extreme measure, I wont be killing anyone, at the most, all I will do is defeat them Leaving the root of the problem..Is, not, good No, no no Taiyou had a bitter smile, as expected hearing a phrase as brutal as Kill everyone provided too much stimulus for him. By the way, Im just asking but, do you think we can capture the person named Sakura? If its dead or alive, possibly Why are you able to say such things so fluently?! more like you cant speak like that, we need to capture them alive! ..Only, if you, give me, a bon-us Ill pay you just like we agreed! Taiyou answered un-hesitantly. The appearance of Sakuras figure crossed his mind. Although she was his enemy, he didnt want to think of her as being dead or alive. Shirokiyami, pulled out her Japanese sword (the one with the plain wooden sheath) and takes it out from among her lacey skirt, she advanced ahead one step towards the door. Hera Taiyou talks in a whisper to the fairy whom is flying by his side. Yes. What is it desuka?? From here on out, The direction I am looking at and my blind spot..In other words please cover my rear. If you see something approaching me from behind please let me know immediately Roger? nanodesu! Hera salutes and flew straight behind him. Physical strength that cannot be imagined just from his external appearance, and the skill Long Range immunity He thought that was all the weapons he had under his arsenal, however he realized that he could make use of something else as well. It was Hera. Excluding the three Hayakawa sisters whom kissed Taiyou, there was no other person capable of seeing her appearance right now, and furthermore she was an existence that couldnt be touched/hurt by others. Taiyou realized that she was also a part of his arsenal to gather info. If he used her well, then she may well be his wild card (AKA joker). For now the first task he gave her was to supplement his blind spot and warn him of any dangers. They came, out Shirokiyami spoke. When he turned to face her, the huge gate opened, and a surge of black clothed men came out from the other side of the residence in quick succession. From amongst the mass of men, there stood out a peculiar existence like a flower that bloomed in the wilderness. Junishima Sakura, In accordance with her orders the enemy gradually approaches. Chapter 25: Bird in a Cradle Chapter 24: When you undress it''s amazing (I couldn''t say it was amazing) Chapter 26:An Extremely Absurd Fight Junishima. It is an isolated/solitary island located on the side of the Sea of Japan. If compared to the two major Islands of Okinawa and Sado, it is ranked third in terms of how wide/large it is. On the one side, Junishima Island was quite a famous place for being a village that actually had a population of one million people. From a geographic point of view, since it has been recorded in history, the period where Junishima Island escaped the influence of the Japanese Imperial Court is rare, similarly the period in which the island was put under the complete rule of the Court is also rare. Whilst they were submitting their self to the Japanese Imperial Court, at the same time, they were also building their original political power, this is the place known as Junishima Island. Even now the Junishima Clan rules over the island, and various original laws have been enacted, it was a region with a certain kind of extraterritorial rights. Amongst the many possessions that the Junishima Clan has within the mainland, the Junishima Feudal Lord Mansion located in Seikasono Town is one where several men from the clan had gathered. Even there reception hall spanned over 30 meters squared. When entering there would be four men and four women standing in wait for guests. Three people would be kneeling on the side in a straight line waiting to fix the collars of those who entered, and there was a person sitting on the head seat which was on the other side of a bamboo blind. Although the figure cant clearly be distinguished due to being behind the bamboo blind, the silhouette is like a woman. Her name is Junishima Youran, A very important person within the Junishima clan, she is a woman whom is going to become their next clan head for the next term. Next to her, a man with glasses and who looked sharp and intellectual was sitting on her left, his name was Junishima Kaizen, and he started to make an announcement. I will go over the Teresa plan right now. If we take into account the reality of Naburu Minaogawa and the transmigration of Meme Onagawa, the plan should be able to proceed accordingly. Therefore, we will now be advancing to plan the next stage and the extra budget Kaizen Interrupting his word, is a woman of middle age who sits in the center. Her looks to be around fifty and it is being concealed due to the application of heavy makeupHowever, due to the excessiveness of the makeup, it actually accentuated her aging and is counterproductive. She.is Junishima Tsubaki, one of the pillars of the Junishima clan with heavy influence/authority in the clan matters. Although they were both influential, the difference between the older woman (Tsubaki) and the younger one (Kaizen) in terms of authority is as big as the heaven and the earth. Tsubaki-sama(Kaizen speaking) You are only permitted to attend this meeting in order report the findings, was I mistaken? A rotten voice that sticked to you like a gooey substance resounded from the old woman, Kaizen immediately endured the feeling of nausea with a jerk as he lowered his head and bowed deeply. It is just like you said In that case, I would like you to refrain from any action that is unexpected ever again, is that clear? (Tsubaki is referring to how Kaizen was about to talk about his next plan, instead of ending the report) ..Yes Was that the end of the report? ..It was the end Then, the next person is Sakura. The Blood Soul plan I have entrusted you with, how is that proceeding? Yes The woman who sat on the opposite side, of the one who just objected. She had a Chignon hairstyle and a tight skirt suit, and a voluptuous pair of knockers/boobies, she was Junishima Sakura. There is a ranking in each of the working class amongst the clan, and different to the older woman, Sakura was in a position that was destined to be hopeless. Youran was the child of the legitimate present Clan Head, whereas Sakura was only a child born from a mistress.She was an illegitimate child. In the long history of the Junishima Clan an illegitimate child and or the concubines child has never rose to power or obtained any power. In other words, no matter how good her accomplishments become or how she tries to raise up in rankings, within her whole life, she is destined to only serve the Junishima family and will be blocked from ever ascending to a position of importance. Sakura answered Tsubakis question with a sour expression as if she was an insect that was about to be crushed. We are currently approaching the plan from two different directions. The first is as usual making use of the eternally little as an experimental body, this particular project is going as planned Is that so? And, what of the other plan? It is scheduled that we will be securing the three specimens as material in the next few days. We will then be proceeding with the experiment afterwards According to my desires Although Sakura wasnt even finished with her explanation, it was already being disregarded. Are the other specimens really necessary to experiment on? Isnt it fine even if we just proceeded as usual and experiment with the eternally little specimen? You said that, the plan proceeding as scheduled, isnt that right? That is.Yes In that case, dont worry about the unnecessary things. Besides the other party is just a bunch of old housemaids, they are replaceable existences, no matter how many die as a result of the experiments we can just replace them easily. There is no need to spare any resources Sakura, becomes silent and doesnt answer. She wanted to say something back, but she was unable to do so, instead she dug her finger nails into the tatami mat and endured. What is the reason on your persistence with finding another method? Just say it, speak your mind Tsubaki said this whilst she was snuffing out in contempt and looking at Sakura in a deplorable way. You, if you dont get your act together, you wont be able to live up to ??? the expectations of the new moon-sama, this is a very shameful thing-(Tsubaki speaking) Tsubaki-sama This time Kaizen was the one interrupting Tsubaki. What is it? With all due respect. How is it that you would be able to know the ideas/thoughts, of a being as important as New Moon-sama (TL: ˜ not sure what this is..) Kaizen said this as he stared at Tsubaki. Tsubaki gave him a peculiar glance of a stringy middle-aged woman, and returned a disgusting smile whilst scowling back at Kaizen. If someone could visualize it, the two people would have fireworks spitting out of their eyes as they glared at each other in contempt. Amongst the clan members these two people had a really bad relationship like: cats and dogs. Kaizen has ambitions in rising through the ranks one day and will one day attempt to overtake Tsubakis position. The two people remained in that position for a little white, but before long, perhaps Tsubaki lost her patience and she broke eye contact. I suppose, someone of my caliber would be unable to represent such an honored being. However, Sakura (Tsubaki Speaking) Whilst continuing to glare at Kaizen, Tsubaki spoke to Sakura. Unable to accomplish the simple task you were assigned, is after all going to be a deplorable thing isnt it? .Yes, I understand Yes. Well I wont ask exactly what it is that you understand. Thats because, Im sure you understand?????the consequences of failure Tsubaki said this with a stiff expression. Afterwards, the reports were finished and the meeting was adjourned. Sakura whom was leaving the reception hall, boiled up in anger and blushed like an octopus. Without needing to say, this is because of Tsubakis constant threats that were thrown at her. That..Old Bitch! The amount of people who hated the existence known as Tsubaki was plenty abound within the clan, Sakura was also one of those people. It was true that Sakura was also involved in a power struggle, however it was a fact that she also purely disliked this woman named Tsubaki. HoweverThe words the hag said also had some truth to it. Starting a new project yet being unable to put out any results is. As she was thinking such things, the figure of the three sisters and the figure of the young boy who protected them floated in her mind. The only reason the plan was not going as she planned was solely because of the young boy obstructing her. If she was able to somehow get him out of the way, the results would be favorable immediately. First I must think of a way to deal with him..As Sakura was thinking about these things, a young mans voice could be heard calling her from the back. Sakura-sama, I have a report to make When she turned around, a young man whom was her subordinate was standing there. Sakura immediately rebuild her state of mind, and listened to the report of her subordinate. .What is it? The man in question, Natsuno Taiyou is coming towards us He is? Her calm expression wavered just a little bit. The young boy she was just thinking about, the one that put her in this difficult situation. By no means did she ever expect/imagine the fact that he would of his own accord come towards her domain. What has he come here for? I dont know, he is still just outside out front gate At any rate, we must drive him away Ummm.That is The man was reticent, as if he still had something to say, it made Sakura frown and pucker up her eyebrows. Whats wrong? That isThere is a particular image that we captured from our cameras. The man had eyes filled with fear. Shirokiyamishe is also with him tsu!!(Surprise) The moment that name was mentioned, Sakuras face started to clearly shake/tremble. Sakura came out of the mansion, and the image she presented was the same appearance she had previously when she first met Taiyou. It was a perceptive gaze that could send shivers up your spine. A tight suit skirt that depicted a capable woman that brought out an atmosphere of professionalism. To her appearance, there was a certain kind of anticipation for Taiyou. Without knowing what Taiyous real intentions were, Sakura approached Taiyou to a distance where her voice could reach him, she also brought along her underlings in black with her. Natsuno Taiyou Junishima Sakura I shall ask you without holding back, you, what have you come here for? There is something I must request. No, it would be good if this could all be settled with a mere request Yes, so what kind of thing are you suggesting? Unlike when he first met Sakura, she spared no time to talk in pleasantries and immediately asked for Taiyous intentions. Taiyou was feeling a sense of incompatibility and a disappointed feeling but he directly answered her question nonetheless. I want you to stop targeting the three sisters completely I refuse, is that all you have come here to say? ..Ahh Taiyou nods. Was Sakuras true personality really this cold? The feeling of incompatibility within Taiyou grew more and more. Without even giving it a single thought and without hesitation, Sakura was succinctly giving him a straight answer. He started to wonder if something changed, or if this was her true personality. Chapter 26: An Extremely Absurd Figh Chapter 26:An Extremely Absurd Fight Chapter 25: Bird in a Cradle Chapter 27: The Bird''s Cradle The amount of times in which Taiyou had met Sakura was so little that it could be counted with his five fingers, furthermore the duration of time in which they spent together is to the extent of putting some hot water into a Cup Ramen and waiting for it to fully cook. He had not really known her for a very long time, however Taiyou felt that he had a connection with her to a certain degree. She was not this kind of blunt/snappish woman, at the very least, she was usually a lot more composed/calm. That was the reason he was looking forward to conversing with her, however, she was like a completely different person, it couldnt be helped that he held a bit of doubt and disappointment. Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan? Seeing the hesitation in Taiyous eyes, Hera gently whispers quietly into his ears. Its not the time to be thinking such things desuyo?. First of all we need to solve the problem with the girls ? I suppose so Taiyou rearranged his thoughts and mutters in a whisper that could barely be heard. After that he one again faced Sakuras direction, and continues to point out his demands. Ill ask one more time, the girls.The Hayakawa triplets, I want you to stop pursuing them as some kind of research object I refuse She flatly and straight forwardly declined. Then allow me rephrase my question, Who should I talk toNo, who has the authority to negate the decision? Who is the person in charge? It is I In that case, what is it that I have to do to convince you? Sakura was silent and did not answer. Taiyou couldnt really say for sure if what she said was the truth, but, he understood that she was the one in charge of the operations. Shirokiyami I understand When Taiyou calls out her name, she advances a step towards them, and she takes her fighting stance with the sword she pulled out of her skirt. The sword is sheathed and put back into its scabbard, her body is inclined forward and she takes on a position that Taiyou has seen previously. It was the Iai technique, this was the word that came into his head as he saw her stance. I never expected, that you would become our enemy I am.A pro, as long as someone, pays Its my mistake to have discontinued the contract, however As she said this, (Click), she clicked her fingers together. When she did, as if acting to her click, the black clothed men around her all took out their weapons one after another. Just like that, it would seem that various firearms were pointed at us. Rifles, Guns, Sub-machine-guns, Shot guns, Military Assault Rifles, Large scale machine guns (fixed type), even a rocket launcher was taken out. Arent you exaggerating the situation a little?! Taiyou let out a vigorous retort that made his voice crack, however, Sakura had a blank expression on her face. Shirokiyamiis our opponent..Shoot Almost without any warning whatsoever, Sakura issued orders to begin shooting. Taiyou was surprised. However, in the next instant, his body moved by spinal reflex and it bypassed his brain. He gripped the slender arms of Shirokiyami, and threw her away backwards. Although she was petite, she was a full-fledged 16 year old, 140 centimeters tall woman. Even if the weight was not something excessively huge, it was a decent weight of a person. And Taiyou was able to easily fling her away. Shirokiyami, was fluttering about in the middle of the air, and she had an astonished/amazed expression. In the next instant the earth shook. Guns, rifles, short machine guns, rocket launchers, shot guns, assault rifles and Gatling guns Various firearms were all fired simultaneously towards Taiyou, and total destruction ensued. It was the kind of barrage that could only be seen as overkill if it was to be used on one man, if it was any normal living thing, the thermal power and destructive power of such a barrage would definitely cause a person to be grinded to dust without an exception. However, there was an exception. As the volley of attacks is stopped, the smoke/dust begins to clear away gradually. The ground which was relentlessly bombarded should have been gouged outhowever in the center of the explosion, Taiyou was still standing there alive and well. Not to mention his body, even his hair and clothes were completely unharmed. Looking at such a spectacle, Sakura and her gang of black clothed men could only stare in fright/astonishment. Y, you.What is happening? Ive said this before but, if you want to defeat me then you better be prepared throw a nuclear bomb Tha, that cant be.. Looking at such a ridiculous spectacle Sakura was at a loss for words. The people who actually fired the shots (black clothed men) showed a different reaction. Originally the firearms they held within their hands, gave them an absolute sense of power and security. The moment that such an absolute existence is denied, what grasped into their hearts was instead the feeling of fear. F, fire!! Uwaaaaaaaaa! You monster! They lost their senses due to the fear/panic and they let out a second volley of attacks almost instantly. Just like the first time, they aimed at Taiyous general location accuratelyhowever, the fact that it was completely useless against Taiyou was once again clarified. When the smoke clears up, Taiyou was as per usual flawlessly unharmed. In order to produce an even more overwhelming sense of futility, Taiyou squatted down in that location. This was very effective, an absolute sense of despair sunk into the black clothed man and seeing the calm appearance of Taiyou, the men began to run away and disperse like a spiders children. Most of them ran away but, there was a couple who remained to stay. Their expression were still ruled by fear, however they held it down, and they stepped in front of Sakura as if trying to protect her. (Illustration: Come At Me!) Though the majority of them still held up their firearms, about two people threw away their guns and pulled out a knife/dagger. Taiyou hesitated. His only skill was Long range immunity that was it. In other words, if it was just bullets or even cannonballs being shot at him he could remain completely calm, however if the opponent was holding a sharp blade, this logic no longer applied to him. In addition, if you were to exclude his only ability so far, he was in fact just a normal high school student. The possibility of him winning against the men whom held weapons..there is no guarantee that he will be able to defeat them without getting stabbed. What should I do..Just as he was thinking this? Ah. Taiyou was able to perceive something from the corner of his view. Far away from Sakuras location above the skies, something bright and white was floating in the sky like a harvest moon. It was like the rabbit that lived in the moon, a white shadow. (TL: The Moon rabbit in folklore and it is a rabbit that lives on the moon. Based on pareidolia that identifies the markings of the Moon as a rabbit) Shirokiyami Her name slipped out of his mouth. Before he was aware, the white girl explosively leaped from the back, and like an angel she swooped down gracefully. Free Style Reverse-Heaven Wandering Birdpasses by(TL: x꡻ޤͨ롹if anyone can help me get a better meaning, that would be awesome. can also mean Against the Gods just like the title of my favorite novel, maybe God-Slaying can be used as well) Unlike the way she would normally pronounce her words, the name of the technique she called out was awe-inspiring. Shirokiyami flew right into the midst of the enemys camp and began to cut down everything in her sight with the national treasure Reverse-Heaven (Against the Gods: name of her sword). In the blink of an eye the remaining men clothed in black were all cut down by her sword. The event doesnt even pass a minute, Taiyou could not even comprehend what she was doing as it all occurred so fast. The only things displayed to him was a glint/flash of moonlight that shone in his eyes, and the black clothed men who fall noisily to the ground one after another in less than a breaths interval. The type of technique she used? He had absolutely no clue. With this, it should cover..My wag-es Shirokiyami points her sword at the scruff of Sakuras neck, and looked at Taiyou in her usual expression. It was an expression that asked him, is this good enough? You, are amazing ImA pro after, all. I will work, for my sala-ry Is, is that so? Come to think of it, the thing that was said before- Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan? He was about to ask Shirokiyami a question, but Hera suddenly whispered in his ear. Taiyou was about to be derailed from the objective and Hera was trying to remind him of what was important, he thanked Hera with his gaze and he strengthened his resolve as he faced towards Sakura, who had a sword on the scruff of her neck. With this it has been decided, right? Now, please promise to withdraw taking any action against the girls Even if you do this kind of thing, it will not have any meaning Sakura didnt answer with a yesor ano. What are you talking about? Werent you the one in charge of the operations? Yes, I am the person in charge. Site/location, Although I am only in charge of the dirty work What do you mean? If you say it in a single phrase, I am a replaceable existence, above all the plan which has been set in motion cannot be stopped even if I were to die, thats the kind of meaning it has In other wordsC Ahh?, does she mean that she is a chief clerk? Hera instinctively let out a few words in his ear. He didnt really grasp the meaning behind her words when she said that she only had authority at the site/location, however when she mentioned that she was only a chief clerk, he understood immediately. The fact that someone of a clerk status could not really effect the decisions of a company, is something that even Taiyou. Who was a high school student could easily imagine. This was Taiyous blunder, he was seeing things only in the way that he wanted to. He gave the person known as Junishima Sakura a high evaluation of his own accord, and (Taiyou thought) that amongst her own organization, she would be quite important in terms of her position, being able to hand down orders and such. This was totally unrelated to how it actually was. Taiyou was at a loss for words, and he was confused as to what actions he should take from now. Even if he could fling a girl the same age as him tens of meters away, or even if he could withstand a bombardment of heavy firearms, after all in the end he was just a high school student. The ability to make informed decisions and more importantly his experience were overwhelmingly insufficient. Therefore, he could not think of a method to break down the problem into manageable pieces. Even the mind that was supposed to be more calm the more he is in a pinch, did not work as he would have liked it to. In the midst of his despair, Shirokiyami, fired out a few striking words. I have..A method What is it?! Taiyou grabbed at her words of hope, it was as if he was stuck in hell and there was a single strand of spider silk dangling in the air that could pull him back to safety. Chapter 27: The Bird’s Cradle Chapter 26:An Extremely Absurd Fight Chapter 28: The Asymmetrical Three Sisters Both Taiyou and Shirokiyami was running back from the road they came from. Taiyou carried the fainted Sakura on his shoulder as he dashed away. He was literally kidnapping her in broad daylight. Although they were fleeing from the scene with Sakura in tow, there were absolutely no pursuers, this is because Shirokiyami made sure to get rid of any loose ends. Whilst they were running away, Taiyou glances at Sakura and asks Shirokiyami a question. So,what is this plan that you were talking about earlier? Is there a relationship as to why we need to kidnap her? Yeah..Its so we can make it, public Making it public? What are you talking about, how are we supposed to do that? What these peopleAre doing, is human experimentation. Even now, they are in the middle..of conducting experiments Thats true! The girls known as the Eternally little! At first Taiyou couldnt understand what she was implying, but after the word experimentation came out he suddenly remembered the fact that they were experimenting on a group of people called the Eternally Little. As if he guessed correctly, Shirokiyami merely nodded quietly. Is that so..I guess we can use this. Though I have been completely sucked into the pace of these people, in actual fact no matter how ideal or desirable being able to create a serum that would make you eternally young is, it is still illegal to do human experimentation, especially if it is leaked out to the public. No matter how much people are bribed in this world, there will also be those that will strongly oppose such a violation of human rights That, is exactly, it Taiyou hit himself in the head and thought, how come I didnt think of such a simple fact? Up until now, all he thought about was the three sisters. The ideas he came up with always revolved around the girls. Though the three people were consistently exposed to dangers, he wasnt able to come out with a concrete way to protect them. In a word, he was just attempting to fix the problem without cutting it at its roots. Even if it crossed his mind that he could call on the police force to take them into protective custody, it never crossed his mind that he could use the publics opinion to potentially resolve the issue. The fact that they were already in the process of experimentation, changes everything. Whilst running at a speed that a normal human being probably couldnt achieveTaiyou glimpsed at the face of the unconscious Sakura who was on his shoulder. When he first met her, Sakura wanted him to Cooperate with her for the Eternally Little project. Although he didnt really understand the implications of the words at that time, it was a critically factor which indicated she was already experimenting on humans. The poor girls, whoAre vulnerable and weak. Or maybe another title for the newspapers could be, The Company behind the scenes of. Or maybe the young girls who have been abused and taken advantage of? Although I dont really understand what they really do to the bodies of these girlsI can still imagine the horrific acts they may have done Yes In that case, all we need to do is to get the information out of Sakura Yeah, we bring her.Torture, the info, out..of her Torture.? Taiyou frowns. Her body, or..Her mindor her womans dignityIf we break one of those thingsC Uuu. Taiyou suddenly braked his gears, Shirokiyami also stops running a little bit behind him, and he looks behind to face her. Is that..Really effective? Taiyou puckers up his eyebrows and asks Shirokiyami. If its done in the right wayIts extremely, effective Hearing this Taiyou knit his eyebrows more and more. His goal and the means to obtain it, he was considering which one should take precedence/priority. For Taiyou, he has always considered the means to be of high value. In other words, up until now, in order to achieve his goals, he would not use despicable means to achieve them. Thus, the word torture caused him to become restless. Her body, mind or her womans dignity. What Shirokiyami wanted him to destroy/break, was too overwhelming for a 16 year old boy like him. He couldnt decide which of the three actions he preferred. Taiyou quietly looks at Sakura. Isnt there any other methods? There is Suddenly a voice came from the front. Taiyou turned back towards the front whilst still carrying Sakura on his shoulders, and stared in the direction of the voice. Before her noticed it he already arrived at the intersection of where the entrance to Ohashi Town was. There was a girl standing there with one hand on her waist. Her height seemed to be around 150 centimeters? A hair that was long and not inferior in length to Shirokiyamis hair. And she had her hair tied to the left and right of her head, in other words it was the hair style known as the twin tail. Her eyes were really big and bright, and she gave Taiyou the feeling that she was overflowing with youthful energy. (Illustration: Yurikago the Cradled Princess) She puts down her hand from her side, and slowly faces Taiyou. Taiyou becomes a little cautious and takes a step backwards. Ah- dont worry, its alright, you dont have to be scared. Im not someone who is suspicious Whilst walking casually towards Taiyou, her twin tail shakes to and fro. She does not haveKnowledge of military arts Shirokiyami talked in a quiet voice so that only Taiyou could hear. There is no enemys in the surrounding desuyo? Hera who just finished scouting the area confirms the area is clear. It wasnt like he was completely convinced that she wasnt an enemy just from that. However, Taiyou did loosen up a little after hearing such information from the two people. Then, who are you exactly? Before you ask for someones name, it is polite to introduce yourself first you know? Natsuno Taiyou-kun Theres no point telling you my name if you already know it! tsk, tsk, tsk The girl shakes her finger and stuck her tongue out. The politeness to introduce oneself has no connection with the fact that I already know your name right? What Im talking about is your manners/etiquette. Introduce yourself The last word that came out of her mouth held a lot of pride in it. Although he was puzzled Taiyou decided to introduce himself. .. I am Natsuno Taiyou Yeah, well said. I amlets see, you can call me Yurikago (TL; Yurikago also means Cradle) Yurikago? Taiyou mutters as he glimpsed at Shirokiyami. For a second there Taiyou started to think that names which were fancy were becoming the norm around here, however when he thought back to how Shirokiyami was also a codename, he kind of understood that Yurikago was something akin to a code name. If you want to shorten my name, you may call me by Yuri .uu When the name Yurikago was mentioned, for some reason Shirokiyami reacted. When he glimpse at her, interestingly enough, she had a normal expression on her usually blank face, and a sulky expression could be seen. What is going on? He wondered..But, he didnt really have time to think about this in detail. The person known as Yurikago continued to talk. Well, I suppose you can call me whatever you like. The main issue for you is finding out why I have come here, and why I wanted to meet with you You..Out of the girls Ive come across so far you are quite eccentric Even if you try to hit on me, its NG, or more like its futile. Thats because I dont like the type of guy you are (TL: NG = No good) Seeing how frank/candidly she was speaking out her emotions, Taiyou thought to himself Yeah she really is unusual. For some time now, all of the women around him were the type to talk about extra details and be really long winded in their conversations. If he was to talk to them, the main topic would soon be forgotten/derailed, and it was really difficult to control the direction of the conversation. This was the fact for Hera, the three sisters, Shirokiyami and even the girl on his shoulder. All of them would talk in their own pace, and in a sense, they didnt really listen to what other people were trying to say. In this kind of sense, Yurikagos frank way of speaking was refreshing for Taiyou. I understand. Then let me ask..What is your objective for coming here? I wanted to teach you about the thing known as Blood Soul Blood Soul? Ara? (Oh), you havent heard of this name before? It is the project that you are trying to crush right now ! You dont have to be so alarmed all the time, its a really bad habit you know? Moreover, how can we advance our conversation if youre like this? Well, if you want to act like that I suppose its fine, in that case, I will continue the conversation from this distance. Ahh thats right, before we proceed with the conversation there is two things that I have to do first Something that you need to do? Yeah, The first thing is..this As she said this Yurikago, fumbled about and pulled something out, and she presented this to Taiyou. What is this? Blindfold, Earplugs and a mouth gag. Please put it on that woman Yurikago placed her glance on Sakura as she directed Taiyou. Put this on Sakura..? Why? If she was to find out about my existence, it will be troublesome later. For this particular matter, we are mutual enemies. Moreover, if she was able to hear the plans I am about to tell you, then she may be able to formulate a variety of counter-measures later, is that alright with you? I understand Taiyou nods. Her reasoning is logical, she doesnt want to reveal herself to her enemy and she also doesnt want to disclose any details which could be used against her. There doesnt seem to be any problems in listening to her. Alright, go on, make it quick. If you dont do this, we cant proceed to the next thing The next? Didnt I just tell you that I had a second thing that I have to do? Hora hora (Look look), quickly, move it Yurikago urges Taiyou to hurry. As he expected, she was really different form all the women he had met so far. He endures letting out a wry smile, he slowly placed Sakura on the ground and started to get to work by applying the things he got from Yurikago. He blindfolded her eyes, her mouth is bound and her ears were plugged, moreover so as to ensure that Sakura would be unable to take it off herself, he tied her hands around her back with the rope he got from Yurikago. After he finished doing that, he faced Yurikago. Is this good enough? Yeah, yeah, Alright, the next thing isYes, yes, itsAlrightnow! She raised her jaws and bends her backside at an extreme angle and shouts out those words. When she finished doing that, he started to hear the pitter patter footstepsof three people who were familiar to him, as they called out his name. Taiyou-san When he turned around, the three sisters jumped into his bosom at the same time. Chapter 28: The Asymmetrical Three Sisters Chapter 27: The Bird''s Cradle Chapter 29: The lack of boundaries in the last few years The three sisters jumped into his bosom simultaneously. As soon as he confirmed their appearances, Taiyou stretched out his arms and had an accepting posture. Still, he was pushed back by the tackle of three people and his back was pressed against the wall. He naturally slid down to the ground as he entrusted his back to the wall, and the three people are quietly embraced. You guys, how come..? That is our words to say Although we were waiting for you to return to the classroom, no matter how long we waited you didnt come We were really worried Ahh Taiyou had a strained smile on his face, he finally recalled the fact that he went out of school without informing them of anything. He wanted to secretly resolve the issue so he did not inform them as he went out. He regretted the fact that he could have just said a few simple words in order to relieve them of their worries. My bad, I had something I had to do .Taiyou-san Kotone was watching him with moistened eyes. PleaseKiss me She, requested him. If he looked carefully, both Suzune and Kazane had the same expression on their faces. If Taiyou was a bystander looking at the situation, he may have thought What a lewd face the girls had, however, looking directly into their eyes even he was infected with their intense expressions. His heart begins to throb, it became unbearable to Taiyou as the three girls were irresistible. He brought them even closer to his embrace, first of all Kotones lips were breathed in. her soft luscious lips were passionately kissed, pressed and sucked up. The flavor of her kiss was neither sweet nor sour. He didnt even know whether her lips tasted delicious or not. Taiyou could only feel warm inside. The warm pleasant feeling spread throughout his body. The feeling of sitting on the hard floor gradually disappeared, and what replaced it was a feeling of his body floating in the air. Puhaa(gasping for air) Taiyou-san, me too After Kotone it was Suzunes turn. Suzune had an intoxicated gaze as he went for her lips. Her lips looked exactly the same, however her lips were a little bit smaller. Prod, Probingly. Whilst kissing her, Taiyou lightly probed her lips with his tongue The more he continued to do this, it was like the tip of his tongue was directly connected to the nerve endings of his nether regions, and he started to feel a sweet numbness in that area. (I wonder. if she also feels the same.?) Whilst feeling the warmth of her body he was thinking such things. Suzunes petite limbs which were being held in Taiyous arms, were twitching and trembling every time Taiyous tongue brushed against her lips. He was curious to know whether she could also feel the wonderful sensations that he felt. Taiyou-san..Suzu-chan You are next When he separated from Suzune, this time he pulled Kazanes body close to him a little violently. He deprives, this would be the best word to describe his actions. He kissed her intensely and violently. He pressed unto her lips with enough force to change its shape, he licked her lips. He sucked it up. When he continued to do this for a while, suddenly, Kazanes body lost its strength. Her whole body loses its power and all her weight was entrusted to Taiyou. Taiyou caught her firmly and embraced her even more strongly. He finally separated from her lips. Kotone and Suzune both leaned into Taiyou at the same time. Together along with Kazane, the three people were being held tight. Nobody had to say anything, the four people just continued to enjoy the aftertaste of their passionate kiss. Taiyou looked up into the sky. Up until a little while ago, this was a scene that would have never occurred for someone like him. For a long time up till now, Taiyou had a dull life without any girls in it. He was branded as a good guy but a girl actually told him it was lame that he was a good guy. Additionally there was this one time where he got a chocolate on Valentines, however, the girl in question actually told him that she put it in the wrong shoe cabinet by mistake and re took the chocolate. When he thought that it couldnt get any worse, he was ranked as being the least popular school boy, in an underground school site and he managed to win this title five times in a row. He thought that he would never get a girlfriend, for his whole life. He even started to think that he would have to rely on those mediation services where you would be matched for arranged marriage or a mixed-race marriage in the future. Regardless, having this kind of relationship with such cute girls was completely unthinkable to him. Taiyou-san..I really like Taiyou-san Someone said those words, and he tried to glance at them to see who it was. Who said it? He wondered, even now he was unable to distinguish the voices of the three, but he guessed that even if he could find out, it was a meaningless thing. Thats because all of them were looking at him with the same gaze. I also love you. Forever and ever, I want to be by Taiyou-sans side I will do anything to be together, so please let me be together with you? I also really like..You girls When he said so, the girls faces were beaming in smiles. Its probably more precise for me to say, that I have always admired you guys You admired us? The three spoke in a chorus. Taiyou secretly liked this aspect about them. They were able to align the frequency of their voices completely and the voice of three people became the voice of one person. Every time he heard their voices align, something seemed to stir from the depths of his heart. Even now it was the same, when he heard their voice sync, he instinctively puts more power in his arms, he hugged them even more closely and their bodies were stuck together. Your heart beats..No is it your frequency? Thats also not it, your smells? Atmosphere? At any rate, I really adore the fact that you guys are so synchronized. Even now it makes me.. For the time being Taiyou shuts/closes his eyes and he just tried to feel them. Its like I am holding on to one person instead of three people, its a really weird sensation. However, I really like that feeling Is that so? A voice was heard, whose voice was it? Was it just one person who said that, or was that all three of them speaking? Taiyou who closed his eyes couldnt discern such a fact. And he didnt want to find out the answer. He wanted the girls to be all together as one. The Asymmetrical Triplets, they were each their own independent existences, they were three separate girls yet they were also bonded with each other. Ahh.I get it now. I found a fitting word to use What is it? Taiyou opens his eyes and he looked into the girls eyes. You girls Share the same pure soul dont you? When he said this, the three girls had shocked expressions on their faces. Ahh, Im sorry,I probably said something weird. Please forget about it- Thats not true! Kotone spoke in a loud voice and interrupted what Taiyou was going to say. In addition to that, Suzune and Kazane firmly grasped unto his right and left hand. It seemed like you guys were showing me a strange and unpleasant face? Thats not it, we were just really surprised yeah, we didnt expect you to say such a thing. We didnt expect you to be able to understand us Although we hoped that Taiyou-san would be able to understand, we didnt really believe that you would be able to understand us so well, even without us explaining anything to you What is this about? When he asked them to explain, they all separated from Taiyou at the exact same timing and they sat on their knees. And then Kotone extended her right hand, and made a thumb with her left hand and started to pierce the middle of her right palm with her thumb nail. Oi! (Taiyou Speaking) Without thinking Taiyou stood up immediately. However he was stopped by the look on their faces. Blood started to flow out from Kotones hands, her fingernail penetrated the skin of her palms and a small blemish could be seen. Following that, both Suzune and Kazane opened up their right palms to show Taiyou and they each had the same exact wound. tsu!(Surprise) Taiyou was mind blown, amazingly the same exact wound appeared on each of their right palms. He understood this well because he saw it right in front of his eyes, Suzune and Kazane didnt physically injured themselves like Kotone did. In other words, the two other girls didnt move a muscle, yet their hands just started to bleed on its own. Since a long time ago, we have always been like this If one of us got injured, the other two would also get the some wound When we get sick we also share the same cold Is that true? Moreover for us..It was really hard for us to learn a language. Ne (right guys?) Yeah, it was around elementary school? That was when we were finally able to talk It was because back in those days we used to converse with our minds. Although it was different from a normal conversation, we three were able to converse with our hearts, thats why we didnt really need to learn any words to express our feelings Telepathy..Among triplets? Yeah, sadly now we cant communicate like that anymore Now we are able to converse normally, but we cant communicate using our mind anymore Yeah, I mean we were acting like a married couple, and we werent able to hold any conversations. Although I thought that it was special in its own way Is that soAhh, I know what you guys mean Taiyou thinks a little bit and nods. If you three were put into an unpopulated island and made to live together, you probably would start to forget certain words, is it a little like this? I think it is similar Even now when there is a long holiday, we get a feeling that we start to forget certain words Its because when three of us are together, there is no longer any need for words Is that so?.I think its kinda cool, that sort of thing Taiyou narrowed his eyes as he spoke. Taiyou truly felt so from the bottom of his heart. The triplets shared the same soul and were able to feel each other, they were connected, and they were able to convey their full emotions without the need for any words. He really envied the relationship they shared with each other. Chapter 29: The lack of boundaries in the last few years Chapter 28: The Asymmetrical Three Sisters Chapter 30: Boss Gorilla Its kinda cool?..CEh? (Kotone Speaking) Kotone is confused by Taiyous words and the three girls with the same face (yet different sizes) had a bewildered expression on them. Was the words he said insufficient? Taiyou supplemented with more words to better explain his thoughts. Of course I think that its cool/good, but more than that, it is probably more correct to say that I am envious Of the relationship/bond you guys share between each other. Thats because our conversation just now.. Is it correct for me to say that you guys dont keep secrets between each other? Yeah..Thats.True Or more like, we cant If our emotions are even a little bit heightened it leaks out, even if we try to conceal it, its completely useless Is it like when the door to your bedroom is broken, that kind of feeling? Yes, yes. Its like its half open, I mean we can close it but the moment our hand leaves the door-the room will open by itself again. I suppose its meaningless in a sense Recently its been a bother to hold it closed all the time Which reminds me, do you guys remember the time when we got lost in the shopping Centre? I remember, at that point in time we were still able to talk within each others hearts, we are able to tell each other our locations but we werent able to guide each other properly The signs in that Centre was really similar, and there was a place that looks identical on every floor, we ended up being spread out on different floors/levels Its because Kaza-chan got on the elevator, I went after Kaza-chan and Suzu-chanin a panic thinking that you guys got swallowed by a big metal box. The door to the elevator closed and suddenly the both of you were gone. Although I realized that you guys were fine in the next instant Although we were in a state of panic, feelings of safety were able to be transmitted so we were able to calm down Taiyous words stimulated their old memories, and the three girls became quite talkative as they reminiscence about their past. These were things that only the three girls would know about. Their chests which were brushing up against Taiyou all pulsed with the same rhythm of heartbeats. The girls in front of him that shared such vulnerable things about them made him feel that they were so precious to himunbearably precious. Do you guys, regularly talk amongst yourselves like this? He couldnt help but to want to participate in the conversation. However with his single careless phrase, their nice atmosphere was broken. ..No, thats not true We usually get weird stares from other people, so lately we dont really talk amongst ourselves much even when we are together Its been several years..approximately Their conversations amongst each other was interrupted, and the lovely atmosphere they had around them was completely shattered, and it changed into something different. And it was definitely not something pleasant. An awkward atmosphere flows out. The current state was achieved with a single careless phrase from Taiyou, and he regretted it so much he could die. The unified movements they had up till now was also torn asunder. Th, thats right, we still need to talk to the person who brought us hereC Whilst Kotone said this, she erects her body. Around the same time, Suzune and Kazane also parted from him. The warmth disappears, Taiyou chases after it and his reaches out his hands to grab them. Eh?-Kyaa He gripped Kotones arm and drew her towards him. He put in too much power, and the two girls on the side were dragged into it, and they lost their balance and got tangled up in each other. Ouch.. They hit their heads together and Taiyous eyes were sparkling with stars. Taiyou tried to suppress his dazed state by blinking his eyes and lightly shaking his neck. When he finally regained his vision, right next to him was the appearance of a blushing Kotone. She was acting all shy/bashful, why was that? And then his vision expanded even more Ctsu!(Surprise) After seeing the situation he finally understood. When they fell, their bodies were entwined and tangled together, the position was as if Taiyou was pinning her down. Kotone was blushing due to the position their bodies were at currently. So, sorry, I didnt mean it Wait From his left and right he heard the same words, He didnt need to confirm to know that it was Suzune and Kazanes voice. As the girls called out to stop him, each of them were holding unto to Kotones hands from each side. I.Dont mind it okay Kotone was still blushing..and she had a face that seemed she was determined as she glanced away from Taiyous gaze. Under the bridge where various people with no common sense was gathered. Sakura was dropped off on a spot with a clump of grass on it, Yurikago was sitting with her legs crossed. A little distance away from Yurikago, Shirokiyami who was like a white porcelain doll, had her finger tips linked together and was staring at the riverbed with an unfocused gaze. Her boundless gaze seemed to be staring at a single point, yet it could also be that she was staring at nothing in particular. What are you doing over there? Yurikago was curious about what she was staring at and asked her a question. Shirokiyami answered with a straight tone, neither filled with good intention or malicious intent, it was nothing but an earnest response. Insect..ti,cide (insecticide) I dont understand. You dont talk very clearly do you Yurikago just bluntly states such a fact, unlike Sakura who usually speaks in a more round about manner, Yurikago just isnt the type of girl to play with her words. I think that its..Clear enough. Everyone knows that..obstructing/intruding on a pair of lovers, is what an insect does I see. So, what do you plan to do? Threaten. People who get near.I will kill them, that kind of threat Shirokiyami made an abstract explanation. Yurikago was a little doubtful, but after she thought about it for a while she was able to grasp the meaning behind the words. I understand, you released a barrier of killing intent around this area, didnt you? What a handy skill you have there Because I am being employed, this is..Also a part of the job to earn my salary Hee(acknowledging, hee= is that so?) Moreover Moreover? That persons body temperatureFeels really good. The girls feelings..I under, stand Eh? Yurikagos eyes were wide open, and she had a slightly surprised face. I am surprised, that Shirokiyamican act like this. No, I suppose since the start you were always a woman? Shirokiyami just stared blankly and tilted her neck at Yurikagos words. Whats with that reaction?(Yurikago Speaking) I dont. Know. From the start, I was always..a woman Ahh, I suppose you are the type of person who doesnt even understand their own feelings The girl with white hair just stares at Yurikago in puzzlement. Well, I suppose its none of my business that you are being a faithful dog I dont really understand..What you are say.ing If you become an adult woman you will understand But you are also, not an adult I am a worldly-minded person, so my mind is considerably more dirtied than you Yurikago laughs under her breath. Is that, sarcasm? Not really? If I were to put a word its envy Oh come on, I just thought that you were the type of human being who is not tainted no matter the situation. Although I am, boastful of the amount of knowledge amassed within my brain. I cant think of a way to make you corrupted/contaminated. In that meaning/sense Im jealous of the fact that you can remain so pure .As I thought, sarcasm Yes? I am..Extremely tainted.thats why Shirokiyami gazed at her own hands. Yurikago correctly understood the meaning..of her actions.Yurikago was a woman who knew of Shirokiyamis notoriety, prestige and on top of that she even knew Shirokiyamis real name. Although she really understood why Shirokiyami was looking down at her own hands. Thats not what I meant(TL: Yurikago is not referring to the blood Shirokiyami has on her hands, she is referring to her pure mind, and the fact that Shirokiyami doesnt enjoy killing or torturing people, though I dont know her back/origin story Chapter 30: Boss Gorilla Chapter 29: The lack of boundaries in the last few years Chapter 31:The Unconscious Princess Kotone turned her face away, and her eyes were shut. Her face was flushing in heat and it was a really bewitching look of a girl who was resolute, Taiyous heart was throbbing like crazy with a dokun (heartbeat sfx). And as if he was given one final push over the edge, the triplets both from the left and the right were nestled/snuggling really close to him. One person was fixing Kotones hair, the other person was taking off her blazer type uniform and exposing her chest. Dokun, Dokun, Dokun.. (Sfx heartbeats) His heartbeat was growing louder by the moment, and he felt like at any moment, his heart would just dash out of his mouth. His throat dries up and becomes raspy and the root of his tongue also felt really dry, it was that kind of feeling. And, the blood stream of his whole body converges at a particular place, and a sweet aching starts. Kotone.. He whispers into her ears, and he raises the forelock that drifts over her forehead gently. The moment Taiyous hand touched her, Kotones body quivered. (Sfx bikun =tremble) At the same time a hot passionate breath leaks from her mouth, she appears to be completely?????prepared. Just like that, Taiyou, brings his face closer to the breasts which were bared open by the sisters. No matter how you see it, this is going overboard! tsu!(Surprise) Because of the sudden interruption, the sweet atmosphere we just had was completely blown away. Taiyou who got the hugest surprise of his life, so much that his heart seemed like it could pop out, immediately separated from Kotone and stood straight up. When he turned around, what he saw was the appearance of a girl with a twin tail with a crimson face and an angry expression. Certainly I gave you some space so that you guys can talk it out, however its not like you guys can just do whatever the hell you want, alright?! I dont really care that you guys were acting out some sort of rape play in the middle of the day and outdoors for that matter! But please think of the timing! Ah, Uuu.I mean That issIm sorry Yurikago was furious as she gave him an extremely menacing look, and Taiyou apologized meekly. When he looked back at it, what he was about to do here was probably a really bad decision. He was currently on the Ohashi Bridge, which was an important traffic route between the two towns: Hirohise and Seikasono. Even during midnight, it would not be weird to see passer-bys or a car passing through. And even if it was a little bit away, they were still quite close to the entrance. Taiyou could only shiver at the thought that people would find him at the crime of such a love scene. Geez! this is why virgins areYou better remember to control you lower body and rein it in a little, alright?! AiyaI am ashamed Good grief, if I knew that you guys were acting out such a cheap love scene, I would have just left you here without helping you Help- When the word help was said, he suddenly remembered. Incidentally, why were you with the girls? You are slow in remembering such things! Yurikago had an astounded look on her face. Just now you guys entered into your own fantasy worlds, and was about to act out on your sexual desires That is our fault(Kotone Speaking) When we met him we were just so happy(Suzune Speaking) Thats why it just flowed that way(Kazane Speaking) I dont really blame you guys for it (Yurikago Speaking) Yurikago was quite lenient with the girls and this time it was Taiyous turn to be completely astonished. Hey you, arent you going to become the Harem king? That is.. What? Do you plan on throwing away these girls? No, that wont happen. I plan to take responsibility for them until the end Taiyou asserted confidently. Although even now, they still havent sealed the deal, but in his heart it was already a done deal.In this case, it was natural for him to want to take responsibility. Taiyou-san.. Are you tellingThe truth? ResponsibilityResponsibility.. (Kazane is going crazy~) The three sisters were reacting to Taiyous words. Kazane seemed to reach some sort of conclusion in her own mind, and thinking about that something made her cheek blush red. Ahh, I am serious. Right now Like-I-Said- Before Taiyou was able to finish his sentence, Yurikago cuts him off with a voice that seemed shocked. That kind of behavior is not allowed. Listen up, if you really want to become a Harem King, then go look and learn from the wild animals of the jungle, got it? Why animals? Amongst humans there are a lot of cheating males, especially those males that are good at spouting sweet words Taiyou somehow remembers about Sakura. What I mean is you should look at animals for a good example of things.The male of the animal in a polygamy fights its enemys and takes full responsibility, the wives of the pack are completely defended, got it? If you look at a lion or gorilla this will become obvious Hee (is that so?) From here on, you will be taking the position of defending these girls. Although its fine if you want to spout words of love, but pay attention to your surroundings when you pledge your love. If you are completely absorbed with them, and forget to be mindful of your surroundings, you could be easily taken out by the enemy and your pack could be annihilated in one fell swoop, isnt that just utterly stupid? ahh Taiyou nods. He thought that the word Yurikago spoke had some sense in them. Taiyou along with the three sisters and Yurikago all moved under the bridge. He was met with the still fainted Sakura, and for some reason a Shirokiyami who was hitting the walls and beating it up. Six people except for Sakura was standing in a circle. And so, why was it that you were with the three girls? After calming down, Taiyou re asked the question to Yurikago again. When he did ask her, Yurikago had an expression which said You are so slow to ask such things as she stared at him, maybe it was because of her straight forward personality, but she didnt actually say the words and just proceeded to advance with the story. I heard information from a source that both you and that white girl was planning on destroying the Blood SoulPlan. And when I knew about the three girls being targeted, I thought I would take the liberty of bringing them along before they became hostages By the way, I know you said this a little while ago but what is this Blood Soulyou mentioned that it was a plan of some sort? Thats right, Blood Soul Plan. It is the name of the research being advanced under Junishimas clan present master for the next term. Research? You mean about that longevity? That is precisely the case, its the research about being able to achieve perpetual youth Yurikago was saying this with a snort before she continued. You, how much of this plan are you aware of? It is from herC He glanced at Sakura. -Ive heard about the story from Sakura, apparently it is a research about beauty. What was it again..Eternally Little? She said something about making use of them and advancing the research After saying that, this time he turned his gaze towards the three sisters. The three girls bowed their heads, and nodded in assent. Thats about right, however that is not all there is to it What do you mean? What are they using the Eternally little for? Or why are they using the Eternally Little? Those questions have yet to be answered. You think to think more deeply about the meaning of those questions Eternally little When they pass the age of ten, these females, their growth and aging stops Shirokiyami mentions this in a mutter. Thats right. Moreover the Eternally Little only consists of females, thus they want to research it, and find out the cause for their non-aging and by solving it, they hope to achieve perpetual beauty Perpetual youth, dont they feel out of place if they never grow old? Yurikago stares at Taiyou even more intensely. Although Taiyou had a momentary mind blank, the idea caught up with him after taking another breath. -Is it immortality they seek? That is correct Yurikago nods. Ahh, of course the thing about achieving beauty is also not a lie. But under the pretense of making a woman beautiful, they are able to officially garner more attention and thus make more money from it. Also from a technical point of view, the latter is essentially perennial youth..and it is more feasible to achieve this than unlocking an immortality gene. Thats why they are doing this, I mean if things go well than they may also unlock immortality, either way they get huge benefits, thats how it is So thats what this is about. More like, it is a mystery to me how you did not arrive to this conclusion by yourself much sooner No Well if you didnt explain it to me in this way, there would have been plenty of different ways to infer their motives, right? Taiyou says this with a bitter smile on his face. He felt like he just came out of a quiz in which he was given so many hints, before he could solve it. Yeah, it is an absurd thing Hm? Im saying that all this research about trying to achieve immortality is just an absurd proposition. In the first place, how many brilliant researchers in the past history have failed to come up with the answer to immortality? Well I suppose that is true, But this time around, it would seem that they are getting quite close and it can be said that it is no longer an impossible feat to achieve. From a theoretical stand point.I cant say I know much about the Eternally Little but if such a human being does truly exist, although achieving immortality is one thing, advancing in the research of obtaining perpetual youth seems quite likely Fun(exhales). Tell me, if you girls were to achieve that state of perpetual beauty what would you think? Eh? For example those three, if they were able to continuously keep up their current faces and not age, whilst you alone become an old grandfather, what would you think? That is.. Taiyou became vacant as he looked at the three sisters, and he imagined such a scenario in his head. He imagined himself going out of school and entering the society, and pursuing a normal job for himself. And the companion which stood next to him, doesnt change at all and their appearance remains that of a young girl. He was imagining that kind of spectacle. That is. At first he thought, it was considerably good, but then a sense of incompatibility gradually dawned on him. Something would be weird. But what would be out of place? He didnt really know the clear answer to that question. DDDD2015/04/08 Post ScriptsDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD Memo at the time of the 30th Chapter Level] 5 Main Abilities] Strength: 30 Charm: 65535 Popularity: 0 Skill: Long distance immunity Fighting Power: 5 (According to Shirokiyami) Main Properties] A debt of about 11 million yen (+one million yen) An annoying Fairy (Virgin?) A broken Smart phone One room apartment Brides] Kotone, Suzune, Kazane Acquaintances] Yurikago Shirokiyami (An evil god, Fighting Power: 139) Miyagi Aoba Junishima Sakura People who can see Hera] Hayakawa: Kotone, Suzune, Kazane Chapter 31: The Unconscious Princess Chapter 31:The Unconscious Princess Chapter 30: Boss Gorilla Chapter 32: Lincoln Well, If you dont really know the answer, than its fine. The three girls arent classified as the Eternally Little, besides Im going to crush that plan without fail. The thing I said about them being perpetually young wont happen anyways, so dont worry about it You plan to crush them? Wasnt it your plan to just give me the vital information? Though Taiyou feels caught up in Yurikagos words, this only lasted momentarily. Ahh is that so? You want to leak out the information to me so that I will be your Meansof destroying them Thats right, allow me to tell you that using you is just ameans, the objectiveis to completely destroy the plan/project Is that so? I understand Taiyou nods, on the contrary Yurikago who had so easily persuaded Taiyou to accept her proposition of making use of him was really bewildered. What? Are you just going to let me make use of you? Yea, I am Are you really alright with that Taiyou-san? One of the triplets next to him, interjected in the conversation. Their faces were filled with surprise towards Taiyou, and towards Yurikago it was a mix of distrust and antipathy. Its fine But, didnt she just say that she was just using you? Moreover we dont really know the true colors of this person I think its too dangerous to trust her ..I understand where you guys are coming from In that case However, for the time being, our Objectivescoincide with each other. And the most important thing is that, her Meansto accomplish that objective, includes the plan to protect you girls from harm After all, that is just one of my meansSo depending on the situation, that may change in the future I know, but protecting the girls will put you in the least riskiest scenario, right? In other words, it will be your most preferred method/means That is not exactly the case, it is better to say that this plan will be the easiest to settle later on That is exactly why your objectivesare in line with mine Well, I suppose that seems to be the case Yurikago acceded to the statements and stopped arguing. After silencing her, Taiyou continued to talk to the triplets again. Its just like you heard, at the very least she plans on keeping you guys away from dangerThe means she has in mind and the objective that I have are the same. Therefore, even if we join hands I think that it should be fine But The enemy of your enemy, is not really your ally but you can at least make use of them..Recently I heard such a saying which I thought applies to our situation right now. I also endorse such an idea. Going according to such an idea I feel like I can trust herNo have confidence that I can trust her The triplets just listened, whilst floating a worried expression. The three sisters had a face that seemed to want to say something. They dont completely accept Taiyous reasoning, but at the same time, they dont want to blatantly voice out their complaints. Looking at their faces, Taiyou thought that at least for now, this plan was adequate. And once again, he faced Yurikago Thats how it is Yea, I got it. Even so, both you and I may be more similar than I thought Im hoping that we can get along..At the very least until this particular case is settled In that regards, I am the same Well, lets go over the more concrete details, shall we? Not about the content of the information. .But, I want to know, what is the plan you have in store for me? I want you to come along with me, and steal information Yurikagos pupils were shining with fire as she said those words, she was like a carnivorous animal that was eyeing her prey. At night, the hands of the clock were about to face up. Taiyou and Yurikago was in a town called Gyoushika Gouroku. Gyoushika was a town that existed on the borders of Seikasono town, and in between the towns there was a mountain called Mt. Futagoyama Mountain which spanned over 100 meters in height. They were near the research facility that was in Gyoushika.The two people were in a building that was able to oversee the research facility from a long distance away. Right now Taiyou was accumulating experience points by taking of his coat and putting back on again. Next to him, Hera was silently watching over him. He didnt know what to expect from here on out, so he thought that he should continue to raise his abilities even if only a little. Although there was only Yurikago with him right now, he was actually raising his level in front of her. In more normal circumstances, he would never do such an action in front of others, however, just this once he thought that it was necessary in order to accomplish his objectives. Although this may be trivial of me to ask, is there any significance to your current actions? Im getting stronger Yurikago was just staring at him in silence for a while but, she finally got curious enough to ask him what he was doing. Taiyou responded to her question in a joking tone. Kung fu? Thats right .You, do you actually think that something you watched in some anime could be applied to real life? Why do you reach such a conclusion? Well, I mean it seems that you arent able to distinguish between reality and make believe I can distinguish! Im just a normal person! Im not crazy enough to think that doing this will actually teach me Kung Fu Then why are you doing such a thing? .Its for my mental concentration. When I do this, I can settle down my feelings easier and focus Taiyou took a deep breath and answered her. This was not a complete lie, gathering experience did in fact have that calming effect on Taiyou. Piling up enough experience in order to gain a level and increase his stats. For Taiyou this was the ultimate form of mind and soul healing. Of course, he didnt mention the fact that this action was just a small part of the truth. Well, If thats the case then I wont stop you ..Are the girls, okay you think? Those three girls? Yeah Taiyou takes of his coat whilst nodding. In this place, neither Shirokiyami nor the three sisters were here. Yurikago gave the idea/proposition to entrust the three sisters with Shirokiyami. They should be fine, after all that woman is guarding them That girl, is she really that amazing? More so than amazing, from what I know, if you compare her amongst her peers within the same generation, without a doubt she is the worlds strongest in her field of work Seriously? For real Then why did we separate from her? I mean if she truly is the worlds strongest, shouldnt we include her as part of our war potential in this plan? After all she is still in her teens. ..She is not easily controlled. If we give her simple orders she will be able to accomplish it without fail, but for her to follow more complex details, her judgment in the scene in important moments arent exactly the best. In the end, she is just one really strong person ..Is it like an NPC? Taiyou was able to come up with this image after hearing Yurikagos explanation. In the games Taiyou often played, there were plenty of NPC with similar characteristics..Whilst they were indeed extremely strong, the player could not have direct access to them and they could only cooperate automatically. Though they are far stronger than the player character, their movements are usually dictated by a computer and as such they are unable to make the best decisions when the situation becomes overly complex. Yurikagos explanation was quite short, but when he thought about Shirokiyamis personality, he was becoming more convinced that this would be the case for her. If we think about what we are trying to accomplish here, I believe your abilities will be much more convenient for this plan. Furthermore, you seem to think like me, so it will be easier to set things in motion I understand Taiyou nods, if that was the case, then he definitely agrees. Whilst he was continuing to accumulate his experience points, this time around, he was the one to ask Yurikago a question. Hey, who on earth are you exactly? Me? Yeah, To begin with, what is your real name? Yurikago is obviously a fake name right? Its not your conventional type of name, besides it sounds like a stage name that you thought up on the spot. If your name was Youran the way in which you would write cradle/basket, then even that would make more sense than Yurikago Isnt fine to leave it as Yurikago? If you dont know about my real name, is there going to be some sort of a problem? I dont really mind whatever name you choose, but I still want to know about your true colors. If until the last moment I still dont know your real intentions, when there comes a time for me to make a decision about whether or not to trust you, it will become that much harder to believe in you Is that so?..Well when that situation comes, do what you must, isnt it fine that way? And if you were placed in a situation where you need to make such a decision, even if you knew my true colors how would that change anything regardless? Taiyou nods and without changing his tone of speaking he continued. Well even if you dont tell me, I think I have a general idea of who you are What did you say? Ahh, you dont have to be that vigilant, I dont really know anything major about you. I simply think that you must be an Ojousama (young lady) of some rich family. Why do you think that? Its your atmosphere Taiyou was still performing his fluid series of movements of picking up his coat right after dropping it to the ground, when he pointed at Yurikago. Since we met in the Ohashi Bridge up till now, your appearance has been consistent. I suppose it can be described as someone who seems resilient Isnt it because of the way I speak? And the fact that my eyes are always narrowed. Even I am conscious of such things Well that is also true butWell the thing about your eyes being narrowed is not really truebut beside the point. I am talking more about your upper-body My upper-body? Yurikagos glance drops to her own body, after that she quickly hides her own breasts and glares at Taiyou. Her cheek slightly blushed, it was like she noticed that Taiyou was seeing her girlish parts for the first time. No, its not about your boobs Taiyou quietly points it out. The reason he didnt give her a loud retort was because he found the peculiar aspect of Yurikago that he was about to say quite pleasant. Your back.No, its probably better for me to say your muscles along the spine. When I look at your posture its almost as if you swallowed down some sort of pole, and with that pinned to the ground you have a really nice posture. Even when you stand up or if you sit down, even whilst you are walking, you always have a good posture..always (TL: I guess he is implying that a girl from a rich family always stands tall because of the etiquette they were taught when growing up) After hearing Taiyou explanation, Yurikago slowly relaxes and lowers her hands from hiding her breasts, but she was still keeping a vigilant look on her face. Taiyou felt that his guess hit right on the mark. Having a stable proper posture is how a good girl would have been brought up, her tone of voice, expressions and other mannerisms in which she conducts herself does not seem to be made up. However she also seems to have a wild side to her personality mixed in. Taiyou was becoming increasingly interested in knowing her true colors. Chapter 32: Lincoln Chapter 31:The Unconscious Princess Chapter 33: Blood Energy ? Blood Soul That isNo never mind (Yurikago Speaking) Yurikago was about to make some sort of a rebuttal, but she shook her head and swallowed her words back down. Abraham LincolnAmericas former President of the United States, he said a few words which really stuck with me. When someone passes 40 years of age, a person should take responsibility for his own face, thats what he said (Yurikago Speaking) Hmm?(Taiyou Speaking) Taiyou inclined his neck a little and gave her a look which said, Why are you suddenly talking about such a thing? Yurikago was being really roundabout in the way she spoke, this was totally unlike her usual self. Dont look at me with those eyes, its not really that Philosophical. Im not suddenly turning into Sakura, I dont have an interest in such things. What I am talking about is, the muscles of the face will form wrinkles and such when making familiar expressions he/she has made in their life, thats what I am referring to An expression one is familiar with? I repeated her words like a mechanical parrot whilst having one hand on my cheek. Yes, Someone who has been smiling their whole life, will develop strong muscles to make a big grin, people who are quick to get angry on the other hand, will have scary eyes and this will be fixed on their faces, people who like to talk cynically to others will have their mouth distorted.That kind of thing Ahh, I suppose that how it is Taiyou thought that this was the truth. It is natural that when a part of the body repeatedly does the same motions for their whole life, the body will optimize itself so as to fit a more convenient shape for that person. Most of a childs features if they are new-born babies will come from their parents, however once someone reaches the age of 40, the shape of their face will be made by how they lived their lives. Thus, if you reach that age of adulthood, then you should be able to take responsibility for the choices youve made in life, thats what those words mean(Yurikago Speaking) Its similar to the words said by Mother Theresa(Taiyou Speaking) In her scenario, its about looking towards the future(Yurikago Speaking) Indeed(Taiyou Speaking) Yeah(Yurikago Speaking) Yurikago cut their conversation for a little while, and after letting out a sigh she continued. Therefore, I plan to thoroughly take care of my face. Although only my face(TL: Every man over forty is responsible for his face. these are the exact words as quoted from Lincoln, the story goes when he was advised to hire a certain man in his cabinet, he refused even though that man could have been a valuable asset. The moral of the story was not the fact that he found the mans face ugly, but his features showed Lincoln that the man had an ugly personality and a bad disposition) Ahh, so you are saying that a persons face can reflect their personality, right? Coming this far into the conversation, Taiyou finally understood what she was trying to say. However, in reality as well as metaphorically, a persons attitude will remain the same for their whole life(Taiyou Speaking) I know that..(Yurikago Speaking) Yurikago lets out a sigh and hangs her head down in dejection. Taiyou could somehow feel grace from her small gesture, and it reconfirmed his beliefs about her being an Ojou-sama from a well-off family. Are you that unhappy that I managed to expose your true colors? That much is obvious, but But? More than that I am disappointed in my own worthlessness. If I take the words of Lincoln to heart, I loathe myself who is unable to see my own true nature That is being a little too harsh on yourself isnt it? Yurikago refuses to comment on Taiyous words as she turned her body away, she sealed her lips and stayed quiet after that. She doesnt want to say anything more, there was an implicit nuance and Taiyou could read it from her body language, so he also felt no need to pursuit the matter any further. Knowing anymore about her background, at least in this place and the things they were about to do from here on out, was irrelevant to the task at hand. What was the most important thing to Taiyou right now, was achieving his objectives and the means to achieve it. Yurikago has the intentions of obstructing theBlood Soul Plan. That was also the main objective that Taiyou wanted to accomplish, and Yurikagos true colors had no influence that would affect the matter in a negative way. Even if he took the presumption to its limits and said that Yurikagos true nature was a 700 year old vampire, or a Martian who came from 100 years in the future, all Taiyou wanted out of her was the fact that she planned to obstruct this project together with him, so that he could regain peace for the three sisters. Thus, Taiyou decided that he did not want to overstep his boundaries. Having pointed out her true colors, was only because it flowed naturally into the conversation, and he just went with the flow. He was the kind of guy, which would not ask about it, if a woman did not wish to speak about it. The atmosphere inside the room was becoming a little heavy, Taiyou was still continuing to earnestly gather up experience points. Before the beginning of the operation, he still had some time left. Until then, if it was possible he wanted to raise at least 1 or even 2 levels. Pasa, Shuru, Pasa Shuru. (sfx of him taking his jacket off and putting it on) He continued to whole-heartedly perform his actions, suddenly Hera who was keeping silent watch until now suddenly burst into a dance. It was the level up danceHe wasnt really sure if that is what the name of the dance was but, it was the movements he has seen Hera do many times in the past. Taiyou silently nodded towards her. Before they came into this room, they already predetermined how they would communicate silently with each other. As per usual, a huge torrent of figures flowed into Taiyous brain. Taiyou became Level 6. His strength value rose up to 42, just as he wished, the fighting power he wanted to increase was definitely higher now. (Just how strong is a strength value of 42?) Naturally he had a little bit of doubt. When his power was at 30, he was already able to bare-handedly pulverize a concrete wall and manage to snap off a steel sword. In this case, just how crazy would a value of 42 be? He thought that he needed to experiment and find the answer some time in the near future. Taiyou gave Yurikago a quick glance and she turned her back towards him. Confirming that Yurikago was looking away, he quickly turned towards Hera, and mouthed out the words. WhatCisCtheCnextCmethodtogainCexp? Although his facial expressions were a little strange because he wasnt able to just speak the words out loud, the message was conveyed successfully. Hera was just vacantly staring at him momentarily, before long she understood his words. Tayiou-chan you still want to continue?? Didnt you just level up moments ago?? Con-tinue Is that so, I understand. Umm, the next thing is? Hera flew towards the window. Though she passed by Yurikago on her way to the window, her existence was completely concealed from Yurikago so she showed absolutely no reaction. Over here Taiyou-chan, you need to come here? Taiyou headed towards the window side in silence. Taiyou also passed by Yurikago, but this time she was looking at him with suspicious eyes. He disregarded her gaze and stands next to Hera. Its here? He silently watches Hera and gave her a questioning look Exactly what am I supposed to do here?. Open the window, and then afterwards you need to close it. And after you closed it, open it up again? Hera was explaining this to him with a smile. When he first met her, Taiyou would often object to the ridiculous things Hera made him do and this would unnecessarily prolong his experience gain. Since the time he was made to dig up holes, this is the sixth kind of method in which he needed to perform to gain experience. After coming this far, he realized that the actions he would have to perform would be ridiculous, and most likely all of the actions Hera would give him hereafter would seem like a futile actions. Piling up those blocks, before smashing them down. Digging up a hole, and then burying the hole. Turning a coin repeatedly from heads to tails. Taking off the jacket and then putting it on again. And, opening a window, and then closing that window shut. It was filled with pointless actions, and the one thing that was consistent was that they were all very repetitive laborious work. Taiyou who was getting accustomed to being thrown into these types of situations, barely had any energy left to give a rebuttal towards Hera and just accepted the situation for what it was. With the aim of reaching Level 7, Taiyou was accumulating his experience points. Garagaragara, Garagaragaradon! (Sound of window opening and closing) The window is opened, the window is closed shut. The moment it was fully closed, he opens it up and then closes it again. If someone was to watch him do such a thing, they would start to doubt his sanity. Naturally, Yurikago was starting to become worried. You, what are you doing? Please dont mind it You got a sickness of some kind? The more I close this window, the stronger I become..Please just think of it like that You arent even drunk.. Garagaragara, Garagaragaradon! Whilst replying to Yurikago in a forced smile, Taiyou continued to open and close the window. Hera was smiling radiantly as she watched Taiyou, but for somebody like Yurikago who had no idea what he was actually doing, she started to knit her eyebrow more and more. Hey, that is really annoying, dont you think you can stop it? Even if I tell you that I will surely get stronger doing this? Thats a load of Bull Yurikago was about to deny him, and Taiyou looked towards her over his shoulders. She swallowed her words, looking at how serious of an expression Taiyou actually had on his face, she hesitated a little. ..Seriously? I can say with confidence that if you dont see me getting stronger during the mission, I will gladly let you call me an ambulance to go straight to the mental hospitalWould this answer of mine be sufficient to convince you? You are really similar to Sakura Didnt you also say previously that we were alike Ugee. (Ack) Getting it straightforwardly pointed out to her, she had an unpleasant face. Well, even if I say this, it doesnt mean that you are similar to Sakura That is obvious, I cant stand being compared to such a person She spoke about Sakura as if she was spitting out poison, and then she looked straight at Taiyou again. Will you truly get stronger doing that? Its true In that case, I will endure it I am grateful Its not like I can complain, the person I am trying to make use of is, increasing his own utility value for me Isnt it praiseworthy? Yurikago let out a smirk, and then she turned her face and body away from his direction. Although it was good to communicate solutions in a practical manner like he did with Yurikago, on the opposite end of the spectrum, he also did not dislike the conversations he shared with Sakura even if it was slightly more theoretical and roundabout. Even whilst thinking about such things, Taiyou continued to increase his pace of opening up the window and closing it. And by the time that the plan was about to be set into motion, and the strategies were about to be discussed. He had already reached Level 7 and his strength value became 51. Chapter 33: Blood Energy ? Blood Soul Chapter 33: Blood Energy ? Blood Soul Chapter 32: Lincoln Chapter 34: Transparent Loli Baba The window was opened and closed at a rapid pace, Taiyou had reached level 7. right at this moment the power he needed the most had been gradually increasing, Just before he left the hiding area, he used two of his fingers to grip on the metallic window frame, using merely his thumb and index finger he crushedthe metal frame like it was butter, that was the kind of power he obtained thus far. After checking his abilities numerous amount of times, he decided that this power could also be referred to as physical strength. In other words, there would be a direct correlation between his hand grip and his physical strength. He had the physical strength that could crush rocks and bend metal, in addition he also had a specific ability which allowed him to nullify all long range attacks. Those were the two abilities he possessed at the present time. Even so, Taiyou was not able to fully feel relieved. According to what Hera told him, if and when he reached level 10, he would be able to acquire some other new skill, if possible he wanted to raise his level to that extent, but it couldnt really be helped, there was just not enough time at this juncture. He remembered back to when he had to choose a skill at level 5, if at that point in time he chose Super Armor instead of long distance immunity, this probably would have been much more compatible with his current fighting style. Considering that he had a vast knowledge in terms of gaming skills and their effects from playing numerous games, if he had Super Armor he probably could have become an indestructible force that would dominate in close quarters combat. Although he wanted to go back and change his decision.. (I suppose its useless to complain about the things I will never have) He quickly gave up on that thought, and decided to make do with the abilities he already acquired. The hour hand of the clock approaches 12 am, and changes into a completely new date. Taiyou and Yurikago went out of their hiding spot, and started to go near the research facility. They were concealing themselves in the shadows of the research facility, the two people were facing each other as a dim street light shone on their faces. Then as a last precaution, allow me to review our victory condition before commencing the plan the victory condition, these are words you would not normally use Well arent you a gamer? I thought that if I used those words, it will become easier for you to understand? Well I suppose so.. Taiyou let out a forced smile. It wasnt like she said that he couldnt understand unless she talked in gamer terms, but she was definitely implying that he was nerdy enough for her to want to use such terms to make him better understand. Anyways, let me continue on with the victory condition, alright? There are two conditions, and if neither is fulfilled it will all become uselessC After saying such a thing, Taiyou was slightly taken aback. Taiyou was looking at her gaze in order to discern her intentions and he quickly grasped the situation. Ahh, Alright. What you are saying is both conditions are of extreme importance and both must be fulfilled, right? That is the case. Then lets go over the first condition. We need to sneak into the facility, and establish a connection with their terminal to an outside network, we then need to take a part of the essential information within the system and take that home with us Yurikago put up her index finger to signify that she was referring to the first step. A part of? Why dont we just take all the information we can get? Ahh, is it because the terminal is not connected to the internet, so it is impossible to do so? No, thats not the problem Yurikago lets out a mischievous smile. I plan to leak out the stolen information to mass communication services, the thing is, leaking out a bundle of massive information isnt really efficient, instead it is much better to give out the juicy pieces of information in order to incite public outrage What you mean is Taiyou places his hand on his jaw, and takes on the thinker pose. So for instance, when there is some sort of cheating scandal with a famous celebrity, you only have to release information about the newest guy. When the media lets out information that is exciting, yet doesnt disclose all the information. At that point in time, the people will be driven to find out what happened in order to get the latest scoop I see, however, what is the difference if we just let out all the information? Isnt the results. going to be the same regardless? There is a considerable difference, the motivation of the public is also important to consider. It is all for the purpose of creating a small spark, and blowing it into a big flame .I see Taiyou nodded slightly, although he doesnt understand all the subtleties of what she said, he just accepted her word for it. Yurikago extends her middle finger, to signify the second condition, and she made a V-sign. The second condition, when we begin our escape, I need to be able to get out of the facility by any means necessary Hm? Isnt that obvious? This isnt something trivial Yurikago cut Taiyou off in the middle of his speech and looked at Taiyou with a serious face. Im not talking about the fact that my life is precious. I am not even saying that I need to get out unharmed, the fundamental thing is that I need to erase my presence from ever being within that facility What is this about? I will go as far as saying that in the worst case scenario. Rather than getting caught by them, I want you to kill me, and completely destroy my corpse so that it will not be distinguishable Yurikago spoke this with a cold-heartedness. It seemed as if she was trying to confirm whether Taiyou could do this for her, but he did not answer her back. Hearing such savage words come out of her mouth had obviously made Taiyou speechless. Although she prefaced it by saying that it was not a trivial matter, he did not expect for her to actually go that far. Is that clear? Keep these two conditions always in your mind, as we commence the mission. Then, lets begin the- Wait, just hang on for a second What? Yurikago puckers up her eyebrows, and it seemed that she was getting a little irritated. Those words you just said.Why does it have to be like that? I mean I understand why you wouldnt want to hand yourself over to them, and I wont question you for that decision, however, I cant comprehend why you would rather be killed in the worst case scenario Asking this kind of thing, what do you expect me to say? Besides is there even a need for you to know about such a thing? Yurikago gave a fierce and cold counterattack, which nearly caused Taiyou to lose his words again, but this time, he recovered at once and spoke back. There is He answered back clearly. I am but a mere high school student, Although I am not going to be selecting the means for this plan, and I want to accomplish my objectives, but this task you have given.The last task of potentially having to kill you with my own hands, this means is ridiculous.If you are asking for such a thing, than you are asking too much from me. If you are unable to tell me the reasoning for such a drastic measure, when the time comes for me to make a choice.it will be impossible to not hesitate Indeed, that may also be the case Yurikago closes her eyes, and lets out a small sigh. Im sorry, I didnt take that into consideration. Its my mistake No, I wasnt trying to place the blame on you or ask you to take responsibility I understand, in regards to that matter, I will take care of it myself when the time comes. When it comes down to it, you just have to make sure to get away as far away from me as possible so you dont get caught up in it Wait! What? Dont give me that crap! What was that? Are you trying to tell me that when it comes down to it, you are going to take your own life?! It is so, is there anything for you to complain about? Obviously there is a problem, talking in that sort of mannerSaying that sort of thing, how could it be possible for me to calm down? Get over it. Even if I were to suicide no, its not even about that, is it? Let me ask you this, even if I did decide to take my own life, will there be some sort of conflict or disadvantage to your objectives? Or will you be hindered in some way? Indeed, if you are referring to my objectivesThen in that sense there will be no conflicts In that caseC Yurikago was about to declare her finishing statement, but Taiyou predicted her words and gripped unto her wrist. (sfx grip) Yurikagos body temperature was transmitted to his palm. At the same time, his mind kicked into overdrive mode and in an extreme way, his mind rapidly settled down and he felt his head cooling. Taiyou was originally a man who when he experienced a certain threshold of anger or sadness, those kind of strong emotions would suddenly be cooled and he would be calm. However this time around that calmnesswas not the usual kind of detachment he usually showed, this exceeded the boundaries of his normal reaction. The thoughtless words she spewed out of her mouth in regards to death that unusual term which one would rarely hear about in ordinary life, really ticked him off. It was as if he became a third party that was looking down on the situation from above, watching both himself and Yurikago that was the feeling he had right now. Let me go Then, you must first clarify??. Why would it be necessary to go that far? What is the reason that you must be killed if push comes to shove? Like I said, what has that got to do with you? It is not irrelevant any longer, If you wont tell me what it is, then the worst case scenario may be that this plan will never succeed You are so persistent, all you have to do is follow my plans, you dont have to worry about anything else If you wanted something like this to be done, wouldnt it have been better to just call Shirokiyami? Thats true, if it was her, she wouldnt have blinked for even a second at my request I also think that is the case With her wrist still being firmly gripped, Taiyou nods his head. However, you asked for my help So you are saying, I have to tell you? It was your own mistake to assumed that I wouldnt demand for an explanation. It will be necessary for you to pay for that mistake ..And If I dont want to speak? I already said this before, but I am merely an ordinary person. When an emergency situation arises, I will place my life on the line if I have to stop you from killing yourself Stop? Thats right. That is to say, you will not die, because I will protect you Yurikago has a frustrated expression whilst staying silent. The silence flows, and both Yurikago and Taiyou just stood there as they stared at each other for a little while. In that kind of body pose, the two people were glaring at each other. It was likely that her circumstances really had no bearing or negative effect for Taiyou, nor did it relate to being able to successfully save the three sisters from harm. Even still, Taiyou could not help but hear the reason. If there came an emergency situation, there was no way that he could just abandon her and run away by himself. No matter what, Taiyou was resolute in making her answer this question. How about I answer that question for her instead? Suddenly, whilst the two people were still staring at each other, a voice came out from the side. Although the mysterious voice seemed to be young, there was a clear will and determination which flowed out. When he turned around. The figure of a little girl, who was stark naked and only being wrapped in silk, was standing in front of him. Chapter 34: Transparent Loli Baba Chapter 33: Blood Energy ? Blood Soul Chapter 35: Loli Kiss First he was doubting his eyes, then he was doubting his consciousness. That was how bizarre the appearance of the person in front of him was, he didnt know whether she was real, and if he could even touch her or not. Her height is around 130 centimeters, she had a baby face and a bobbed haircut. It reminded him of the zashiki warashi. (TL: Zashiki-warashi is a Japanese demon, known as a yokai) The clothes she was wearing was a see-through one piece dress, and it would seem that she wasnt wearing any undergarments. Additionally, she was in a pose that generously showed off her body. Although she looked like a little girl, she had a very promiscuous pose. Seeing such a person in front of him, it couldnt be helped that Taiyou was feeling embarassed. Whats the matter? You are staring at me so much. Do I look so adorable, that Ive made you want to give me some candy? If I start giving out candy here, this will clearly tick the children crime box! Also stop calling yourself adorable! Hm? But I am Cut (Cute) Like I said, please dont say it! Taiyou lets out a large voice, and interrupts the little girls dialog. If you connect those two things, a bad thing will happen How difficult, I thought that this kind of expression was universal. The Japanese language is gradually becoming more inconvenient There is no connection with Japanese. If you really want to call yourself adorable, at least use the correct first person pronoun to refer to yourself. To begin with, why are you using Washi to refer to yourself? (TL: she is using the words 路(washi) this is a term is a normally used by elderly males to refer to themselves) But I am using the correct first person pronoun which corresponds with my age The little girl, tilts her head in an adorable manner. Corresponds with your age? Umu, It corresponds with my age. For a woman of my age its obvious that I would use Washior Oreto refer to myself. Atashiyais another way I can refer to myself, but it makes me sound like a weak and frail person Ore.Atashiya.? She pointed out three different ways in which she could refer to herself in first person. Taiyou started to think for a while, after seeing how casually the little girl referred to herself in Washi. Suddenly, he began to connect the dots. Washi, Ore, Atashiya. He started putting the pieces of the puzzle together, and realized that all three ways to refer to herself could be used by an older aged woman. In other words, when she said these were the words suitable for her age, it was implying that she was an old woman. Inside, she was an old women, yet her looks seem to be a young little girl. A very young looking old woman. Suddenly, a word that existed within Taiyous head floated across his mind. Loli Baba. (Illustration: Loli Baba) Although the external appearance is that of a young girl, the mind and soul..the inner workings of the person were at an advanced age. In recent years, people have started to call such a girl the Beautiful Witch, But Taiyou understood it intuitively, and if he had to choose between the two words, Taiyou liked to refer to these girls as the Loli Baba. Is she truly a Loli Baba?..As such thoughts passed his mind, he received another flash of inspiration. It was in regards to the female limitation Sakura talked about, after growing up normally to the age of 10, their aging would stop and they would retain their youthful looks for the rest of their lives, although their internal organs would still continue to age and grow weaker which would inevitably lead them to die, looking young. Are you one of those girls? The Eternally Little..? Umu, Some might also refer to me as an unsold old housemaid Orudo?(TL: hes saying old) Taiyou was puzzled due to hearing words he was not accustomed to hearing He understood from the flow of the conversation that this was some sort of way to refer to her, but the meaning of her words were unable to be understood. He intuitively understood the meaning of Eternally Little as a way to describe her being small for all eternity, but he didnt understand how that related to her being an old housemaid. Whilst Taiyou was still looking doubtful, Yurikago slipped herself into the conversation. Azumaya Kohaku, What are you doing out here with that kind of appearance? Yurikago knits her beautifully shaped eyebrows, she really seemed to have an unpleasant face. It would seem that Yurikago knew the true colors of the young looking old woman standing in front of her, as she called her by the name Kohaku, however, just like Taiyou, Yurikago was also doubting why she was out here with that kind of appearance. Umu? This is my everyday clothing, is there a problem? Kohaku, lifts up her see-through skirt as she answers. Although she raised the hem of her skirt to the very limits before revealing her crotch area, to begin with it was already transparent so it wasnt like anything changed. You are telling me, thats your everyday clothing?! Thats right. These clothes are really comfy, they feel great on the skin, and its really easy to move around in. During Spring and Summer I always wear these clothes, is there something weird about them? Of course its weird, to go that far and disregard the normal standards of clothing is being ignorant of the fundamental point The fundamental point, whats that? Kohaku tilts her head in puzzlement. Yurikago was just staring at Kohaku. Your external appearance. Wearing such transparent clothing and appearing before a man.As a woman arent you the least bit ashamed of yourself? Kukuku, For a woman who exceeds the age of 80, calling me a woman is inappropriate, you would do well to remember this fact Kohaku says this whilst giving a chuckle under her breath. Taiyou took a little bit of time to process the information. 80? Umu, Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Azumaya Kohaku, you may call me by Kohaku-tan, if you so wish. If you are willing to call me by Kohaku-tan then I shall permit you to pant whilst you cling to my behind, how about it? (TL:-tan is another version of -chan (which is another informal way to address: female family members, lovers, close friends, intimate friends). As if Id call you that?! And who would do such a thing?! By the way, when you call my name, I will be counting on you to imagine my name in Hiragana(TL: her name in Hiragana means Amber. Basically, she wants him to imagine her name as: Beautiful, Soft and sticky, hue hue read comments for more info ) Like I said, I aint going to call your name like that! That is such a shame. Although I may look like this, I am a fully-fledged grown woman biologically speaking Yeah I can see that already! Then allow me to tell you something you may not be aware of. This year since the date of my birth, I am approaching the age of 87 87 years old? You were born 87 years ago? Thats right ..During the Taishou Era? Are you an idiot? Its regrettable but I was born in the Showa Era(this is 1926-1989) Showa period. He spoke the words as if reciting them, he looked at her in amazement as he became at a loss for words. What, it seems that you still dont understand? Thats..To be expected isnt it? I mean you started talking about the Showa Era. If you told me you were born in the Heisei Era, then I would be convinced but this is. (Heisei Era: 1990s) To think that you were born such a long time ago, Taiyou refrained from speaking out such words. Umu, will it be easier for you to imagine it if I told you that I was born in the same time frame as the time the Aircraft Carrier Akagi was made? It wont! And why are you suddenly talking about Aircraft Carriers? That game was so wonderful, it brings back such nostalgic memories one after anotherIt makes me feel as if I was in some sort of class reunion That kind of thing is not a game!(TL: Aircraft Carrier Akagi is a reference to the Kantai Collection game Kancolle, contributed via members in the comments section, ty guys ! Although it is also a real Imperial Japanese Navy AKA the Red Castle it was built in the 1920s hence the same time frame in which Kohaku was born) Taiyou cuts off the conversation she was making and once again took a good look at Kohaku. She really didnt wear anything down there, she was a young looking old woman who was wearing a transparent see-through one piece silk dress. Her appearance seems to be somewhere around a 10 year old girl, however she claims to have exceeded the age of 80, she also speaks in an elderly way. Taiyou just couldnt put his head around such an existence. Whilst thinking such things, Yurikago began to talk to Kohaku once again. Hey, arent you going to change out of that? I already understand the fact that you are an old woman deep inside, but we have a beast with us right here What do you mean by calling me a beast Oi! It means that you are a Lolicon I aint a Lolicon, alright?! Fu?n(exhale), is that so? But you also made the youngest of the three sisters into one of your lovers, right? Uuu Taiyou didnt know how to answer back. The youngest of the three sisters Kazane had the same face as her two other sisters but in terms of her height and her physique, she could be compared to a grade-schooler. Honestly speaking rather than wearing her school uniform, it would suit her externals more if she wore a yellow hat and a red backpack. Because it was true that the girl named Kazane did exist, Taiyou couldnt really object immediately to the disgrace of being called a Lolicon. Hou? Thou are a Lolicon? Well I dont particularly have any qualms with that, after all a high school kid like you who is still wet behind the ears, probably has a lot of frustrations that he needs to take care of You talk big for someone who is classified as an old housemaid Yurikago spoke back towards Kohaku in an amazed tone. Taiyou could only hear words which he was unaccustomed to hearing, and he could not pinpoint her exact intentions in all of this. Kukuku. Well then shall we return to the subject at hand? The real issue?.Ah, Yurikagos plan Yurikago? Kohaku has a dubious expression on her face as she repeats the name and looks towards Yurikago. Are you going by such a name? Is it bad? For being able to make someone cooperate with you without even telling them your real name, you have my admiration. Although a true Japanese person would be introducing themselves honestly and take more responsibility of their actions That kind of thing is an old tradition from a cliched era Ahh, As I thought, Yurikago was an alias wasnt it? That is correct Kohaku declares so whilst looking at Yurikago. If she wont tell you herself what her name is, allow me to tell you in her stead Yurikago falls silent whilst being astonished at Kohaku, seeing she wasnt going to speak any time soon, Kohaku turns towards Taiyou. In that case, It seems that I will be the one to tell you her name Ah, ahh Her name is Junishima Youran, she is the Junishima clans Princess Taiyou did not anticipate that she would be from the Junishima clan. Taiyou rapidly turned around to face the girl with the twin-tails and looked at her in completely shock. Chapter 35: Loli Kiss Chapter 34: Transparent Loli Baba Chapter 36: My Heroine wouldnt have Rape Eyes Junishima Youran? Taiyou repeated the name he just heard from Kohaku. And he looked towards Yurikago, she was glaring at Kohaku with a face full of displeasure. Seeing her in such a bad mood probably meant that what Kohaku said was the truth. In other words, it was her real name. When Taiyou was thinking about what could be wrong with having such a name. He suddenly realized something. Having the name Junishima, are you perhaps a relative of Sakura? Junishima Sakura? Umu, I heard that they were half-sisters born of different mothers. Sakura wasnt born from a legal wife nor was it from one of the concubines, she is apparently a child born from a mistress Is that so? Who cares about such a thing Youran brushes it off as if it was something really trivial. Is that so? No hang on a minute, if you and Sakura are sisters, then why are you trying to hinder her plans? Is it because she is your half-sister? It cant be explained in such a simple manner Youran lets out a sigh and displays an expression of resignation. You, how much do you know about the Junishima clan? .To put it bluntly, its to the level that I dont even know how to write the name. Sakura has mentioned that it was a way of writing that was an unimaginable, and it was writing Island twelve times in a row Shima, Shima, Shima, Shima, Shima ,Shima, Shima, Shima ,Shima, Shima, Shima, Shima(TL: Juni= twelve, Shima= islands) Kukuku, To come up with something like writing Shima twelve times,what an interesting way of thinking. If that was truly how it was supposed to be written, I wouldnt be surprised if it appeared in the Guinness book of records. Thats because the longest family name in the history of this country is at best 5 characters (Kohaku speaking) Then how do you write it? It uses the character ˫from the first part of the kanji for twins, the Chinese numeral for (six) and lastly the kanji for u(Island), combined together it is ˫u Pair.SixIsland. Ahh, so because there are a pair of two sixes, it totals to 12. Indeed, if you werent told how to write it directly, it would be hard to reach such a conclusion by yourself. To be frank, after seeing the characters I assumed that it was read as Sugorokushima(TL: Sugoroku ˫, is a traditional Japanese board game played with dice) Well Japanese family names are often derived from geographical locations(TL: some examples: Yama= mountain is very commonly used by Japanese people or Mura for village etc) Ahh, In the case of Westerners, they have a lot of their family names based on occupations(TL: example: James Baker, Fabbri =blacksmith, Chandler= candle seller/maker) Even Junishima is a place name. In Japan the Junishima island is the third largest island located on the Sea side of Japan. Also, the Junishima family has been the landowner of the island for over 1000 years Hee And, I am a daughter from that family. So is that foolish woman over there You arent just a mere daughter, isnt that so? Kohaku chuckles as she says this. What do you mean? She is born from the eldest son of the Junishima clan, this would mean that she is the next candidate who is supposed to lead the family as head of the clan, she kind of like a Princess. She also has an official name she is addressed with by her subordinates Hee Taiyou leaks out a voice of awe, he didnt think much of her having an official name, but when it was mentioned that she was the rightful successor, he frankly thought that she was amazing. Seeing such a reaction from Taiyou, Kohaku couldnt help but let out a smile. It seems that you have yet to fully understand the implications of this situation? Hm? What do you mean? Allow me to ask, can you imagine what kind of place the Junishima island is? That is.Isnt it an island, and it is the third largest island within Japan? ..Wait a minute, if its the third largest island in Japan, just how big is the island? And you are saying that they own the whole thing? Finally you have begun to grasp the magnitude of the situation. Well in this case, although the mysterious size of the island is not a trivial thing, it is of secondary importance. The important factor to note is the population of the people on the island Population? Yes, the Village of Junishima. Over one million people live in that village, it is the most populous village in Japan Did you say one million people!? Taiyou gaspedand he rapidly turned towards Youran. The girl with the twin tails had a cold indifferent expression on her face. Although she didnt affirm the statements made she also didnt deny their validity, she had a look on her face which implied the truth in Kohakus words. It cant be? How can there be a village with one million people in it? In this country there is no such thing as an automatic promotion of a village, the law of this country states that as long as the village doesnt apply for it, it will continue being classified as a villageRegardless of the fact that it has 1 million people living in it or 120 million people So obviously the Junishima clan has purposely withheld from applying to fix their status, however why would they do such a thing?- Isnt this enough? Taiyou was about to further question the fact, but Youran interrupted their conversation with a firm tone. That kind of story, is unrelated to our current situation I suppose so, the important thing to note is that Junishima Youran is the first candidate to be the person who will stand on top of these one million villagers andthe one who gets to control them in the future. And the important thing to note is that. Although it may be called a village, if all those people were to gather, the person who will stand at the top will have an extremely strong amount of influence. Being the village chiefWill naturally mean that person will have the most influence within their grasp. In other words, Junishima Island is like a country within Japan, the village chief is akin to a sort of a king which rules a country .So, could it be that there is some sort of a power struggle? The correct assertion Kohaku grins whilst nodding her head. Although she is the first candidate of choice, it does not mean that it will be a peaceful road to obtain supremacy. If any sort of weakness is shown, it will be quickly taken advantage of in an instant Is that the reason that, in the worst case scenario.She said such a thing Thats right. For this particular situation, no matter what she does it doesnt really matter as long as she doesnt get caught in the act Even so, her corresponding action to not get caught is waytoo excessive.. What do you mean by excessive? Kohaku was doubtful, and Taiyou told the words Youran said to him a few moments ago. Kohaku was in complete agreement with Taiyou. It stands to reason. That she is probably the type of person to go to the extremes of being extreme Is that so? Umu, its something that occurs often with her. For instance, right now she seems to be a man-hater, but if a man who she can fall in love with shows up, she will fall hopelessly and thoroughly in love, and she will be the type to give out her everything to that man Just like that? Umu, From her body, to her heart, even her wealth and power, everything will be given. Thats the kind of hopeless girl I see her as Stop talking arbitrarily me behind my back! I am not going to become that sort of a person! Youran shouts out in a loud voice, and frantically denies the statements. Na(Hey), dont you think shes that type of person?(TL: Kohaku is asking for Taiyous opinion) Ahh..I do get that kind of vibe from her Why are you guys jumping to your own conclusions?! Im telling you I am not going to become like that, okay?! Yeah,all I can hear you saying is Oh noo, I will never become such a thing Thats true, the more she tries to deny it, the more it seems that shes just trying to deny the truth Stop making your own assumptions Youran pouts and turns her face away. Arent you interested in her? If you make her fall for you, you may just become the king of those one million people, you know? Ahh, by the way, when I said the word fall I meant the word degenerate (TL: Kohaku the perv, is basically saying, he should make her lose her mind like in those princess corruption games~) Why did you need to mention that specifically?! Its my hobby What kind of hobby is that?! What do you say? If you want to do it, then I will give you a helping hand. And when it becomes successful, all you have to do is provide me with a little bit of compensation By compensation, do you mean money? Nope, for someone like me who do not many years left to live, such a thing is unnecessary. I also have no need for lands or power Then, what is it that you want? I want this- Kohaku says this and suddenly started to lean over to Taiyou. The thin transparent dress she wore and the feeling of her smooth skin brushed up against Taiyou. At the same time, an indescribably sweet smell tickled his nose and made his heart skip a beat. What areCNnnmuu! He was just about to ask her, but before he could speak, Kohaku already planted a kiss on him. With such a sudden kiss, it could be said that there was no sign of this before it happened. With his lips being enclosed, Taiyou was both astonished and perplexed. After a short time, just like the time when he was kissed, Kohaku was the one who parted from him. Whilst being totally confused, Taiyou was looking at her. Wh, what is Im going to take the reward in advance Payment in advance? When the time comes, you can just give me another reward of the same kind Nono, wait, wait wait What is it? You are being such a stingy man, arent you? Are you trying to bargain down the compensation? No, thats not the problem In that case, were you not satisfied with my lips? Uuuu.. Taiyou was at a loss for words. It definitely wasnt unpleasant. More than that, it was actually quite the opposite. The feeling of her lips when she kissed him, and the rich fragrant aroma that drifted from her body smelled like a dribble of honey. And now she was finishing him off with her abandoned upturned puppy eyes look. The result was that a fire started to ignite within Taiyous chest. It was a sweet-tasting kiss that made both his legs feel a sweet aching all the way to the base of his feet. Even if his mouth was torn apart, the words not good, it was not possible to say such a thing. Just when Taiyou was at a loss for what to answer, Kohaku seems to have found something as she points her fingers at something. Umu? Hey, can you tell me what that is? That? Taiyou turns his gaze to where she was pointing and when he did, he let out a groan. What was there, was the appearance of Hera who was supposed to keep silent in accordance to whenTaiyou was among other people. Its nice to meet you desuyo?, I exist for Taiyous sake, I am the Level up Fairy Hera nanodesu? Chapter 36: My Heroine wouldn’t have Rape Eyes Chapter 35: Loli Kiss Chapter 37: Sexual Intercourse rate Five Percent Fumu? What is this about? Umm.? What the heck is going on? More like that was what Taiyou wanted to ask. The level up fairy and the loli baba were staring at each other. Dont tell me, you can see her? If you are talking about that alien existence right in front of me, then yes I can Taiyou was in a state of blank amazement, and he was troubled at what to do. Asides from him, Kohaku was holding on to her chin and was fixatedly staring at Hera who was floating in the air. Mysterious, it really is an odd appearance you have. With that kind of size, you definitely arent a human being Arent you supposed to be more surprised? Taiyou was already worried at what to do, and he was puzzled at the reaction of Kohaku. For someone who just saw Heras appearance-the figure of a non-human fairy, her reaction was way too indifferent. Have you seen this kind of thing before? No, This is the first time, I have seen the existence of a supernatural being. The reason I am not surprised is because Ive seen plenty of weird things. When you reach my age, its really hard to be surprised at anything As expected of a loli baba nanodesu? Umu, it seems you have understood Ehmm, hello From the side a nervous Yurikago can be heard. When I turned to the side, I could see a mixture of a persons expression that was filled with both fright and puzzlement. You guys, since a while ago, what are you talking aboutWho are you talking to? Umu? Yes please enlighten me, what is this all about Kohaku asks Hera for an explanation. The thing is desune, The only people who can see me, are people who have kissed Taiyou-chan desuyo? Hou, what a pleasant story Kohakus expression turned to that of amusement, and she fell silent. Looking at her response Yurikago was becoming even more afraid and flustered. Wait, dont just go silent on me, please answer the question Well..Even if you wanted me to answer..How should I put this? Taiyou who was suddenly put on the spot truly did not know how to respond. If you have a kiss with me you will be able to see the fairy, how about it?..It wasnt like I could just say it that kind of thing with blatant honesty. Under normal circumstances saying such a thing, will guarantee an ambulance of a certain color will show up and take you away. However, at this rate, just trying to cover it up will not work out either. When I was being hesitant, Kohaku who was in a deep sea of thought, suddenly raised an idea. Allow me to confirm, if somebody kisses his lips, without a doubt, they will become able to see you? Is there some kind of limitation to this? There isnt any?. Regardless of who it is, men and women of all ages, anyone who kisses Taiyou-chan will be able to see me desu? I understand, alright Kohaku nods her head and walks towards Yurikago. Whwhat? Umu, I was thinking of explaining everything to you from now on If, if you want to explain it to me, cant you stand over there? Why are you coming.so close to me? Its easier to do something rather than worry about it, in other words, it will be easier to explain if you just experienced it in person, rather than just using words Experience it? Eh? What is this about? Oh yeah, by the way, what is your name? Hera-chan nanodesuyo? Umu. Then Hera, please restrain his movements Roger that? Hera gives Kohaku a salute, she flies in the opposite direction away from everyone else. It was an action taken in order to prepare for a speed boost, after taking about ten meters of distance she turned, and at an extremely great speed, she flew towards Taiyou. Wha Its a revolution desuyo!? Hera was rotating like a rifle. With such vigorous momentum, she was drilling towards Taiyou. The fairys small body hits the defenceless Taiyou squarely in between his groins. UguuCY, ou. Taiyou was crouching on the ground pressing between his groins. Taiyou who received a direct hit to his most precious jewels, was feeling the pain to the pit of his stomach, and he was fainting in agony. Ive told you.to stophitting me here.. But, but Taiyou-chan, unless its a short distance attack, it wouldnt work on Taiyoou-chan desuyo? LikeISaid Will this be good enough?? Hera asked Kohaku. Nice jya Wh, what is happening.? Though the details of what exactly is happening, is quite clear to Kohaku who can see Heras figure. For Yurikago, who cannot see what was happening, all she could see was that Taiyou was suddenly on the floor crouching and holding on to his groins,. Even as a joke she could not predict exactly what was happening, and she was getting the cold sweat just from seeing this baffling spectacle. The fact that Taiyou did not seem to be acting, only further increased her bewilderment of the situation. Now then, the next person is you Eh? Thats right Kohaku suddenly stepped on Yurikagos foot with a Don! The moment Yurikago got stepped on, her whole body went numb for a split second as if electricity ran through it, with a start her body crumbles to the floor. Wh, what are you doing? Dont worry, this isnt one of my mysterious arts. I merely poked on one of your pressure points. When someone hits your elbow, youve experienced this kind of thing before havent you? This is just an even more amazing version of that Ohh, as expected of a Loli Baba desu. Such a knowledgeable Baba nanodesu? I suppose you can say, that I am well versed in many practical matters. You are quite capable yourself I learnt the technique in order to protect Taiyou-chan nanodesu? I see, a woman who has someone to protect is truly strong as one would expect Hera and Kohaku was singing each other with praises on one side, and on the other end, both Taiyou and Yurikago received damage. They were both in a situation of being unable to move. After praising each other for quite some time, they turned towards the two people who were on their knees. Now then, Shall we do it?(Kohaku Speaking) What should we do desuka? Make that fellow turn his face upwards nojya. If he tries to resist, I dont mind it if you give him one more blow. I mean, whats it to a young man like him, he should be full of resilience and recuperate in no time right? Roger? Hera salutes and slips underneath Taiyous chin and pushes his face upwards. Kohaku on the other end also turns towards Yurikagi and held her up supporting her by the armpit. Wh, what are you.. Kohaku didnt say a word and just lifted her up. Although her diminutive body looked like it had a hard time carrying Yurikago for a second, it would seem that her waist was used well and she seemed to have a knack for carrying heavy things on her back. And then, she brought Yurikago to where Taiyou was currently crouching. Stop. Wai, wait! Wait! Taiyou and Yurikago, in particular, Taiyou knew exactly what they were trying to make him do. Yurikago was unsure of the reason, but looking at the situation, she had a pretty good guess as to what they were planning. Although they both tried to resist, their bodies which have not recovered from the damage they received was clearly unable to fight back. And the two people had their heads held down, and were made to kiss each other by force. Mou! I cant believe this is happening! Finally regaining her freedom, Yurikago rapidly stands up and scrubs her lips with the back of her hands. What are you trying to achieve! Playing around with peoples lips like this?! Kukuku, isnt it fine like this? Its alright, trust me Ohh, its a Japanese AKUDAIKAN nanodesune?(TL: this is a reference to Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star a spin off sequel animation, She is trying to say that Taiyou is an Akudaikan, which is an evil ruler who plans to capture the seven fountains. Or in this case the Seven Heroines) I aint an evil warlordC!! Well, just calm down a little, your face looks like you were showered with kisses continuously for one month It wasnt for one month! If you were affectionately kissed for one month, what would happen ?? Taiyou-chan, will it be alright if you try it out on Kotone-chan and the other girls? You may also try it to me. I think my face would become like an enlightened monk jyaro I think it will be like a bitch in heat! Surely?! Yurikago was indignant. Her ability to move was taken away by force, as a girl who has already declared to Taiyou that she didnt really like him, her reaction of being unhappy was an expected outcome, however, she was so angry that she was missing the important factor. Hey, can I talk to you for a bit? To point it out, Taiyou called out to her. What? Let me just make this clear, but if you try to kiss me one more time, I will bite your lips off, okay? No, I wouldnt do those kind of things to you, or ever take you by force. It isnt about that Then what are you trying to say? You, do you realize that you have been talking to Hera for a while now? Eh? Yurikago became dazed and almost as if she became a robot, she turned her head with a (sfx gi gi gi mechanical sound) towards Hera Unlike a little while ago, she clearly had a good look at Hera. The moment she verified Heras appearance, her eyes gradually widened in surprise. It was like she saw something completely unbelievable, it was like seeing something for the first time since she was born. Y..You.. Once again, Its nice to meet you desuyo?. I am Taiyou-chans special Fairy, Hera-chan nanodesu? Wh, what is going on? With this it should be quite clear right? Only the woman who kisses this fellow will be able to see her jya Even if a male kissed him, they would be able to see me ya know? Ill say this right now, but rather than kissing with a male, I would rather crush their skulls in Taiyou exposed a face full of disgust. If another beastly male were to kiss him, it would not be possible for him to accept. .Ahh I understand. So the thing a while ago was because such a mysterious thing was there In the beginning Yurikago was truly shocked, but as soon as she confirmed the existence of Hera, she rapidly recovered and was becoming calm and collected again. After being surprised, she was becoming really calm at a scary pace, she grabbed a small handgun from within her purse. So is this why, even If I do this, you will be completely fine? Whilst saying such a thing, she pointed her gun at Taiyous groins. Posun! (Fire) Right after the sound of gun fire resounded, the bullet sped up towards Taiyous crotch at a rapid pace, however it quickly lost its power. Why the hell do you guys always aim at this location?! Taiyou roars. Unlike the time when Hera hurled herself into his crotch, the gun which shot a bullet straight to his groins did not even leave a scratch. Chapter 37: Sexual Intercourse rate Five Percen t Chapter 36: My Heroine wouldnt have Rape Eyes Chapter 38:Grade-schooler level of Command Isnt it fine, besides, this kind of thing wont work against you anyways Youran replies to Taiyou whilst still having her hand on her firearm, the size seemed to fit right into the palm of her hand, and if one were to look closely at the materials it was white and metallic, and when it was shot earlier, there was barely any sound coming out of it, in all aspects it was a special man made weapon. What is going jya? Different from Youran who was finally convinced, Kohaku was surprised at the spectacle which occurred before her. There was little wonder, after all, when the gun was fired a sound to the extent of a person farting came out, and most importantly, the bullet which was fired at Taiyous private parts fell harmlessly towards the ground. Having just been fired right in between his groins but acting nonchalantly as if nothing happened, it was impossible for someone to not be surprised at this development. I dont really know the details behind it, but this fellow is seemingly immune to projectile weapons. Pistol, Shotgun, Machine-gun, Rocket LauncherIve seen him be impervious to these kinds of things Was it like that? Well if someone were to come at me with a bomb, even I wouldnt know what would happen Well now that they have already found out this much, Taiyou felt there was no meaning to pretend being dumb anymore and he just admitted it obediently. He remembers the events which occurred during the morning he went to the Junishima Mansion. At that time various firearms were being shot at him and the Rocket Launcher that impacted the ground near his feet caused a huge cloud sand to appear. I suppose thats true. So, bullets dont work on you? If the best hit man in the world used his rifle on me, it might work Taiyou was cracking jokes, without shifting in complexion in the slightest, Youran just ignored him and looked the other way. As expected, it would seem that she didnt really enjoy these kind of conversations. She slides her gaze to Hera who was standing on the side and started to ask her. Is it true? Yes ?, Taiyou-chan is immune to all long ranged attacks desuyo? Hou, does he even possess such a strange ability? What a convenient thing jya Is the reason he has his powers because of you? Its because Taiyou-chan really worked hard desuyo? Is that so. Long distance wont affect him, how about short distance attacks? For instance what if I were to slap him in the face, what would happen? Well the thing is ? In mid-sentence Hera flies towards Taiyous groins. Why are you always aiming for this spot?! Taiyou grabs unto Hera and grips her tightly, and he threw her away in the opposite direction with all his strength. Hera was screaming out in a loud voice Ah?Ree? as she flew away and vanished into the yonder. I see, I guess even just a little while ago, you were collapsed in agony Uu I understand, though all kinds of long distance attacks are nullified, if a direct close range attack landed, you would be just an vulnerable as anyone else jya At that time when you threw away Shirokiyami into safety, you had full confidence in your power to survive the frontal attack, didnt you? I also heard you mentioned thatEven if a nuclear bomb was launched at me, perhaps I would remain unharmed It would seem that you would live longer than a century jyano Youran and Kohaku was having a noisy discussion about his abilities, when he suddenly felt a staggeringly bad premonition. It felt like he was slowly being stripped off all his clothes, by the two women, and more importantly, he felt like the discussion was going into a place where it cannot be allowed. The two of them did not know of Heras existence until a little while ago. And now, even his skill had been exposed. Both of them were very quick witted women, when information was given, one after another they would solve the pieces of the puzzle and it would spark more ideas. The reason why you would bring this man along, I have completely understood now Me too, finding out that bringing him along was the right choice makes me feel relieved As for me, I am just so glad that the amount of people I can converse with has increased desuyo? Before he noticed it, Hera was already back and mingling with the conversation of the two girls. He was almost tempted to throw her away again. Now then After coming to terms with the topic, Youran had a serious look on her face. It is about time jya They were playing around a while ago, but now they were indifferent. With the guidance of Kohaku, both Youran and Taiyou were being led into the research facility. Kohaku used her biometric authentication to enter the building, and inside it was unpopulated, according to Kohakus source of information, for some reason or other, the researchers had withdrawn from the facility from midnight till six oclock in the morning. Inside the building however, the Eternal little who was cooperating with the researchers were still here somewhere. Though it was obvious they were experimenting with them somehow, he didnt really know the particulars. The certain thing was the fact that there was nothing else here besides the eternally little. (I cant really see where the eternally little are..Is it possible that there are still other things to discover here?) They were walking along the building where all they could here was their own footsteps. The woman who was leading them was still wearing her see-through one piece dress. Although at the start when he first met her, he was anxious about her appearance, Taiyou did not have any lecherous thoughts. However since she took advantage of him with the kiss, he started to see her in a different light. To be precise, he became transfixed with her ass. It was completely transparent and he could see her buxom small ass from behind. Somehow or other, her swaying hips were truly captivating and Taiyou felt that blood was rushing into his groin area. At the same time, he felt a faint sense of guilt and he inadvertently turned his eyes away..However, besides him Youran was there. Youran was clearly glaring with scornful eyes at Taiyou. Lolicon -tsu! Taiyou couldnt find any words to say, and his face reddened. After one moment, he desperately tried to object. D, dont call me a Lolicon! I dont have that kind of weird complex! Besides this person is way older than me, and instead of a Loli she would be Taiyou was trying to explain his side of the story, and Youran only watched him with indifferent cold eyes. Why are you becoming to flustered? Normally you are so cool-headed. Dont tell me, did I hit it right on the mark? CTsu! Taiyou-chan are you a Lolicon desuka?? In that case, what do you think about me ?? You are out of the question! Then are you saying, that Kohaku is within your sights? Are you aiming for her? No no, thats not what I meant At the rate this was going, he felt that he would be branded a lolicon, and he would have to bear the dishonorable shame. As a man, it was the one thing that he did not want to bear. If he gets careless here, more so than wrestling in embarrassing pants, he would receive a big psychological damage. Taiyou was completely caught out of guard, on the contrary Youran was calm and composed. Well, dont worry about it, I dont really care if you are a Lolicon or whatever, as it doesnt concern me. Since the start Ive always disliked you, besides this fact wont change even now Im telling you its a misunderstanding Kukuku, Please dont fight over me Kohaku who was walking ahead of them stifled a laughter. You dont really have to add fuel to the fire you know! Kufu, my bad. But since Ive been born as a woman, Ive always wanted to say such a line jya Is that really so ?? Umu, Well there are also a couple of other ones as well. For example I want to drink the miso soup that you madeor Its touching me, idiot!orOi, can you grab it for me, you know that thing ?or Even if you said that you disliked it, look at how wet this place has becomethose kind of things Hehh, so women actually have those kind of things that they want to say desune?? Dont be fooled, that is obviously a joke or her own personal twisted hobby Kukuku, its been found out ? Well, they are all my personal desires jya Are those kind of useless things your only ambitions in life?! Well I suppose I can admit that they are worthless, after all they are all dreams that cannot be achieved Dreams to fulfil? Taiyou looked doubtful and certainly amongst her six dialogs Kohaku wanted to say, he didnt really understand why she wanted such weird dreams fulfilled, however she could probably get away with the Its touching me, idiot!phrase. As for the rest, he wasnt entirely sure what the heck she was trying to achieve by saying them. You know about how we are called the eternally little right? At same time, are you aware of the other term the old housemaids? Ahh, I have been curious about that for a while. Ive heard people saying it before, but what exactly is this thing called the old housemaids? and what does it mean? Are you aware of the Old Maid ? Ha? Taiyou leaked a stupendous voice. For a second, the topic changed and he thought that he had misheard what she actually said. It was like you turned several pages of a book all at once, that kind of feeling. The old maids? Are you referring to the Old maid card game? Umu, Am I wearing any clothes underneath? Or am I not wearing any clothes, that kind of game nojya That aint the old maid card game, thats different type of card game isnt it? Kukuku. Well the thing is. The old maid card game originally came from a game called the old housemaid game. It is a truly old game, the cards we used to play didnt even have the same shape as the ones we use nowadays, it was the times when jokers didnt exist jya. The object of the game is to not be the one with the only queen at the end. And the person who is left with the queen loses so granny..You are an old maid? Exactly. Old maids are women who has remain unsold..or another way to put it is they are women who missed the marriageable age. We are the left over queens jyayo What a harsh way to put it I suppose it is jya. Well, as you can see, we the eternal little have this sort of external appearance. Throughout my whole life, I will retain this youthful appearance. As you can see I appear to be too young and naturally there is no one who would desire me as their companion Is that so? No wait, how about all the lolicons out thereC If someone was to ask for my hand in marriage. No even if they only became a companion, it would be good enough. In this society there is no one who is willing to confess that they are a lolicon to the world. As a man, there is rarely anyone who would want to burden the shame of being branded as such. Having the courage to proclaim that they are lolicon and losing their reputation, and having a lolicon complex is a completely different thing .. For us eternally little, the ratio to get married is roughly around 5%, that is a ratio of one in every twenty people. Other than that, its about the fact that the man will continue to grow older. This kind of rumor spreads and soon enough, we the eternally little, were branded with a derogatory term of the old housemaids Unsold stuff. nanodesuka?? Well as one would expect, with that kind of term attached to your name, not many people would want to be associated with it Hera and Youran joins the conversation. After listening to Kohakus speech, he went into deep thought. Chapter 38: Grade-schooler level of Command Chapter 38:Grade-schooler level of Command Chapter 37: Sexual Intercourse rate Five Percent Chapter 39: The Key to a Successful Harem Whilst walking behind Kohaku, his feelings somehow became gloomy. After listening to her talk, he finally understood her side of the story. Dont fight over me. I want you to make miso soup for me every morning. Oi, get that for me will you, you know that thing? These dialogs were all about love, and the affection that she has lacked all her life. For someone like her whose percentage to get married was one in twenty, it was natural that she would yearn for such a thing. And, there was another thing that he understood. To Kohaku who yearned for such things.. Then, you are.. Umu, Even if I look like this, I am an energetic virgin jya Kohaku turns her neck over her shoulders and grinned. Hearing her say such an embarrassing thing, Taiyous face turned bright red like a tomato all the way to his ears. Please choose your words more appropriately! By the way, my amniotic fluids never rots and throughout our whole lives, we the eternally little..Retain our abilities to reproduce and become pregnant until our death Like I said, please choose your words! Why are you suddenly going into such a weird direction?! For an elderly person to not lose their ability to reproduce, it is truly a rare thing jya Please consider the young people too! Hey, you Youran speaks up and interrupts the comedy skit between the two people. Arent you planning on being with those three triplets? Eh? Ahh, thats what I plan to do So, you are a lolicon, arent you? I have no intention of becoming one! Taiyou did not want to bear the burden of shame and he rebuked Youran with a loud voice, however Youran did not mind it at all and just proceeded with her reasoning. So, arent you planning on creating a harem with them? That is. Well Taiyou reluctantly nods. There was still a refusal feeling to the word harem. Or more like, he wasnt really sure yet, if what he had between them was a harem. However, the fact that he wanted to be together with, Kotone, Suzune and Kazane was without a doubt his feelings on the matter. That was really the only method when it came with the three sisters and gradually he himself desired the three of them. Therefore he nodded, then he nodded again and one last time he nodded to himself as if confirming his own beliefs. Thats right, I do want to be together with them So, in that case why dont you include her into your harem as well? Eh? Ohh, there was also this method desu Increasing your harem members by just one, shouldnt be too much of a problem right? Ehhhhhhh? The proposal was way too sudden. Taiyous scream of exclamation resounded in the building in the middle of the night. Under Kohakus guidance they arrived in front of a room. The door in front of them was an imposing mechanical door. Well, then this particular door wont be activated with my level of clearance Yes, please wait a moment Youran was fiddling around and she took something out. It was the kind of thing people used to protect their fingers when sewing, kind of like a finger condom. This is.? Its a finger authentication system, and its a relatively old-fashion security, apparently this door will open based on the finger print and in accordance with body temperature Huh? In the near future, there will probably be an update to the security system which will become a hybrid authentication system, but in that case, I will also be prepared to open it Saying such a thing, Youran passed the finger sack to Taiyou. Here you go Eh? You are giving it to me? Use it on your finger, because before applying it we need to make sure it matches a humans body temperature. You, isnt your body temperature high? .You seem to know a lot about me Youran was referring to the conversation she had with Shirokiyami in the past. He wondered just how much information this woman had on him, but for the time being Taiyou decided not to worry about it. He puts on the fake finger print, and waits for the temperature to rise, and soon after, the party entered through the door. Inside the room, there was several computer terminals. Youran stands in in front of one and started to operate the machine. In the front screen, Taiyou felt like he knew many of the icons that were displayed on the computer screen. Unexpectedly the machine seems quite old This, is just a dummy Eh? If I am not mistakenWWSSADADBAis the input code What is that?.Ohh Taiyou was dubious but after she inputted the code, the screen completely changed with a poof. Now the icons which were familiar to him all disappeared in a burst and what replaced it was a black screen which started to spell out white characters. Is this the command prompt..? Thats right, and operating from here Youran inserted a memory stick into the machine, and the clattering of the keyboard was heard. He remembered that she previously explained that this terminal was not connected to any networks, so it was imperative that she physically came here with a memory drive in order to steal the information. Taiyou was keeping guard as she performed her work but suddenly, there was a glance from the side that he was worried with. When he turned around, Kohaku was looking at him with sparkling eyes, at least that is what he felt. For some reason or other, she seemed to be blushing, and she looked seriously cute. Umm..What are you looking at? It, its not like Im looking at you or anything jya Why are you suddenly acting so suspiciously?! After giving her a retort, Kohakus body which was twisting and turning a moment ago, was standing in their usual firm position. Thats weird, I had heard that nowadays the young men liked this sort of attention? I think that is questionably old fashioned! After he objected, she noted it with an Umu, and then after nodding, she looked at Taiyou once again. For some reason, this time around, she was staring at him intensely and was glaring at him. Ill, Kill you! (TL: Yandere mode activated?!) By any chance, are you giving me one of those death stares with that kind of look?! That didnt work? in that case how about Like I said, please stop it with this kind of behaviour, ya got mee?! Your way of speaking the Japanese language got slightly impaired, young fellow Whose fault do you think that is?! Is it mine? Who else could it be? Why are you so interested in these kinds of dangerous jokes? How odd, all I was trying to do was appeal my own loveliness, it didnt work? Even if you didnt do such things, you are normally cute desuyo? Heras whole face was smiling as she complimented Kohaku. Umu, Thank you. However, my cuteness, does not seem to be able to reach him jya. What shall I do, I wonder? Taiyou-chan is just antisocial desu, words are useless against him, I suggest that you take the direct approach, otherwise it wont work desu? Hou? Kohakus eyes, was glittering and shining. In that case, why dont you just stick your body next to his? If its just oral, I can pretend not to see anything Whilst operating the terminal, Youran joins the conversation whilst looking at the screen. Her multitasking was pretty good, like being able to hold a conversation whilst driving a car. That is an ingenious idea desu. Now then Kohaku-tan, Ike ike, Go , go nanodesu? You guys, what are you trying to instigate here?! Taiyou raises his voice. If you want to have this kind of conversation, at least do it when the person in question is not right next to you As he was saying that, Kohaku without caring in the slightest, leans against Taiyou coquettishly. The atmosphere changes. It was different from before, and a gentle atmosphere was created as she snuggled into Taiyous arms. Wha, wait.. ..If its me, do you dislike it? Eh? Ive heard you already made promise to take turns with the three women, then the principle of only having one partner will no longer apply to you right? In that space, is there none left for me? Wh, what are you saying so suddenly? Im entreating you, jya Entreating? In other words, this is a close-out sale jya. I dont have much longer to live, however, this youthful appearance can be retained until my last breath. I think that right now, its a very cheap bargain jyazo Cheap. Umu, I wont get jealous and I make any selfish remarks. Even if I only receive the warmth for one person, divided into four..for me that will be more than enough jya (TL: omg what a pitiful loli baba T.T) Taiyou was at a loss for words, the joking atmosphere which they had a few moments ago was blown away like the wind. It was completely replaced with this sweet, yet suffocating atmosphere. Her dialog of begging him. Combined with the fact that she didnt have many years left to live, her frantic desperation was really transmitted to Taiyou. Eternally little..They were also known as the Old Maids. 95% of them remained unsold, and even going as far as to refer to herself as a special bargain sale. These kind of earnest things she said, truly made Taiyous feeling waver. Kohaku-san She was nestling into Taiyous arms as looked up at him, her eyes were gently shut. Chapter 39: The Key to a Successful Harem Chapter 38:Grade-schooler level of Command Chapter 40: A Means to and End For a while, Taiyou just stared at her. The sweet atmosphere wraps around him and tempts him. Even though the little girl in front of his eyes, looked to be 10 years old, he felt like it was also not right to call her an 87 year old woman either. There was only one thing in his eyes..She was just a girl. Her pulse was transmitted to him, from the place where their skin touched skin. Her pulse was warm, as if it was delivering her feelings right to him. The strength and speed of the pulse continued to increase, it was the peculiar rhythm of a person who feels nervous. Taiyou knew what it meant, in the past few days, he understood what that rhythm represented. Because he understood, Taiyou broke off the atmosphere and he gently pulled her body off him. You? Her small face was raised, Kohaku who was waiting for a kiss expectantly opened her eyes, For a while, she just stood there and watched Taiyous face in surprise, however before long, her pupils were dyed with the color of disappointment. Well, I suppose thats how things would turn out. For an old baba like me. Thats not it Taiyou interrupted Kohakus self-deprecation. In truth, my heart was beating really fast, regardless of your appearance, and regardless of your inside, nothing mattered and I was just in the moment..and I wanted to do it Then, why didnt you? In response to Kohakus words, Taiyou shook his head slowly. I already, have three girlfriends. They are three women who think of themselves as one entity. I want to be honest with them. Thats why, it isnt possible for me to accept you However, Ive heard that those girls wanted you to create a harem That was just my own selfishness, and it is a thing that I need to clarify with them later on Taiyou looks straight into Kohakus eyes as he continued to talk. Even if I wanted to get together with another woman, I would need the girls agreement, and also my own approval. In addition, if in the future more people are involved, I want everyone to consent before more are added to the harem. I want everyone to acknowledge and be together peacefully, I want to have that kind of relationship Thats why, right now I cant do it Is that so? Kohaku nods her head and quietly parts from Taiyou. You are seeking a polyamory, arent you? Polyamory? Hearing words he wasnt accustomed to hearing, Taiyou tilts his head. Havent you heard of these words being mentioned by the gay and lesbian community? Similar to their principles, when three or more people love each other, at that time, everyones consent is necessary for the relationship to flourish, its that kind of principle Is there such a thing? Isnt this the exact principle you just stated? No, what I mean is, is such a thing prevalent in this world, or has it been done successfully before?I mean, Im not too fond of gays or lesbiansbut, there is a huge amount of people like them, right? Well, it isnt something that is remarkable. Even now, polygamy is known worldwide, or it could even be said that by ethnic groups, people who do polyandry exceeds 70 percent(TL: polyandry, for those that dont know is a practice of one woman taking two or more husbands, AKA reverse harem) Eh? Well, I suppose that is the magic of numbers, when I compare it to the population of the world, the number becomes 10 percent or less. This is because, the people who follow polygamy are still in the minorities Ah, is that what you meant? Lets come back to it. Hearing you talking about polyamory..Ive remembered a race of people who follow that principle Taiyou nods. Looking at him, Kohaku lets out a sweet smile. As if she was fascinated by him, it was a gentle smile. Then, I shall wait for you to get the acknowledgement of the girls. By the way, I will protect my chastity so please dont be worried .Thank you The one who should be saying thanks is me Kohaku was smiling contently. He had a premonition, it was the hunch that Kotone and the girls would gladly accept Kohaku. Even so, Taiyou wanted to hear their opinions first before making a decision. Taiyou wanted to stay true to his convictions. However that conviction is one of the walls that stand in between Kotone and the girls, and Taiyou had not yet realised this fact. Nee nee, Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan? What is it? If, I get the permission of Kotone and the girls, will you also let me into your harem?? Eh? Taiyou was blankly staring at Hera, losing his words. He didnt expect such a question so he lost his words. I mean, werent you talking about obtaining permission just now? Well, I mean it was but Then, there is a possibility for me too desuyone?? No no.. When his lolicon complex is aggravated this is how he acts eh Whilst she was still operating the computer, Yurikago managed to sneak in some remarks. No, like I said, thats a misunderstanding Taiyou-chan whats it going to be? No for you I cant, if you really want me to say yes, at least become human sized Uuu.That is not possible nanodesuyo? Then, please give up Uuu..I understand nanodesu?. Hera withdrew tearfully. Seeing her depressed appearance, whilst, it did not suddenly invoke his love for Hera, it did cause him to feel pitiful, and he wanted to apologize for it. Because the talk with Kohaku had reached a standstill, Taiyou stood up and walked next to Yurikago. What? Whats the situation? Its going well, in a little while, the one that we need copied will be obtained. The evidence, that they were doing human experimentation of the socially vulnerable, Eternally Little And with this information, we will be able to stop them from aiming at Kotone and the girls? Yes. If this is revealed to the public, all plans can be frozen according to my discretions. In such a case, no one will aim at the girls What about the Eternally Little who are related to the experiments? There is no problem in that department..Regardless of the case, a huge amount of money will be paid to them in compensation for their hardships. Or more like, the situation will inevitably lead to such an outcome ..I suppose so Taiyou was convinced. Oh? Suddenly, Hera opens her eyes wide, and faces the other direction. She was just staring at this one point in the wall..as if she could see through what was behind it. Whats wrong?C Was there something? Just as Taiyou was about to approach her and ask her this question. Alarm?! Youran, stood at attention, and turned her eyes. All the other people also had similar looks. The whole room started to blink with flashing red lights, and a siren began to ring. What the hell is this?! This is.An alarm that informs others of any intruders Did you say intruders? Whats going on, why is such a thing suddenly happening? I dont know Kohaku says this, as she looked towards the computer screen. Is the data ready yet? Its just a little more Quick! If this keeps upC Before Kohaku even finishes her sentence, the screen cuts off with a poof, and the screen of the computer goes completely black. Ahh Geez! I was so close to getting it! Pull out the memory drive! At least we got something, it should be fine! I know already Yurikago violently extracted the memory drive that was inserted into the main body of the computer. Okay, time to escape Follow me, there is a pathway that is not usually used connected to the outside. Its not as special as a secret passage, but the probability of encountering a person is considerably less Just like the way she guided them when they were walking in, Kohaku once again took lead to guide them out. Wait, what direction are you going in? Taiyou asks her making her stop. The pace of the flashing red lights begins to quicken gradually. Direction? If you are asking about that, then its over here Kohaku answers, and points in the direction. And can you tell me which direction we entered from? That is this way I see, By the way, this here is still the first floor right? Umu.What do you intend to do? Kohaku was a little doubtful, Taiyou started to walk in a direction that was opposite from the two directions she pointed in. He walked towards a white wall. Taiyou stood there and took a deep breathe. Uohhhhhhh! A shout resounded and the entire room shook, as he launched his fist towards the wall. Dogon! The place which had a white wall moments ago, now had a huge hole in which a person could easily go through. Going into this room, Taiyou started to break the wall, towards the same direction. Chapter 40: A Means to and End Chapter 39: The Key to a Successful Harem Chapter 41: I really wanted to hear those words You, what are you up to? Im creating an exit path After answering Kohakus question, he went straight towards the wall and began pummeling it again to create a hole. He continues to puncture holes into the wall one after another so Kohaku, Yurikago and Hera started to follow after him. We dont have to do something like this, I can guide us to a secret passageway jya This is just from my speculation, but Taiyou makes an introductory statement. From the people that are chasing us now, I have a feeling that they already know that you have betrayed them. And if my hunch is correct, they will already be waiting at the secret passageway and the information you provide will prove fatal if we follow it blindly Have you also considered the fact that Kohaku might be a double agent? Yurikago questions Taiyou. She is firmly gripping unto the memory drive with both of her hands. Ahh, in the case that she is, something will happen around this timC I have never thought such a thing Eh? Though Yurikago was about to say something, Taiyou continued to break the walls down and spoke over her. That kind of possibility, doesnt even cross my mind Wh, why? Taiyou could not answer her. He did not think he needed to answer her. Fufufuf?, as expected desu, as one would expect from my Taiyou-chan desu Hera flies next to Taiyou who was keeping silent, and she danced around and fluttered around him. Taiyou swatted her away like she was some sort of fly, and Hera was unperturbed as she smiled radiantly dusting herself off and flying around him again. The radiant Hera, the frowning Yurikago and lastly Kohaku who stood in silence as she gazed at his back. Three people followed him and Taiyou smashed one last wall.which was connected to the outside. And when they got out of the building, they saw the 20 meter wall..which was there previously. He runs up to the wall with a dash, and just like he has been doing, he used his powerful fist to create a breach in the fence. Taiyou faces towards Yurikago. Go ahead of us! Eh? I will hold them off here, you go on ahead What are you saying? I am A means to an end Taiyou interrupts her rebuttal. Taiyou had a stern expression on his face. Youve told me that there are two conditions to victory, the first being getting that memory drive and the second is that your true colors must not be revealed to the enemy. In that case, what do you think is the most effective means right now? Attract their attention and then holding them off here, meaning that someone must remain Thats right, and right now, who do you think is the best person for such a job? .its you The correct answer. Thats why, you should go on ahead When the facts were pointed out to her, Yurikago had a tortured expression on her face. It was obvious that her heart was wavering. However, there was only one answer. Under such a limited situation, no matter how someone hesitates there is no other option than to accept the facts. In the end, she could only concede to his plan. .I understand Hera, follow her as well Eh? Even if you are here right now, there is nothing much you can do, on the other hand, if you were to follow her, you can become her eyes and cover her blind spots I understand desu Alright, go! Yurikago looks at Taiyou one last time with the last remaining vestiges of reluctance before steeling herself and disappearing to the other side of the darkness beyond the hole. Well then, you should also Kukuku, Im staying behind. No, I must stay behind Mu If both you and I remain here, it will buy more time for the rest to get away safely. In other words It will attract more of their men to stay behind? Correct. Although with a hole like this in the wall, it is uncertain as to how many can pass through Alright, but the person doing the fighting will be me, moreover if they take out guns, please do not hesitate to hide behind me as they will not work against me at all Roger.That With that being said, the conversation between the two people came to a standstill. Whilst waiting for the enemy to reach here, Taiyou and Kohaku was standing side by side in front of the hole with an imposing stance. Before long, a huge amount of people surrounded them. In front of the research facility, one man was taking along his subordinate. He was wearing elegant glasses, and he was a young person wearing intellectual style of clothing where the tailoring was good. He was one of the promising figures of the Junishima clan, Junishima Kaizen. He was glaring at the facility, whilst listening to the report from his subordinate. Reporting, we have encircled each of the exit ways within the facility Good, how about the concealed passage which we discovered from the information? We have also completed the arrangements for that area Well done Kaizen nodded at his subordinate. Have we been able to confirm who the perpetrator is? Yes, using the monitor. We have managed to confirm that there is one man and two women Is Sakura amongst them? No, one of the females is the eternally little, and the other female seems like a normalhigh school student she doesnt seem to have much restraint in her actions. Both their statures were different I understand, So they didnt bring Sakura along, and hid her instead What should we do? What about the male? It would seem, that he is the high school student who raided our residence earlier this morning I see, It would seem that he is connected to all of this Your orders? Because I want more information, capture them alive Yes, I will convey the message The subordinate moves slightly away from Kaizen, and begins to contact the group with a wireless radio. Kaizen rolls up his glasses. Sakura-san.. He mutters whilst intently watching the facility. During the day, the Juunishima Residence was attacked by the enemy. There were two intruders, the first was an unidentified high school boy, however the other intruder was Shirokiyami. She was a swordswoman who wielded the national treasure Reverse Heaven, although she was still in her teens, her strength was world renowned as one of the strongest. Because of such an attack, his relative Sakura was kidnapped. When Sakura was kidnapped, Kaizen immediately kept watch of all the projects Sakura was overseeing, moreover, it could be that the information about the facilities had been leaked by her and so it was infiltrated. And when it came down to it, the facility did encounter infiltrators. HoweverWhat was their motives for capturing Sakura-san, were they trying to set up a trap or were they trying to gather information? Perhaps this was a planned attack? Well considering the situation right now, it would seem they are using her for informationyeah Whilst muttering such things, he was also considering in his mind if the two people who kidnapped her was her business rivals. Looking at it from a common sense stand point, it could not be helped to think that these two were her enemies. Regardless of the case, without capturing the intruders, we cant find out any information and the questioning cannot begin Once again Kaizen looks towards the research facility. He already ordered his subordinates to seal all the exits. Next all he had to do was wait and slowly squeeze them out. Dogon!! Whilst still in the middle of thinking out his plans, suddenly a huge roaring sound could be heard from the facility. It was a sound that could shake the foundations of the building, however it was a different sound from an explosion, and it sounded more like something huge had smashed into each other. Situation Report! Yes, I will confirm it right now This sound isis it the sound of a truck smashing into something? No if they were using something as conspicuous as a car, we would have found out beforehand. In that case, what could it be.. Kaizen-sama! What is it? Th, the walls. The wall? Yes, the walls..are being crushed down..one by one The walls are being hit? Yes, the target is hitting the walls..and creating a hole in order to escape .Impossible Kaizen loses his voice, it was a development he could not anticipate. That hole.No, the target, what is their position? Yes, all of the men are being sent towards the hole and trying to encircle them, the target has all escaped through the wall Kuu, we must capture them at once, chase after them! Yes sir The subordinates once again gave their orders through the radio. What the heck is going on? Kaizen groans out in distress. Inside where various unexpected things were happening in the facility he could not sit idly, as Kaizen rushed into the facility towards the direction of the huge sound with his subordinates. Memo at the 40th Chapter. Level] 7 Main Abilities] Strength: 51 Charm: 65535 Popularity: 0 Skills: Long distance immunity Fighting power: 5 (Approximated by Shirokiyami) Main Property] Debt of about 11 million yen. An annoying Fairy (Virgin?) Broken Smart Phone One Room Apartment. Brides] Hayakawa: Kotone, Suzune, Kazane Acquaintances] Shirokiyami (An Evil Godl, Fighting power 139) Miyagi Aoba Juunishima Sakura People who can see Hera] Azumaya Kohaku AKA Loli Baba Juunishima Yurikago Hayakawa: Kotone, Suzune, Kazane Chapter 41: I really wanted to hear those words Chapter 40: A Means to and End Chapter 42: Peerless Might Begin! Behind the facility was a forest. The path that Taiyou opened up by creating a hole in the wall, did not lead to a road, instead Yurikago had to weave and dash between the trees. Holding the memory card that held the data firmly in her hand, as long as she had this, she could stop the plans that Sakura perpetuated. By the way, theres been something that got me curious Hera was talking to Yurikago, Hera was an existence she could not fathom until moments ago. What is it? Yurikago-chan, arent you supposed to be the next head of your family? Doesnt that mean, that you are in a higher position compared to Sakura-chan? My rank is higher Is that so? then in that case, cant you just order her to stop, and that will be the end of it ?? Hera was without a doubt asking her about the Blood Soul Project. And Yurikago understood that it was a very natural question to ask. Putting on a disguise, and coming in contact with people from the outside was not a first time for her. And for outsiders, it was difficult for them to understand that a huge power struggle which was occurring within the Juunishima family. Certainly if you were to compare their rank between Yurikago and Sakura, they were like heaven and earth. Similar in the way that the elder brother of Oda Nobunaga could not succeed his family no matter how much he struggled due to being an illegitimate child, Sakura could not ever reach as high a position as Yurikago. Therefore, just like what Hera has asked, it was actually quite possible to stop Sakuras actions by force if she ordered her to do so. However, the order would only be followed by pretext. Although the plan itself, if it was declared publicly would garner public criticism from a humane viewpoint, at the same time, with how big and powerful the Juunishima clan is..And the fact that an unprecedented degree of earnings can be achieved from the success of this plan, it would not be so easily stopped. Women all over the world could stop growing old, the ultimate anti-aging solution. Just as Sakura has said previously, the amount of expected earnings would be in trillion of monetary units. It is beyond a mans imagination just how many women who would drop their wallets and spend fortunes to become beautiful, not only that, on the opposite side, there also an abundance of males who would spend money for their women as well. If Yurikago were to act foolishly and forcibly stop that plan without any good reasons, this would become a subject that she would be attacked with later in the future. Consequently, she needed a just cause, in this case human rights. This is why she voluntarily took action herself whilst disguising herself, she did not really want to explain all this to Hera. In her achievement of this objective, it was by no means a requirement to explain to Hera. Also, she was different from Sakura, she did not have a hobby of enjoying a game of words nor was she interested in conversation. Thus, Yurikago hastened her steps as she ran away in the woods (Natsuno Taiyou) Since a while ago and for a long period of time, this name was sticking inside her head and she could not stop thinking about it. The boy who had similar sense of values to herself, having different objectives and a way of doing things, and the boy who put his way of doing things into practice. This particular concept had not parted from Yurikagos head. When she took a sidelong glance, Hera was flying next to her side nonchalantly. She wondered if Hera was not worried about Taiyou. You Yes desu, Whats up?? Responding Hera turns her face towards Yurikago. The moment Heras face was seen, Yurikago withheld her curiosity of Arent you worried about him and asked a different question. -You understand what he is capable of right? Yes desu? It seems that guns do not work against him, just how far does that apply? To be accurate he has a skill called Long distance immunity desu. It isnt a matter of how effective it is, if it is a long distance attack, nothing will work against him desu I want to clarify the definition of long distance, is it an absolute thing? Yes desu Then how about short distance? For example if he were to be hit by crow bars? That will not do desu, his body will be violently damaged desu Yurikago makes a pale face and began to tremble. .Does he have a method to deal with those kinds of attacks? Taiyou-chan desuka? Ummm, get them before they get him desuka? Whilst advancing her path through the woods, Yurikago had a frown on her face. When everything was put together, she concluded that Taiyou was in an extraordinary pinch right now. Yurikago instinctively thought is he alright?. He should be alright desuyo?, his mind is still clear, nanodesuyo I, Im not asking because Im worried okay Is that so nanodesu? Isnt it natural Yurikago spoke in a tight tone of voice as if she wanted to get past the subject. And once again looking at the carefree Hera flying around her, she asked another question. By the way, when you said that hes fine, what exactly did you mean? do you mean that he was able to successfully buy us time? Yurikago spoke as if she needed an explanation. Yes desu, its because hes Taiyou-chan desukara? What do you mean? Its because hes my Taiyou-chan, thats why its because he was putting on a show and looking cool as he declared to Yurikago-chan that he would buy us time, therefore, he definitely will be fine desuyo? ..Thats it? Yes desu? Hang on one minute, isnt there something more? Doesnt he have more special skills perhaps? Or special ideas? Special skills? Hera inclines her neck and was in thought. The face that appeared naturally after, implied that there was no other special skill. She halted her movements instinctively, and looked at Hera with eyes of complete astonishment. Believe in others required no reasoningAlthough that kind of thinking may be nice to hear, Yurikago was by no means that kind of person. For her, in order to believe in something, there needed to be a good reason. If there was a clear reason to it, she was the type of person who could believe in anyone, however, believing in a person based purely on faith was something she absolutely could not do. Whats wrong desuka?? If we dont escape quickly, we will be in trouble desu Yurikago-chan? Yurikago was hesitating. After getting out of the hole in the wall and escaping, it was the first time she turned around. The wall was now far enough that it was completely covered by the trees. Beyond the wall, there was Taiyou, who in order to buy her time, was sacrificing his body. The fact that there has been no sign of pursuers arriving means that, whatever he was doing, he was succeeding in halting their movements. However, the success of the plan had no relation with how safe, he was right now. No in fact, it was an inverse relation. Almost like the stories whereby, the General of the Army has the duty of holding off the rear, whilst the lord escapes. -tsu She grinded her teeth together, and reflexively curled her hand into a fist. Even more than before, the memory card in her hand emphasized its importance once again. In the present state, it was the thing that could not be captured by the enemy. Yurikago-chan? .Its nothing. Lets go Yurikago shook her head. She turned her back from the direction of the wall and started to walk again. Holding back her emotions which was in conflict, she turned her eyes away. With a single intent, she advanced and advanced forwards. Rustling sounds. Suddenly, there was a sound of something moving that was not the sound of her footsteps. As if a person was hiding within the grassy bushes, there was an unnatural sound of shaking leaves. Yurikago halts her movements and glared at the grassy place. You, did you bring anything? An item desuka? I didnt bring anything desuyo?? .Then what about if I threw an item away, could you pursue it and confirm where it fell? If thats the case, I can do it desu? Yurikago nodded expressionlessly, and she thought that if worse comes to shove, she would throw away the memory stick in her hands and hide it amongst the bushes, and she could then retrieve it tomorrow or the day after as long as she had the location. And, she continued to stare at the thicket. Puu, hah The air.isdeli,cious What appeared was a young maiden with abnormally white skin and hair wearing a black lacy dress. Shirokiyami was there. You, why are you here? Yurikago was caught off guard, and Shirkoyami casually approaches her. I foundCyou. Ive come to, pick youCup Pick me up? Yea. I thought that..thing kind of thing mighthappen Shirokiyami says this, as her white long hair that reaches the back of her knee flutters, and she turned her body around. LetsCgo Wait Shirokiyami stops moving forward, and only her neck turns to look, with a face that said ???. Are you cooperating with me? To be accurate..Im cooperating withhim Thats also fine, to what extent are you willing to help? Im being employed by him, so.its a dailyCthing In order for me to go ahead, he is staying behind and in danger. What about instead of helping me escape, you save him instead? If.a bonus ispaid 10 million, I will pay it OkCay Saying this Shirokiyami turns around in the direction in which Yurikago came from, and ran like the wind. Though Shirokiyami returned towards the wall, all she could see was a mountain of corpses piled up, and the appearance of Taiyou who was standing on top with a dignified appearance. Chapter 42: Peerless Might Begin! Chapter 41: I really wanted to hear those words Chapter 43: Combat Cheat High walls at least several meters high surrounded the facility, Taiyou created a huge hole in the wall and allowed Yurikago to escape to the other side of the woods. At the research facility - From here on out, in order to create a big disturbance, Taiyou was standing in a daunting pose whilst blocking the path through the hole. It was all in order to buy time for Yurikago. His face revealed a determined expression and a dignified appearance. With such a determined gazed that filled his eyes with light, he met Kohakus eyes glance by chance. You should also get behind me and please hide You dont have to worry about defending someone like me, in fact, wouldnt it be better for you if you used me as a shield or as some kind of hostage? If we are talking about using you as a hostage. Then all the more reason for you to be safe and sound until that time I understand, that also makes sense She nods and just like Taiyou told her or not. she moved towards his front, and just like that she jumped into his embrace. Because of her low height, with his hands on her waist, it looked as if a little child was clinging on to ones parents. Kohaku-san? Umu? May I ask? What are you doing? What, its not something you need to be concerned about, when the fight starts, I will be sure to part away. Even if I look like this, Im actually really good at the timing of separating If you at the age of 87 years old, did not have a good discernment, it would be a serious matter! Wait no, what I mean to say is, why are you clinging on to me? I can only answer your question like a mountain climber, will that be alright? I dont need to hear it! Things like because there is a waist to climb and what not?! Thats a little incorrect, its because there is a crotch there Too much information! Taiyou raises his voice and interrupts her statement. At this moment, all that chivalrous light and dignified appearance he had was blown away. What kind of reason is that? For a woman to seek out a man, what other greater reason would one need? No no no Arent you happy being treated like this? Whilst still clinging on to his waist, Kohaku watched his eyes with an upturned glance. Her eyes that were filled with depth over the years, continued to stare at him. Seeing her adorable glance, Taiyou could not help but to avert his eyes. ThCthat kind of topic, is not something we should be worried about right now, right? Kukuku, for me, now is as good a time as any. By the way, Im really happy, to be able to stay like this with you Kohaku was smiling as she said this. Her smile was such a gentle and beautiful smile, that it makes one forget her young external appearance. You are Eh? Youre body temperature is really high, isnt it? Your body and also your hands. It feels so warm I feel like it could burn my skin. There is a theory that people with warm hands have really cold hearts, but what about you I wonder? Your hands are quite cold though Taiyou counter attacks. Umu, even though its early summer, I am in lightly dressed clothes, thats why Kohaku doesnt hesitate and immediately gives a response. She pressed her body even closer against him, as if implicitly saying that she wanted to warm her cold body with his. Taiyou heart was beating fast. Feelings that would never be felt if the other party was a genuine little girl started to resurface. He began to remember the hot throbbing feeling he had in his chest and groin area. Although he was on the brink of feeling inclined to take action.The situation did not give him sufficient time to act any further. Theyve arrived Kohaku mutters softly, whilst Taiyou immediately nods his head. The voices and the sound of footsteps got louder and louder as people approached from within the research facility. Before long, one person after another appeared from the sides and the front of the building, as they began to surround Taiyou from all sides. Taiyou had his back towards the wall, and large men in black clothing surrounded him in a semicircle. In the middle of them, there was a man with a handsome face, he was wearing glasses and looked like the intellectual type. The others seem to be looking towards him and consulting with the man in glasses as if taking orders from him. From an outsiders point of view, it was obvious that the man in glasses was their leader. The man took one step forward and began to speak. My name is Juniishima Kaizen The man who introduces himself as Kaizen had an arrogant attitude as if he declaring that he was the best. Having heard this particular name, seemed like these days, he was hearing this name every single day. Juniishima.. At the man who introduced himself as such, Taiyou muttered back. Having let Yurikago escape beforehand was the right decision after all. And once again, he resolved himself to buying enough time for Yurikago to escape completely. I am I already know, you are Natsuno Taiyou, right? He was about to follow Kaizens example of introducing himself in the most arrogant tone, however, before he could do so, Kaizen had already cut him off. Muu And the person behind you, is Asumaya Kohaku, one of the people who is supposed to be cooperating with the research done here Umu, you may call me Kohaku-tan Kohaku was saying this in a teasing manner. KoC Being flustered at Kohakus words Kaizen cleared his throat and looked around the vicinity. By the way, there was supposed to be another one, the girl where is she? Dont tell me that she escaped using the hole behind you? What are you talking about? ..I see, I will change my questionWhere is Sakura-san right now? Hearing Kaizens question, Taiyou blanked out momentarily. He already anticipated various questions that he would be asked, and already prepared answers to them in his head, however, getting asked about the whereabouts of Sakura was completely outside of his assumptions. Why Kaizen would ask about Sakuras whereabouts was something Taiyou was not completely sure of at this point in time, for now, he was going to play dumb whilst seeing the situation, in order to buy more time. Sakura? Who are you talking about? Please dont pretend to be stupid, I already know that you attacked the Juniishima residence this morning, and that you have kidnapped Sakura. I will ask you one more time, Where is she? The mansion? Sakura? What have you been talking about since a while ago? Just how far are you going to pretend not to know? Things I dont know cannot be helped, its quite simple Then, I will ask you this. Why did you come into this research facility? Oh, its about that?(Kohaku speaking) Instead of Taiyou replying, Kohaku who was still clinging to his waist even now began to talk. When a man and woman, tries to avoid attention in the middle of the night as their bodies are sticking together Seeing this, are you so stupid that you dont understand the meaning behind it? Youre trying to say that, you are having a secret date? Would it be better if I said we were having sex? Se Kaizens face turned bright red. Kukuku, you so naive arent you. Are you a virgin? No looking at that expression, not to mention kissing, I bet that you havent even held hands with a girl, right? Ttthat kind of thing is completely irrelevant! Kukuku Although she was laughing, she did not pursue the issue. Kaizen was desperately trying to regain his composure, and instead of Kohaku, he asked Taiyou a question. This is the last time I will ask, where did you hide Sakura-san? I cant tell you things I dont know, havent I already said this? Taiyou answered. I understand, in that case, after capturing you two, we will slowly find it out later. In addition, we will make sure to get the other woman who escaped through that hole Saying this, Kaizen turned his gaze towards the hole. After capturing her. I wonder which of you three will, break down and confess first? Saying this, Kaizen raised his hand. Was that the signal? All his subordinates immediately reacted and moved forwards together. Please stand away from me Umu Kohaku quickly leaves Taiyous embrace and moves behind him. Although there was a little sense of loss, there was no room for him to deeply think about it. Taiyou glared at the men who was approaching. It was exactly like those glares that a sumo wrestler would have before clashing into each other. With that, he charged into them at full speed alone. The men he ran towards was seemingly experienced in Judo and was attempting to catch Taiyou in those type of grappling movements. Taiyou as if reacting to the other party extended his hands and entangled finger with finger grappling each other. Nun! Along with his war cry, he put power into his hands. His power which was at level 7 was used without restraint, and soon after the sound of cracking knuckles was heard, it was followed by the scream of the men in black. In the moment they linked hands, Taiyou grasped his opponent with enough force to crush his fingers and bones using his super human power. I can do this He grabbed on the legs of the man who was now crouching down in pain whilst gripping his hands, and lifted him straight into the air. Even though the man was built like a pro wrestler, Taiyou easily carried him off the ground as if he was as light as some Styrofoam. Just like that, he flung the man towards the clumped up group. His opponents could not react to the flying man, and was caught up in the impact as they all fell down noisily. Even when the men were being all noisy, Taiyou silently approached them. This was the first time he felt the euphoric sense of battle. It was the primitive euphoric feeling of a man that was exercising violence. DCDo it! Kaizen was flustered and quickly ordered his men to get up, with his order, the men all flung themselves towards Taiyou. A fiendish smile floated across his face as he gleefully turned to meet his enemies head on. (Novel Illustration: Kaizen v Taiyou) Chapter 43: Combat Chea t Chapter 42: Peerless Might Begin! Chapter 44: Counterattack There was a certain euphoria in wielding such overwhelming might. If you were to compare it to the games he loved, it would be akin to raising his level, finding the best party and then challenging the hardest boss in the last dungeon, not only that, without creating any tactics and just using pure force of strength and skill, they could mow down the final boss, it was akin to that kind of exhilarating sensation. It has been said that when someone experiences such a strong feeling, they would also realize that there was an empty void in their heart. However in Taiyous case, there was only a pure pleasant feeling to it. Carrying a man who is at least 100 Kilos and then throwing them out towards the group of enemies. The result is the entanglement of humans as they rattled down on to the floor, as if they were human bowling targets. Ev-everyone attack together! Although Kaizens instructions were spoken with a flustered tone, an order is an order. With that single phrase, five men immediately rushed forwards together this time. Taiyou ran up to meet them head on. Taking a small side step Taiyou turned to his side and Dosu! A dull thud resounded, as Taiyou landed a body blow directly in the pit of the mans stomach. The mans body convulsed to form a character as he crawled in pain along the floor, in the next instant, his legs were pulled above the ground as much as one meter in the air. Furthermore it continued to rise in speed. In that instant, a particular technique popped out in Taiyous mind. If its me right now I can do it! He gripped the mans foot and places it firmly in his grasp, He then grabbed both the mans ankles and placed them beneath his armpit. UOhhhhhhh! Taiyou released a war cry which began to echo in the surroundings. It was like a roar of a fierce animal, the four other men who heard this froze their footsteps being overpowered by the pressure. Taiyou started to rotate his body whilst still holding on to the mans feet. Giant Swing. At first glance, this kind of move seemed easy to perform, however, a person in this world who could actually perform this move satisfactorily hardly exists. The ideal type of result when using this type of technique is that the body of the other party must be swung fast enough yet still maintain a horizontal degree of elevation. In reality when the average person tried to perform this move, at best the others party head is close to the ground, or in the case where the person is unskilled, the head of the person being thrown would be grazed across the ground as they rotated In short many people were short in terms of the amount of strength required, However Taiyou was in an excess in that power! It was the herculean strength he already acquired when reaching level 7. It was the same as making that man into a bat, and he was swinging it in an exemplar fashion using a horizontal swing that would put the youthful baseball team to shame. Zing! Zing! Pow! Gusha! The sound of the mans scream and the sound of the wind as he was swungin addition to the sound of flesh collapsing mixed with the sound of bones getting crushed. With a huge mass of meat as his weapon, the other four people were blown away. Doooooryaaaa! After blowing away all the men in black, he did one more rotation to finish it. Taiyou threw away the lump of meat..directly at the group of people. Zuzazazaza. Like a rippling effect of a skidding stone going across the water, the second strike created a sand cloud in the area. Wh-what what the hell is this?! Who the hell are you?! The cool and intelligent atmosphere Kaizen had moments ago was but a fleeting memory, and it was replaced with a hysterical voice. At this point in time, neither he nor his subordinates had any more nerve to challenge Taiyou. When witnessing the overwhelming power Taiyou showed, this was the result. After throwing away the second person, Taiyou gazes at his palm, and thinks back to the feeling that remains. Ahh.. A voice of wonder leaked out instinctively. It feels good, it feels really good, this feels extremely good. Wielding this strength was like an aphrodisiac for Taiyou and it was almost akin to a kind of sexual arousal. In a certain meaning, this is the first time that Taiyou clearly felt the results of raising his level. Being able to single-handedly attack the other party in combat, has increased his primal male urge of aggression. Fu Whilst floating a thin smile across his face, Taiyou walks towards the men. Za, Za, Za For Taiyou he was merely casually walking towards them, however, each step he took, pushed the men backwards towards a wall as if cornering them to retreat. MCmonster..! It smelled like someone pissed their pantsIn that instant, the smell became a trigger for fear, and that fear infected the others in an explosive fashion. For now, the men managed to remain still, however if he took one more imposing step, without a doubt they would run and scatter away like little spiders in all directions. The thing that stopped them from breaking down, was after all, the words from their leader Kaizen. Wh-what are you all doing?! Isnt it just one person? Thats rightEveryone get your weapons out and attack him at once! Kaizens words were without a doubt filled with fear..However his orders were orders. U, Uwaaaaaaaah! Grrrahhh! As if squeezing out, two men raised their voices. The two people scatter left and right, as they sprang forth to attack Taiyou from both sides. They both had some sort of baton with them in their hands as they took a big swing towards Taiyou. Doka! Baki! Taiyou avoided their swings, and counterattacked them both with his fist. The first person got hit directly in the head, as he spun three times like a pin wheel, after which his face hit the ground, the other person guarded the punch with a cross guard and both his arms were crushed like a ping pong ball as he flew away. Hiiiiiiii It was to that extent. Their efforts for battle only amounted to that much. From then on out, what remained was a one-sided show of violence where Taiyou remained the unrivalled victor. They were ruled by fear as they stood up straight. Taiyou rushes in and without giving them any time to breathe, the other party was made to surrender with his overwhelming power. one person, another person, and another. The men were noisily beaten down. All of them were knocked out with a single strike. All of the men who were hit was blown off by the power, and even those that attempted to guard his strike got their arms pulverized. On the other hand, Taiyou was completely uninjured. The person who moves first is the victor. Because he knocked them all out in one blow before they had the chance to retaliate, he doesnt receive any damage. It was like a scene of an evil fairy that trampled down a town and its inhabitants without giving them a chance to retaliate.Even so, no matter what, Taiyou did not stop. Hit, and knock them down. Hit, and knock them down. Hit, and knock them down. And soon after, defeating all those men, he noticed that the only one left standing was Kaizen. Now then, theres only you left Hii! Kaizen twitched as fear ruled over his body. His foot was trembling and his teeth was also clattering. He was barely able to keep standing. Whilst still having a thin smile over his face, Taiyou approaches him. D-dont come any closer, dont come nearby! Even so, Taiyou approaches silently. Kaizen steps backwards shrinking away, he stumbles and lands on his bottom. Even so he crawls away along the ground in an ungraceful manner as he tries to run away. Taiyou chases after him silently. Each step causing pressure to Kaizen. U, Uwaaaaa Releasing a shriek, Kaizen took out his gun and aimed it at Taiyou. Although the muzzle of the gun was aimed towards Taiyou, it is likely that he never shot a gun before, he was holding it in a haphazard fashion. St-stop! If you dont stop I will shoot! Dont move!!! Bang! A gunshot resounds. The bullet was fired at close range and aimed straight towards Taiyous chest. As expected with such a close distance, the bullet was shot accurately to the heart. A blow that would prove fatal. That is, if Taiyou was a normal person. Taiyou was different, he who received a bullet to the heart had no reaction whatsoever. Long Distance Invalidation, with this skill, he completely nullified the lethal weapon known as a bullet. The bullet that hits falls harmlessly to the floor as it bounces of Taiyous chest and into the ground. Seeing this, the level of panic increased even further for Kaizen. Uw, Uwahhhhhhh! Bang! Bang! Bang bang bang bang bang! Multiple shots were fired out continuously. Even if all of those hit, as expected Taiyou was still unharmed. Wh-what are you?! What are you?! Kaizen became half crazed as he continued to scream. Taiyou mowed down all of his subordinates, and on top of that bullets dont even work on him. In front of Kaizen, the only thing he could see was a monster in the shape of a human. Being too overconfident that he had the advantage, he was way too careless. D-dont move! A voice was heard from the other direction. When he turned around, there was one of the men, who took Kohaku as a hostage. (Novel Illustration: Taiyou Combat Cheat) Chapter 44: Counterattack Chapter 43: Combat Cheat Chapter 45:According to Cross-chan: Lolita complex is a Sickness Taiyou turned around and loses the smile on his face. What he saw in front of him was a man, with a swollen face, and Kohaku who was being restrained by the man. Out of the subordinates that were brought along by Kaizen, this man was tall and solidly built, he could easily be classified as a big grunt type of person. On the other hand, Kohaku had the average constitution of a ten year old girl. They had such a huge difference in their physique, the man had his arms around Kohakus neck, and it seemed like he was in a position to snap off her neck at any moment. To put it quite simply, they were in a pinch Don- dont move! The mans voice was shaking. Even though he was supposed to be in a dominant position, it could not be helped that he was scared out of his wits, as just moments before, the person he was threatening wiped out dozens of his comrades with unparalleled strength. Even if he had a hostage with him, it was quite visible that the fear of Taiyou still remained firmly embedded within his eyes. Taiyou slowly turned around his body to face him. I told you not to movee! Uuu The shrill and nervous voice of the man, was followed by Kohakus anguished voice. The man strengthened the force of his grip, the pressure on her throat increased and Kohaku looked like she was in a lot of pain. If you move any further, I dont know what I might do! .. Youve done well Oshita. Now then, bring the girl and come over here Yes sir The man called Oshita was restraining Kohaku as he moved around Taiyou in a big circle whilst never taking his sight off him. The man slowly headed towards Kaizen in this manner. .To take such a young girl as a hostage, dont you feel embarrassed? That kind of provocation wont work Compared with Oshitas manner of speaking, Kaizen had regained a lot of composure to his tone of voice. He was so flustered just moments ago, and it seemed as if it was all just a lie. I already know that as part of the Eternally Little, her appearance doesnt match her age. Azumaya Kohaku, she is one of the oldest people taking part in this project, and she is 87 years of age. She is most definitely not the young person you claim her to be In that case, I will paraphrase it, dont you respect your elders? I already told you that such cheap provocations wont work against me..Oshita Yes! So that she has no chance of escaping. Use something to bind her Roger that! Kaizen had a gloating smile on his face after hearing Oshitas acknowledgement. Meanwhile, Taiyous eyes met Kohakus. Perhaps it was because she had already lived for 87 years.and the fact that she lived in the most turbulent period in this countrys history. Although she had her neck completely restrained by a big and brawny arm, and whilst she did have a look of discomfort on her face, her eyes showed no fear. On the contrary, her eyes were looking straight at Taiyou as if she was trying to urge him to do something. What she wanted to tell him, was something Taiyou could not figure out. The amount of time he has known Kohaku did not pass a period of three hours, being able to communicate with tacit understanding or by using eye contact was not something he could do with her at this point in time. Moreover, even if Kohaku wanted him to do something. Taiyous objective hasnt really changed, and in fact the situation right now was convenient for him. This was his thoughts. I will ask you the same question as before, where is Sakura-san? She isnt here Taiyou pretended to yield Kaizen as though he was reluctant. I already know that. What I want to know is, where did you put her? I dont know, because that taskWas given to someone else A detached force? Ahh, I barely know her, her name is Shirokiyami, a Goth Loli girl. She is the one who took Sakura Mu Kaizens face became stiff. Kaizen also knew of the fact that Taiyou attacked the Juunishima mansion with Shirokiyami, so he easily believed in the words. But then again, this was not that far from the truth anyways. When will.You get in touch with each other, where will you meet? I also dont know that, the arrangement was that when I escaped from the facility, the other party would come to meet me ..Are you telling me that Shirokiyami is the mastermind behind this? No, Shirokiyami doesnt have her own set of principles, she is merely guided by money. It is certain that there is someone controlling her from behind the scenes Kaizen was grumbling to himself. Kaizen-sama, what should we do? First of all, wake up all the members Yes! Oshita was waking up his colleagues whilst still restraining Kohaku. The men Taiyou put down took a huge amount of damage, and they were unable to get up. Rather than saying that they would get up. Most of the men had their bones shattered and it would not be strange if they had to quit their jobs and go to the hospital to recover for several months Out of the dozens that were on the floor, there was only about five people that could get up including Oshita. The five of them had a relatively minor injury compared to the others as they stood in front of Kaizen and waited for orders. Meanwhile, Oshita ties Kohaku arms behind her back with ropes he found somewhere and gags her mouth. Natsuno Taiyou, I will also have you become one of the hostages Me as well? Yeah, I will have you and Azumaya Kohaku become hostages to exchange with Sakura-san ..I see Bind him with ropes as well Yes sir! The four men respond to orders and moved forwards in Taiyous direction. Although he was about to be constrained, Taiyou did not panic. This was also not too far from what he wanted to accomplish. Having Yurikago get far enough by gaining her more time to escape was his main objective. Thats why although his face looked sour on the outside, on the inside he was snickering at them. However, in the next moment, the calm atmosphere was blown away. Gotsuu! A dull sound resounded, and his field of vision turned white. For a moment his consciousness flew, Taiyou could not understand what was happening. The first thing he understood when he gradually regained his thoughts, was that he was on the ground, and some of the dirt had entered his mouth. And the fact that he was hit in the back of the head took him a few more seconds to realize. This punk! How dare he attack us a while ago! Arrogant little shit! Take this! and this! The men were viciously beating on him as if they were releasing all that pent up anger that theyve built up until now. Kuu In order to brush away their strikes, Taiyou got up. Taiyou instinctively made a fist and took on a fighting pose. Dont move! Dont you care what happens to her? Oshita once again reminded him, as he used his rugged hands to grip Kohakus windpipe. His massive hands against the small Kohaku. If he put in a little strength to his grip, it seemed like her throat would snap. .. Taiyou silently opens his fist, and straightens up. It was the kind of pose that showed how a child would be subservient to their father. Oraaa! In order to make sure he wasnt going to rebel, one of the men threw a fist right at Taiyou. The punch that comes to the side of his face was a clean hit, and Taiyou once again fell towards the ground. And then, the four men started to kick Taiyou relentlessly one after another. All of them were throwing their anger towards Taiyou. Leave it at that. Hurry up and tie him up Yes sir! At Kaizens words, although the men seemed slightly dissatisfied, they had more or less released some of their resentment and so they did as they were ordered and restrained Taiyou. His body was propped up, and just like Kohaku previously, his hands were tied behind his back. In addition to that, they took out metallic handcuffs and restrained him with it as well. And just to add a little more assurance, they gave Taiyou a body blow right into the pit of his stomach. In that moment, there was a metallic taste of iron leaking out from the depths of his throat. He endured it and swallowed it back down. The men pulled Taiyou along and returned to Kaizens side. Kaizen-sama, what should we do about the woman who escaped? Umu? Kaizen nods and looks towards the hole in the wall. ..Just leave her be, considering the fact that we have two trump cards in our hands, it will be more than enough. More importantly, you guys need to watch these two closely, so that they do not escape Yes sir! Oshita, come and follow me Roger! Saying this, Kaizen brought along Oshita and went somewhere. The only ones left here was Taiyou and Kohaku who was both gagged and restrained, along with the four men. Taiyou and Kohaku were exchanging glances, and even though she was trying to tell him something, as per usual, he had no idea what she wanted to convey to him. However, the one thing he did manage to figure out that she was worried about his body condition. Her expression was a little different from a while ago, because her eye brows were frowning and her eyes were wavering. Taiyou was broadly smiling, as he incessantly blinked his eyes open and shut. Dont worry about me, is what he wanted to tell her. Perhaps the meaning was conveyed, because Kohakus face seemed a little bit more relieved. Knowing that she was so worried about him, Taiyous heart felt full of warmth. Having someone else be so worried about him, was something he hardly experienced until now. Hey, you guys, I dont think Kaizen-sama will return anytime soon. Then, dont you think it should be fine? You rascal, are you going to do it again? You Lolicon! Taiyou was locking eyes with Kohaku, when he heard an unbelievable vocabulary being mentioned. Chapter 45: According to Cross-chan: Lolita complex is a Sickness Chapter 45:According to Cross-chan: Lolita complex is a Sickness Chapter 44: Counterattack Chapter 46:Uninvited Visitor Takayama, are you being serious right now? One of the men questioned Takayama, he clearly had eyes filled with contempt. Going after lolis is a crime you know? Besides, isnt it disgusting to even think of such a thing? Isnt it fine? Im not causing any trouble for you guys, why do you guys care so much about my preferences? The fact that a colleague of mine, is a loli con that in itself is causing trouble for me Just endure it for gods sake Several of the men were admonishing the loli con. However, the loli con continued to stare at Kohaku with bloodshot eyes. I mean come on, look at what shes wearing. I cant hold myself back. Guys tell me the truth, if a woman of your type were to wear this kind of see-through clothing, whilst shes loitering around, you guys wouldnt be able to hold yourselves back, am I right? That is.. Thats true I suppose The three other people looked at each other and came to the same conclusion. What the loli con guy said had some truth in it. It was certain that Kohakus current getup was outrageously seductive and bewitching. Her black see-through clothes made her completely visible and it was not something suitable unless you were about to go to sleep. I understand After a short period of time, one of the men nodded. O, oi, is it really okay to let him? It cant be helped right? If we dont let this fellow do his thing it looks like hes about to explode any minute now Ahh..It seems that way Oi, we dont know when Kaizen-sama will return. If you are going to do it, you better get it done with in less than 3 minutes I got it The loli con man was overjoyed as he nodded ecstatically and made his way towards Kohaku. A lewd smile floated across his face, he began to lick his lips, as his hands wandered around in a indecent manner. DD Kohaku twisted and writhed around, as her eyebrows creased severely. That was when I met her gaze. Her pupils seemed to appeal for something as it wavers and it feels like shes about to burst into tears at any moment. I began to imagine, her being taken away by the Loli con man, and something.happens to her. No! I dont want to see that happen, I cant see that kind of sceneI dont even want to imagine it. DD As he thought such things, something inside Taiyou snapped. He who was being docile until moments ago put power into both his arms, as he opened both his left and right hands. When he did, a Pachin! sound could be heard and soon consecutive buchi! buchi! sounds started to echo. It was the sound of his metal handcuffs cracking under the pressure and the ropes around his body ripping free. Impossible Taiyou did not give the loli con man an opportunity to say any more words than that. Taiyou postpones taking off his gag, as he pulled his right hand back and let it shoot like an arrow towards the man. Zudooooon! Although his fist connected with the belly of the man, what resounded was an explosive sound. The man he hit flew away about 30 meters. The man who got hit by Taiyous fist reacted just like he got hit by a speeding truck. His body which tumbled unto the ground started to twitch and convulse and after a few moments there was absolutely no sign of movements any longer. Wait Here is- Guwaaah! Taiyou easily pulls and tears up his mouth gag after which he knocked down the three men in quick succession. Then he slowly turned around and went towards Kohaku as he gently tore up the ropes which bound her body. Kohaku-san Are you, alright nojya? Eh? You got hit by them so much, does your body hurt? Eh? ahh, you dont have to worry about me. No more importantly, Kohaku-san what about you? You dont have to worry about me, as you can see Im completely fine. I am not such a weak minded person to be damaged just from the attempt to harm me, neither will I lose any sleep over it Yeah Leaving that aside, how about you.? Muu, they were so excessive, your face is considerably swollen Im alright Wait a little bit Kohaku said this as she pulled on her skirt and ripped a part of it. Even before doing this, she already looked really erotic, after ripping the hem of her skirt, she looked even more amorous. Taiyou instinctively becomes embarrassed as he could no longer look straight at her. Come and face towards me nojya Kohaku holds onto his face and made it turn towards her by force. And with the fabric she tore off, she began to gently wipe his face. Youve lost quite a bit of blood, havent you? Truly, Im alright, so Taiyou utters as he grasped her hand. Looking at her any longer and gazing at each others face was making him feel embarrassed. Thats why he grabbed her arm, but it had the opposite effect. Before, they were just gazing into each others eyes, now on top of that they were holding each others hands. It was as if he was about to go in for the kiss, that kind of posture. The two were at a loss for words. They were just watching each other meeting eye to eye. Kohaku gently shuts her eyes. Naturally, Taiyou brought his face closer. Like a magnet being attracted to each other, their lips approached each other. And just like it was the most natural thing in the world, as their lips were about to touch, in that moment Taiyou-chan? tsu A voice was heard from a long distance away, it seemed infinitely cheerful. When he turned around, he could see Hera flying from the other side of the hole. Hera, and even..You guys as well Taiyou was surprised, behind Hera was Juniishima Yurikago and if he wasnt mistaken Shirokiyami was also standing there. The girls looked at Taiyou with a face full of surprise. Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan, what were you doing just then?? Eh? No I wasnt doing anything Taiyou was being evasive. In more ways than one.he thought that he needed to evade the question. More importantly, why are you guys here..? Why did you come here? As he said this, he looked towards Shirokiyamis direction. Besides the fact that Yurikago had returned, he was even more surprised that Shirokiyami was here. I thought that.Something like this, might happen You arent going to tell me that, your surname is actually Sanada, right?!(Reference to Sanada Yukimura some even called him the Number one warrior in Japan) Its a shame, Mn, it is.n,ot Shirokiyamis eyes which were boundlessly deep stared at Yurikago. I wasEm. Ployed Lets move on! Yurikago suddenly shouted in a loud voice, cutting off whatever Shirokiyami was about to say. Perhaps it was because she ran back here? Her face was faintly red as it flushes. Lets get out of here Ah, Ahh, then I will remain here Thats enough from you! Shirokiyami will act as the rear guard Additional fees, will..apply Ill pay you 100,000, that will suffice right?(TL: doesnt say if its in yen or USD, guessing its in Yen though so thats around 1,000 USD) .Its enough, its more than, enough, nn Shirokiyami seemed like she wanted to say something else. Taiyou wondered whether this 100,000 figure represented something else for the girls. He recalls the conversation of her wage being at 40,000 yen per hour and thought that there may be some relation to it as he tilted his head in confusion. Because he didnt know the main point, his imaginations were completely off the mark. Though she reacts in this manner, Shirokiyami turns around silently as she stared at the facility, just like Taiyou was doing previously. Alright, in the meantime, we should escape Is it really okay? That girl right now.she is at least 100 times more useful than the current you. Alright, so come on lets go already Taiyou-chan, we need to go? Its the legendary Shirokiyami, it will be fine to leave it to her jyaro The three girls talked as they tried to persuade Taiyou. Taioyu thought for a moment before deciding that it was the best course of action. In that case, I will rely on you Its for.my salary Guys! At Yurikagos urging, Taiyou went through the hole he made himself. Yurikago took the lead as she guided them through the woods that had no visible pathways. Taiyou quietly watches Yurikagos back. Thank youhe said. Wha, what forC You came back to rescue me right? Thank you, you saved me It-its not really for your sake Kohaku-san is an important cooperator, so I only returned to help her, g-got it? Kukuku, I am indebted to you nojya Shes so shy? Both Hera and Kohaku was laughing at Yurikago. Even so, I am really thankful ..Hmph Yurikago snuffles like a spoiled child as she turned the other way. Taiyou followed Yurikago and together with the girls, they safely got out of the woods. (Light Novel Illustration: Reuniting with the Girls) Chapter 46: Uninvited Visitor Chapter 46:Uninvited Visitor Chapter 45:According to Cross-chan: Lolita complex is a Sickness Chapter 47: The Seven Brides in Taiyou''s Castle Lets split up here After getting out of the woods and going far enough that you couldnt even see the research facility any longer, Yurikago stopped her footsteps turned to face Taiyou and said that. When Yurikago halted so suddenly Taiyou was still in mid run. So they had a slight distance between them. You want to separate, here? Yeah. Coming this far its already quite safe, rather than being with you .Ahh, I suppose so Yurikago was speaking in a roundabout way. Taiyou thinks for a little while and comes to the conclusion that her words were reasonable. In the current state, the wanted people who were being chased after were probably Taiyou and Kohaku. Although it was known that there was another accomplice, Yurikago had always hidden her identity since the beginning, and the Juniishima clan never discovered who third party was. On the other hand since Taiyou attacked the Juniishima residence, he has always been marked as one of the direct perpetrators. If anyone was going to be chased from here on out, it would be Taiyou. A means to an end, the ideology that Taiyou liked to follow, if he were to apply that train of thought here, than the correct course of action would be to keep away from Yurikago in this situation. Yurikago implied this vaguely, but Taiyou understood her intentions and agreed to her idea. Didnt your figure get captured by one of the cameras in the facility, are you sure it will be alright jya? They didnt capture my face, so as long as I am not connected to you guys any longer and I return to the Juniishima clan as Yurikago Juniishima, they wont be able to link me to the sceneThat is, as long as none of you say a word about this I see, so I guess there is no problems whatsoever Taiyou nods. Although Taiyou was nodding his head, on the other hand, he was also feeling a reluctance to part. But he pushed such thoughts down to the inner depths of his heart. Then, I guess our journey ends here Yeah, Thanks to you I was able to obtain the data, and we were able do it without revealing my existence as Yurikago. With this much I should be able to drive the subject in the direction that I want it to proceed. I really appreciate it Its fine, I was also moving in accordance to my own objectives so. I will entrust you with the matter of Kotone and the girls I will make sure that the Juniishima clan will not be able to touch them again. I..no Her words were cut short, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before speaking to Taiyou again. I swear it upon my name, Yurikago Thank you After she said her part, Yurikago turned around and started to walk as her thin twin tail hair swung. She resolutely walked away with great posture and a single minded focus. Until her appearance could no longer be seen, she never turned around. When Taiyou watched her walk away, he breathed out a sigh. Whats wrong nojya? Ahh nah. As I expected shes really well-bred This was by no means a lie. Umu, the way she carries herself, and those graceful movements are not something one can acquire in a short amount of time Kohaku agreed with Taiyous impression of her. The lolibaba who has lived a full life also seems to notice it. I think that it corresponds with how she was so restricted when growing up in life Restricted? It has the meaning of a bird in a cage. Wellthese kinds of things happen quite often in this world A bird in a cage. I dont mind if you sympathize with her, but you should also know that there are some birds who will return to the cage by themselves, after the entrance has already been flung open. Not everyone in this world, wishes to slip out of their cages nojya. There are birds who cannot survive without the cage, and there are also birds who find it more comfortable to live in such a place ..Ah Well, we will meet her again soon enough. Life is unexpectedly long, and at the moment you dont expect it the most, you will probably meet her again nojya When you are the one saying that life is long, it makes it more persuasive Ive lived until there isnt many years left in me, so its natural jyaro There not much left desuka?? Hera asked a thoughtless question. It was almost like she herself was an elderly person, talking to someone in the same situation as her that kind of care-free question. Umu, its as short as a principals morning assembly Isnt that a considerably long time?! Well the amount of time Ive lost is plenty enough Kohaku was smiling from ear to ear. The two people began toward the opposite direction from where Yurikago was going. Taiyou and Kohaku was walking in a straight line together, and Hera who was flying around them was bustling about. In this kind of line up, they walked home whilst making idle talk. Not disregarding the fact that they could be attacked at any moment, Taiyou was alert to his surroundings even as he had a light hearted conversation with the girls. If an enemy were to show up, he was ready to counter attack at once, and in the worst case scenario he would do his everything to at least protect Kohaku from harm. In the end though, all that vigilance was for naught. Its not really clear whether that was because Shirokiyami held them back successfully or because of some other unforeseen matter. Although he didnt know the exact details, they all arrived at Taiyous apartment flat without an enemy ever showing up. Taiyou-san! Woops! As soon as he opened the door to his apartment, the three triplet sisters jumped on him. The jump by the three girls was almost like a tackle. Although Taiyou was caught off guard, he managed to hold his ground and bring the three girls all in his arms. Hou Seeing this scene, for some reason or other Kohaku leaked out a voice of admiration. Im sorry, Ive made you guys wait, are you guys alright? Yes, we are all fine More importantly is Taiyou-san alrigHyaa! Wha, what happened to your face? Eh? The three sisters were shocked by the unexpected change. Taiyou was thinking Let me see to himself as he touched his own face. When he did, he felt the pain again. His face was completely swollen here and there, and his mouth also had a few cuts. Having touched his face, he realized that it was obviously not in a healthy condition, it was quite hot and painful. This was all the wounds that he got when those men beat him up. Although they were throbbing with pain right now, he thought that it was all worth it for all the things he had been able to accomplish. However, to the three sisters, it didnt seem like the case. Please wait a moment! I will go get the first-aid kit right now! Kaze-chan, there is an egg in the refrigerator right? Can you grab that for us? Okay! Ill get the one with the thickest skin, Suzu-chan, you should let Taiyou-san in quickly The three of them were speaking unanimously as they began to move in hurried steps. Being led by the hand, Suzune brought him inside the room, in the corner of the room, he could see Sakuras appearance who was being gagged and restrained. Incidentally, Taiyou had almost forgotten about this fact and before he could think more about what to do, Suzune had already forcefully pushed him towards the bed and made him sit down. Soon after Kotone arrived with the first aid kit and Kazane arrived with the egg that was already broken somehow. This will hurt a little okay? Please bear with it Kotone grabs the antiseptic solution from the first aid kit and it was soaked with the absorbent cotton. You bought something like a first aid kit for me? Eh? no it was already inside the room Is that so? I dont remember purchasing such atsu! S-sorry. Did it hurt? Its alright you dont have to mind it, after all, it stings a little when the solution seeps in Im sorry, Ill make sure to do it as careful as I can Suzu-chan, can you bring me the membrane skin of the egg please Yeah! Both Kazane and Suzune were using the skin of the egg and pasting it over Taiyous face like a bandaid. Wait, what is this? What are you guys doing? This? If you use the membrane of the egg as a bandage and paste it on top of the wounds, it will heal the wound at an extremely fast speed Is that really true? Yes! Hou, for someone so young to know such a thing, quite impressive jya Kohaku who was standing a little away from them seemed to have felt a little admiration for their knowledge. Did you also know about this Kohaku-san?(Taiyou speaking) Umu, Ive read some of the books on medical treatment that has been published before via human experimentation As if that would be allowed to be published?! Its a joke. Anyways, I know that originally using the egg was a sort of home remedy, however, it has also been scientifically proven to be effective for practical treatment as well Is that so? Taiyou was somewhat relieved that the human experimentation book was a joke and he let the girls treat him. Kotone, Suzune and Kazane. The three sisters were treating his wounds with such a serious face. It was like they were more worried about his injuries than their own, and they treated him with so much care and urgency. Seeing this scene, Taiyou was moved. They were truly worried about him and as they cared for him, He felt his emotions start to overflow. A feeling of wanting to just embrace them closely started to bud. (It should be.fine, right? I think it should be okay?) It was like he was giving himself permission in his own mind, and just when he was about to put it into practice. Taiyou felt a few glances from a distance away. When he paid attention, near the entrance of the room, both Kohaku and Hera was silently grinning as they looked towards him. Ah, hes noticed us desu? It seems that way doesnt it, dear! I thought for sure that something was about to happen right now, and my heart was throbbing in excitement after such a long time jyazo What was about to happen desuka?? Something that living creatures would do naturally jya. Its the same rank of important as sleeping and eating Oh? that must be an important thing then?. But it doesnt seem like Taiyou-chan is about to do anything desuyo? You never know, he might do something henceforth. Should we prepare a drink and some popcorn just in case? What will you do after preparing the popcorn desuka??! Hera and Kohaku was exchanging a comic like dialogue with each other. Hera doesnt seem to think about anything as she just joins in the conversation, whilst Kohaku on the other hand acted as if she knew exactly what Taiyou wanted to do. Yes, the treatment is done! Yeah! Because all the skins of the egg were placed on the wounds, Im sure that it will improve come tomorrow morning Is your body alright? Are there any wounds on it? Thanks a lot guys, Im find now As he said this, the girls floated an expression of relief all together. When he sees their faces being like this, his heart starts to throb again. However this time, he managed to hold himself back. Umm, that is can we ask a question? Although they did have relieved expressions, this time they had a questioning look on their faces. When Taiyou nodded in confirmation, the girls all looked towards Kohaku and uniting their minds together they asked all at once. Who is this girl? Chapter 47: The Seven Brides in Taiyou’s Castle Chapter 46:Uninvited Visitor Chapter 48: Everything in her possession In a corner of the residential area during the day time. The vending machines were lined up together. The things place inside of them were all best selling items by the famous manufacturers, and it was a line-up that would sell without much trouble even if no advertisement is done. Although the line-up was quite standard, the price it had was absolutely not the normal prices. The price that was attached to the buttons were all at 100 yen. (TL: 100 yen is approx 1 USD). From the carbonated drinks which was at least 500ml to the corn soup and even the sweet red-bean soups, all of the commodities had a price range as little as 100 yen per piece. Not only was the prices unusually low but the vending machines were place in quite the popular location. In this place, a person named Natsuno Taiyou and the Fairy Hera was here. Taiyou placed a 100 yen coin in the vending machine. Although all the buttons lit up, Taiyou doesnt press the buttons, instead he pulls the lever to refund his coin. And then the 100 yen coin which was returned to him was once again inserted into the vending machine! The moment the buttons light up, he pulls the lever to refund his money. The coins were put in, and then the change is pulled out. The coin was put back in and then the change is pulled out again. This seemingly useless repetitive set of movements were consistently repeatedly as he performed the actions in silence. You over there, what are you doing? Ack Taioyu is called by someone from behind and he very slowly turned around. The person who stood behind him was the familiar appearance of a uniform wearing man, or more commonly known as a police officer. The young policeman seemed to be filled with a sense of justice and a sense of duty, he was looking at Taiyou like he was a suspicious person. You.I feel like Ive seen you before. Have we met before at a different place? Nono, I have never been graced with your esteemed presence in my life, yes yes Taiyou-chan your Japanese is becoming really funny desuyo? Hera who was floating next to him pointed this fact out. Naturally the policeman couldnt see her appearance, so he continued to question Taiyou. Well whatever. More importantly what are you doing? Are you perhaps trying to look for spare change from the machines? Please Im not doing that. Umm..All I am doing is putting my own money in and, then taking it out, and then putting it back in again. The young policeman looked at Taiyou with incredibly suspicious eyes, as he slowly moved his hand towards his wireless radio and started to speak in it. Reporting in, I am at the foot of the Seikasono Mountain, Ive detected a suspicious person Im telling you, youve got it all wrong Taiyou objects in frustration and he unintentionally hit the vending machine. If it was a little while ago, it would have been to the extent that the vending machine experienced a little shake, but the him right now was a level 7 power fighter. In just one blow, the vending machine broke down and started to spout out smoke. A-are you attempting to resist? Ah..no this is Taiyou was trying to give an explanation, but the policemen were already beginning to gather around him. The speed in which they gathered together was so fast, like when gangsters called their members. If he was caught right here, without a doubt he was going to be lectured harshly. No, this time around, he actually damaged the vending machine and broke it, so he might not get away with just a warning. Thinking about the possibility of something like that happening, he grabbed the bag on his feet and immediately ran away as fast as he could. Behind him, he could hear the angry shouts of the policemen and their footsteps. In order to shake them off, he ran at full speed across the residential area in broad daylight. Although he did hear the policemen shouting and several horns were ringing, the sound gradually got smaller and before long the sounds all completely disappeared. Somehow he managed to safely escape from the policemen chasing him. Taiyou arrived to a certain building that wasnt his apartment It was a building enclosed in all its sides by a wall at the height level of a persons waist, and the wooden building which was approximately two stories tall and it had a garden which was unusual for this day and age. It was the kind of place that he imagined a 20 year old widow woman to be, she would be an wearing an apron and sweeping the leaves with a broom.But what stood there wasnt a young widow but instead it was a lolibaba. Ohh, Youve finally come back Whilst standing at the entrance of the building, Azumaya Kohaku was smiling radiantly as she welcomed Taiyou back. Although her limbs were under developed and was that of a young girls, her intellect and her manner of walking was that of an adult. You took such a long time for shopping, did you perhaps lose your way back? Kohaku was asking him a question, and Hera who was flying next to him came out and answered instead. Im so sorry nanodesu?, it was all my fault nanodesu? Hou, did you have some sort of a secret date or something? Thats not it desuyo, I was training together with Taiyou-chan in order to raise his level desu. But in the middle of it we were interrupted by the police officers so we couldnt increase it I see, no matter what age we are in, the officials of the country are always dogs who do unnecessary things, so it cant be helped Kohaku nods whilst giggling to herself. Well, Im not too worried, Im sure I will get the chance to level sooner or later. I already know how to do it so I can go back and do it whenever I want to. More importantly, take this Whilst he says so, he handed the plastic bag in his hands to Kohaku. Although Taiyou was being asked by the three sisters and Kohaku to do a bit of shopping, Hera taught him the way to level up to level 8 along the way, and they ended up trying to gain experience. It was piling up his experience by performing the tedious repetitive work. Most normal people would be discouraged in doing such a repetitive act that yields nothing but frustration, however for Taiyou who was able to level up in real life by performing these acts, it was not at all a bother for him. Therefore, he was thinking of raising his level directly to level 8 but he was obstructed by the policemen who happened to pass by chance and he had to retreat reluctantly. Kohaku was glancing into the plastic bag which he gave to her. After taking the goods, she asked him a question. Come to think of it, youve never explained how your levelling thing works, right? I guess I havent eh There is a relation with the existence of this girl here right? Thats correct nanodesu? In that case, I certainly would like to know more about it Kohaku was looking straight at Taiyou as she asked for permission. Is it alright? Lets go inside first Taiyou turned towards the building. I should also explain to Kotone and the others Kohaku nodded her head in understanding. The three people head towards the building together as the main entrance door was open and they entered inside. As soon as the door was opened they entered a room like a sort of lobby and there was also a kind of terrace. Furthermore, there were eight rooms connected to the lobby. He was not yet accustomed to being in this place, and Taiyou began to reminisce about yesterdays events. Yesterday: Late into the night. Kohaku took him to this place. After Taiyou had fully explained who Kohaku was to the three sisters, and then explaining the circumstances in which they met and becoming acquainted with each other, Kohaku proposed to move locations. At any rate, there were five people in his small one room apartment and there was no way they could all fit in there. After hearing about this, Kohaku told him that she knew of a wide and spacious place. The place she took him to was an old yet spacious building. And so that is how they got here Ah, Taiyou-san, welcome home Taiyou who had entered the building was greeted by the smallest of the three sisters. Kazane had a dustcloth in her hand and she seemed to have just finished cleaning the terrace area. How surprising Taiyou says this, and as he looked around the vicinity, his face had an astounded expression. Its so much cleaner than before I went out. What happened? I cleaned around a little bit A little? Taiyou still had his dumbfounded expression as he turned around the terrace and had a good look. Since the time he arrived her last night, and just before he went out a little while ago The building was covered in dust and cobwebs, however now the area was completely clean from any sort of dust and it was extremely spotless. Remembering seeing this somewhere on the TV Taiyou traced his fingers along the window frame, curtain rails and the ventilating opening of the air conditioner. Even a teasing sister-in-law who would always complain about the situation of a house could not voice a single word against how clean the place was. Isnt it just spectacular workmanship? I have just been looking at her from beginning to end and it feels like I am seeing some sort of magic happen or a trick of some sort nojya. It would seem that these three sisters are really good at housework jya Nono, this is no longer at the level of mere housework, this is more like they are renovation experts I completely agree jya, this is surely the workmanship of a master level artistan Taiyou was making a retort at her modesty and Kohaku was agreeing with him with a serious look. That was just how amazing the girls cleaning skills were. Being overly praised by the two people in front of her, she was feeling really bashful. Kazane and Kohaku was almost the same height. Kazane asked Kohaku a question. Umm, Kohaku-san. Is it really ok for us to use this place? Kazane seemed to be apologetic. When they arrived here last night Kohaku told them You can stay for as long as youd like to the three girls. They were indirectly connected to the Blood Soul plan and they were also women who had relations with Taiyou. And thats the reason Kohaku proposed this idea to Taiyou, but Kazane seemed to be a little uncomfortable in intruding on Kohakus place. To such a Kazane, Kohaku answered her with a clear face. When a house isnt inhabited by people, it deteriorates at a surprisingly fast pace This placeHasnt been used in a long time right? Yeah. If people were to live in it, it would actually make it rejuvenated just like it did today nojya But.. There is no need for you to feel uncomfortable, alright? Kohaku cuts her words there and Hera who was looking at her surroundings were suddenly gripped hard. We are after all comrades who are able to see this girl jyaWould such a reason be insufficient? Kohaku was smiling broadly as she said this and speaking as if she was content at the idea of being comrades. Although for a moment Kazane had a surprised expression as her eyes opened wide, she immediately changed her expression into that of comprehension Being able to see HeraMeaning that they were people who have kissed Taiyou. Ah. Are you unhappy? No, Not at all! Im perfectly content! In that case, please take care of me from now on Kohaku was smiling. Perhaps they heard the conversation down stairs, in the next moment the door opens from the second floor and Kotone and Suzunes makes their appearance. The two people descend the stairs that had a gentle curve to it as they joined with the group of people gathered below. Kotone stood in front of Kohaku as she began to speak. Kohaku-san, I think I saw it before but I believe there was a signboard around the table here somewhere. Does this place have a name or something? Yes it did, I dont remember all the details but, if Im not mistaken it was called rokumei-kan (mansion) or was it the moment castle?(TL Rokumeikan seems to be a building built in 1883 July 7 a very iconic building, Im not sure what the other one represents though >.<) Ohh, its a one-time mansion desune? I dont think its either of them! Although it might resemble the latter it would be bad if thats the case! Hera was just responding to the sensitive iconic building names with an overjoyed reaction, whilst Taiyou was responding by quickly retorting the statements. Seriously though, what is it? Dont be like that, I dont really remember exactly what it was called no jya Eh? I didnt use this place that much, and besides I let someone else manage it jya. As you have seen its a really old place and quite a trivial one at that I see If you guys insist on it having a name then, I think it will be good if we can give a new name Is that alright? Umu, if youd like then this time around we can really name it the moment castle You are still on to that arent cha! But seriously if you name it that, I will get angry okay? Is that so? I thought that it was a masterpiece name deserving of respect, and I can proudly leave it to the future generation with such a name Anyways, lets get a different one As Taiyou said this, everyone was tilting their heads as they thought of a name. Before long, Hera opens her mouth. I think it will be really good to call it Taiyous Castle?! Heras whole face was smiling as she gave this suggestion, and everyone else was just blankly staring at her in puzzlement. (Light Novel Illustration: Meeting Kohaku at the Mansion Entrance) Chapter 48: Everything in her possession Chapter 47: The Seven Brides in Taiyou''s Castle Chapter 49: A Harem that doesn''t allow me to Voice Out my Opinions Taiyous Castle? Taiyou was the first to react and question Heras idea. His eye brows were puckered up and he had a dubious expression on his face. This reaction wasnt just from Taiyou, even Kohaku and the three sisters had similar confused expressions on their faces. Seeing their reaction, Hera proudly puffs out her chest as she began to explain. Yes desu?, Taiyou-chan is the king of this castle so, it should be Taiyous castle desu. Taiyous fortress and or Taiyous tower are also really good names desuyo? Why is it that you always like to joke around so much Taiyou reprimanded her resolutely and gave her a slap on the back. Although she flew away quite far whilst spinning around the air, she returned almost immediately whilst flying buoyantly towards the group as if nothing had happened. Seeing Hera act like this, Taiyou was starting to experience a headache. Taiyou was thinking to himself..Lately the amount of women around me that like to joke around with this kind of thing was becoming way too commonplace. Although it was overly apparently that Hera and Kohaku were both quite straight forward in their conversations, even Sakura who liked to play around with her words quite often used borderline inappropriate jokes. Not to mention Shirokiyami, although she didnt really speak much words, some of the things she says can be unfathomably destructive. They all had their own frightening implications. If things were left as they were now, Taiyou was afraid that sooner or later, people around him would start saying that, he was some sort of dark evil-doer. He secretly thought to himself that he must remain even more vigilant from now on. Umu. I also agree with the suggestion jya Taiyou was still thinking about such things, when the eldest of the girls Kohaku had already declared her agreement with Heras suggestion. Youve got to be kidding me, right? Taiyou was looking at her in this kind of manner. Isnt there a saying of, A man needs to aim to become the head of the household? Back in the day, it had the meaning of becoming the feudal lord of a castle and whatnot, but these days, it has a more comely meaning ofOwning your own cozy home. If we base it on the more recent meaning, I think that this name will really suit the building jyaro Nono, this is the place that you own Kohaku was staring at him as if asking What are you talking about?. Whilst Kohaku was speaking as if this was already Taiyous mansion, in actuality the owner of this building was Kohaku and it didnt have any relation to Taiyou. If he was forced to clarify his position it was to the extent that he had only stayed in this building for one night, and in terms of owning rights to the house he definitely did not own such a right. And yet, Kohaku was looking at him as if what he said didnt make any sense. Umu? If you are worried about the ownership rights of the land, I dont mind it if I present it all to you, if youd like? Arent you using the wrong vocab here? What do you mean present it? No, I didnt use the wrong words nojya Kohaku happily said so. Even if I look like this, Im quite the old fashioned woman Rather than saying you are old fashioned, isnt your ageC Just now he realized what he was about to say to Kohaku and he stopped his own sentence mid-way. He knew it was something he shouldnt say-Even in normal human society it was something that you shouldnt touch, or so people would say that this was a taboo topic to talk about with girls. Naturally, the criticism he was about to receive would also be boisterous. Taiyou-san! You cant talk about a girls age like that! Its the most basic of manners! The three sisters who had only showed goodwill towards Taiyou up until now suddenly spoke up for Kohaku. Ah, Ahh. Im sorry Kohaku-san, I was just Taiyou faced towards Kohaku and bowed his head in apology. Although it was true that he was being scolded by the three sisters, when he thought about it properly even more so than the average person, talking to Kohaku about her age is probably an even bigger taboo. They were existences who stopped aging after the age of 10 branded as the eternally little. They were destined not to have a companion for their whole life and were also known as the leftover old maids. To someone like her Taiyou felt that it was very insensitive to talk about their age. Therefore, Taiyou was bowing down his head, however the person in question didnt seem to be bothered by it in the slightest. Oh, dont mind it. I already know that its a fact that I am already an old lady jyakara Hearing her say such a thing, everyone in the room became silent. When someone self-depreciates themselves a little too far it can create this kind of atmosphere, it was that kind of awkward silence they were in. Noticing the awkward atmosphere.Kohaku spoke with an even more mischievous smile on her face. Considering the average lifespan of the eternally little I still have approximately 40 years left to live, thats about 1/3 of my life remaining jyana Isnt that actually a really long time?! Taiyou spurted the words out without thinking. This was a surprising discovery for Taiyou. Umm.If there is 40 years left to live this means. Then is means that you will be able to live to around 120 years old?! Or more like, is that really the average life span of the eternally little? Just like Taiyou the three sisters were bewildered and each of them was asking Kohaku questions, this was a naturally thing. I mean if she said that the oldest known eternally little has lived up to the age of 120 then the reactions would at most be Wow thats so amazing but, she actually said that the average lifespan is at least 120, meaning that there is a quite a good chance she may live beyond 120 years, this was something that you couldnt help but be surprised about. Kohaku seemed to be pleased at their reactions and she started to explain in more detail. Umu, the average lifespan of the eternally little girls is about 120 years old, and this figure doesnt really fluctuate too much. Its about 1/5th longer than the usual woman Is that so? Taiyou muttered. This is quite a famous fact you know? If you dont believe me in this matter, you can just look it up on the net After hearing her words, Taiyou decided to himself that when he had the time, he would look up the term eternally little and learn more about them. If he thought about it, the problems he faced this time was actually quite related to the eternally little and yet he didnt even know much about them. Although he knew the basic details that they would not age past the age of 10, he didnt know the more intricate details like their lifespan, or any special body conditions they may have. Not growing old has a similar meaning to not growing senile. Going by this speculation, it made sense that they could really only die from either severely physical injury or sickness. Well even amongst normal humans who arent the eternally little, there are also those rare ones that never meet any misfortunate accidents and die from sickness instead. If it was true that the eternally little would not age a day past 10 years old then, shouldnt they be able to live several hundreds of years, as long as they didnt get sick or get into an accident? In that case, shouldnt their life expectancy increase even more? This is what Taiyou thought. If she says the average life span is 120 years of age, there must be something else that he didnt know about Well he would investigate this matter sooner or later and find out Lets return to the conversation. Like I was saying, I am an old woman..and it is my old fashioned belief that the power of the family should lie with the patriarch of the family I understand what you are getting at but, the when you say family head..you cant mean Its you jya When Kohaku declares this fact, Hera and even the three sisters all raised their voices in agreement. It is a naturally thing nanodesu? Yes, Taiyou-san is the pillar of our group Or is it better to call him, our Master? If we are naming the building a castle, I think it might be more appropriate to call him King, dont you guys think? The women who were speaking unanimously were all very high spirited. Taiyou felt like a headache was coming to him. He was called their Pillar, Master and King. The titles was changing at a rapid pace to become higher and higher, and sooner or later he thought they might go crazy and start worshipping him as a god or something?! He thought he needed to do something to stop the madness, but he was helpless. Taiyou glanced at the three sisters. Well at the very least he did agree that he had to become the central pillar of the group..and someone worthy of being the family head of the household. And just like that, Taiyou gave up trying to convince them to stop their hype. Well its been decided jya, as you can see the its a majority agreement and from today forth you shall be the king of this household jya Im not sure whether we will be following a royal doctrine, or if this will be a democracy though(TL: Taiyou is saying as king he has no power to vote right now hahaha) Taiyou forced a bitter sweet smile for an instant before he turned serious and looked straight at Kohaku. I will gratefully accept your hospitality to stay here, however, I will by no means accept the ownership of the house When he said this so sternly, Kohaku was surprised and she had a regrettable expression on her face. What is it? Do you not like power when its given to you by a woman? In this world there are plenty of success stories where the section chief of a company suddenly gets promoted to become the chairman of a big enterprise, I dont think this is something you need to worry about jyazo Like I said, why do you always like to joke around like this so much?! After giving her his usual retort, Taiyou changed his face to a more serious expression again. For a while the two people just stared at each other. It was like the air around them froze after a long period of silence. At this point in time, Hera butted into the middle of their conversation with her usual thoughtless words. Mou, Taiyou-chan is such a block head desu? a big oaf nanodesu? Um? Why are you saying that? Dont you understand desuka? Hera silently shook her head as she answered. Immediately after that, a very surprising thing occurred for Taiyou. The one who was coming to reproach him wasnt just Hera. Thats because the three sisters standing next to Hera also agreed with her. The three sisters had bitter smiles on their faces as if asking him Why dont you understand? it was the kind of look a teacher from an elementary school would give to a child doing a bad thing. Seeing their reactions, Taiyou started to think Was I the one in the wrong?. He asked the girls with a questioning tone. Can you guys explain to me whats going on? Why am I a blockhead or an oaf? Hahh, Taiyou-chan were you born from the groin of a tree or a stone? Or are you imported goods from India desuka?? Hera shrug her shoulders and let loose a sigh as if saying, deary me, what a clueless child. And as expected the three sisters were also looking at him with similar expressions. Taiyou was getting flustered as he didnt know what the heck was going on. Hera flew close towards him and Peshito! Slapped him in the forehead as if scolding a student that just doesnt learn. Kohaku-tan, wants to give Taiyou-chan her everything desuyo? Eh? How should I put it, let me rephrase it desu? Hera cleared her throat and started to talk from the beginning again. She wants to dedicate her everything desuyo? Dedicate her everything?! That was no longer just talking in between the lines or beating around the bush, this was a Japanese word that could only be interpreted according to the meaning of the word. Taiyou was completely shocked as he turned around to face Kohaku. Normally she was rational, a lolibaba who always behaved coolly and with grace. However, this time around, the moment he laid his eyes on her, her cheeks began to blush as she looked down shyly. (Light Novel Illustration: Three Sisters take Kohakus Side) Chapter 49: A Harem that doesn’t allow me to Voice Out my Opinions Chapter 48: Everything in her possession Chapter 50:It''s no use crying over spilt milk You will dedicateYour everything? Taiyou froze as he muttered out these words. He was 16 years old, and a young boy who was currently in the midst of his puberty. You could say that Taiyou was more mature than the average person in his age group, however, it was not like he was at the level of an enlightened Buddhist monk that could expel all desires. When a girl says something like dedicate her everything as a young pubescent male, he could not help but think of the sexual connotation the words had. In his mind right now, he was fantasizing about Kohaku saying the exact same words, except, she was completely naked and blushing in a cute pose. Is that..so? That is so nanodesu? You be quiet for once! When Taiyou tried to tell Hera to stay out of it, the three sisters started to corner him from the side. Taiyou-san I also think that..I agree with Hera I think that what Hera-chan is saying makes sense After all, I completely understand how Kohaku-san feels The girls were saying this as they glanced towards Kohaku. Ctsu Taiyou also turned to look at Kohaku. The moment he did, it was like a hammer hit his heart. Kohaku who was in front of his eyes, was blushing cutely. She looked just like a girl in love. Taiyou was being told off by not only Hera but also the Three sisters. All of them were speaking as if their way of thinking was the only correct one. Taiyou winced. Even now Kohakus expression was one that was about to begin weeping at any moment. Am I a bother? Thats not it! Taiyou firmly denied it. Because he suddenly spoke with such a large voice, Kohaku was so surprised that she jumped up. She settled down after a while and she timidly asked Taiyou. Is that the. truth? The one standing before him right now was not a senior who was experienced in life. It was a lonesome girl who until now had been constantly wounded and was mustering up her last bit of courage to ask if he could accept her. Right now that was the kind of girl Taiyou was seeing in front of him. His feelings began to sprout. The feeling that she was just so precious. Taiyou truly felt that the girl known as Azumaya Kohaku was just so adorable right now. He took a deep breath and after arranging the feelings within his chest, he tried to convey it in his words. Yes, it is true. To be frankI was completely caught off guard when you told me that you would dedicate everything. However, hearing you say something like this.Makes me really happy When he said this, Kohaku burst into tears. Her being this happy with just hearing his words..made him feel that she had truly been so deprived. Therefore, he wanted to answer her feelings even more, not just using his words. However, there was one thing that worried him. In this country, it was the norm that the relationship between a man and a woman was mutually exclusive and that it was a first-come-first served basis. -Order of arrival. Thus Taiyou turned around to face the three sisters. You guys Before Taiyou was even able to finish his sentence, and without the need to glance at each other, the three sisters promptly answered. A little while ago, I think that we have already mentioned this to Taiyou-san Our dream is to make a harem with the person that we fall in love with We know what Taiyou-san is worried about, however, we are on Kohaku-sans side on this matter After hearing this, Taiyou did remember that he was told something like this a little while ago. He certainly did have this told to him, but at that particular time, he thought that they were just playing a practical joke on him or something. He thought that during that time perhaps the girls said it in the heat of the moment.He did think that humans were impulsive creatures that could sometimes spout ridiculous things. And at that particular time, he was also a little dazed at the circumstances and he could only partly understand what they were saying. However, right now, the girls clearly repeated the same words again. Perhaps they really do mean it? he started to think. Perhaps they read his thoughts from the expression he had on his face, but the girls had a soft smile on their faces as they continued even further. The three of us has always planned on falling in love with the same person, getting married and then creating a family together. However, up until now, far from anyone accepting this part of us, many people would have a strange look on their faces just from hearing us mention it For someone like us, Taiyou-san is the first person to ever accept us. Even for people like us, Taiyou-san told us that he loved us. We were extremely happy to hear that, so glad, and even now we feel blessed Even weird people like us..Could still be loved The three girls spoke in a chorus. We want Kohaku-san to be able to share this feeling as well! The girls were saying this with extremely earnest expressions. They were seriously asking him.. No, the faces they had looked like they were begging him to listen. They themselves were really happy, and they wanted to share this happiness with others as well. Up until now, Taiyou had never been so shocked. The three sisters who were able to go that far, Taiyou didnt believe that people like them existed. You girls.. Taiyou expanded his arms and embraced the three people. Taiyou-san.. They wanted to share their happiness. Their strong words were embedded deeply in Taiyous mind..and his heart was moved. They were unbearably dear to him. If he was able to make them happy, he felt like he would do anything. Even if the actions he took would make people gossip about him behind his back. Taiyou released them from his embraced, and after giving each of them a kiss on their forehead, he turned towards Kohaku. Kohaku-san He goes in front of her, and kneels down so that he matches her line of vision. Let me confirm just one thing. Are you sure that you are fine with me? As you can see, within my arms, I already have these three girls. And no matter what happens from now on, they will never separate from me. In addition, I cannot swear that I will love you equally as I love them He looked straight into her eyes. She also looked straight into his eyes. After hearing all this. Do you think that you will be fine with someone like me? It is possible to love equally. I wouldnt believe in a man who could say such sugar coated words Kohaku immediately replied. Even now she was answering his question in such a roundabout way, it was so like her. People have a natural tendency to have favourites nojya. No, even if one had a favorite, their opinions could change as the days go by. Someone capable of loving impartially is theoretically an impossible thing. Therefore, I wont trust a man who is able to say such a thing nonchalantly Saying this, she took Taiyous hand. It was cold and small.yet it was shockingly soft. Just from the fact that you are..Able to say this to me with honesty, I am already willing to follow you for the rest of my life(Kohaku speaking) Her words..no her sense of values were similar to the three sisters and to himself, so he could understand her words clearly. The general populous would normally reject the notion of a harem immediately criticizing the fact that there would be an uneven amount of love between the parties, even now Taiyou could not understand why people thought like this. He could not understand it, but what was important was that he could understand clearly what the girls were trying to convey to him. And also what he should do from now on. He had no confidence in being able to love them all equally, however, what he had confidence in doing was that he could love them all for the rest of his life. As long as they still loved him and was willing to accept him, he was willing to return those feelings. Taiyou thought about it like that. And he strongly, strongly believed he could make it work. I understand Taiyou nods, and puts a bit of strength into his hands as Kohakus small body was drawn into his arms. She was embraced closely, her small chin was resting against his shoulders and it was like he wrapped around her completely. Please, stay by my side for a long time to come I swear it. Until..Death do us apart As expected her answer was immediate. Having embraced Kohaku, although he couldnt see the faces of the three sisters, he was sure that they were smiling. Taiyou was convinced that was the case. Because their sweet atmosphere was definitely transmitted to the three sisters. After embracing each other for quite a while, the two people separated. Taiyou was just a little surprised. This was because Kohakus expression became a lot softer. Her eyes which usually held the look of someone who was beyond their years. Had now changed into a considerably softer look That was truly. Just as he was thinking about this, as per usual Hera butted in with a happy tone of voice. Panpakapann, Congratulations desu?. Taiyou-chan has obtain his second wife nanodesu The second? For a moment, he thought about how Hera truly couldnt read the mood, but soon enough her words caught his interest. What did she mean by the second person? Yes, the second person desuyo? Hera just repeated the same words. To his surprised the other women backed up Heras statement. Umu, I also think that I am the second. What, who else in here would be fit for such a position? Is there someone else fit for the position Taiyou-san? Ah, dont tell me, that white girl? Thats probably true, if she was here, Kohaku-san would probably become the third wife Fumu, there is still meaning in being the third, even if that was the case I wouldnt mind it The females were interacting with each other. At this point, Taiyou had also realized that the three sisters counted themselves as one person. Looking at it like this, it was obvious that the three sisters were the first wife and Kohaku would be the second wife. The Three sisters were the first and Kohaku was the second, these four girls were speaking to each other quite intimately as they chatted. It looked as if they had already known each other for many years. They were so close with each other that, Taiyou who was the only man here could not even butt into their conversation. Butting into the conversation of these girls was impossible even for someone as strong as Hercules. He suddenly remembered that he used to see this kind of spectacle all the time in school. Normally seeing this kind of scene he would feel a sense of incompatibility and slight discomfort. However right now it was totally different, even though he could not join in their conversation, to him this scene didnt bother him in the slightest, in fact he felt tranquil at the scene. It was the feeling of relief, having known that the women he loved were happily getting along with each other. The more that they were able to get along with each other, the happier Taiyou felt. And just as he thought that he could indefinitely watch this moment, Hera obstructed him again. Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan What is it? Taiyou-chan, you need to level up to level 10 quickly desuyo? What was she saying all of a sudden? Taiyou looked at Hera in puzzlement. Chapter 50: It’s no use crying over spilt milk Chapter 50:Its no use crying over spilt milk Chapter 49: A Harem that doesn''t allow me to Voice Out my Opinions Chapter 51: The First time beginning Joint work Part 1 In the end the building was called Taiyous Castle and right now Taiyou was standing in front of the room at the very back of the second floor. Hera was pushing him onwards in order to obtain level 10at first he wondered why she rushed him so much. This is because he had completely forgotten the fact that at level 10 he would obtain something important. That is, at level 10 he would acquire a second skill. Is she in here? He was standing in front of the door and Kohaku nodded her head to his question. so shes inside here?.Taiyou took a deep breath, turned the knob and stepped inside the room. This room was devoid of any furniture, it was a completely empty room except for the fact that there was one woman inside. The girl had her hands tied behind her back and a gag on her mouth, so that she could not run away, her hands were tied to the corner of the room. Although her clothes were not disordered, her hair had become frayed and her eyes had dark circles underneath them. If the police was to discover her in this state, there was no doubt that Taiyou would be charged with abduction and confinement and without a doubt he would be arrested. Juniishima Sakura. She watched Taiyou with cold eyes as he entered the room. Uhh, first of all I would like to apologize When he saw how she looked at him, Taiyou flinched and instinctively apologized to her. Having her restrained was one thing, but completely leaving her stranded for such a long period of time was his bad. Whilst apologizing, Taiyou approaches her. He had noticed her presence since yesterday, but things seem to crop up one after another and he forgot about her in the end. If Taiyou were to postpone this issue any longer and start to level up, things may turn out quite badly. Thinking about it like this, Taiyou decided to give priority to liberating Sakura. It should be enough now, right? Taiyou turned towards Kohaku in order to confirm whether it was alright, and he started to unfasten the bindings on Sakura. Although it was already decided that Kohaku would become a part of his harem, she was still talking in her overly polite manner. Fumu, there are no problems. I already received the report that things have already been set in motion Kohaku didnt say who she got the report from though. Yurikago was trying to hide her existence, and even more so in front of Sakura, Kohaku was careful not to reveal any important details. I understand Taiyou nods, he understood what Kohaku was saying and why she was talking in such a roundabout way. If that was the case, it should be fine to release Sakura, whilst thinking this he was about to release the rest of her bindings, however Kohaku approaches him and his hands were quietly gripped. Wait, I dont mind it if you want to release her, however, there is one important thing that must be done Something that must be done? Taiyou knits his eyebrows thinking that perhaps he may have overlooked something important and tilts his head in a questioning manner. Umu, it about a simple courtesy, the beauty in taking the correct procedure Huh? When you come into a house its polite manners to arrange your shoes neatly, or when watching a thriller, it is necessary to expose who the real killer is or the viewers will be unsatisfied. Its something similar to that, therefore, when there is such a beautiful girl restrained right in front of you it would be such a shame not to do anything to her nojya. As you can see, she falls under the category of being a beautiful person, in that case, you should take the role of the perverted old man and do something that will make her say J-just kill me already! andC Teeeiiiii! Before Kohaku could finish her sentence, Taiyou had already pulled the rope and tore it off. The rope was much thicker than a humans fingers, however for someone like Taiyou who had an incredible amount of power, it was like he was pulling on a silk thread. He completely ignored Kohakus prank and liberated Sakura. What, how wasteful nou Kohaku was speaking as if she truly regretted it from the bottom of her heart. Its not a waste..! And here I was thinking it was something important! What, if you are thinking of creating a harem, shouldnt there be a character that fits the role of the slave? Nou? Whilst saying so, Kohaku turns towards Hera. Yes desu? Its a standard thing nanodesu?. Even in the ero ero movies, it is best to take straight forward approach nanodesu? You stay out of this! Dont take out such a ridiculous precedent as your supporting case! As he said this, he gave Hera a smack. Even though they havent known each other for a long period of time, it could already be said that the relationship between Hera and Kohaku had reached the level of a golden combination. On the one hand, Hera was a level up fairy, and on the other hand Kohaku was part of the eternally little and was a lolibaba.These two really it hit off as they shared the same hobbies and interests. In other words, the amount of trouble Taiyou had to handle had doubled. Hopefully the amount of trouble wont increase any more, right? As Taiyou was thinking such things, he started to talk to Sakura who was rubbing her wrists. Allow me to apologize once againFor being so late. Are you alright? YesMy body is fine Sakura was speaking sarcastically. Just from that single exchange, Taiyou remembered a nostalgic feeling. He had just met her yesterday and he only talked to her for a little while, but talking to her like thissomehow made him miss the witty conversations he had with her. Is that so? In that case there should be no problems whatsoever Ara? Is that the kind of words you should be saying to a woman youve restrained for more than half a day? I told you that my body was fine, but what if I told you that you have scarred my heart from ever healing? For someone like you, that shouldnt be the case right? I dont think that you are the kind of fragile woman to be hurt by something like this Ara, Youre such an awful person Sakura was elegantly covering her mouth as she chuckled but her eyes werent smiling. But youve seen right through me. Yes, thats right, my mind is rumored to be as tough as cotton ball As expected from you, thats the kind of mindset of one who will rule the country sooner or later Yes, because youve been such a gentleman, even my body hasnt received much damage. Thanks to you, I can still rule the country as a woman who has not yet been defiled Im not really a gentleman, this code of conduct is a natural thing Is that so? Allow me to give you a piece of friendly advice as a captured prisoner, there are plenty of women who will only be satisfied if they are treated like a lady What kind of warning is this?, as he thought about it, he asked her back. Are you also like that? No, after all I am like a beast I see, So you are saying that you take the initiative in relationships? Yeah, I guess I can see you in that kind of light(TL Note: Taiyou is actually calling Sakura a carnivorous woman which cannot be explained in a mere sentence, this word actually means: She is aggressive, calls the shots in love, is independent and opinionated) Yes, thats right. When all is said and done..it would seem that you are a herbivorous man? The three sisters and the eternally little, they are all girls who would normally be out of the reach of normal men, and yet you have all four of them under your arms(TL note: herbivorous man is the antonym word for carnivorous woman, Sakura is basically saying that Taiyou is: unlike the traditional male stereotypes as he does not seem overly interested in the pursuit of money and sex, instead he values lies more in being, kind, co-operative and family oriented.) I am also here you know ? Hera was complaining to Sakura, but neither her voice or her figure could be seen by her.This is where the conversation lulled. Taiyou and Sakura just stared at each other for some time, and a quiet atmosphere flowed between them.It was a strange atmosphere. These two were not friends, neither were they lovers, and they didnt have a relationship of being comrades either or anything close to it.On the contrary, they should have a hostile relationship with each other.Even so, there wasnt a dangerous or threatening atmosphere between them. At least, Taiyou did not look at her in such a negative light. It was not like he wanted to make her his girlfriend, or to the extent that he wanted her in his harem, but it was more like he wanted to get to know her a little better. What kind of relationship was this? even Taiyou himself did not know the answer to that question. Whilst he was in contemplation, Sakura abruptly interrupted his thoughts. Well then, its about time that I make my way back Are you going back just like that? Are you sure that you dont need to leave any threatening remarks against me? Its already come to this Sakura let out a deep breathe as she sneered. This eternally little girl already told you right? The snow has already begun to roll Fumu, it can also mean that there is no use crying over spilt milk Kohaku joined in on their conversation, and for once the things she said actually made sense. It would be really good if she always talked like this. at least it was much better than the suggestive jokes she came up with, Taiyou much preferred to talk to her in this kind of manner. In that case, there is no meaning to it even if I used a threat. If it isnt possible to fix, than there is only one option left, and that is to draw up a new plan A new plan.? That sounds just like what you would do That is quite so. Rather than thinking that there is only one water we can share, I would much prefer to think that water is what we need. I mean, wouldnt you agree that this kind of logic is more reasonable? Kukuku, well isnt that good Kohaku was stifling her laughter as she looked towards the three sisters. Perhaps they were bad with this kind of conversation, the three sisters Kotone, Suzune and Kazane all had expressions of bafflement. They had the same exact face with the same exact expression. It would seem that they could not follow the roundabout way of communication. For the time being he left them like that and concentrated on the conversation with Sakura. In that case, I hope that I wont become the water that blocks your path Ara, you are saying such a thing even though you dont really believe in your own words Im being serious Taiyou said this as he looked straight at Sakura. I do enjoy the conversations we have, and as such I wouldnt mind conversing more often. If it is possible, I dont want to talk to you as an enemy, but meet you as an ally where we can have a good long chat Sakura silently nods as she begins to walk towards the entrance of the room. Taiyou himself had moved out of the way so that she could pass through, and as such, the three sisters, Kohaku and even Hera made way to let Sakura pass. She was standing at the doorway but she didnt leave just yet. As she was gripping the door knob with her hands, she froze in that posture as if she thought of something to say. You said that you want to meet me again as an ally, is this correct? Ahh, if it is possible In that case, what do you think of forming a new path of water between us so that we can cooperate? With her back still turned towards him, Sakura asked him questioningly. What did she mean by forming a new alliance and what did this entail? just as Taiyou was thinking such things, she turned around and said In the near future, I need to face my rival Juniishima Yurikago.. and I want your help in kidnapping her Chapter 51: The First time beginning Joint work Part 1 Chapter 50:It''s no use crying over spilt milk Chapter 52: First Time Beginning Joint Work Part 2 It was growing dark at the foot of the mountain. There was a single vending machine placed in between the boundary of the town and the mountain. Part of the paint on the machine was starting to peel off and Taiyou was standing in front of the vending machine repeatedly inserting and then taking out his 100 yen coin. A little off to the distance, Kohaku was watching over him. After hearing about how he ran into trouble with the police the last time he tried to level up, Kohaku decided to accompany him. In this rural area, dont even mention the police officers, there was not even many people that passed by, Taiyou was diligently increasing his level. And it was approximately one hour since he began his repetitive work that Tereretetete?? Taiyou-chan, you have levelled up! Hera who had seemingly vanished all this time, suddenly appeared and flew in front of him, she danced around in the air whilst singing her level up song. Kohaku who heard the announcement also approaches with a face full of smiles. Hou, shes dancing jyana I am dancing desuyo?. Its the level up dance nanodesu Is that really necessary to do? Wanna join in? As if Id do that?! Taiyou reflexively rejected her Heras invitation. When he saw her dancing he didnt really think too much of it, but the moment she asked him to join her, he couldnt help but give her a retort. Well since there wasnt too much point in reprimanding her too much about this matter, Taiyou just wanted to get on with it and move on to more important matters. Well then, Allow me to r-e-c-a-p?..Taiyou-chan is now level 8 nanodesu? Fumu, now that youve levelled up, do you feel anything different? Yes desu! I will show it now! As soon as Hera said this, Taiyou received a familiar sensation, it was a rush of numerical figures going to his brain. It starts with the level rising in value, and then it moves on to give a comparison of the amount of status gained this level from the previous level. Because he was quite familiar with the process, he was able to understand the numbers that popped into his brain. Kohaku who was next to him, spoke out loudly. Fumu.This is really mysterious, it is such a queer sensation jyana Eh? Are you seeing this? Taiyou was surprised as he turned to face Kohaku. Umu, it feels like the numbers are flowing from the bottom of my eyeballs all the way to the molars of my teeth. Are you also seeing it in the same way as me?? Where exactly are you saying it goes?! Well I kinda get what you are saying though Its a secret of the human body desune? Hera spoke thoughtlessly. Taiyou thought that it was definitely nothing to do with the secrets of the human body but more about the secrets of the world. Whilst thinking such things, he perused his status and roughly understood the situation. Although normally he would examine it more thoroughly, he didnt do this right now. Thats because level 8 wasnt a huge checkpoint in terms of levelling. He faced towards Hera and said. So, what do we have to do next? You told me that I should hurry up and reach level 10 right? Yes desu?, the moment you reach level 10, Taiyou-chan will receive a huge burst of power desu? In that case, please tell me what the next step is He wanted to know the process of levelling up to level 9. Yes nanodesu?. By the way, Taiyou-chan, do you have a smart phone on you? I do have it with me, but its broken you know? His smart phone was broken since the day he met Hera. For quite some time now, he has lived his life without using his smart phone, but so far it hasnt really caused him too many problems. Well its probably because Ive been living such an unusual life This is what Taiyou thought. That is a problem desu, the next step requires the use of a smart phone, otherwise it wont do nanodesu? If its alright to use another persons smart phone, I dont mind lending you mine dazo That is fine nanodesu? After Hera answers, Kohaku pulls out her smart phone and hands it over to Taiyou. It was a smaller device than what Taiyou was used to using. You use a really small one dont you? Thats because the eternally little dont have any long sightedness Kohaku twists her mouth into a grin. Taiyou smiled back at her whilst turning towards Hera. So, what do I have to do with this? Ehh let me see desune, please start playing any game. And create a character and then I already know, I bet you are going to say create a character, and then delete that character and rinse and repeat, right? That is correct nanodesu, as expected of Taiyou-chan nanodesu? Taiyou lets out a bitter smile. Considering what he had to do so far, it was easy to predict what he needed to do this time just from past experiences. Taiyou used the smart phone and began to download a game he used to play back in the day. When he finished downloading the game, he started to do what Hera mentioned, which is to repeatedly create a character and then delete that character. Fumu, you are doing a reset marathon arent you?(TL note: people may do a reset marathon in games to abuse the advantages of creating a level one character and then taking the given rare item to transfer it to the newer character) How come you are always so knowledgeable in these kind of matters? As a lolibaba, knowing this kind of thing is a natural custom jyazo I guess you arent like a certain someone, who doesnt seem to know anything With a bitter smile, Taiyou continues his tedious work. He creates a character, determining his status and then deleting the character. He creates a character, determining his status and then deleting the character. Suddenly, Taiyou remembered the days when he used to play the game. This particular game decided the starting status points randomly. The average status point you would get is about 50, however if you continuously rolled the dice, you would be able to start the game with an advantage. At that time, Taiyou would relentlessly reroll his status points until he got the perfect figure, but right now his purpose in playing this game was to level up in real life, nevertheless he was seemingly able to make plenty of characters that exceeded the average value by far. Naturally, he would delete all these characters. This is obviously because his purpose was to level up in real life, not in the game. The sun had set completely, and the vicinity became dark. The three people moved under a street lamp that was some distance away. Suddenly, Kohaku who was looking at the phone screen together with him raised her voice. The bonus point displayed in the screen actually reached 99, which was the absolute highest value. Ohh, isnt that a really good figure? Its the kind of figure that would allow you to make a slave haremC Like I said, Please restrain yourself with making those kind of jokes! He immediately countered her joke which was approaching dangerous waters, and he completely erased the character. What a shame nou Its fine, after all this game is just a stepping stone for me to level up in real life Well, I suppose that is true jyana Kohaku spoke with a tone of voice that seemed to drop towards the end. Hey, do you mind it if I ask you a serious question?(Kohaku speaking) What is it? Taiyou was continuing to work as he asked her what was up. The thing that Juniishima Sakura talked about.Are you truly going to undertake it? If you are talking about kidnapping Yurikago? Then yeah, Im planning on accepting her offer Is that really alright? Doesnt this mean that you will make that girl into your enemy? Kohaku was asking him with an earnest expression. Wasnt she someone youve fought with in the past? Kohakus question had that kind of implication to it. It should be fine. Or more like. Its better if I was the one who did the kidnapping. I dont really know what Sakura intends to do with her after she has kidnapped Yurikago, but if I am there, I can at least protect her when push comes to shove I see, is that why you are doing this Taiyou-chan, are you planning on putting Yurikago-chan into your harem desuka?? Are you going to make her your third wife nanodesu? Thats not it. Think about it, if I know that she is about to be kidnapped I cant really just ignore it, right? Fumu, that is true jyana Rather than completely disregarding the fact it will happen, being the one to kidnap her will bring a more favorable outcome. Thankfully, Sakura-san doesnt know that I have a connection with Yurikago, so we will be using this to our advantage After saying this Taiyou removed his eyes from the screen, and for once he stretched out his limbs and neck. Umu, in regards to this matter, it all started with you trying to help the three sisters. And it was only later that you accepted to work together with Yurikago She also hid her face from Sakura-san Thats true. Well, even if Sakura did see her face by chance, it shouldnt be too much of a problem, in any case, no one would ever suspect that a mere schoolboy is connected to the princess of the Juniishima Clan jyana Yeah, I am also planning to use that fact. Well, if we are able to capture her successfully and secure the safety of her body, then it will be the best outcome You might be in danger if you choose to do this jyazo? Rather than pretending not to see anything and feeling the immense guilt that comes with it, this is a much better alternative Is that so? Kohaku nods and the conversation is cut short at this point. Taiyou continued to work under the veil of darkness pressing buttons on his smart phone whilst the two women continued to watch over him. This kind of scene continued for quite some time. Until Tereretetete?? Taiyou-chan, you levelled up! You have now reached level 9 nanodesu? Have I increased in level already? This time around it was also really fast wasnt it? In that way, both he and Kohaku confirmed the rise in his abilities. As usual, the thing that seems to increase the most is my strength I suppose you are just that kind of character jyaro. Oh yeah, maybe it will be good if I bring you a wooden mallet from the jungle? Please stop right there Taiyou replied to Kohaku with a wry smile but he still imagined the scene of himself wielding the wooden hammer. That may not be such a bad thing he thought. Well, whats next? It seems that we are about to hit level 10, what do I need to do this time? Is it perhaps putting dandelions on sashimi and then removing it one by one? Kohaku suddenly intervenes from the side as she tried to predict the next set of work Taiyou needed to do. At any rate, it was the norm by now that increasing his level had something to do with doing useless work. Even if the first half of the work had some sort of meaning, the second part of the work usually nullified any benefit from the first action. Taiyou thought that the next thing he needed to do was surely going to follow the same sort of principle. We might do that a little further down the line nanodesuyo?. However the next thing we have to do desune? is the Princess Carry (Himesama Dakko) nanodesu? Yes? The words that came out of Heras mouth was just something he would never have expected. Chapter 52: First Time Beginning Joint Work Part 2 Chapter 51: The First time beginning Joint work Part 1 Chapter 53: The Power of a Bride and their Idolized Master Taiyou was flabbergasted and doubted his own ears. Did you just say Princess Carry? Yes! Ah, its also fine as long as you carry them with your arms, you know?? Even if you dont bring them really really high up, its also fine desuyo? Ive never seen or heard of anyone doing that sort of princess carry to begin with! Whilst giving her a rebuke, he reflexively imagined what kind of scene that would be. This would probably involve someone throwing the girl really high up in the air before catching them again in their embrace, it was truly a surreal kind of scene. Well strictly speaking, if he were a normal human being, he probably wouldnt even be able to imagine such a ridiculous thing like throwing the girl high into the air, but right now he was in the possession of a superhuman power, because he himself was likely able to accomplish such a feat he inadvertently imagined such a thing. Although it was possible to do, it would be a foolish thing to try. Taiyou starts massaging the middle of his forehead as he tried to get rid of that scene from his mind. From his side, Kohaku speaks with a serious tone of voice. You mentioned the princess carry, but can you explain to me in detail exactly what must be done nojya? .Kohaku-san, why are your eyes sparkling so much? Its natural jyaro! We are talking about the princess carry here! Or what, are you going to tell me that as an 87 year old lady, that I shouldnt be thinking about things like being a princess and that its absurd? Kohaku was speaking passionately and with insistence. Since the first time I met her, this is the most passionate shes ever been about something. It was way too strong, rather than backing off, it was like she was preparing for all-out war with her threatening attitude. The young elderly woman standing there looked almost like a carnivorous animal as she spoke. N, no..I have no intentions of doing such a thing Taiyou could only stumble as he spoke out the words. In that case, its all good. Now then, you should teach him right now the way to properly perform it nojya Kohakus breathing was becoming rougher as she quickly urged Hera to get on with the explanation. Kohaku was acting really differently from her usual calm self, nevertheless, the level up fairy merely responded with her happy go lucky tone of voice. Yes? Well even so, its a really simple thing desuyo, all you have to do is perform the princess carry, then let them off and then do it again desu? As expected, it would turn out like this, Taiyou thought. Although for a moment the impact of the words princess carry really shocked him, in the end the thing he had to do was more or less the same as before. Just like he has done up until now, he just needed to repeat the same actions, even though it held no meaning he merely had to repeat them. I understand, that is clear and simple Kohaku nods, she looks in Taiyous direction with a strong shining gaze. Well then, you should get on with it and do that right now nojya! Umm.Why dont we move locations for now? Why jya?! Kohakus voice sounded almost like a scream. Taiyou, Kohaku and Hera, the three people return to Taiyous Castle. The three sisters who had been cleaning all this time, whilst he was out levelling was gathered in the living room terrace, and they were all explained about the matter of the princess carry. After he explained the circumstances, not only Kohaku but even the girls started to get fired up. Although Kotone and the girls were able to keep their composure better than Kohaku, nevertheless, they blazing eyes sparkled as they spoke. Everyone has already been gathered, and the circumstance have been explained. Now then, this time we need to start the princess carry jya! Do I really have to do this? Kohaku was pressing herself against him intently. Taiyou spoke to Hera in a tone that seemed like he wanted to be saved out of the situation. Yes, this is the only way to increase the experience gain desu. Taiyou-chan, dont tell me you actually dont want to do it desuka?? Unnh Eh.. His brides were reacting to Heras question. Its not like I find it unpleasant, but How do I explain it.? If you dont find it uncomfortable than hurry up and do it desu? Thats right, you should hurry up and do it already jya Please take care of us, Taiyou-san All the women were lined up as they requested to be princess carried. And just when Taiyou steeled his resolve and thought fine lets do this then, at that time CWait, Hey Hera? Yes?? Taiyou suddenly remembered something, and Hera was waiting for his question as she tilted her head. The thing he remembered..was something that occurred during the time he levelled up to level 5. At that particular time, his level went up when he kissed the three sisters. And this time around, he needed to perform the princess carry in order to increase his level. From level 5 to Level 10. Taiyou started to think of the incremental connection between these acts. Can you please tell me the method to level, when I reach level 15, right now? The moment he asked her, Hera turned her eyes away at once. As expected, is that how this is?! What are you going to make me do?! Tell me right now! It is not possible to say it with my mouth nodesu? You are denyingYour own meaning to life right now, you Ero Fairy! The things that can be done tomorrow dont need to be discussed today desu? Dont try to say cool things, I wont get fooled by it you know?! Although Taiyou pressed Hera for an answer, she kept evading a direct answer, she was as slippery as an eel. Level 5 consisted of a kiss, Level 10 is a princess carry. Although the aspect of repeatedly doing a certain thing remained the same, the thing he had to do..seemed to be five times more..than what he had to do previously. In such a case he was truly curious exactly, what he was going to have to do to reach level 15, but Hera just wouldnt tell him the details. Why are you still arguing around, hurry up and do it nojya Kohaku was urging him onwards. When he looked at them, Kohaku and the three sisters all had bloodshot eyes. When he saw them like this, he exhaled a sigh and faced towards them. I will do it now, is that alright? Oh! Kohaku responded cheerfully as I placed my hands around the back of her knees and lifted her in a princess carry. Her face was so near, and I could feel her breathing. When I looked at her from such a close distance, my heart started to throb. At that moment Kiss. Kohaku, pecked me with a short kiss. K, Kohaku-san Taiyou was surprised, as he didnt expect that she would kiss him so suddenly. Kohaku who just kissed him started to blush her cheeks as she looked down. Just like that, she climbed down herself as she put both of her hands to cover her face. She was really embarrassed, she was feeling really shy about what she had just done. Her shyness was contagious, as even Taiyous ears started to become really red all the way to the roots and his body started to feel hot. His heart was beating and he continued to look at Kohaku. She looked extremely cute, she was really adorable. He wanted to hug her tightly, right this instant Taiyou-san, dont forget about us! Lets line up Ka-chan! Ill be second, alright? Yeah! The three sisters butted their way into the sweet atmosphere and lined up in front of Taiyou. Kotone, Suzune and Kazane were lined in this order and looked towards Taiyou with expectant gazes. The sweet atmosphere remained without any change. Taiyou lifted the girls up one after another. He moved his hand to the back of their knees and gave them a princess carry. Although they didnt give him a kiss, they were becoming more bashful. It was a mysterious thing. These girls had already kissed him before, and they even declared that they wanted to make a harem together with him, and yet they were getting embarrassed by something like a princess carry..Taiyou made a note within his own mind, as to just how formidable this thing called the princess carry can be. Eventually, the princess carry had already gone to round two. Before he knew it was already Kohakus turn again and this time she twined her hands around his neck. Ahh Kohaku was overcome with emotion. Her face was full of ecstasy as her body shivered. Looking at such an expression, Taiyous heart skipped a beat. You need to do it to me too desu?. You must Taiyou-chan! Perhaps it was because she because jealous when seeing the other girls had faces of pure bliss so Hera also wanted to join in the fun as she boisterously shoved in line. Seeing the fairy who could not sense the mood, he was slightly angry, so Taiyou used one of his hands to grab on to her whole body and raised it up like he was carrying a dumbbell. Wa, wait Taiyou-chan! That isnt the princess carry nanodesu!If you do it like that, you wont be able to get any experience desuyo? Hera was shouting about as she struggled about, and soon he proceeded to give Kotone her second hug. And when the second round of hugs had finally finished, the girls all slumped down to the floor. For there to be something so sweet to experience in this world.I think that I no longer have any regrets in this world nojya You cant think like that Kohaku-san! Thats right! You need to remember the things that Hera-chan and Taiyou-chan were talking about When he needs to reach level 15, there will be something else that needs to happen The three sisters spoke in succession.Because the girls themselves experienced it when he was about to reach level 5, their words seemed more trustworthy to believe. Th, thats right jyanaUmu, there must be more things that are even better than this jyana. Even so, I think that this is my limit jya. My heart is beating so fast, I dont think it can hold out. I think that I have to retire for this one, I shall leave the rest to everyone else nojya How can that be! Kohaku-san. We understand, please leave it up to us! We will use up Kohakus portion and give Taiyou-san more hugs! Hey guys, come on, its just a princess carry Taiyou was butting into the conversation, but naturally, his voice was left unheard. Just like that, he started to hug the three sisters taking turns. Kohaku who told the sisters that she was done for came beside his feet, and she was snuggling her body which barely had any energy left, against his legs. In his arms, he could feel the weight of the three sisters, and against his feet he could feel the warmth of Kohakus soft body. It felt as if all his bodys sensations had gathered in those two places. The pleasant feeling of touching his body to theirs skin to skin. Gradually, he didnt even care about the reason he was doing this anymore. All he knew was that right now, he was really happy, and he wanted to be together like this for a long time. Chapter 53: The Power of a Bride and their Idolized Master Chapter 52: First Time Beginning Joint Work Part 2 Chapter 54:A Brides Power/ A person should know their own limits No matter how happy you become, there is a moment in time when it comes to an end. Teretetetete ~? Taiyou-chan you levelled up! After finally letting down Kazane, Kohaku who was still at his feet, was hoping that her turn would come next-however in that moment, a thoughtless little fairy interrupted this hope with her loud voice. The sweet atmosphere they had until now popped like soap bubbles, Taiyou turned to Hera with an indifferent look. Whats up desuka? No, nothings wrong. More importantly, you told me that I levelled up right? Yes! With this now Taiyou-chan has reached level 10. A?N?D, a new skill can be selected desu~ Just like her usual self Hera was performing her level up dance as she spun around in the air. Last time around I had three choices to choose from, right? Yes, there is always going to be three choices nanodesuyo~ I see..Last time around there was super-armor and also a passive skill: experience value gain improvement, which one should I choose this time I wonder? Because they both seem really useful, Im kind of conflicted In that case, lets get started~! Ahh..te Oi Yes? Hera was tilting her head in the air. It was almost as if she became one of those mascots characters, that came into popularity in the recent years. You, wait a moment and just sit still Hera was doing just as she was told and she was kneeling on her knees whilst in mid-air. What is this about? There is nothing for me to choose from? There is~ Please choose among these three options Hou, this is such a classical joke. Its the one that I used to see, back in the day Kohaku was just happily enjoying the banter that Taiyou and Hera was having. If Taiyou thought about it carefullyhe realized that Kohaku was quite the expert in these types of joke materials. ?Passive Skill Idol ?Passive Skill Idol ?Passive Skill Idol The skills displayed before Taiyou, was three skill sets which seemed to be copy pasted right in front of him. Taiyou was just downright amazed, and Kohaku was having fun. Although there was supposed to be three choices, isnt she just contradicting her own statement if the three choices were the same?! Whats wrong Taiyou-chan? You should choose quickly desu Is there an option for me not to choose any of these skills? Thats also fine, but in return, you wont be allowed to level up desuyo~ I dont even have an option not to choose?! NeverthelessThe skill is Idol? Kohaku-san, do you know..What the Idol skill is? Kotone was asking Kohaku. There is a double meaning. There is a meaning of it being a religious thing, like a Buddhist Statue or a Cross jya. Moreover it has another meaning of being a personality idol Buddhist statue.. Personality Idol.. I wonder which one it refers to? The questions the three sisters were asking, were precisely what Taiyou was wondering as well. If all the three choices were the same, then it didnt matter which he chose. It was more important to discern the meaning of the word itself. The previous three choices were very easy for Taiyou to understand as it was game related. Even without saying it, when he saw long distance invalidity he could approximate what it meant, similarly with the other two skills, he could grasp the concept of what they might do. However Idol was a very obscure term and he could not discern as to what it would do. Taiyou thinks about this for a while before turning to Hera and asking. ..Let me just ask this to make sure but, its not a negative ability is it? A negative thing? Im asking you if there is going to be some sort of a minus effect if I take this ability If thats what your worried about its alright desu, I swear it by my name~ I dont really know how much value I can place on your name but..Okay, in that case, I will choose Idol as my ability Yes~ Hera responds and does another twirl in mid-air. And, the area around them went silent for a moment.. Within this silence, Taiyou was looking around the vicinity for anything amiss, and also at his own hands to see if anything was different. He wanted to make sure that something had occurred but he could not feel a single difference. So, What exactly happened? Taiyou-chan, Ill confirm your status for you~ Hou, I think it might be a skill that passively raises your abilities jyana As soon as Kohaku said this, everyone was startled and Taiyous ability was being confirmed by the girls. To use the terms Kohaku to describe it, the feeling of information being sent into your brain was like it was being sent between the back of the molars straight into your eyeballs. It seems that your former abilities have increased havent they? Ahh Taiyou nods. Everyone was seeing the same status screen of Taiyous. For instance, the power that Taiyou relied on the most which was his Strength had a value of 70(+17) next to it. And this doesnt stop at just his strength, even his other values had a plus attached to it. Although every ability had a bonus attached to it, the figures seem to be really random Taiyou-san, this isnt random, isnt it going up by a percentage? Look, at Dexterity and Luck These two abilities start with the same value, and the additional bonus points are also the same After hearing the three sisters speculation, Taiyou was reconfirming their theory. And it was certainly the situation they described it to be. Umu, they all increased by around 25 percent jyana. But it seems that they are rounded down by half So its 25% Yes~, because its for two people thats why its 25 nanodesuyo~ For two? What do you mean? You are pretty slow arent cha Taiyou-chan, it can only mean that Taiyou-chan has two people~ Huh..? Taiyou was looking doubtful, he was racking his brains trying to figure out what she meant. By chance, he looked towards Kohaku and the three sisters. At first they were also quite confused, as their eyebrows were puckered up and they were frowning, however, the girls managed to notice something before Taiyou was able to. Immediately after, the three sisters were acting bashful, and the corners of Kohakus mouth was raised to a smile. What was happening? Taiyou became even more confused at the situation. Dont you understand yet ~? Mou, Taiyou is such a blockhead nanodesu~ This isnt making any sense, right.? Eh? did you just call me a blockhead? After being retorted by Hera, Taiyou was taken aback. Blockhead and two people. Moreover, the three sisters who realized something were acting all shy, and Kohaku was in a good mood. After collating all this information, Taiyou came to a single conclusion. Dont tell me..just as Taiyou was thinking about this, Hera came in and told him the correct answer. Its exactly as you suspect desuyo~ Because Taiyou-chans bride is two people, your abilities has risen by 25% to match the love of the two people. By the way, if you only had one bride then it will only be half the increase desu .What you are telling me is that, because Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane are here and also Kohaku-san. If the girls are by my side, I get a boost to my abilities? Thats not it, your abilities have increased because you are loved by them desuyo~ Love- Hearing such an immediate and direct explanation of the situation from Hera, Taiyou was profusely blushing. Although he thought about the possibility of this in his own mind, thinking about it and it being pointed out brings about a different kind of embarrassment. Seeing him blush in such a way, Kohaku who was on the side wore a content smile on her face. I understand now, is that why the ability is called Idol Does it mean Idolatry?(TL Note:Idolatry meaning is: extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone) When Taiyou says this, Kohaku nods in response. Thats right jyana, our beliefor our love for you is what makes you stronger nojya Please! Dont say such a thing with such a straight face.. If there was a hole to crawl into, Taiyou would gladly do so right now. Yes~, The more brides Taiyou-chan has that loves him, the stronger he will become desu~ Hera was speaking out thoughtlessly as per usual. Kotone who hears these words went Ahh as her voice leaked out. He was about to ask her what was wrong, so he turned towards Kotone, but it wasnt just Kotone, even the two other sisters looked like they were feeling depressed. Whats wrong? Unn, umm.Us three altogether are only considered as one person Until now weve always thought that this was fine, but now..We will only be able to help Taiyou-san as one person instead of three If us three girls were not triplets and were separate people it would of been much better.Is what we are thinking I understand, I am counted as a single person, whilst you three are counted as a single person..I can see why you would feel anxious about this jyana Whilst saying this, Kohaku was signalling Taiyou to make a move. Taiyou nodded to Kohaku implying that he understood. He approaches the three girls who were feeling down, and all three of them were embraced. You guys dont have to worry. This kind of thing is only a bonus. In fact I feel that you three being counted as one person is a good thing. I think that you guys are ideal even if you are just one person Taiyou-san. The three sisters were clinging on to Taiyou with moistened eyes. As he embraced the girls closely, Taiyou noticed that the value of his ability, Harem actually had 65535(-16383) wasnt this a negative value?! Chapter 54: A Brides Power/ A person should know their own limits Chapter 54:A Brides Power/ A person should know their own limits Chapter 53: The Power of a Bride and their Idolized Master Chapter 55: A Brides Power/ If you want to Succeed then you''ve got to Aim Higher?! Noticing this figure, Taiyou was completely shocked. There was a 65535 and next to it in brackets a figure of -16383. At first if this was to appear next to the Harem stat he wouldnt know what it meant, but considering the effects of his new passive skill, he had a general idea of what it meant. Although at first glance the figures dont make sense, but 16383 was actually 25% of 65535. He was able to know this at once. What he didnt understand was why, there was a negative sign next to this maxed out stat. He was thinking about such a thing whilst still hugging the three sisters. Getting curious about this he asked for Kohakus opinion. Whats wrong nojya? You are making a face that seems like a pigeon just got rejected by its mate What kind of a face is that.? No thats not my question. Right now, I saw a status that seems really off A status thats really weird? Kohaku was just parroting his words. Taiyou hesitated whether or not to answer her back. In a certain sense, this particular status point, was one that he didnt really want the girls to find out about. I mean after all, its a status called Harem. The current situation was without a doubt being influenced by this status point, depending on the interpretation of the stats, you can even say that the stat has actually warped their minds to see him in a positive light. Because of this he was quite afraid whether or not he wanted to ask Kohaku about this, however, he thought that concealing this matter, would be way too insincere towards the girls. Its about the status called harem Hou, is there such a thing? Kohaku had an interested expression and her eyes were looking left and right. Probably in search of the status. Before long, she seemed to find it, and her face changed into a happy expression. This is interesting nou Really? Umu, the fact that this exists, that it has such an outstanding value, and that there is a drop in the value, its all very interesting Huh? Why do you say it has dropped in value? Isnt it something that will drop in value? Being curious Kohaku asked Hera. Yes~the passive skill Idol is an ability that will improve the more brides Taiyou has, even if the value of the status is at 0, even if Taiyou became the enemy of all human kind, it is not supposed to go into a negative figure desu~ Fumu, I wonder what kind of thing this is then? Taiyou thinks for a little, a certain thing was remembered. This is probably because of overflow, isnt it? Overflow? Kohaku was confused by the word, so the matter was explained to her. He explained that when he was level 3, the Harem value which was supposed to be at 0 points, suddenly reduced and instead of going into the negative values, it became 65535. I understand, for something that was way out of your expectations, it isnt strange that the results are also out of everyones expectations, jyana. However, it seems that the effects of the ability remain unchanged jya. Even though plus has become minus, the effects remain at 25% jyana Doesnt this mean that, when there is eight people like you girls beside me, this value will reach 0 It seems that way jyana. Moreover Kohakus face was smirking but only one side of her mouth was lifted. For you, it seems that your limit will be seven brides. Although it is still thousands of steps away before you are able to achieve seven brides, if one day you do manage to get an eighth bride, the value will immediately reach 0, and it may be the case that, you will no longer be able to maintain this relationship of a harem Saying this whilst maintaining the happy expression on her face, Kohaku turned to the three sisters. Arent you guys glad that you are counted as one person nou? if you were counted as three then you would of taken, two slots away from him jya Although he didnt understand why they were clinging on to him with watery eyes before, now they were looking at him with clear eyes and even a smile on their faces. Kukuku, its good to know that youve gotten your spirits back up jya. On the other hand, whats wrong with you, its almost like you are the one getting the marriage blues now? .thats not it. its just that, I remembered the fact that this figure actually existed, and it kind of bugged me Fumu? Whats wrong with this figure? Rather than having 65535, would you prefer it if it said 255? You really dont know.? Please understand me, if you dont.I. For a while after that, a heavy atmosphere wrapped around the place. Taiyou becomes silent, and Kohaku puckers up her eyebrows. The three sisters didnt know exactly what was happening and so they were getting quite nervous for Taiyou. Nobody knew what to say next and so everyone was just staying silent. After a while, Taiyou let out a sigh and started to speak. Harem 65535I had almost forgotten that this kind of thing existed, but now I remember it. If I have to be honest with you guys, I think that my relationship with you guys, is all because of this particular status value .Ahh, so what you are trying to say is. Kohaku plopped her fist into her palm in realization and her eyes were smiling. That you are feeling sorry for the fact, that this figure has warped our minds to favour you I see, I have understood the situation.You girls, can you separate from him? Yes I understand If it doesnt work, its our turn to try to cheer him up next okay? The three sisters obediently parts from Taiyou. Umu, I will rely on it Kohaku nods, and the women seemed to be communicating with their eyes. You, bend your head down a little Eh? Bend it nojya Alright Taiyou nods and stoops his head. He thought that perhaps he said something stupid and made her angry. And he was prepared to get a slap on the face or something. Thinking in this manner, he slouches forward, closes his eyes and presents his face. When he did- Chuu. *Kiss* He didnt get the slap on the face that he predicted. Instead, a smacking sound was heard, it was the feeling of her wet lips. Getting taken aback, Taiyou opened his eyes widely. K-Kohaku san Did you think that I would slap you? Umm.Yes I wouldnt do such a thing, if I was going to do something like, that Id use my fist and strike hard enough to make your face transform or to leave a scar nojya. Even so, isnt this good, that doing this is already effectiveenough Wh, what do you mean? Its just like you said jyarouna, the current relationship you have between me and the girls and the fact that we are getting along so well, might be because of that ability called Harem. However, even if that were the case that doesnt mean anything to me Eh? Even if it was because of this value of 65535, I am just really so happy to be together with you, this fact doesnt change. I desire you, and the you who accepted me for who I was, made me really happy nojya B,but Taiyou-san, do you remember our dream? This time Kotone was asking him. Dream? Yes, our dreams. Since we were kids, the three of us dreamed of loving the same man.and being in a harem together Right now we understand it, being involved with Taiyou-san, we think that Taiyou-san is definitely a person who is going to make a harem Its not because we were affected by this figure of 65535, its because 65535 people can be in your harem That is Although Taiyou wanted to say something, the three sisters had a tone that didnt want to be interrupted. Just like Kohaku-san we are so happy right now. You listened to our selfish desires We know that Taiyou-san is a person that will be able to fulfil our selfish desires, and even up to seven people And being one of those people, we are.Extremely, very, very, very, very happy! If you need to hear more then..I also, feel similarly to them nojya. I told you about how the Eternally little were not blessed when trying to find a companion right? Not only does my appearance look to be childish, but within, I am an old lady, and for you to accept me makes me so happy. You having, that ability has no relationship with my feelings for you nojya Hearing the girls talk like this one after another, Taiyou opened his eyes widely and was standing still in dumbfounded silence. He did not think that they would feel this way about him, and to convey it to him in this kind of way. However, for someone like Taiyou, the more extreme the situation, he would on the contrary become really calm and collect his cool, such is the peculiar characteristic of the boy named Taiyou. Although his heart shook violently for an instant, he was able to recollect his thoughts in the next moment. When he did, instead of feeling sorry or apologetic, he felt that they were truly beautiful human beings and he was filled with warmth. Although he felt pretty happy recently, this particular case was by far the best one of them all. They accepted him even though, he told them about having a status point called harem capped at 65535. He truly felt they were dear to him..no for the first time, he felt this was definitely love. Up until now, this question has always been repeated in his mind. And the amount of times.He thought that he felt love was not few either. However right now, Taiyou was absolutely sure of it, he was completely sure of his intentions. At first he thought that surely, with a status point like haremit was only meant for him to become happy and not the women with himHowever, his goal was not only for himself, but to also make the girls happy as well. Therefore, he thought, more, and more I want to make this happiness even stronger. The more the number of women in his harem increases, not only will his happiness increase, but the girls happiness will also increase. Thats why he looked straight at the four of them and declared a vow. I understand. In that case, I..will make a harem of seven girls! And to that, the girls responded by smiling radiantly. Chapter 55: A Brides Power/ If you want to Succeed then you’ve got to Aim Higher?! Chapter 54:A Brides Power/ A person should know their own limits Chapter 56: A Brides Power / The (Bride) That Reduces your Power The two brides watched Taiyou with teary eyes. Taiyous bold proclamation that he would create a harem of seven brides was like he was a male actor who claimed he had experience acting in a female kabuki role, normally one would receive a grand bashing from the crowd if they arrogantly stated something like this, but fortunately for him, right in this place there was nobody who would denounce him. When he mentioned creating a harem of Seven Brides not to mention the three sisters, even Kohaku was enraptured by his declaration, and they had glittering eyes. Seeing their reactions, Taiyou became even more determined. Please try your best Taiyou-san! We will do whatever we can to help out as well Lets create a harem together! When I look at you guys, I am reminded of Nohime(TL: Princess No; also known as Lady No; Also Known as Kicho) The three sisters turned their faces towards Kohaku in puzzlement after hearing her words. Ahh sorry, would it have been better if I called her Kicho? She is Oda Nobunagas legal wife jya. If I had to choose, I much prefer to call her by her pet name Nohime jya Heh, then what about Hideyoshis wife? Nei(TL: Nei; Nene, One, Nemoji, Kodai-in, these are all her aliases) So you prefer that huh? Have you ever met them in person? Taiyou had a bittersweet smile on his face as he tilted his head. Because this is Kohaku they are talking about, there is actually a very real possibility that she may have known them in her life. Umm, you mean between us and..Nohime? (Kotone speaking) Did Nobunagas wife have any special features? (Suzune) You cant be saying that, shes also a triplet like us right? (Kazane) No, there is no such thing. Whilst in the warring states period humans did gossip about women and about Gundam, there was not much gossip about twins. At those times, if there was more than two children in your stomach you would be branded an abomination of nature and the people would abhor you for it No, I really dont think there would be gossip about Gundam in that time period Taiyou was trying to butt into the conversation, but he was completely ignored. The reason I said that you were similar to Nohime, is because she doesnt get jealous at all the concubines Nobunaga had and she managed to bring them together an live in harmony jya. Because of this fact, Nobunaga could concentrate all his efforts into ruling the country and not worrying about his family matters. If you were to compare it to Tokugawa Ieyasus wife Lady Tsukiyama then Nohime would win as the model wife by a landslide jya Isnt that much, a natural thing for us to achieve? (Kotone) After all, we are planning to make a harem (Suzune) Yeah, if you were to write happiness into a word, for us that word would be read as harem(Kazane) Umu, I completely agree with you guys jya (Kohaku) Was is really that natural? Taiyou pondered to himself. When he started to think about things, the thoughts in his mind gradually became wilder. Kotone, Suzune, Kazane and Kohaku. Taiyou continued to stare at the beautiful women around him who passionately talked about maintaining a harmonious harem together. They looked really lovely, sweet and above all they were so precious to him. The feelings inside of Taiyou gradually began to well up. Deep within his chest all the way to the base of his crotch. Both these spots were throbbing with excitement and he started to feel a sweet aching. Up until now, he has already experienced this feeling before. However, up till now there has always been someone to interrupt him. Right now, there is only one obstruction who could stand in his way. Other than this one obstruction there was nothing else. Taiyou silently grabbed on to the little fairy, opened the window, brandishing the fairy above him as he threw her far away into the yonder with all his might. When he did this, the girls had a suspicious look on their faces but this only lasted for a fleeting moment. Taiyou approached the girls and gave them each a kiss one by one. It was unnecessary for meaningless worlds, because all their feelings right at this moment were enough to convey their emotions. That evening, Taiyou had become a man. The morning air was cold. On the edge of the St. Hanazono in the area between a river and a river bank was a bridge named Hiroshise Bridge. Taiyou went here in the morning and gazed at the glittering river surface. Although this common saying may be a little clich, Taiyou was under the impression that the man he is today, is completely different to who he was yesterday. Everything in his line of sight also seemed to change in comparison with yesterday, additionally the way he interpreted things and the way he felt about things was different. He felt like his perspective had been widened. Everyone who has experienced this feeling would know that it was the feeling of reaching enlightenment. If you were to ask the reason, thats because Good morning desu, Taiyou-chan~ Its you..? Hera who had not shown herself for the whole night, was now showing herself. She was enthusiastically calling out to him and Taiyou just returned her greeting with a bland response. Ohh, Taiyou-chan, you seem to be covered in sweat desu. Whats wrong Taiyou-chan? Did you eat something expired or something~? Hey, Hera tell me something Yes desu~? How do you think we can achieve world peace? Taiyou-chan did you pick up the book of enlightenment or something!? Hera was so surprised that she vigorously danced around in the air. In my opinion this is how it will be possible, if I make every single woman in this world into my bride, the world will be able to achieve world peace, dont you think? Hahii!?(Ehh!?) I bet that Genghis Khan wanted to accomplish this. He wanted to make all the women in the world into his bride. He aimed for the ultimate goal of global peace by doing so Excuse me.Taiyou-chan? He was not able to achieve such a thing, however, if its me, I feel like I can do it! Wait a moment nodesu~! Taiyou-chan stop that train of thought for just one moment! Or more like, you cant be trying to make such a hefty decision whilst you look so unwell nanodesuyo~! Ive already decided, first I will- You need to wait a minute!! Guhahh!Arggh! Hera did her special attack of revolving her body and then crashing into Taiyous crotch. (Light Novel Illustration: Taiyou-chan~ Snap out of it!!) The results were extremely effective! Uguu, Y-youWh-why Taiyou crouched in pain whilst holding on to his groin, his forehead immediately dribbled with cold sweat, and he had a face filled with agony as he looked at Hera. Did you come out of your delusion desuka? If you are still crazy then Ill do one mor Im already sane, so please! Taiyou definitely could not withstand a combo attack, and he raised his voice whilst enduring the pain. Is that so~? Then Taiyou-chan, let me ask you, what is the thing you should be doing desuka~? ..Not the whole w-world..Just make seven brides Taking short gasps of air, he answered Heras question whilst suppressing his groins. Thats the spirit nanodesu~ Taiyou-chans job is not to think about world peace, but to think about creating a harmonious environment within the domestic family level nanodesu~ Y..yeah Taiyou nods, and was bearing the pain as best he could. Strangely enough after feeling the pain, his head cleared up to a new level of clarity. Your face seems to be one that has calmed down desune~ Yeah Then thats good desu. If Taiyou-chan suddenly went on a rampage and then started to rape girls, there is likely no one who could ever stop you desukara~ No..I think you stopped me pretty easily Whilst saying this, Taiyou still felt a faint amount of pain throbbing in his groins. However, he understood Heras point. To a certain extent, he understood his own strength, and if he were to become serious and ????do that to the girls, then it is likely that no one on this earth could stop him After achieving a sense of clearness in his mind, Taiyou reviews the present power he currently held within his own mind, and after that he asked Hera a question. Hey, Hera can you tell me the maximum level I can achieve? Eh? Havent I told you before? Or more like for a level up master like Taiyou-chan, wouldnt you have asked me a question like this ages ago~? Well I managed to forget it somehow Is that so desuka? Well I guess its alright. Taiyou-chan can reach a maximum level of 100 nanodesuyo~ So it isnt level 99 but level 100? Ahh, I guess it makes sense, because each new ability gained is in multiples of 5 Thats correct desu~ By the way, is there any other human beings in this world that can level up just like me? Judging from your way of speaking, Ive been led to believe that there must be others like me Well there is other people, but. But? There can only be one person with your ability to level up, at any one time, it is impossible for two people like you to exist at the same world nanodesu. When Taiyou-chan dies, I will also disappear, and at that point a new fairy will show up and attach themselves to another human being desu~ Youre speaking about a terrible thing like its nothing You think so? Unlike Taiyou who had just gained a vital piece of information, Hera was completely nonchalant about the whole thing. Well, in any case, I have one last question. If I manage to increase my level to the absolute limit, just how strong will I become? Taiyou-chan is a strength type person, so if you ask me how strong you will be, its a really difficult thing to answer, but~ Hera had folded arms whilst putting one of her hands against her chin and was in the thinking pose. If you were to ever fight someone 1 vs. 1 then you would without a doubt be the strongest person in this world desuyo~ The strongest in the world Taiyou repeated her words like a parrot, the reason he repeated her words in such a monotone voice was because, it all just seemed too unrealistic. Suddenly, he thought about the Goth Lolita albino girl. (TL: Shirokiyami) If I become the strongest in the world, then it would mean that I was stronger than even her. The memory of having to endure her killing intent was still quite fresh in his mind, and just thinking about the fact that he would be much stronger than her, was enough to make him really excited about the prospects. He pulls out his status within his mind once again to confirm the state of things. Although it will still take a bit of time for him to reach level 100 from level 10, it was only a matter of time before he obtained this level. His speciality was raising levels, and right now, he had clear purpose to follow. In such a case, he had no doubts that he would be able to reach level 100. Right now all he needed was to take one step at a time, in order to advance to the next level. He was still looking through his stats and it was at this time that he suddenly took a step backwards. The Idol ability which increased a portion of his stats wasnt working properly and right in front of his eyes, his stats had been reduced by half! Chapter 56: A Brides Power / The Bride That Reduces your Power Chapter 56: A Brides Power / The (Bride) That Reduces your Power Chapter 55: A Brides Power/ If you want to Succeed then you''ve got to Aim Higher?! Chapter 57: A Brides Power/Triplets DD ! Whats wrong Taiyou-chan? My abilities..have decreased in value Eh? My Status. Its not at the correct value, it decreased! Eh? Youre right, the abilities that Idol has increased has been revised to only one person desu One person.? Staring at the abilities, they were confirming it once again. Just like Hera has said, the stats that has been increased by the skill Idol has all decreased by half across the board..In other words, from two persons worth, it has been reduced to only one person giving him a boost in the stats. Whats this about? Does Idol have a maximum range of effectiveness, and someone got out that range? Let me see desune, this has no relationship to Idols effective range. The only reason it would decrease is if someone came to hate Taiyou-chan, or if they diedDD Without even waiting for Hera to finish her sentence, Taiyou impatiently burst into a run away from the river area he was in. He kicked the ground with his full strength and ran in the direction he came from. With a speed that would have broken the track record of all the high school students, Taiyou returned to Taiyous Castle, threw open the door and went inside. And without any hesitation he entered the biggest room in the first floor, which was his own room. Inside of here, Kohakus appearance could be seen. Under the futon that was laid on top of the tatami mat, she was wearing nothing but her birthday suit, and she merely had a poor excuse of a blanket to cover her body. Although he still remembered traces of her captivating body which he had explored last night, now was not the time to be distracted by such thoughts. Taiyou restlessly looked around his room. Kotone, Suzune and Kazane. Before he left for the river bank area, he was sure that he saw the three girls lying down in bed with Kohaku quietly letting out their peaceful sleeping sounds. But as of right now, he could not find the three of them. Taiyou flew out of the room, this time he went straight towards the second floor. This was the designated room for the three sisters, and he didnt even bother to knock as he barged into the room. Kotone, Suzune! Inside, he could see both Kotone and Suzune. The two of them was already wearing casual clothes, and they were huddling together in the center of the room. After calling out their names, Taiyou had a really bad premonition about all of this. That was because, the smallest of the three sisters, Kazanes figure was nowhere to be seen But even more than the fact that he couldnt see Kazane, was the appearance of the two people huddling in that awkward pose, it gave him a really bad feeling. His movements stopped in place and he gazed at the two girls. When he did this, he somehow got the feeling like the two girls were within some sort of snowy mountain. It was like they were in a freezing mountain that violently blew out snow and the two people were trying to escape the cold by huddling together for any semblance of warmth. He saw both Kotone and Suzune, in that kind of way right now. Taiyou instinctively rubbed his eyes. When he did, the optical illusion of the snowy mountains disappeared and the scene of the two girls trembling in place was emphasised as he drew closer towards them. Kotone, Suzune Once again he called out their names, this time he talked to them with a gentle undertone, as if he was speaking to a frightened child. Thereupon, the two girls reacted to his words and slowly looked up. Their round pupils gradually regained their focus and as they caught Taiyous appearance they both jumped up to hug him. Ahh, Ahh Uuuu. The two girls were letting out some strange moans as they continued to cling on to Taiyou. It was as if the two girls had degenerated into infants and Taiyou was holding on to them very gently. Whats wrong you guys? Where is Kazane? He asked them this question, but he was not able to get a response. The girls were only able to cling to him like a baby. Whats the matter jya? Kohaku arrived at the scene. First thing after rising, Kohaku was nude and merely had thin bed sheets wrapped around her body. Kohaku-san, Do you have any idea where Kazane is? I dont know, unfortunately Did something happen? Just a few seconds ago, she still had a voice that was half asleep, but in an instant, Kohakus tone of voice had become serious. Im not sure, but shes the only one I cant find. Moreover` Taiyou showed the scene of the two girls who was being embraced by him to Kohaku. Perhaps the two girls didnt like the fact that he was loosening his grasp on them, but they leaked out another moan as they held on even tighter. This doesnt seem to be a joke jyano Please take a look at my stats Umu? ..It has been reduced by half jya Kohaku immediately notices the problem and the middle of her forehead had formed into a deep frown. The reason it decrease is not because of me.If thats the case then, something may have happened to Kazane jyana Yeah, thats why I wanted to hear the story from the girls, but they dont seem to be capable of talking right now Umu.. Taiyou-chan, you ran so fast desuyo ~ Taiyou-chan Hera returned after finally catching up and Taiyou immediately asked her a question. Hera, can you please check the surroundings of this house for me? Eh? I cant find Kazane. Please go into the air and confirm this for me I, I understand desu Hera flew from the door she just entered and after a short while she returned. Shes not anywhere in the house desu. I flew within a 50 metre radius of this house in order to make sure but shes not here desu Something must of happened Ahh. Taiyou and Kohaku were both nodding, but considering that they didnt have any clues as to what occurred, they were at a loss at what they should do. Taiyou and the rest of the group approached the living terrace. Kotone and Suzune was still in their age regression state and Taiyou was cuddling them and soothing them in his embrace. Beside him Kohaku took out her smartphone and was using it to make a call to somebody. How is it? Its no good jya, they arent responding Lowering the smart phone, Kohaku frowns. Just before she cut the connection, Taiyou could hear the answering machine announcements and it only made him feel more depressed. What on earth.Went wrong? Let me ask, have the girls ever taken any separate action before? That is..There is, even at school, sometimes they would separate from each other Taiyou recalled a story he once heard from Kotone and he relayed the main parts of this story to Kohaku. Even if the girls are apart their emotions and feelings are connected with something like a telepathic connection. If something like this existed, even if they were apart they should have been fine I understand, no perhaps it is precisely because of this. Because of this? The loss of one of the party member Kohaku used words that wasnt generally popular for daily usage, however with this one sentence, Taiyou understood everything. The moment he understood, he quickly looked towards Kotone and Suzunes face. These triplets who were born together on the same day had something that regular humans did not have; it was not merely a connection of the blood. Seeing how they were regressing to this state of acting like infants, Kohaku is implying that something may have happened to Kazanes body. No way, that kind of thing is impossible` Do you really want to cling to a false sense of hope? ..Im sorry Its fine. More importantly we need to focus on the situation at hand. In this scenario we have two main options, one is to search for her by ourselves, and the other option is to contact the authorities and ask them to search for her jyaga(TL: Jyaga = however) The police cant be relied upon Taiyou immediately replied and agreed to Kohakus thoughts. The fact that the three sisters are in this kind of situation in the first place, is because of their rotten father who wanted to sell them out. If the police are notified of Kazane being missing then obviously her father would also be notified, thats a thing that everyone would like to avoid. Because they didnt want such a thing to occur, they never had the choice of relying on the police in the first place. In that case, our only option is to search by ourselves Thats true I will also help desu, if I search from the skies it may become easier desu Im relying on you The three people nodded towards each other, and after that they left the building in order to look for Kazane. The three of them separated in different directions as per Kohakus suggestion. Taiyou was also assigned to search a different location, however Ahh, Ahh Uuu.. After he tried to go out of the building, the two girls strongly clung on to Taiyou. Whenever he moved even a little bit, the two people would dislike it and he couldnt really move around freely. He needed to do something about it. Taiyou frantically thought of ideas within his own head and tried them out. However no matter what he did, the girls were desperately holding on to him and wouldnt let go. It cant be helped Whilst puckering up his eyebrows, he lifted the two girls up into his arms. Each girl was in each one of his arms, it was almost like they were a small child. As expected the two girls willingly climbed into his arms, and this didnt hinder his movements in the slightest. The Taiyou right now, had no problems whatsoever holding these two girls in his arms. Thinking that perhaps this was the only way, Taiyou started to run while carrying the girls. In this kind of strange looking manner, Taiyou ran around town looking for any hints of Kazanes whereabouts. He hoped that perhaps, their psychic abilities would reignite like they did when they were kids and perhaps the two girls would be able to act like a sort of radar to detect where Kazane was. However other than clinging to him and disliking it when they parted, they didnt show any other reactions. KuuWhat am I supposed to do? He searched every nook and corner of St. Hanazono town, but he couldnt even find a clue to follow. (TL: St. Hanazono was previously translated as Seikasono Town) This only served to make him grow more restless. I found.. you Suddenly a voice from his back was heard. It was a very peculiar method of speaking, and it was a very familiar voice. To Taiyou this voice was like a voice sent from heaven. If its her then perhaps`! When he turned around, Shirokiyami was standing there butfor whatever reason, she also brought along Kazane with her. Kazane Taiyou called out her name and rushed towards her. Kazane seemed completely out of it and looked to be unconscious. Kotone? Suzune? For some reason, even though Kazane was right in front of them, Kotone and Suzune remained in their infant-like state. Chapter 57: A Bride’s Power/Triplets Chapter 56: A Brides Power / The (Bride) That Reduces your Power Chapter 58: A Bride''s Power/ Budding Bride He suppressed his flustered emotions and confirmed Kazanes situation. Although she looks somewhat unwell, there arent any conspicuous external wounds. From top to bottom, even her flat chest, looked the same as Kohaku. She looks as if she was sleeping, but on the other hand, Kotone and Suzune were still regressing into infants. What kind of situation is this? Taiyou pondered. What Happened? A traffic accident A traffic accident? Yeah, a car ignored the traffic lightand as she tried to avoid it, she slippedand hit her head. Eh? Since then, she has beenunconscious. I wouldnt call something like this a traffic accidentor would you? Taiyou tilted his neck and imagined the scene. In the instance of listening to Shirokiyamis explanation, he imagined the worst, but in reality, it was a story-like event. Nevertheless, he was relieved it wasnt a large accident. Taiyou let Kotone and Suzune down and placed them in front of Kazane. Because the two sisters didnt notice Kazanes situation and had decided to cling to Taiyou, he lead their gazes and made the sisters hands touch. At the moment they touched hands, the two older sisters started to cling to their unconscious younger sister. Such a thing is expected The understanding feeling was growing in Taiyous chest. Leaving that aside Shirokiyami came to talk with Taiyou, interrupting any time for deep thought. With her eyes facing forward, Taiyou was startled. To the default emotionless girl, it was rare to see her eyes fill with rage. When I brought her back to. The apartment..you werent there Ah Were you trying to escapeIn the middle of the night? No no no, why would I think of escaping? Youowe me money Ah Being told that, The compensation for breaking her katana, and there is also her part of the reward for the request I gave her. Either way to a student like Taiyou, it is an outrageous amount of money, but at the same time, he is also convinced that it is a fair amount for the things she did for him. Thats why he wont deny having this huge debt to her. After all he left the mansion without telling her and escaped during the night, so it wasnt unreasonable for her to think that he was trying to run away. Sorry If you understand thenthen I guess I dont need to call my illegal loan shark. friend Please dont bring up such a scary person! Im really sorry, its just that I recently moved So, you wont try toescape? I swear that its not like that I see Shirokiyami quietly nodded. The rage in her eyes steadily lessened. It seems like she accepted his words. Then, you will pay the debt? When I become successful in life, then I will surely pay He said the same words that he had said before. There is no way he could pay that eight digit debt right now. Iunderstand With that, she seemed to have understood. If she was calmer, she would have known that it was a given thought Taiyou. Leaving that aside, lets move. I want to settle Kazane down Taiyou said that, picked up three clinging sisters in his arms, and with Shirokiyami, headed in the direction of Taiyou Castle In the Hayakawa sisters room of Taiyou Castle. In the incomplete room with barely any furniture, while still tightly hugging each other, the girls slept. With Kazane, who experienced an accident, in the middle, Kotone and Suzune were on her left and right side, clinging to her. After Taiyou confirmed the situation and left the room, Kohaku was waiting there. Theyve rested well, I see Aah Dont make such a face. From what I see, there is no external wounds on their bodies, and eventually, it will be as if nothing happened I hope so Is there something bothering you? Please confirm for me as well, has the Idol statuss compensation still not returned? Hmphits true Kohaku, her eyes changing to be big and round, made a gesture to confirm. If its not you who caused the reduction, then it must be the girls. Even though the girls have already returned safely why isnt it fixed? Maybe there is a cool down on the skill because you spent the night together? Kohaku said teasingly. Even if that were really the case, that would be better than the alternative Well, anyways, dont mind it. For now, we should just wait for their condition to get betterand until she wakes upfurthermore Eh? If your abilities did decrease then all you have to do is get it back up right? Or are you saying that after spending the night with them, you are the one with a cool down? Of course not Then things that you need to do should be clear now right? I see Taiyou moved his mouth and made a faint smile. He thought that it is certainly as Kohaku said. Idol showed that if he were to lose the three sisters love, he would just have to get it back. After spending the night with the three sisters those were his real thoughts. At the same time, thanks to Kohaku he was reminded of this very simple fact, and it made his heart feel warm. Thank you very much Taiyou said that, crouched down extremely naturally, and kissed Kohakus lips. Mu With such a thing suddenly happening to her, Kokaku did not expect to be kissed all of a sudden. But, it was only for a moment. Kohaku touched her lips that were kissed by Taiyou and had a joyful face. Her face was so cute, so he kissed her one more time and then her face began to flush. After that, the two went down the stairs, side-by-side, to the living room terrace. Shirokiyami was waiting there. She sat quietly in the sofa set up in the living room terrace and was blankly looking up at the ceiling. She looked so defenseless that the words that Yurikago had said previously about her being the Strongest Teenager seemed like a complete lie. Her elusive figured looked like it was about to disappear at any moment. Looking at her like this, Taiyou wanted to pull off a childish prank. The last time he fought with her was before he turned level 5. Now that hes level 10, he is certain that he was become stronger. But thats not all; he also had the Idol skills compensation. The last time they fought, he was utterly defeated. However, this time? Taiyou thought that, and switching over halfway to ninja-like steps, he moved closer to her. Step, Step. He moved closer one step at a time. She was just looking up at the ceiling and she didnt seem to notice that Taiyou was coming closer. (This time) Within range. Taiyou kept moving closer, with a clenched fist, until he reached the distance where he could attack her; however, as soon as he did reach, the white girls figure completely disappeared before his eyes. Not as a metaphor, but she completely disappeared, literally. In an instant, he felt a murderous intent from behind. It explosively expanded, and overwhelmingly swallowed up his whole body. It feels exactly same as the first time I met her. Freeze Along with the sound of her unique breathing, there was also something sharp pressed on his back. It was not hard to imagine that it was her beloved sword, since he could feel a cold metal object digging deep into his skin. Taiyou trembled at the thought that in one moment, all of this happened. Can I ask what and how did you do that? Taiyou raised his arms and asked while trying be calm despite the situation. I justmovedvery quickly You make it sound easy Taiyou smiled ironically. Without any tricks or cheats, huh? he thought. It isnteasy. Going head-to-head with youis dangerous. That is whyI used all my powers to go around you Because Shirokiyami said that and lowered the tip of the sword, Taiyou also slowly lowered his arms and looked behind him. Do you really need to be that cautious? That poweryourestrange But what is your impression? Moreoveryou seemto have gotten strongeragain You realized? From what I saw last time, didnt you say that a conclusion couldnt be made? Its a womansintuition Doesnt womans intuition work in a much different way? Howdid you get stronger? That is Taiyou was hesitating, because he couldnt give an honest answer to her question. At the turn of last night, he drew a boundary line in his heart. He decided to confide about his level-ups to only to the people he likes and becomes his bride. However, he was hesitant to how he was going to deceive her. But there was Kohaku, who gave him a lifeboat. Our husband becomes strong with love. He becomes stronger with each new bride (Kohaku Speaking) Isee(Shirokiyami Speaking) Youre satisfied with that explanation?! (Taiyou Speaking) Yeahbecauseyouve become a lot stronger all of a.sudden(Shirokiyami Speaking) After talking like this Kohaku looked up towards the top of the stairway. In front of her line of sight was the appearance of the three sisters. The three were clearly different from before; they had returned to their usual self. Chapter 58: A Bride’s Power/ Budding Bride Chapter 57: A Brides Power/Triplets Chapter 59: A Bride''s Power/Goal and Declaration Taiyou ran up the stairs in a dash and embraced the three girls closely. As if he was trying to feel their temperature, he hugged them really strongly. Taiyou-san Umm, It hurts a little I give, I give The three sisters were in pain as he hugged them too hard and they were appealing to him to loosen his grip. They gave him a clear answer. Unlike how they were moments ago, the girls were able to give him a proper answer. And Taiyou felt really relieved that they were fine. When he saw them in that infant-like state.. he was imagining all the worst possibilities and now that he saw them safe and sound, it made him feel so much relief that it brought tears to his eyes. Im glad, that you guys have returned (Taiyou) Im sorry to have made you worry (Kotone) We became weird again didnt we? (Suzune) Its because I hit my head (Kazane) No, as long as you guys are okay, then Im happy(Taiyou) Taiyou loosened his grip slightly, but he didnt completely let go of his embrace. When he was reminded of their pitiful state his chest would feel tight, because no matter how anyone would see it, when Kazane went missing, the two girls seemed to have gone Crazy. Taiyou strongly thought within his own mind that he never wanted to see them like that ever again. In order to make sure of it. he embraced the three girls closely and thought of various different plans and ideas. Whats wrong jya? Why are your eyes looking like that? Do you want to be hugged by him as well?(Kohaku Speaking to Shirokiyami) That is.Not really. I just feel a littlestrange Strange? After the girls showed upHe who ran up the stairs..clearly became strong, er Oh, its about that?(Kohaku Speaking) Downstairs, Kohaku and Shirokiyami were having a conversation with each other. Taiyou confirmed his own status window, and just like Shirokiyami mentioned, the moment the three sisters regained their sanity Idol reactivated itself and he regained the 25 % bonus of having two brides. And most likely Kohaku also confirmed this fact at the same exact time and she proudly spoke. Didnt I tell you before jya? our husband becomes stronger when he is loved by us. When the three sisters who were on the verge of death reobtains their vitality, it is obvious that he would become strongerIn other words, you girls were like broken wings nanojya Hearing Kohakus words Shirokiyami looked puzzled as she tilted her head. She was the type of girl that didnt understand those type of jokes. But..if thats the case, then After saying in a small voice, she nodded in affirmation. Do you understand it? Taiyou went down the stairs slowly, while still embracing the three sisters in his arms. I have no choice..but to do it(Shirokiyami Speaking) You need to do what?(Taiyou Speaking) Even you said it yourself..your power.is physically. weird Ahh, I did say that didnt I? (Taiyou Speaking) Nodding, he remembered the conversation he had with her when he met her before. He certainly did say something along those lines. Human strength is decided by muscle strength.and spiritis what I was taught. Sometimes, there is also magical power. But, in your case, you arent different.. from normal boys. But, in actuality, you are more..no, extremely, strong . Taiyou decided to maintain a serious face, no a concrete poker face. Muscle strength and spirit, in other words, the laws of physics.It is a very natural thing that human strength is supposed to be decided on only those factors. However, unlike that, Taiyous strength called Level Up deviates from normal laws of physics. The three sisters and Kohaku, who were apart of his family of harem, knew this, but he didnt really want to confide to Shirokiyami who hasnt become a part of his harem..he at least wanted to keep this a secret from her. That is why he had a poker face. Whether or not Shirokiyami notices or not, she gave out her own speculation, speaking out once again. I can only guess that.you have become stronger with a type of power that I dont know about (Shirokiyami) I see, Although you are expert in combat, you have quite the old fashioned way of thinking jyana?(Kohaku Speaking) Is it really.the power of love?(Shirokiyami) Yeah(Taiyou) Taiyou nodded without hesistation. Strictly speaking about the power of love.Idol is not the main way that he increases his power. In any case he wanted to hide the truth.. Taiyou had become a man when he connected with the girls last night and he had already decided the path he was going to take from now on. Is that so(Shirokiyami) Dont you think that its fantastic jyaro? That isIm not really sure(Shirokiyami) After saying that, Shirokiyami once again said I dont undersandbut this time in a murmur. Finished with their conversation, Taiyou and Kohaku decided to take a bath together. In the design of this certain apartment building, the communal bathroom that is used is on the first floor, connecting to the living room terrace. There, Taiyou and Shirokiyami entered. By the way, the three sisters were on the opposite side of the building in the gallery (an old-fashioned way to say kitchen), preparing a meal. Back in the bathroom, Kohaku was washing Taiyous back. The both of them were wearing their birthday suits. Taiyou sat on the wooden bath seat, and Kohaku, kneeling, was scrubbing his back. (TL: Birthday suit = completely naked like a baby) Taiyou was slouching forwards as Kohaku began to daringly scrub his back and various other places. I would be happy if you were a little calmer (Kohaku) Calmer? (Taiyou) Thats right jya, you are the master of our harem, its an obvious thing for us to provide this kind of service for you, you dont have to be so awkward and you should keep your chest held high jya. Even now, whenever I work for you, dont you still find it difficult to accept jyaro? That iswell Stop saying that and be more confident..Even if you behaved a little more arrogantly, that would still be better jya Thats Thats probably impossible Taiyou wanted to say. He understood what Kohaku wanted to tell him, after all as the husband who ruled over the household, he needed to conduct himself appropriately to live up to the role. However, right now, he doesnt feel like he would be able to act in this way. This is because, he truly thought that making Kohaku work for him was a bad thing for him to do, moreover he couldnt really keep composed especially when he saw her naked body right in front of him, his heart would start beating so fast and he felt like he was going to go crazy. Well, the vibe and style you exude right now is not that bad Style, huh? Taiyou forced a bitter laugh. Kohaku filled the bucket with water and washed away the bubbles on Taiyous back. Umu, its all done jya Then, next is your turn Although he cant behave completely composed, at least to have the proper skinship he could still offer to wash her back for her as well. Taiyou turned his head around to look towards Kohaku. At that precise moment, an unbelievable sight appeared before him..a figure that shouldnt be standing there was right in front of him. White skin and long white hair. Without wearing her usual black clothes, this girl standing in front of him was thoroughly white. Shirokiyami was standing naked right in front of the baths entrance. Whaat, at, at, at Taiyou became flushed at her arrival while Kohaku admired her body. What are you doing! Why did you suddenly enter? Those three..they said, to enter the bath until dinner is ready(Shirokiyami) Uoi! Was it, bad, to enter? If you used common sense, of course its bad! ..Is that advise coming from you asthis households master ? (Shirokiyami Speaking) If only that were the case, then I would be happy(Kohaku speaking) Thats not the point at all! (Taiyou Speaking) Taiyou retorted to both of them at the same time. Thinking sensibly, of course its bad to appear naked before a guy that has no such relation with you whatsoever! Umu, its because men are like beasts. If a pure white rabbit like you isnt careful, you might get completely eaten with a single gulp Kohaku chuckled. If thats what you are worried about..its fine (Shirokiyami Speaking) Shirokiyami talked in a composed manner, and put her foot into the bathroom. She moved forward one step while Taiyou stepped back as if he was being pushed. W-what is, fine? As weak as you are right now..I can easily cut it off What are you going to cut!? Thinking of her disturbing words, Taiyous voice changed to a falsetto. Umu, within a 0.1 seconds of closing your eyelids, a tragedy could happen jya (Kohaku Speaking) I dont even, need .01 seconds (Shirokiyami) Dont encourage her insanity! Taiyou retorted, but Shirokiyami, who was tired with this conversation, briskly faced in the direction of faucet and turned the nozzle to the red direction to turn on the hot water. And then, she put the wooden bucket which was filled with hot water over her head, and just like that she went towards the direction of the bathtub. Wait a second, are you going to enter just like that?(Taiyou Speaking) .? Thats, right, something wrong? (Shirokiyami) No, you need to wash yourself properly!(Taiyou Speaking) (TL: Japanese people have a culture of thoroughly cleansing their bodies before entering the hot tub) I did wash myself(Shiroki) Dont let her enter before washing her properly. Kohaku-san(Taiyou Speaking) Umu, Leave it to me. Indeed, if a girl of a marriageable age like her is taking a hurried bath, it wont do nojya Taiyou relied on Kohaku to take care of Shirokiyami and as naturally and quickly as possible he got dressed and left the bathroom, there was no way he could stay in there any longer. if you want to know why, then its because . Seeing Kohakus delicate naked body right in front of him, made Taiyou..have a grand reaction down below. Chapter 59: A Bride’s Power/Goal and Declaration Chapter 58: A Bride''s Power/ Budding Bride Chapter 60: Aoba''s Secret 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29 Taiyou was composedly counting prime numbers. Considering the source of his knowledge the extent of the effect is uncertain, but he is sure that it has some effect to himself because hed tested it before and knew the results. By the way, another example of a way to calm it down is to imagine about middle-aged men who are making love with each other, doing that will indeed be a miracle drug but it is also a double-edged sword that will deal a great amount of damage to your mind, so unless in extreme circumstances it is a forbidden move that is prohibited. (TR: hes trying to calm down his genitals) Meanwhile, by the time hed counted up to around four digit numbers hed considerably calmed it down, but. But really, your body is really amazing huh. If theres any secrets please teach me jya Its maidens body, therefore. It is the best for fight, ing Fumu Your body figure, changed. To a womansbo, dy I see, you are even able to see through this. Umu, husband made me a woman jya(TR: Kohaku is an eternally little, which is literally having a little body forever) Those three, too An experts eyes is not for decoration, huh The twos conversation that can be heard through the door made his tear-dropping effort for nothing. Taiyou raised a strange voice Uga`, sloppily wearing his clothes he jumped out of the bathroom. Huh? Taiyou-san what happened As he jumped out he ran across to Kazane. She was holding Taiyous clothes in her hands, it looks like that she was on her way to bring his change of clothes. Of the triplet sisters, she is the most petite girl. Her body wasnt that different to the body figure of Kohaku who is an eternally little. Shirokiyamis words flashed in his mind. Taiyou instinctively, stared intently at Kazanes body. Even like this``her body could now be considered as a grown woman. (TR: It is said in Japan that girls turn to a woman after losing virginity) Ummwhat is it? Uu(Taiyou groaning) Kazane tilted her head. Its a lovely gesture, but Shirokiyamis words (womans body) got stuck on his mind. Taiyou got more and more, felt that the reaction has become stronger. (TR: his sons reaction) No, its nothing. is that my change of clothes? Ah, yes, I was about to bring it Thanks, Ill change in the room, so Ill take that Taiyou took the clothes from Kazane, and walk towards his room. The more he is cornered is the more his thoughts become clear and calmer, that is the special quirk of the boy called Taiyou. He thought calmly, what he should do to calm this surge (arousal) that he couldnt help, that is immediate, but also is not going to be noticed by the women in this house. He goes to his room and closes the door without turning back. He did not lock it, that wasnt necessary. He stood straight in his place and closed his eyes. And imagined, naked middle-aged men that were making love to each other. Bhleeeeeegh(Taiyou vomiting) Taiyou, in exchange to great amounts of damage in his spirit, chose the way to protect his dignity and sanctity. Taiyou is laying on his side on the living room terraces sofa, exhausted like cripple. The forbidden moves side effects to the mind cant be measured, but in experience, the moves effect should last throughout the day so it was worth doing it, he thought. If you say that its just the meaningless pride of high school boys, then you are right. If this was a man who is around his thirties, that man could make a tent out of his crotch in public a joke because of the mans nerves that was learned through experience, but he still had yet to reach such frontiers. For better or worse, he was pure at heart just like those of his age, the result was this. Taiyou-san, are you free right now Together with that voice, this time Suzune showed up. She squatted sideways, looked up Taiyous face from below. Huh? Are you okay Taiyou-san, you seem to look like youre exhausted Im fine, rather than that, do you need something? Ah, Yes. Theres something I need you to look at Something to look at? I wonder what it is, Taiyou said and tilted his head. Yes, please turn around Straightening out his posture on the couch, Hmm? He said and turned around. And then, reacting in a different meaning than that of little while ago. What was there was white, a more magnificent white than pure white. White skin and white long hair, overlapped white one-piece dress on the top, and worn over that is a white cardigan decorated with lace frills. Its harmonious look, made one think that it was done on purpose, but. How beautiful Her appearance was, so beautiful that Taiyou cant help but to whisper those words. I knew it right. The image I was going for rabbit-chan from Snow Country Hello, I am a Snow rabbitde, su. If I get lonely I eatmy ba, bies(TR: yukiusagi=snow rabbit) Youre going to eat them? Wasnt it that when rabbits get lonely they die But, rabbits eats their babies too(Thats true, fmi search in google) I know, when I was a kid I was keeper of the animal shed so I know! Taking advantage that Shirokiyami made a boke, Taiyou looked away will he tsukkomis. (boke=playing stupid as joke, tsukkomi=returning/reacting to jokes) The forbidden move he used earlier was still effective so his body doesnt react, but as a result his heart pounded so fast it reached its dangerous zone all at once. Just as I thought, Shiro-chan compared to black clothes, white clothing suites you much better(Suzune speaking) Really? Of course! Taiyou-san thinks so too right W,Well Taiyou replies stutteringly, that answer was the best he could give. Shirokiyami was just so cute that he was unable to look at her directly. This is bad, need to do something, these were his thoughts right now. Well, I guess Ill go back where Koto-chan and Kaze-chan is. Shiro-chan should take your time here with Taiyou-san Taiyou reached out his hand, and tried to stop Suzune from going. But he doesnt reach in time, and Suzune turned around without hesitating and disappeared back to the kitchen. Taiyou and Shirokiyami was left behind, an awkward air flows between the two, Taiyou couldnt do anything but look away from her. As I thought Huh? It doesnt look. nice? I,Its not like that But youre making a weird face. weirder than, when Im wearing black That is As I thought, Im going to, change She said and tries to stand up, but Taiyou in a breath, grabbed her hand and stopped her. Waitit looks good on you Eh? Shirokiyami doubted the words that Taiyou spoke. It looks really good on you, compared to black, Im sure you look better this way But, I, if it isnt blackthe colors, are insu, fficient Is that why you wear black? Yes Shirokiyami silently nodded. The signs of her leaving disappeared, Taiyou slowly let go of her hand. A girl that looks fragile, and have an ephemeral atmosphere, but on the other hand she was also an expert who is told to be the worlds strongest. He thought that it was the first time he saw the side of her that looks quite human. A complex. If you think about it, it was a natural thing, she had a complex with her appearance. Thats why she preferred to wear black laced dress. His feelings, advances further. Its not like he was aroused with a naked body, or his heart pounded because of the dress she was wearing. This was the first time he was able to touch her human-like side, Taiyou felt like he was looking at a celestial maiden that landed in the human world. In other words, in love. Thats right, Taiyou fell in love with her. Whats, wrong? While making sure of how he felt staring at her, the side being stared at felt suspicious. From that gesture his breathe finally became shallower, thinking his throat has dried up. This feeling for the first time, this thing that was about to start. Because of that Taiyou became nervous, at the same time became composed. Can you be, my wife? After a deep breath, he looked towards Shirokiyami, looking at her straight in the eye, he confessed to her. There was no hesitation in his voice what so ever. Are you serious? Im serious Whatabout, them?(The other girls) We are a harem, so its alright Ill enter, the harem too? If its possible I see Shirokiyami nodded. She stared at Taiyou, her red eyes seemed like they can see the depths of his heart. Taiyou had his chest held high, his feelings were for real. Eventually, Shirokiyami shook her head. Its no good, for now For now? If youre not stronger than me, no way So I just need to be stronger then? If you beat me then, fine I got it Taiyou immediately answered. The conditions Shirokiyami gave was simple and clear. Although, it lacked sex appeal this was a trifling matter. Ill become strong, and defeat you Taiyou made the decision, he looked straight at her and declared. (Light Novels Illustrations: Shirokiyami in a Dress) Chapter 60: Aoba’s Secre t Chapter 59: A Bride''s Power/Goal and Declaration Chapter 61: Aoyama Akiha Please excuse me After bowing deeply, Taiyou closed that faculty offices door.He looked up and raised his head, looking up ceiling and took sighed together the damage he took mentally. Taiyou-san Suddenly, a worried voice was heard from the side. When he looked around, the triplets eldest sister Kotone was there. She looked at him with troubled eyebrows. Because she looked so cute, Taiyou quickly confirms the surroundings, pushed her towards the wall, put a hand on the wall then kissed her lips. Ta,Ta,Ta,Taiyou-san?? My bad, you looked so cute so spontaneously Cu``what are saying Taiyou-san~, Im being worried here, and you tell me that I looked c-cute Remembering what was just said moments ago and what just happened, Kotone puffed up and blushes, she covers her lips with a lightly clenched fist. Getting pushed to the wall with no resistance also looked cute, probably quite cuter than her worried face. But, if he rides the flow of nature, what would happen would at least be attached by an R-rating mark, so Taiyou kept himself from doing anything. After a while Kotone came back to herself and cleared her throat, blushingly asked. Taiyou-san, was it alright Yeah, I was only scolded by the teacher a little. After all, considering that I skipped school for a couple of days, its only natural. Other than that, I was addressed strongly about my phone not connecting, not being able to be contacted at all is not a good thing they said In this particular school, cell phones or smart phones are not prohibited, rather, it was something they recommended you to use. Not to mention that within the students, either it will be professors or students, having a direct line without the passing through parents they think of it as a convenience. Taiyou rested from school for a few days while he solved the triplets problem, so he forgot to repair the smart phone that was broken a little while ago. Those things happened at the same time, so when he finally attended school since the last few days he was thoroughly scolded by his homeroom teacher. But, you girls werent mentioned at all, why was that? you rested school just as much with me We were going to cooperate with Daddys experiment, so we told the school that were going to be absent from school for a little while I see Remembering the girls dad, Taiyou was convinced. Whatever the reason is, when parents are the one who request leave for their kids, the teachers generally wont ask too many questions or decline their leave of absence. Although he still couldnt forgive the father for what he tried to do, Taiyou was thankful for the result. After their conversation was finished, Taiyou and Kotone walked toward the classroom. Suddenly, Kotone was startled. Ah!, Suzu-chan and Kaze-chan are jealous Huh? Ahh, the thing I did to you earlier was conveyed huh Yes, by Taiyou-sanbeing done something like that I was so happy, so it was noticed by the two, and theyre conveying that they feel very jealous to me Is that so, if thats the case I should also do it to the other two later then Thank you very much! Kotone thanked him with a wholehearted smile. Rather than being jealous, declaring he would drive the other two sisters to the wall and kiss them, she was actually saying thanks with all her heart. That girls relationship seemed rather interesting, and for Taiyou right now, their relationship was a good thing. If this werent the triplets that confessing he wondered what wouldve happened, his interests sprung up. Kya! Because he was a little preoccupied with his thoughts, he couldnt avoid the girl that jumped out of the corner completely. The girl collides with him, and as if she ran up against a wall, she bounced off his body. If it continues like this, she was going to land on her hips, so Taiyou grabbed her hand instinctively. Are you okayAh! Thank you very muchAh! As the two confirmed each others appearance they both raised a voice. He collided to somebody he met before in the rooftop, her trade mark look was a long straight ponytail, it was Miyabi Aoba. The sorry face she was making after colliding disappeared in an instant and was replaced with an expression of pure hostility against Taiyou. Natsuno Taiyou It also emerges in her words. She irritatingly groans Taiyous full name, and snorted before leaving. Youre being despised huh Yeah Taiyou smiles wryly, and Kotone wrinkled her eyebrows. The both of them have a relation with Aoba, but he truly didnt understand why she hated him so much. Lunchtime, Taiyou was walking the corridor alone. The three sisters went to the rooftop earlier, and prepares for lunch. Taiyou wanted to go together, but the girls told him that they want him to come when everythings ready, so he complied. Leaving the classroom five minutes later, he slowly walked to the destination. He went up to the fourth floor where the third-year students classroom would be, and just before going up to the roof top he saw a commotion happening in the corridor ahead. Surrounded by onlookers, the commotion develops considerably. Taiyou found a familiar face in the onlookers. Approached him and called. Nakashima, what going on in here Oh if isnt it Natsuno, its just that, there were rumors a couple was having an affair, its that kind of story, and then the messenger of justice appeared, so they started to have a dispute I see I dont really get it though In short, it was about entanglements of love or something, but the ally of justice somehow appeared at that time, this is the extent of what Taiyou understood. Nothings going to happen listening to Katsukis explanation, so he went towards the center of the commotion. There were three people there. One man and two women. The man has gold hair and pierced ears, wearing his uniform sloppily he looked like hes wearing a beginners outlaw look. One of the girls were decently cute, but she influenced by the man, she had a flashy getup and was wearing make-up. And the last one Miyagi Aoba Yeah, its Aoba-chan Katsuki responded to Taiyous whisper. As sociable as Katsuki is, just like with Kotone and the girls, he calls Aoba with a -chan. What? Say that thing one more time!! I said that having an affair is the lowest Thats none of your business, aint it? Its not about being my business or not, its the worst thing to do, so I told you its the lowest Hearing the conversation and combining it with Katsukis explanation, he somehow understood the situation. He doesnt really understand why she is so meddlesome in these types of matters, but at least he understood that she really hates the thing called affairs. If he thought about it, after being confessed by Kotone and girls, she was also imposing, even going as far as asking who Taiyou liked the best. Even so, you shouldnt flare up at someone like that Yes? Did you say anything Natsuno Nope Taiyou shook his head. Unintentionally he muttered out the words words, but its something that Katsuki shouldnt be told. He tried watch the development of the events as it is, but suddenly, the situation changed rapidly. Dont joke around with me!! The gold-haired-piercing boy gets in enraged, pushing Aobas chest away. The power that comes from physical difference made Aoba stagger, tipping her balance, she flew backwards. The momentum doesnt decline as she were pushed back against the wall, and with the open window at her backshe fell towards outside. Aoba shortly reacted a second late and reached out her hand to grab the window frameand grasped air. Just like that, her body disappeared beyond the window, pulled by gravity she fell. Falling from the fourth floor was deadly. Taiyou who was there, imagined a scene like that. Aoba-chan!! From the Katsukis side, Taiyou kicked the ground and ran, and chased after Aoba who started to fall, and jumped out the window without hesitation. Lastly, he kicked the wall to accelerate, caught up to Aoba although having a late start, he held and squeezed her body tight. After doing that, he quickly verifies the surroundings for any place to hold on to. Hn!! With sheer will power he reached out his hand, and grabbed the school outer wall. It was literally a small crack in the wall. The moment his finger clutched it, he used his full strength. He heard the sound of his muscles stretching and churning, but the falling momentum had stopped. With a mere four fingers strength, he stopped the fall of two people completely. When he noticed it was only two floors left before the ground, it was barely the height from hitting the ground completely. Fuu Taiyou let out a deep sigh. At worst he was resolute on covering her and falling first, but somehow he found somewhere to grab so he felt relieved. While dangling like a monkey with one hand, Taiyou dexterously fixed Aobas position in his other hand. And while jumping off, he put his arms around her back and the back of her knees to make sure of her safety while landing In that position, with a bam they landed. The back of his legs numbed but did not mind. Hugged with a princess carry, Aoba had no injuries at all. cheers were heard from above.When he looked, many students leaned out the window, an applause was sent to the (Knight) Taiyou who saved the (Princess) Aoba. Daddy, Mommy Speaking about the Princess, she was shaking in his arms, making her body small, trembling, and calls out to her parents. That appearance of hers was so cute, if only she were normally this loveable, Taiyou thought. The next instance, Taiyou doubted his ears. MamaMother Hm? Ah! Aoba was startled and came back to herself, pushed Taiyou away, stood up, blushes and ran away. Daddy, MommyMama and Mother? Taiyou was left behind standing dumbfounded in that spot, he had an expression as if he had just been bewitched by a fox. Chapter 61: Aoyama Akiha Chapter 60: Aoba''s Secret Chapter 62: Surprise! Taiyou watched Aobas back and she was quickly leaving as if she was running away from him, there was no sign of her usual strong attitude. Right before she left, she spoke of four different names. Daddy, Mommy, Mama, and Mother. Besides the fact that a high-school student calls her parents when she is frightened and regardless if that was a good thing or bad thing. Rather than that, the problem is that the number of people she called was four. Taiyou was confused as to the meaning behind this and he was in deep thought. Theres no way, right? What came to his mind was something, even he thought was ridiculous, theres no way for it to be like that he laughed. Youre good, is that the way you make girls fall for you one after another? He was called from behind suddenly, Taiyou turned around swiftly. When he turned around, there was no one looking towards him from the school building. Therefore, he looked around his surroundings one more time and thats when he heard the voice again. He heard it from above. Diagonally, from the second floors window. Sitting on the window frame that was grandly opened, was one girl crossing her legs. A slender physique that can be seen even above her school uniform, and an abundant chest that strongly appeals its presence.The black over-knee socks and a pleated skirt, she had a stunning golden-ratio. Her glossy chest nut-colored hair flutters, she was rocking her body a little so it looks dangerous from here, but the smile that she was wearing was so bright you wouldnt think she was in danger. Make them fall for me? Taiyou was trying to hide that fact she totally captivated him with her looks, pretended to be cool as he returned the question. Yeah, youre that person arent you? The harem person. The guy that goes out with Staircase Girls Yeah, Thats right To her words, Taiyou nodded slightly. Staircase Girls was referring to the nick names of the three sisters, and this is what people called them behind their backs. The girls were triplets and although their faces looked the same just like a sliced Kintaro-ame candy, but somehow their height was on three-level difference, they were called inside the school with different kinds of names. (PR: Kinato-ame is a traditional candy with a cylinder shape that has boys face in it) Names like SML, like Victory Stand, like Traffic Lights. And just like the girl in front of him, names like staircases and a lot more. The girls themselves, doesnt mind although they know that they were being called such things, but he now started to think twice if that was fine as it is. Ah! Suddenly, Taiyou noticed something and looked away. Whats the problem? You got mad because your harem got insulted? No, its just that. UhmyourI could see inside your skirt He assumed that an awkward situation would arise from this, but opposite to that, rather than minding it she laughed pleasantly. Im sorry bout that, showing something weird. But dont worry, its leggings not panties inside, so theres no problem. Ah!, are you the type that like those? Thats why you looked away huh What, no no To the girls confession he almost imagined the insides of her skirt, but shook his head hurriedly and chased that thought from his head. That kind of thing should be disciplined, to avoid a blunder in public, there was the risk that he might have to use the forbidden move. (TR: view previous chapters) Oh. panicking with things like this, youre quite innocent even though you have a harem, arent you No, I dont think Im that innocent but Ahaha, dont be shy dont be shy She laughed pleasantly, but Taiyou thought that its really not like that. Rather, it was the opposite. The three sisters and Kohaku, because he tasted the girls beyond the line, he started reacting to things like that recently. Thats why hes not as pure hearted like she said, on the contrary he was in heat. But because she liked Taiyous reaction that much, after laughing for a while, she introduced herself to Taiyou with a positive tone. Im Aoyama Akiha. Written as autumn breeze you read it as Akiha, its a flashy name but its just that my Pops is a Kanji maniac so dont mind those things(TR: (aki) (ha)=Autumn Breeze, in Japan names that use difficult letters or weird naming sense are called KiraKira(flashy) names, its like Kanye West naming his son Easton West that kind of flashy) Y,Yeah. Im Natsuno Taiyou. Nice to meet you Summers sun huh, Im the autumns breeze so were the same huh(TR: Taiyous name is written as(natsu=summer) (no) ̫(taiyou=sun) Yeah, youre right I guess Hey, by the way, are you free right now? What? If youre free, hang out with me She said, without waiting for a reply went through the window panels, placing her foot to the school buildings ledge, like she became spider-man, she walked like it was flat ground. Wa,Wait a minute Taiyou panics, and went after her while looking up from the first floor. Her fluttering skirt teased the contents of what was inside of it, in any case she was walking along the outside wall and he could not leave her in such a precarious situation. Akiha turned to the outer side of the school building, going to the wall side that has no windows.Here I come! she said, and this time she changes directions and climbed upwards. Are you a rock climber To her movement, Taiyous eyes popped. If you look carefully, she used the ledges skillfully, like Taiyou whispered, as if a rock climber, or something like bouldering, she climbs up the outer wall. There wasnt a strange phenomenonthere was nothing strange happening like that of Taiyou or Shirokiyami, but without using safety lines, and doing that feat with ease, it was a skill that was enough to pop Taiyous eyes because it was the first time that hed seen something like that. She reached fourth floor, which means she climbed up to the school buildings top floor, sat on a ledge there, and called. Look, you should come too. You can do it right To Akihas invitation, Taiyou thought for a while, and conceded. She seemed like she was used to it so there wasnt any problem, but in any chance that something happens. To prepare for the time that something happens, its better if he was next to her side he thought. That, he decided, but he had no wall-climbing skills to speak of. So, he started to climb the water pipe with brute force like climbing a monkey bar, then slowly went towards where Akiha is, and took a seat beside her. As soon as he sat, wind blew. Taiyou who was not yet used to it, wobbled for an instant, and panicked. Ahaha, feels good right. I, like this kind of wind Dont you mean, the wind here The wind here is good too, but I like winds on high places. Maybe its because Im stupid (TR: theres a saying in Japan R¹ȟϸߤȤΤܤ which literally means stupid people and smoke rises to high places, smart people doesnt climb to high places cause its dangerous so those who do are stupid, smoke doesnt need to be explained) Drunk people say theyre not drunk though Yes? What does that mean No, Its nothing Taiyou answered in phrases, as if he was talking to Sakura or Kohaku, but Akiha did not understand what he meant. He wondered what type of person she was. What came to mind was that she was the exact opposite of the uptight Yurikago. Why are you saying that it means nothing? That saying must have some kind meaning right. If you said it once, explain it until the end properly No, explaining the story is(TR: explaining a story/joke that wasnt get is torture,) T~e~a~c~h~m~e~ When Taiyou was reluctant to explain, Akiha shook her body like a spoiled child. Considering that she was at least 20 meters off the ground, swaying her body like that made Taiyou flinch. I got it, I got it so stop shaking Then, teach me FuuYoure scary you know. I understand, so put away that hand!!Its not a special story, its just like drunk people saying that theyre not drunk, a real stupid person doesnt call themselves stupid, I just meant that What, You were praising me. Well! Thanks Akiha made a wholehearted, dazzling smile. Taiyou was forced on explaining a story that wasnt get, one of the three most embarrassing thing in this world, but seeing her smile, he thought that it was worth it. But, there was a side effect. These days, Taiyous lower half was prone to excitementand he felt like his groins were going to engorge with blood. That was how bad the situation was for him right now, in order to stop that, Taiyou shook his body left and right. What are you doing? Im trying to shrink it What? My internal organs(PR: Internal organ/intestine, a lie of course.) To Akiha who was doubtful, Taiyou replied a lie that is in some way the truth. After shaking like that for a few times, a feeling that his feet cringes went up, with that, the sensation that he felt in his groin subsided as well. Hey, rather than that, can I ask you something? Sure, I mean I wouldnt come here if it wasnt alright I see, well thats true. Then Ill ask you without reserve, why did you make something like a harem? You really not holding back huh Taiyou thought for a second, and answered. Because of certain developments, I guess Eh? It was because of certain events? Yeah, it was out of certain circumstances So it wasnt because you liked or fell in love with each other? Right now, there is a dam full of.. Well lets just say that right now, my relationship with them does have love and affection He might be asked to explain again if he continued with his dam analogy, so Taiyou changed his words. At the present time? Then in the beginning you got together even though, you didnt particularly like each other? Well, thats how it was Taiyou nodded. Although it did not start with love and was more like an arranged marriage type of setting, he didnt think that this was a bad thing, thats because. Even if its not like that from the start though, after being in love, I just need to love them for the rest of my life, right? Hmm, no, I get that but. I guess thats fine butwell What, do you have any problem? No, I dont have any problems with you, but I do have a problem What is the problem? Well its not my problem to be exactBut, A friend of mine, has that kind of householdShe was born from a family that has a harem and shes really troubled. Thats why Im asking you a lot of things, I want to be of help to her and possible find some points for reference Akiha said, its the first time she made a troubled face since he met her, she continued. Its about Aoba, shes the girl that you saved a little earlier Once again, the wind blows through the two people. (Light Novel Illustration: Aoyama Akiha) Chapter 62: Surprise! Chapter 61: Aoyama Akiha Chapter 63: Not enough Speed I feel like Aoba-san and your stories a little bit different from each other so it may not be that useful as reference though Wait, by Aoba, do you mean Miyagi-san? Yeah With a facial expression that is between bitter and happy, Akiha answered. Miyagi-sans house is the same as mine Then, the mother she called Mama is..? Mama is Atsuko-san, mother is Miho-san, and in case you are wondering, her Mommy is Nazuna-san When Akika gave that immediate response, Taiyou finally had a surprised face. Knowing that somehow listening to Aobas mutterings is possibly the correct thing to do, that is surprising. Then, this Nazuna-san is her real mother? Three women, each called with various different names. If the father is Dad, then Taiyou guessed that it would have been obvious for the real mother to be Mom. In order to confirm his guess, he tried to throw out his question to her, but she made an even stranger face. Well, thats not entirely correct Then is her birth mother Atsuko-san? Or is it Miho-san? That is After Akiha thought for a bit, her facial expression returned to the cheerful face that resembled the one when he first met her. I cant say myself. She is a friend, but it is a matter of another persons family circumstances. Its probably reasonable to hear it from the actual person. I see, its like that With a slight nod, Taiyou was satisfied what Akiha said. With that being said Eh? I want to hear more about your side of the story Akiha winked and asked while being flirty.Just like how Akihas name represents her body, that figure was plenty cute, even though it did surprise Taiyou. The actual person? Yup, the story about y~o~u~r harem. Let me hear more about it I thought it wasnt enough to be a reference? Yes, because it isnt a good-reference-story, now its just pure curiosity Curiosity! Even though I look this way, I am actually quite tight-lipped A person who is really strict cant call themselves strict Ah, you said that before Then, even though I look this way, I am actually quite tight-lipped Conversely saying again is not the issue!? Anyways, you have already showed enough about that Ah, mean~ie As Akiha was saying that, she giggled. Isnt it fine~, teach me~ Wa, wait a moment, dont shake me, its dangerous! Taiyou was being shaken by Akiha. The thing hanging between his legs was once again in a crisis! and he froze in place. Its alright, even if you fall you wont necessarily die I dont need that kind of magical expression!(Note: What Taiyou is saying is like Dont jinx me) Heey, about various things, t~e~a~c~h, m~e I got it, I got it, so please move away from me a bit Eh, why? Its because each and every time you want something you are shaking my body and I cant bear it Taiyou said that, but of course it was just an excuse to escape. During the time she shook him, the special fragrance of a girl came off of her and entered his nose, tickling his chest. To Taiyou now (as it was mating season), this was like poison. Therefore, he needed to have some distance. Well, you know, theres nothing wrong with just talking. Although I say that, what is good to talk about? From when you guys met until separation That kind of lion-like thing no, I cant separate with them Ohh Akiha made a surprised face. Whats wrong? Right now, you spoke like a natural. Instead of saying, Im not going to separate you said that you cant separate Uuu Taiyou was at a loss for words. He returned to that phrase unintentionally, but he himself used it with that kind of implication. Then, its alright if you dont talk to me about separation, so let me hear stuff about your first encounters After Taiyou thought for a little bit, he carefully opened his mouth. Because there are numerous parts about the girls that he cant talk about to a third party, he kept in mind not to carelessly make a slip of the tongue. Our encounter..I really dont remember, because were classmates, the first time was probably during our homeroom self-introductions. Eh? There are quite the triplets here is the extent of my impressions, I think Ah, I got that too. Even though they clearly had the same face, their sizes were different, right? I wondered. Its kind of like what people say, a real before-and-after thing where you see the steps of a girls growth-just like the Seven-Five-Three Festival!(Note, the Seven-Five-Three Festival is traditional rite of passage when children aged 3, 5, and 7 and they go to the shrine) Taiyou nodded, he understood that example (The Seven-Five-Three Festival). After a considerable long periodI would say probably around a month, though. One night, as I was going home, I met them on the roadside, and there, I was confessed. Confessed? From whom? All of them Taiyou consciously replaced three people, and said all of them. He himself thought, the relationship of the girls was that of one person, just like his ability Idol saw it. To the girls whose nature and heart beats synchronize, Taiyou had some kind of yearning to hug their figures. By all of them, do you mean all at once? Yes Wo~w With a nod in return, Akiha was taken aback, but at the same time, she obviously had a cheerful expression on. Looking at it, it wasnt the kind of face you get when you become uncomfortable, but rather the complete opposite. After getting that much information, theres no way her intentions were to deny the fact and laugh at him. An expression conveyed to Taiyou that she had a genuine curiosity to the world that she didnt know. That is why Taiyou thought it was fine to tell her. Thinking such and continuing to hide as much as possible about Blood Soul and Junishima, he talked just enough about the girls that he needed to convey his thoughts. Hearing the story, Akiha suddenly made a face that looked like she just remembered a question. Then, among the three who do you like the most? Or as expected you love them all equally? I love the three of them equally Ohh Akiha leaned back, even more amazed. Looking at that and wondering if she would fall, he became worried, but she seemed like was used to doing such things in high places, and made no signs that she lost her balance or that she would fall. What is it this time? Considering, what happened with the girls, can I assume that there is another girl in your harem? Youre very good at twisting someones words to your advantage, arent you? Not at all. If thats really the case, then youre just too careless If Im being told such, I dont really have any words to return Taiyou nodded, himself also believing exactly that. So, was I right? You wont tell other people about this? I wont say, my lips are sealed. See, I didnt even talk to you about Aoba Now that you mention it, thats true. Well, Im not particularly bothered even if you were to spread rumors so Yeah, theres another girl. Her name is Kohaku-san Ohh, you used -san to address her, so she must be older than you? Ah An older woman, huh? Is it a female college student? OL? Or perhaps its m~a~r~r~i~e~d woman? (Note: OL means office lady) You have a very filthy way of talking, do you have a special plan for saying married woman? Enough about me, more importantly what is it? Its none of them. Well, I would say shes more like a house maid Kohakus figure came to mind. As an Eternal Little, the 87 year-old woman is needless to say neither a female college student nor an OL. Because it was the first time Taiyou thought about concerning married women, he thought this was different. I see, is that all of them? For the moment For the moment? We can never predict human life and the future, right? Taiyou said that and hid the fact about his goal to create a harem of seven brides. Or about the building called Taiyou Castle given by Kohaku. There, he imagined the scene of living together with the seven girls. The scene where the first wife, the three sisters, are the focus, and everyone lives together in harmony and happily. Ah, youre grinning at something Eh? You were probably having wild delusions about something. Yup, thats the face that says In the future if I increase my harem more, Im all smiles Are you an ESPer?(Note: ESPer = someone who has supernatural powers such as telepathy and can read other peoples minds) Youre easier to read than you think, and you should be~ more conscious~ about that Saying that, Akiha stood up while laughing. I think its about time I go? Yeah, you listened to a large part of my story. Also, if were here, it seems dangerous Didnt I tell you that you were so easy to read? Until now, you were slouching the whole time, you know~? Eh? Taiyou was surprised and dropped his line of sight in a panic. However -there was nothing special about it, it wasnt like he had a bulge to signify an erection or something. By the time that Taiyou thought that he was tricked by her, she was already skillfully walking along the outer wall of the school and leaving him behind. Looking at the girl who was disappearing from sight, Taiyou also stood up to return. Um, Taiyou-san The familiar voices surprised Taiyou. Raising his face up to where he heard the voices, he saw the figures of the three girls whose gaze was fixated on him from inside the roof fence. Now that I think about it, they were headed towards the roof earlier Taiyou remembered. For some reason, the girls eyes were moist. You, you girls, since when have you been there? Since you told her that you loved us all equally! Taiyou couldnt avoid magnificently blushing. Chapter 63: Not enough Speed Chapter 62: Surprise! Chapter 64: The Third Bride/Refuge After darkness descended Oriyakata High School. (TL: his school was previously called Orikan, but I think I got it wrong, and it should be Oriyakata, here is the Kanji for anyone interested ^ѧ@) Even all the baseball club members that stayed at school to practice until sunset had already went home, and school grounds was currently very quiet. Inside such a school, Taiyou remained in the classroom he usually went to. The light in the room wasnt even on, and all he was doing was lowering his chair and raising his chair on to the desk. He took the seat at the very back which looked really cheap, and he turned the seat upside down, placed it on top of the table and then he carried the desk to the side of the wall. After lowering the desk to the side of the wall, he would carry it back to its former place and then lower the chair. Placing the chair on top; carrying the desk. returning the desk; putting the chair down. He was continuing to perform these actions. Inside of this dark room, there was two figures staring at him. Kazane was seated a little bit away from where he was, and Hera was sitting on top of Kazanes shoulder like a small figurine. The two girls were watching Taiyou. Is there.A meaning to doing this? Kazane was asking Hera. No, there isnt desuyo~ Taiyou-chans experience points wont increase unless he does pointless things like this desuyo~. But, it seems like Taiyou-chan may have been born in the wrong time period~ What do you mean? Just a little while ago, this kind of thing was quite popular because in the past it did have meaning Ah, I feel like Im watching some kind of historical drama. In the past, everyone would carry the desk together and then clean up the room, is that right? Yes~! Kazane-chan, have you ever needed to clean the school grounds? Nope Kazane immediately replies. Ever since she was born, all the schools she attended never had a cleaning policy and she never had to clean the school grounds. Thats why. Along with the changes in the times, a lot of things change as well desuyo~ Is that how it is? Kazane nodded her head in understanding. She was resting her chin by placing both of her hands on top of the desk and using it as a brace while intently watching Taiyou. She was watching Taiyou with an entranced gaze, almost as if she was watching her idol figure or something. It was slightly different to the look one would give to the person they loved. On this day, Taiyou told her that he would be staying behind with Hera in order to increase his level, and she readily volunteered to stay behind together. Although he did tell her that it wasnt anything interesting to watch, she still insisted on coming, and since it wasnt really troubling if she watched him, along with the fact that he didnt mind her company, he allowed her to stay behind with him. Taiyou-chan, has become really cool hasnt he~? Yes, he is very coolEver since yesterday Yes desu~. In the past he was really mute whenever he went out to level up, but now I can sense that he is so full of energy desu. his face from the side looks really determined and it looks like his sweat is shining Hera-chan, do you like Taiyou-san? Of course desuyo? Hera answered in a way as if stating why would you ask such a thing? I belong only to Taiyou-chan nanodesu I suppose thats true..But, I wonder how Taiyou feels about you? I also wonder ~ The two girls were curiously watching Taiyou, but he was too immersed in his levelling up process and was working very hard. Phew, that was hard work Taiyou let down his chair and let out a breath, Kazane ran up towards him with the towel she prepared beforehand. Taiyou took the towel and used it to wipe the sweat off his forehead. Taiyou-san, is it about time we return home? It seems like Kotone and Suzune are a little worried about us Kazane suggested the both of them return while looking at him with upturned eyes. She was able to feel what the other two sisters were feeling with the telepathic connection their shared, and she told their feelings directly to Taiyou. Taioyu thinks for a little while and asks Hera a question. Hera, my level has not increased yet? Its just a little bit more desu~ Im sorry, I think it will take a little longer, so I plan on going a little bit more until I level up I understand. it seems that you are really motivated today arent you? Yeah, theres a little something with my status Taiyou answers quite ambiguously. Kazane looked like she didnt really understand what he just said, so he tried to explain it in a little more detail. The first time I felt how amazing levelling up can be to the human body is when..My strength reached a value of 30. My level going up and my strength reaching 30. When I went up to the rooftop and turned the doorknob, the knob was completely broken off Oh yeah, now that you mention it, it was replaced with a new one. Is that what happened? So Taiyou-san was the one who broke it Kazane nods having remembered the new knob. The three girls went up to the rooftop during lunch break so she indeed saw it. By the way, the time that I helped you girls for the first time, I was already able to break and split a concrete wall in half. Therefore, I think of 30 strength as a sort of border that I crossed Yes.. Kazanes cheeks turned vermilion and her eyes were filled with rapt attention. It seems that she was remembering the time Taiyou saved her and got a little emotional. Basing it on the number 30 as a borderline, can you please confirm my speed value? Umm..Ah, its at 29 When Taiyou asked her, Kazane panicked and quickly confirmed the value of his speed. Thats right, if I increase it by one more value, it will reach 30. Although its half value of my strength, because it seems that 30 is a border for me, I started to wonder what would happen when it exceeded this value I see, I understand Kazane nodded in comprehension. As soon as she said this, she got up and started walking back to the seat she was sitting on moments ago, so as not to interfere with Taiyous levelling. Wait Suddenly Taiyou grasped her hand. Hyaah! T-Taiyou-saDD Queit He brought up his index finger and pressed it against her small lips. As he did this, he stared towards the entrance of the classroom door. In the next moment, Taiyou noticed something and pushed her down towards the floor. Moreover, Taiyou pinned her with his body as he hung on top of her. TaiyoDD Shh She was totally caught off guard, this time he used the palm of his hand to close her mouth. Although she resisted for a while, considering their physical difference along with Taiyous superhuman strength, she couldnt really do much. Taiyou also lowered his posture towards the ground, and keenly stared at the classroom entrance. A short while later, footsteps were heard. At the same time a flashlight shone into the room. It was the janitor making his rounds. Taiyou held his breath all the way until the footsteps of the janitor got further away. fuuh Taiyou let out his breath feeling relieved. The teacher was already mad at him for skipping school, if he was also found out when he stayed in school grounds until this late of a time..He would without a doubt get an even harsher lecture and preaching from his teacher. Moreover, he has had a variety of bad experiences with the neighbourhood policeman to the fact that he could remember the face of the policeman so he really wanted to avoid any more trouble if at all possible. My bad.Its alright now. Saying that Taiyou stood up. He finally noticed something. Inside of this dark room, he actually pushed a girl towards the floor and held her mouth closed with the palm of his hand. Even if he wanted to make an excuse, it was without a doubt, a crime inducing scene, especially if it was witnessed by others. If he was truly found out by the janitor moments ago, it wasnt going to be as simple as getting a lecture from his teacher, it was probably going to be an instant red card and police would probably be involved. S, sorry Taiyou stood up rapidly and parted from Kazane. She raised her body really slowly, and fixed the hem of her skirt with a flushing face. That look on her face was exceedingly sexy and to the Taiyou right now, it was like poison. Im sorry, I did something really strange No, its alright. Ah, it seems that Koto-chan and Suzu-chan are both rooting for us right now I dont think they need to cheer us on!? Ah rere? Taiyou-chan arent you going to do it desuka~? Im not going to do it outside Outside? Isnt it obvious? If her naked figure was seen by others, what do you think would happen? Hmm, then you would either silence their mouths or you would do SATUGAI?(TL: I can only find SATSUGAI, not sure what SATUGAI means, it seems to be a reference to a comedic anime) Isnt that both the same thing?! Or more like I dont want it to reach that stage so thats why Im not doing it! Ohh, is that how it is desu~? DD When Taiyou was rebuking Heras words, Kazane suddenly covered her face and ran out of the classroom. Kazane? Look, because you wouldnt do it to her, she got angry and went home desuyo~ No, that logic is definitely wrong! When he rebuked her even more, there was a vibration in his chest area. It wasnt the phone that he sent out for repair, but was instead the phone that Kohaku lent him temporarily. When he took it out to make sure who was calling, the screen displayed that the person was calling from Taiyous Castle. When he answered the call, Kohakus voice could be heard. You, what happened over there? Eh, even if you were to ask me..Nothing much happened. Taiyou was quite startled but he decided to hide this fact for now. Is that so? Its just that Kotone and Suzune are grinning strangely Grinning? Taiyou tilts his head to Kohakus words, he didnt really know why the two girls would act like that. For some reason or another, even Hera who was beside him was smirking. Chapter 65: The Third Bride/Family Visi t Chapter 64: The Third Bride/Refuge Chapter 66: The Third Bride / It''s hardly acceptable The next day after school, Taiyou was riding the train with Akiha. The train was empty because it was before the rush hour, so they were able to take a seat beside each other while leaving a persons space between them. Across to the two of them, there was a young parent and child, the young child removes its shoes and climbs up the chair, and is watching what is outside the window intently. There, the train slides to a home stop, and an announcement flows inside the train car. -Be careful of the opening home doors. Mommy, what is home door?? Its the door that opens on the platforms side. Look, that He?, its really a door right With the kids line, Taiyou laughed a little. He do not know on what knowledge that it determines the correctness of a door, but that one line was straight to Taiyous laugh spot. That appearance of a child saying an innocent line was very lovely. Suddenly, he imagined that he would also someday, bring a child with him like that. But, he couldnt imagine it clearly. Hey? how was Aoba yesterday? Akiha who was silent all the way the train ride, suddenly asked a question. The question didnt include the main part of the sentence and so Taiyou tilted his head and asked back. How was, what of her? If she was quiet, or cute, or unexpectedly smells good, something like that ..What exactly are you talking about? Eh, I heard about that time when you sneaked into a womans bedroom in order to do a sneak attack you know? I didnt do that! I would never creep into a girls bedroom whilst she was asleep! You didnt? even though you have a harem and you are so lustful? Its not like I am lustful, rather if you think so lowly of me, are you sure you are fine leaving your best friend in a place like that? Rather than saying that its fine, its more like giving her shock therapy Akiha said carelessly, it was the usual carefree expression, but those eyes looked unexpectedly serious. That girls problem is such a problem you know, if you did something to her, there was a chance that she would have a break through, thats why. If it was a different guy its useless. It has to be you Its not like I dont understand what youre saying but. Aobas situation that he heard last night. Its true that compared to other guys Taiyou might be the key on breaking through the situation. But that will have big risk that is hidden within it. A deadly poison or a miracle drug. That was Taiyous position in relation to Aoba. But, the chances of failing is too much higher right I think so, its a chance like betting in 00 on a roulette Thats almost surely to fail! Thats alright, if that happens, it would be splendid as well Whats so splendid in that?! Taiyou continuously made a loud voice, his voice was cracking a little. Is the girl in front of him really Aobas best friend? it was becoming doubtful, if Akiha was really worried about her friends wellbeing. But right, if you didnt to attack her in her sleep, you havent heard from Aoba anything at all then Yeah, after you went home she immediately closed up in her room, she also went to school quickly. Thats why, I still dont know about anything Asides from you, what about your brides? You really pick at every nook and corner dont you?.. No, they might have heard her story, But even so, I havent asked anything from the girls I see, if that is so, I should probably explain it huh Werent you saying you wont tell other peoples secrets The situation is different from then, after getting you involved, not saying anything will be unfair right. You are at the very least 60% involved you know? Whats with those numbers? ..Well, in any case, if you are going to explain then that would help me Then..Ill just state the most essential part Is there something that Akiha would think twice of saying, the usually unreserved her cleared her throat, and once again, started talking. The thing with Aoba is thatDDshe didnt know who her real birth mother is Are you telling me that her birth mother died in child birth? Thats not what I meant, I meant that growing up she only knew that she had three mothers and that one of them was her birth mother ..Wait a second, let me organize this once Taiyou put a hand in his forehead, and raised forward his other hand. His head was on confusion immediately. Her household has an unusual family composition Because being they were in an open place like a train, Taiyou said, changing his words. And in regards to this complicated family situation, she herself doesnt know too much about it herself, am I getting this right? Yup, it looks like she wasnt told on purpose. When she was a child she loved all of them equally calling them all Mommy, but recently, she was being conscious of who was the real birth mother Well, I guess I can understand it. How did this all happen? I dont know, but isnt it fantastical somehow? What part?! Taiyou raised his voice, his voice after all, was cracking a little bit. Once again, he organizes the situation he heard in his head There is four adults in Aobas house, one man, and three women that are the mans wife or mistress, that kind of construction. And being born there, although Aoba became first year at high school, she wasnt told who her birth mother is. Well with that, she would treat me harshly for sure huh Taiyou remembered the times that she was imposing on him. If she were born in such family, despising some reason like affair(in Aobas criteria), would be a very natural flow. On top of that.. Taiyou said, and looked at Akiha. Yup, this time around, it seems like shes going to get a fourth mother, dont you think thats lovely? No can you please cut it out with that its lovely thing. By the way, what kind of person is the fourth mother? ..Dont tell me that its you? That would be even more lovely! She twinkles her eyes. The terrible part, was that her was eyes were really thinking thats nice, literally. Unfortunately thats wrong. That person is Aomori Chitose, 17 years old Yes? JK!(TR: JK=joshikousei/highschool student slang) The thumbs up she made was blinding..In fact, he really feels like hes going to have a headache. ..You serious? Taiyou holds his hand over his temple. And his mind was about to flow into a place that no human mind should transverse. It is crude tea, but, please The Aobas house theyve arrived at, was something that can be called a little mansion-like building. Inside the exclusive residential area, about at least thirty meters vertically and horizontal breadth of grounds, there stands a western style house. It was a structure that can make you feel its history. Taiyou and Akiha was guided to the buildings reception room-like place, and there, a maid brought out tea. It was a little strange but she had elegant gestures and calm way of talking, that made woman feel a graceful atmosphere within her. Thank you, Miho-san Taiyou felt something somehow, with Akihas words. And that wasnt completely unrelated..to the two women sitting in front of him. If you include the maid they would be three of them though. Please excuse me, can I know your name? Im Atsuko, Fukushima Atsuko. Nice to meet you I am called Yamagata Nazuna Towards Taiyou, the two women named themselves. Atsuko who was wearing a celebrity-like clothes has a high pitched voice, and compared to that, Nazuna was wearing a casual wear. He was looking at the two, and Miho who was wearing a classic style maid clothes alternately. Yesterday, Taiyou heard from Akiha the three womans name. Respectively, Junko, Nazuna, and Miho. That means that the woman who was wearing maid clothes has the possibility of being Aobas mother, he thought. And then, your name is? Are you only making us say our names? To Atsukos question, Taiyou named himself in a hurry, because he forgot to do it. Im sorry, I am called Natsuno Taiyou. I am a classmate of Miyabi-san Is that so. It seems like Aoba-chan had made trouble for you, I am sorry for that No, thats alright While saying that, Taiyou looked at Akiha. Did you tell them? with that kind of question in his sight. I didnt tell them anything I am very sorry, we made the investigation on our own Miho who was the only one standing in the room explained. Because she is masters important daughter, we didnt want anything dangerous to happen to her (Maid Miho) Is that so? Uhm..So, how is, Aoba-chan? (Nazuna) In a different way from Miho, Nazuna asked with a timid way of talking. This time was a worried way of asking about their daughters condition. Uhmm.. You can say it frankly, you must have heard something about the story right Atsuko said that with frank tone. If thats okay then..Well, for the mean time she went school. She seems down compared to normal though He said that while remembering her who didnt impose at him at all today, although sleeping under the same roof. Is that so, I am relieved But, why did she go to your place? Are you in a good relationship usually? No, Its not like.. Atsuko-san, Atsuko-san Akiha invited her while she leaned over, and whispered to Atsuko who also was leaning over. And then, Atsukos expression was became of that when ones having fun. Ah! These two are of the same type women Taiyou realized that in an instance. At the same time, he had a bad feeling. He?, you are also doing that huh (Atsuko) Uh!! (Taiyou) What do you mean by that? (Nazuna) It means, the same with our household, Nazuna-sama (Miho) To Nazuna who was the only one who doesnt seem to get it, Miho explained in a calm tone. The situation is becoming awfully strange, Taiyou became vigilant. Chapter 66: The Third Bride / It’s hardly acceptable Chapter 65: The Third Bride/Family Visit Chapter 67: The Third Bride/ The Third Girl Oh Is that so, hes just like us? If its like this, dont we have to teach him various things as his senpai in the path? Our relationship is one of deep love with each other, so I think it would be the best reference. The kids dont seem to understand though Hah, Haaa Atsuko spoke quite indifferently. There wasnt any malice in her voice but, Taiyou felt an uncomfortable feeling. It is an unavoidable thing Atsuko-sama. This kind of thing happens quite often during puberty Ahh, is it at that age? At this age they are very hard to please arent they? I can vaguely remember that period in my life as well I dont think we have a choice.. Other than waiting for time to pass to resolve it The three women were talking amongst each other. Looking at the three women conversing like this, his sense of uncomfortableness changed to a whole new level. A jovial woman, a quiet woman and a polite woman. Without a doubt the three women in front of him were very different from each other, but there was one point in common. They gave priority to their own relationships and the child was secondary. Seeing these things, Taiyou could not help but to inquire about something he was curious about. Excuse me Making a polite remark, the three women concentrated their gazes at him and he began to ask. Out of you three, is Miyagi-sans birth mother amongst you? All of us considers ourselves to be her true mothers, and all of us love her. But, I dont think thats the question you want to ask is it? Youre asking about the. birth mother? Im sorry but, who did you hear this from? Ah, it was me who told him Akiha raised her hands like a primary school child and came forward with a carefree expression. Is that so..? There, there, Miho-san, you dont have to make such a scary face. The things that Akiha-chan has told him are things.. that Aoba-chan has given permission for her to say I also think the same. Besides, I think that Akiha-chan is a sensible and clever girl I am sorry, Akiha-sama Ah, you dont have to worry about it Miho bows her head deeply and apologizes to Akiha. Miho was older than Akiha by at least a 12 year period and she was acting overly polite but Akiha already seemed to be used to it and wasnt really surprised. Well, to answer your question, the answer would be YES Amongst us three, one is the birth mother Atsuko and Nazuna spoke, while Miho was just silently agreeing. Cant you just tell her which of you is the real birth mother? We cant Although her tone of voice didnt change, the look in Atsukos eyes and her atmosphere changed. Even we have our own circumstances. For someone like you Who is still inexperienced, there is no way you would be able to comprehend our situation. Because of this, there are things that we cannot say Alright, I get it When Taiyou nods, Atsuko seems to have lost her momentum, and the other two were slightly surprised. Natsuno-kun, do you really understand? Yes. I dont understand your objectives, but I do understand that in order for you to achieve those objectives, one of the things you need to do is to not tell Miyagi-san about who her birth mother is. And the fact that you are taking such an extreme measure, probably means that you have tried everything else and there is no other method. That is my conclusion You are interesting, arent you? However, I do not approve Completely disregarding Atsukos previous words of praise, Taiyou suddenly stood up. Just like that, he looked at the three women and gave them a defiant look. Doing something like that to your own daughter, is not something that I can approve..Excuse me Taiyou gave them a deep bow, he left Akiha who had been standing there silent and departed. Taiyou-chan After turning the door knob, Atsuko called out to him. When he turned around, she was looking at Taiyou with a smile on her face. As your senpai in these types of matters, allow me to give you a little bit of advice What might it be? You need power, if you want to be able to properly protect several women, then you need the strength to do so. Every single time you increase the number of women you love and need to protect, you need double the amount of power you possess, please act with that in mind ..I intend to have power. If thats all, then Once again, this time as a formality of thanks, he bowed his head and left the Miyagi Mansion. Haaah.. Taiyou let out a deep sigh after going out of the house. He wanted to let out all the stagnant feelings he had accumulated in his chest. Before he knew it, he acted like he was picking a fight. Like he said to Atsuko, he could understand their choice in the matter. Taiyou understood the concept of doing whatever it took to achieve an objective, and taking an extreme measure and the final measure in this case was basically the same thing to him. From an ordinary point of view, the relations between their family was strange, and they were taking an extreme means. It would make more sense if they were crazy. Once again Taiyou sighed. When he looked at the three women their faces were very composed and they were speaking rationally. It was definitely not the eyes of some frenzied hedonist person. In other words, they completely understood their choices but still did it anyways, and Taiyou couldnt stand for it. He remembered the child he saw in the train. It was a very young and innocent child talking to his mother, even for Aoba, there was a stage in her life where she enjoyed such simple conversations, this is what he heard from Akiha. But even then, Aoba was currently in a complicated domestic environment. And the other thing was the words senpai that came out of Atsukos mouth. They were his senpai in terms of being in a harem, and soon they were planning on adding a fourth mother to the mix. This was causing friction between the relationship between Aoba and her parents. It was at this point that Taiyou felt like he was seeing the possibility that his own future was like this. He turned to look at the Miyagi Mansion one more time before walking towards the train station. Taiyou thought that he wanted to solve the problem that Aoba was in right now. He would definitely help her out, in fact he wanted to shout that he would make it happen. When he went to Miyagis house, he saw a semblance of what his future could become. Therefore, he really wanted to be able to help Aoba. Aobas present condition is basically caused because her parents were doing whatever they wanted, and the one who payed for it was the child. This was the thing that he could not permit. To Taiyou, this was one of the things he hated the most in this world. Therefore, Taiyou wanted to become Aobas strength, and change her current situation.. At the very least he wanted her to stop suffering. DDNo matter what happens. Taiyou quietly swore an oath to himself. But in saying this, what am I supposed to do? While riding his train and returning to St Hanazono Town, he couldnt think of any brilliant ideas in his mind. He had the strong resolve and desire to help Aoba, however, he didnt have any concrete ideas or plans on how he could make this happen. Shall I confide with Kohaku-san? Getting off the train and into the platform, Taiyou mutters to himself. He thought that at these kinds of times, it was better to ask an experienced person. For the time being, he took out the smartphone that he was borrowing from Kohaku in order to contact her, and it was at this time that Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan Suddenly the Fairy Hera appeared out of nowhere. Recently, the amount of times she left Taiyous side has been increasing. This happened at approximately the same time he kissed Kohaku and increased the amount of girls that could see her figure. It is likely that Hera enjoys the other girls company and so she wants them to be her conversation partner. Well there was no obligation on his part to prevent her from doing what she liked and so he just let her be. Because of this, she wasnt there when he went to Miyagis house but he didnt really pay mind to it. Whats up, I was just about to return homeC Just when he was about to ask if the triplet sisters were hanging out with Kohaku, Hera had a panicked expression on her face. Its bad desu Taiyou-chan, you need to come quickly desu Whats wrong? Taiyous face became stiff. Shes been attacked desu, I have been looking all over for Taiyou-chan desu What? Where is she?! Taiyou complexion changed for the worse and he requested that Hera guided him to her location. The fact that Hera is asking for help probably means that one of the two, either the triplets or Kohaku are in danger. Out of these two girls, one of them were being assaulted? The girls who had an intimate relationship with. Taiyou quickly ran down the platform and exited the train station with Heras guidance. Just like that he ran straight into the shopping district toward a secluded alley. He saw a large amount of people gathered here. To be precise he saw a bunch of lowlife thugs surrounding somebody in this alley. Clearly something was wrong with the situation. Taiyou clenches his fists and was going to make the first move, but the person who was surrounded by these men was in fact the twin tailed girl, Junishima Yurikago. Chapter 67: The Third Bride/ The Third Girl Chapter 66: The Third Bride / It''s hardly acceptable Chapter 68 The Third Bride/ Her True Self is? The fight was finished in the blink of an eye. Seeing those thugs reach their hands out towards Yurikago in a distasteful way, Taiyou leaped into the fray and literally wiped the floor with at least ten men who was surrounding her; it was instant kill. The only weapon in Taiyous arsenal was his fists, in comparison his opponents held knives and batons in their hands but he had the overwhelming strength to overpower them. Not only that Taiyou snatched the baton off one of the guys and bent the whole baton right in front of them, and this added an element of mental damage to their mind. If an outsider were to look upon this scene right now, they wouldnt see a fight. It was a one-sided massacre. At the very least, this is what Junishima Yurikago was seeing in front of her. After making a heap of corpses pile behind him in less than one minute, he briskly turned to face Yurikago. Are you alright? She was quite calm, even though she was in this kind of situation, under the light of the moonlight, her face was cold and collected. Nastuno Taiyou Hera-chan is also here ya know~? Yurikago murmurs Taiyous name. Somehow as soon as Hera showed up, Yurikagos face blushes grandly. Taiyou was wondering why she was acting like this, but he soon understood. She was able to see Hera. This is because Kohaku made her forcibly kiss Taiyou. He guessed that she remembered that event and thats why she was acting like this. Though he understood it, he thought it would be better if he didnt touch that topic. He turned towards Hera and wanted her to fly away so that Yurikago wouldnt feel embarassed. Hera, can please you go back first? Yes nanodesu~ Hera obediently listened to Taiyou request without any complaints. Unlike the time where she seemingly appeared in front of him via teleportation, this time around Hera flapped her wings and flew into the evening sky. After watching Hera depart he faced Yurikago once again and asked if she was alright. Yeah, Im fine, its not like they were able to do anything After Hera left, Yurikagos blush also disappeared. (Shes really cute) Well I wasnt planning on letting these types of guys do something to me Naturally, there isnt any girl who would want something like that to happen to her. As he was talking, Taiyou remembered a certain thing. Looking at the expression on her face, Taiyou had a bit of a doubt. By the way, just as an off-chancebut what if they did something to you? What if I didnt make it here in time? self-destruction Isnt that way too exaggerated?! Last time they were working together, she also said that in the case of an emergency she would rather die than get caught. After remembering this fact, Taiyou started to wonder if she was the type of person to use suicide as her back up plan he honestly thought that her way of thinking was far more extreme than when he first imagined. You think? Well dont you think it would be irritating if I just let them do as they pleased? Dying in vain is also something Id rather avoid, in that case my only option is to self-destruct isnt it? No, lets not talk about the subject of death. Why is it that you have such a cute face but your views are so extreme I wonder? Cute? Yurikago laughed scornfully. Are you referring to this face of mine? The last time we met, I was wearing a masquerade mask wasnt I? Yeah, now that I think about it, something like that did happen between us After saying this, Taiyou took a long hard look at her face. Although it was a dark alley in the middle of the night, they were standing quite close to each other and he was observing her face closely. And just like that, he asked the question he had on his mind. Although I thought about this before, Ive always wondered how you looked underneath the disguise. I mean You are way too close! He was looking at her too intently as he drew near towards her, Yurikago reacted by suddenly thrusting out her palm. Taiyou was in a totally defenceless position and his jaw was hit with the palm of her hand! The sound of impact resounded. Immediately his vision twinkled. His jaw was aching and he held on to it as he protested to her. What are you doing?! When people are speaking, dont just suddenly strike them in the chin! What if I accidently bit my tongue? Its cause your face is too close, dont you agree? No, well I mean that may be true but still! I just wanted to confirm how much you disguised yourself! Thats totally unnecessary, a disguise is just a disguise. its obviously different from my real face! Did she perhaps get angry? her cheeks were red as she blurted out the words. In that case let me see the proof The proof? Yeah, do you have a picture of your real face or something? Even if its blurry its fine A-as if Id show you a picture like that Why not? What does it matter?! Continuing in this manner she seemed to have remembered something else. ah, my real face is a guarded secret! As a person who will become the next master of the Junishima family, it wont do if my face is exposed to the public Thats a little exaggerated dont you think? This is not exaggerated at all, my great-grandmother died from being assassinated Eh.? is that for real? Taiyous eyes were bewildered. He thought that she was surely just being way too exaggerated, but unexpectedly there was some truth in the matter and this surprised him. Its true, my 25th great-grandmother was poisoned to her death What a minute! what exactly do you mean by saying your 25th great-grandmother?! Its because my great-grandfather had 49 concubines What period are we talking about here?! This was in the 19th century of the Meiji era, what? you got a problem with that? ..Sorry, I dont Taiyou was going to go into a debate with her, but after hearing about that he decided to tone it down. After all, Yurikagos story was of the Meiji era and it was a period of time that was at least a century ago. In that time period, Taiyou could agree that a man of power having plenty of concubines was an acceptable thing. After toning it down and reaching a point where they could settle down, the both of them walked side-by-side out of the alley way and left the ruffians moaning and groaning on the floor. She was somewhat leading the way as they walked in the direction of Taiyou Castle. Taiyou didnt have a problem with this. Considering this was Yurikago, it wouldnt be strange if she knew that he moved from his old place to this new place. While walking she voluntarily started talking again. I mean, even if I disregarded the story about my great-grandmother, there is another reason why I cant show my face to another man To men? Thats right, for a man who sees my real face, I either need to kill them or marry them What are you? some kind of a saint..? Taiyou stared at her in wonder. Does that sort of custom still remain even now? Thats just the kind of household I live in Hmm, wait a minute? Then are you telling me that you always have some sort of a getup whenever you go out? Otherwise you wouldnt be able to meet with anybody right? Have you ever watched any historical dramas? For example, do you know something called the inner harem chambers? Hm? I guess I know a little bit Where is she going with this? As he was thinking these thoughts, he was waiting for her to elaborate. In that case you can imagine it right? For instance, when you enter the room of the legal wife of the shogun, or meet with an important woman in that era, you would normally have bamboo blinds that covers the room, right? Well, I do remember something like that. but dont tell me? Its exactly as you thought. I also usually meet people in that kind of setting, where I am behind a bamboo blind Are you saying people need to be granted an audience just to meet with you?! Is that what you got out of it? Yurikago raised her voice. Ah, its because those words were too shocking After all, arent you underestimating me too much? No no no, this isnt about whether I am underestimating you or not, its just that in the 21th century Japan we currently live in I just dont hear the words audience used in normal conversation, thats all ..Well, I guess you might be right Even so, you really are an amazing person arent you? Isnt that what Ive been telling you? Why dont you show a little more respect around me? Umm.. Taiyou made a difficult expression on his face and as he looked at Yurikago. Although she told him to show a little more respect, for some reason Taiyou just didnt feel like it was appropriate for him to do so. If the person in front of him was Kohaku, then it might be that he could show her respect. After all, as part of the eternally little, her true age was quite advanced, and the words she spoke, the subject along with her facial expressions indicated that on a whole she had this really mature atmosphere around her. Or possibly, if this was Shirokiyami, it may have been easier for him to show respect and honour. She possesses a fairytale-like beauty and she boasts an overwhelming aura and is told to be one of the strongest girls in the world. And that strength is something that is worthy of reverence. And although her personality isnt perfect, but even Sakura might be a target worthy of respect. She wore a tight pantsuit, and she had this adult like sex appeal and is accompanied by many subordinates so it wouldnt be strange if she was respected as an adult woman. However, the girl in front of him known as Yurikago didnt really inspire any particular feeling. On the contraryDD Just a little Hyan! Wait, why are you pulling my hair? Yurikago stops walking and protested. Taiyou suddenly grabbed on to her long and slender twin-tail hair like he was pulling a prank on her. It was only a light pull but because she was already advancing forwards the tug on her hair caused her neck to get pulled backwards. Chapter 68 The Third Bride/ Her True Self is? Chapter 67: The Third Bride/ The Third Girl Chapter 69: The Third Bride/ Introduction to the Cheat Ah, No, I mean I just felt like it was appropriate Appropriate? Yeah, its because that place is quite easy to pull on so.Its that kind of thing, you know when a cat just suddenly pounces on a ball of yarn. It was just a reflex. Im sorry, I wont do it again Geez Yurikago had a sullen face and all the while, Taiyou bowed his head in apology and she seemed to accept it, once again she began to turn around and walk away. Just a minute Haguu! Heyy! The moment she was about to walk away Yurikago was once again stopped and she hurled her protesting gaze back at Taiyou. What do you think you are doing!? Sorry, sorry, I forgot to release my hand We already parted! Or more like, why are you speaking in that tone of voice again!? You must of misheard Taiyou spoke with a straight face. But dont worry, this time we are really separated, look Taiyou lifted both hands in the air giving a surrender pose as he declared that he wont do it anymore. Seeing this, Yurikago reluctantly turned around and faced the other way. .Wa DD Taiyou was going to grab her twin tail styled hair a third time, however- his hand only grabbed the empty air. Did she expect his move, or perhaps she sensed it just before he reached out? Just before she got caught she turned around and rapidly moved the distance. After avoiding his grasp she gave her a death stare. For a short while, the atmosphere between the two was a little weird. Just what exactly are you trying to do? Ah, Un. Its that, I was ticked off You, arent you taking me too lightly? No no, Im not taking you to lightly, Im telling the truth Taiyou was giving an explanation. It was the obvious truth that he was not underestimating her. He wasnt underestimating her but the thing is for some reason or another when he saw her, he just had this urge to play some tricks on her. Even now he was feeling it. Even after this being the third attempt and her actually avoiding his hands, Taiyous mischievous urge doesnt seem to dissipate. Even though he was saying he was going to stop, both his hands and his heart was itchy to play tricks on her. Im warning you, if you do that one more time Ill get really angry you know? Dont get angry? Definitely dont okay? Err.Why are you speaking in such a doubtful tone? It would seem that she did not know of the great performers. It stands to reason, she was brought up in a secluded inner room No it might be even more than that, her origins is such that it would not be strange for her not to know of such things. Taiyou thought that it was regrettable that his manner of speech was not understood by her and spoke in a reluctant tone. I understand, I seriously wont do it anymore. Thats cause I will be the one walking in front So that he would not be able to pull on her hair anymore, he started to walk in the lead. Yurikago follows him a little while afterwards. Geez. Only you could do something like this to me Is that so? Yeah. for your information, the real me isnt like this okay? Because in usual circumstances a man who would try to pull on my hair like that would find himself beaten to death for his rudeness Hey, do you take care of your own hair? Are you listening to what Im saying? Im listening, Im listening, The real you is someone who an important person that cannot be approached, and if someone were to act rudely in front of you, they would get their heads beheaded I didnt say that. and whats with that exaggeration! the last part is totally wrong! So, you are saying that you current face has special make up, right? So I was wondering if you were wearing fake hair along with the disguise? Hey listen to what Im saying! Although she was raising her voice as she spoke from behind him, it did not sound like she was angry. She let out a sigh Haaa before proceeding to answer Taiyous question. Its my natural hair. Its just props to give out a mysterious feel to it A prop? But it doesnt seem all that mysterious. To me it just looks normal and cute Im not talking about the me right now. Im talking about the me that sits behind a bamboo blind with hair long enough to droop over the floor .Ohh, somehow I imagine you to be like some sort of high class noble from that depiction Right? Well thats the kind of thing that I need to portray Is that so.. What? Can I pull on it one more time? Have you been listening to what Ive been saying all this time?! Yeah of course, thats why I asked you before I pulled it. I mean, Ive been listening to you speak, isnt there some kind of reward for that? I thought Id get a medal or something Of course not! You, what do you think a womans hair is for? Ah, so what if you are a girl? Taiyou spoke as if he was having fun. How can I put this. hearing about how you were the one to style it like that, just made me have this urge Because I styled it? Yeah I mean, since you have your make up on and I cant see your real face, the most real thing about your right now is your natural hair right? After all, even your clothes are apparently not the ones you would normally wear After saying this Taiyou glanced backwards over his shoulder for an instant. The twin tailed girl was wearing a blue type top, with a red skirt and matching striped pattern overknee socks. Although her image and the atmosphere she exuded right now were clear to see, Taiyou could see fragments of her true character and the clothes she would normally wear. .. Are you saying that, you want to see my true self? Eh? The steps behind him stopped and Taiyou also stops and turns around. He looked straight at her. Well.. If I can I suppose. Are you going to let me see? ..If its just for a little while As she said this, she undid her tied twin tailed hair. The sound of her hair coming loose resounds *Pasa* Her long hair which was liberated extends buoyantly towards the ground, it almost seemed like her whole body was being wrapped with a mantle. And then, suddenly her whole atmosphere and feeling that she gave off changed. It was something that Taiyou had experienced before. Even though the pressure wasnt attacking his mind, there was something about it that made him feel heavy. It was something very similar to the killing intent that Shirokiyami released. When Taiyou was at a loss for words, Yurikgao was the one to initiate the conversation. I am the legitimate child of the Junishima family, my name is Junishima Shingetsu Yurikago. This is not the first time weve met right? Even the tone of her voice changed. Although it still sounded like her voice, the tone lowers and more so than before, it became more dignified. . Whats wrong, did you not want to see the real me? Ahh, no, its just that everything about you changed, so I was a little taken by surprise Even though, Ive already told you beforehand how different I was, you still havent been able to mentally prepare yourself? Its because it was way out of my expectations. You changed so much that I didnt know what to say Well I did warn you. So what do you think? Even after this, do you still want to pull on my hair? After thinking for a while Taiyou responded. If you return it to the twin tail hair style I might do it .. This time it was Yurikago who was surprised. Taiyous answer was just so unexpected. If I revert back to that style, you will pull on it? Yeah, for some reason when I see that figure, I just want to pull on it.Ahh no no Taiyou unintentionally said what he was really thinking. He said this right in front of this girl who had such a dignified aura about her. Right now she had this atmosphere that made you unable to hide any secrets from her. You Eh? No, its nothing. Its just that you are the first man to have ever dared to say something like that to me Normally, people dont really see your face do they? After all arent you sitting behind a bamboo blind? buu Yurikago was flustered for a second and then she suddenly burst out into a tiny fit of laughter. Hahahaha, thats true, you are quite right. Normally, people dont see my real face Yurikago had a grand, no it was a heart stirring smile on her face. Even in her twin tail mode, she had quite the bright laughter, but this time it was different in its own way. The laugh had a very profound feeling to it, almost like she was some sort of military commander in the warring period. Natsuno Taiyou, you are an interesting man Really? Although she was trying to praise him, Taiyou had a complicated expression. Shall we go? It will only be a little while longer until we reach your place right? Are we going to go with you still in that appearance? Ahh, in this appearance, you wont try to play tricks on me After saying that, Yurikago confidently takes the lead. She was standing straight like a pin needle and her high-class appearance was amplified even further. Well this was to be expected, it was natural behaviour for her and after doing it on a routine basis, it wouldnt be strange that she mastered how to act like a noble. However, Taiyou had a different thought. Just one second Hyann. Hey! Why are you still pulling on my hair?! For some reason or another, Taiyou still thought that the girl with the twin tail was her true nature. Chapter 69: The Third Bride/ Introduction to the Chea t Chapter 68 The Third Bride/ Her True Self is? Chapter 70: The third Bride/ A Moth flying into the Flame Night time at Taiyous Castle. At the Terrace Room: Taiyou, Kohaku, Yurikago and Hera were there. After playing mischievous pranks to Yurikago along the way home and bringing her to his home, Yurikago had a sour face of discontent, moreover the three twin sisters and Aoba were nowhere to be seen. When he asked Kohaku about them, she told him that they were going out shopping. Hearing that Yurikago mentions how convenient that was. Taiyou didnt really understand what she meant when she said that it was convenient, in any case Taiyou led her to a seat and the three of them also went towards the sofa room to sit down. By the way, Hera was sitting on Taiyous shoulder. Perhaps she was curious about Heras extra-terrestrial existence as Yurikago would oftentimes sneak a peek at Hera and when their gazes met she would become flustered. When he looked at Yurikago, Taiyou could not help himself but want to play tricks on her. However he stopped that train of thought, because it would be unfitting to bring her here just to mess around. Taiyou bent his body forwards slightly in a more serious posture and asked her about the main subject. Well, will you finally tell me the reason why youve come here? Looking at the situation and the fact that youve investigated that I moved to this completely new place, there must be a special reason for it, right? Yeah, first of all Ive brought this thing for you Saying this, Yurikago took out a parcel that came out of the luggage she was carrying when she met Taiyou moments ago. The parcel was wrapped with a white cloth and it was square shaped, it was about the size of a box, but it was light enough that Yurikago could carry it without being too conspicuous. Yurikago puts the parcel on top of the table and slided it towards Taiyou presenting it to him. Is it perhaps some sort of teacake snack? While thinking about what could be inside of the parcel, Kohaku started to talk. The thickness. It seems quite secure jyana Because it is one of my things, it is naturally going to be like this I see, so as the next head of the household, you are saying your pocket money is at least that much jyana There isnt many things that I cannot get my hands on That may be true jyana Kohaku and Yurikago, even if a third person wanted to listen to what these two girls were saying, all anyone could discern was an incomprehensible mode of conversation. Without being able to understand, Taiyou turned a confused look towards Kohaku. Kohaku-san? What have you guys been talking about? Rather than having me explain it, wouldnt it be faster if you just took a look at that thing jyaro I suppose Ill do that Taiyou made a clear nod and reached for the package. Kohaku was implying that because he didnt know about the contents of what could be inside of the parcel he wouldnt understand it even if she were to explain, therefore he decided to confirm its contents. Reaching his hands out towards the white cloth, he tore off the wrapping. The thing that appeared before him was something that even Taiyou would know about, however the amount inside was something he had never seen before. The thing inside was a ten-thousand yen bill which printed a portrait of Yukichi Fukuzawa and each of these bills were piled up to at least 10 Centimetres each stack. Seeing so many bundle of bills, it was an unbelievable sight. Taiyou looked towards Yurikago with an expression of astonishment. . Whats, this? It seems to be 10 million Yen jyana Yeah, its 10 Million. Im giving this to you Wait a minute, why are you giving this to me? I Ive never received this kind of This is the reward for helping with the previous matter The previous. But that was You were doing it because you wanted to help the three twin sisters, I know youve told me Ahh, thats right Taiyou nods in affirmation. In actuality that is exactly what Taiyou thought as well. However the case may be, it is also true that you saved me, and because of your actions, I managed to put a dent in Sakuras plans. Moreover, I She cut her sentence mid-way and squinted her eyes. I managed to hide myself from the publics eyes The moment she said the last sentence, she reverted to her serious self. It was her true self that she showed while walking towards here. Seeing the change in her Taiyou knitted his eyebrows while Kohaku and Hera had an amused expression on their faces. However, in the next instant, she already reverted back to the Yurikago that Taiyou knew. When I thought about it, I felt that it was necessary for me to provide some sort of compensation. So that they do not suspect anything, I did not want to wire transfer the money into your bank account, instead I decided to hand it over personally, well after all because this is my pocket money, it only amounts to this much Well, even if you say that, its still quite a lot. You said that this was 10 million yen? I dont think what I did was deserving of such a huge sum of money You, what do you think about someone who picks up another persons wallet and when they return the wallet, they get a 10 % cut of the money as remuneration? Eh? Taiyou was bewildered and stared at her in wonder due to how sudden the question was. What do you mean by that? Dont worry, just answer me whether you think it is reasonable Well, if you are talking about reasonable, then it probably is? I mean thats what is already decided by the law Taiyou-chan, the law actually says that the reward is 20 % desuyo Wait, why do you know this kind of thing?! Eh actually, I dont even want to know. So why did you suddenly ask me such a question? Well, what if the wallet you found contained 100 million yen checks and 10 % of that is naturally 10 million yen? Eh? That is. ummm Taiyou thought about it for a little then spoke. If you returned the 100 million to the owner then.. well I guess However, in the end, it was just picking up someones wallet and returning it to its owner. It isnt that big of a deal in terms of effort Effort? After saying that much, Taiyou understood what she was trying to imply. So you are saying you dont really care about the means or the effort someone goes through, all you are looking at is really the main objective and the results of completing the objective? Thats right. Im saying that the results that you achieved deserves at least this much. Ive merely made your contributions that you made with the strength you possess and put it in numeric values. This is the amount that I came up with. Thats all there is to it My powers value.. Taiyou mutters to himself as he loses his words. This was something that he never considered before. Since Hera appeared before him, he has been levelling up at a steady pace and now he has obtained a power that can be classified as super human strength. He was able to break walls of concrete with his bare hands, not only that he was also immune to all types of firearms and projectiles, then taking all this into consideration, he wouldnt even be categorised as a mere human anymore. Thinking up to this point, he surmised that levelling up for him has just been a means to do things. Repeating laborious work and obtaining experience, his goal was to obtain a level up. He was satisfied with just raising his level. Since then he slowly raised his strength, persistently raised his level and using that strength he was able to defeat Shirokiyami, and from there he fell in love with her and wanted to make her one of his seven brides. However, just now a new possibility came to his mind. This was the possibility using the powers he gained from levelling up and turning it into a way he could earn money. One of the results was the bundle of money he was looking at right in front of him. This time around he acted as Yurikagos guard, thats because right now the abilities he possessed were related to battle he specialised in close ranged combat. However, right now, his speed status was at 29 points and this was not far behind from his strength value, therefore there is a possibility that he could obtain other skill sets as well. Additionally, Taiyou had found out that when his stats reached a point of 30 it became closer to the domain of being a super human. Taiyou opened up his status window in his minds eye and confirmed his values. He thought about each unique value apart from strength and imagined the possibilities of different ways to earn money if he increased their values to at least 30 points. When he did this, he started to think that perhaps, there was nothing that he couldnt do. Thats amazing desu, as expected of Taiyou-chan desu Sitting on his shoulders, Heras face was full of smiles. Hera? Taiyou-chan, as long as you keep getting stronger, you will be able to earn even more money desune? Thats true jyana, as long as you are not bothered by laborious work, then the results are clear If its that you dont need to worry nanodesu, Taiyou-chan is a special person desukara Is that so, if you think about it like that it makes it a little unfair na. Well Ive already seen a glimpse of it though I know right~. Using his own strength the man earns money for his wives and gives them a life of luxury nodesu, it is a mans romance nanodesu. Kohaku-tan, what kind of luxurious life would you like to lead desuka? Me? Lets see.. If I were to say right now, what I want would be to live in a new place nojya. I dont want to live in this kind of run down place, I want to live in a castle jya Ohh, a castle desuka? I would also like that, a place that is a like a dream land desu~ A place like Mickey Mouses Castle Jyana, if I were able to live there, it would truly be like a dream come true Seeing both Kohaku and Hera in such a cheerful mood, their appearance was very pleasant for Taiyou to see. Suddenly, a voice resounded in his mind. CObtain power and influence, if you plan on protecting all these women, you need to have power. Whenever you want to love and protect an additional woman, then you will need strength that is many times stronger than before, have at least that kind of conviction. Power.. Influence Atsukos words were repeated in his mind. When they were at the Miyagi Mansion, she gave him advice based on the fact that she was his senpai. Although he didnt quite know how much more power he needed, he also understood that if he ever wanted to raise a family, then he needed far more than the average man. At the very least he would need at least seven more times the power he had right now. If he was planning on having seven brides then this amount is something he needed to strive for. Right now, a new road had just opened the way in front of him widening his horizons. Taiyou had just used his strength and converted it into social connections and economic power and he witnessed this happening. He was thinking of ways in order to make use of the power that he had very deeply. Taiyou was in very deep thought and so he was unreactive to the others right now, therefore Yurikago faced Kohaku and started to talk. Anyways, in regards to your case Me? Yes, I am also planning on paying you. In saying that, this money is from the Junishima household Are you trying to silence me? Kohaku had a far deeper knowledge of life and a wealth of experience in comparison to Taiyou, and she immediately understood Yurikagos intentions. Chapter 70: The third Bride/ A Moth flying into the Flame Chapter 69: The Third Bride/ Introduction to the Cheat Chapter 71: The Third Bride/ Total of three minutes in the bathroom Thats right. Have you seen the television since that time? Its one of my old past time hobbies jya Kohaku gave an implicit confirmation. Then you would understand right? How much bashing that plan Blood Soul has received from the public community since being exposed Umu, it seems that an energetic businessman even tried to purchase the whole radio station to cover things up jyana. By the way, they even came to my place for a news interview jya. Well I told them I didnt know anything though. Only about 100 people in this country know the existence of the eternally little after all. Besides, I am the oldest among them jya Naturally, I will also have this talk with the other eternally little Well I suppose so. After all, if the others were all to speak and blabber too much, it would cause you guys many troubles Therefore, in order to give them hush money, the Junishima clan is paying them a visit In order to silence the information from within, jyana These two girls were speaking to each other like they were creating a duet. They exchanged words at a good rhythmical pace and it was somehow pleasing to the ears, if you were to judge them based on just the sound of their voices then you might think that they were participating in some sort of eloquent speaking contest. It was Yurikago who stopped their eloquent exchange. She lets out a small sigh as if she was complaining. I thought that if it was you the conversation would go smoothly After saying this she took a slight glance at Taiyou. She gave Taiyou the kind of look that said this isnt going very smoothly because you are involved. After that she returned to look back at Kohaku. Yes, this is a settlement fund. So as to silence the people involved in the plan it is necessary to put a substantial amount of compensation money. Some of them may even be in a higher position than me, but it is still necessary to persuade them Fumu, in that case I can expect a good amount of money from this jyana I will present to you an amount so that you will never have to worry about food again. Thats the kind of instructions that I received Well I was never worried about that to begin with. But, alright I understand jya If you were to be so inclined you could play a little hard to get and be more reluctant, as that would probably help me out as well. In this way we can strike back a little at the person in charge of the operations Umu, understood jya Kohaku gave a nod and the conversation ended there. Yurikago changed her serious expression and used an amazed expression as she turned to face Taiyou. In any case, if he was as understanding as you, things would be so much easier He is still on the path of growing up jya, if you can overlook him just a little, I would be thankful jya Even though he has that strange rebellious nature? Well that is what pubescence is isnt it? They wouldnt be cute if every teen acted way above their age right? Fuun, if one of my subordinates were acting like that, Id instantly expel him Is that so? However what if it wasnt your subordinate but instead a mercenary? . I get your main point That is good to know Kohaku nods and for some reason she had this smirk on her face. Yurikago felt a little sensation of discomfort from seeing that smile. ..Whats with that face? Its nothing much, its just that I thought if we were to use your properly we can receive a lot of financial benefits. Youre going to pay us for the results of our work jyaro? Kohaku was saying one thing, but it was evident to Yurikago that she was trying to change the subject. If that was all you were thinking, there is no way that you would show that kind of smirk Yurikago thought to herself. In any case, Yurikago decided not to press the matter. Naturally. Punishment and rewards are given justly, this is how an organisation has to function, otherwise we will not be able to tell who is talented and who is corrupt Thats an unusual way of thinking nowadays jya After all, Im going to be the next head That may be true For a moment there seemed to be sparks coming out between the two girls as they directly faced each other, but that was only for an instant. For Yuirkago, since she had already talked about what she came here to do, there was nothing else more to discuss with Kohaku. She voluntarily removed her glance and was standing up from her seat. Well then, I will be heading out Umu? Didnt you travel here incognito? isnt it already too late if you wanted to return to the island via authorized means? Because I was already prepared for this before I set out, I already organized a place that I can stay overnight I see Kohaku understood. However, Hera who was silent up to this point suddenly butted in the conversation. Eh~, Yuri-chan are you going home? Uu Yurikago moans and she couldnt speak any words. It would seem that she was still not used to the existence of the being named Hera. C-calling me Y-yuri, whats with that..? Yes desu, Yuri-chan when you first met Taiyou-chan, you introduced yourself as Yurikago desu, that was the name you gave yourself desu. Therefore I decided to name you Yuri-chan desuyo Now that you mention it, that did happen before. Youran = Yurikago, when we first met up you were using an alias werent you jya? It wasnt that I was trying to deceive you. Because Yurikago isnt a completely false name either Indeed there is some truth to that Yuri-chan Yuri-chan, You should stay here overnight desu. If you wait just a little longer, Koto=chan, Suzu-chan and Kaza-chan will be returning home. The dinner they can make is really delicious desuyo. You need to try it desu, after that everyone will take a bath together and at night we will be having a girls talk desu Are you sure you can decide that kind of thing yourself? Even though you are not the head of this household? Yurikago said this while turning her glance towards Kohaku. You arent going to start saying the same things as her right? That was the kind of gaze Yurikago was giving Kohaku. Ahh, dont look at me Im not the head either dazo. The head of the household right now is my husband jya Husband? In the literal meaning of the word jya You are telling me.. its I dedicated it to him, the deed to this house and everything Yurikago did not like useless exchanges of information. Because she met with a lot of people who talked about things in a very roundabout manner she always disliked those kind of people. If she were to discern what Kohaku was saying, it was pretty obvious as to what she dedicated. Thereupon she glared at Taiyou who was still brooding and lost in thought with a displeased expression on her face. .Lolicon No, rather shouldnt it be a baba fetish jya? Even that would be better Is that really true kana? What are you trying to imply? Im not trying to imply much jya In any case, you will stay over Yuri-chan. If you dont stay over, Im going to do something mean to you desuyo~ W-what are you planning on doing..? As expected Yurikago was a hard person to deal with. Even though Hera was trying to coerce her to stay here she herself didnt quite know what she needed to do. T-trick and trick Umu, this is really interesting jya Saying that Kohaku had a hearty laugh. On the other hand, Yurikago showed a vacant expression on her face. Kohaku-tan, at this sort of time, what do I need to do desuka? Judging from the reaction of the two, it was clear that they were planning something. Hera was greatly perplexed and so she asked Kohaku for her opinion. Are you really going to ask her in front of me? Yeah, thats because Im not good at this kind of stuff. Im sorry desu Uuu Looking at the situation Yurikago could not help but to become worried. In that case, I will teach you a method. First let me confirm, other than people who kissed with husband there is nobody else that can see your existence, is that right? Yes desu, that is definitely the case desu Let me ask you another thing, how far away can you exist from husband nojya? The bond between Taiyou-chan and I is infinite desu That makes me envious jyana After confirming this fact, Kohaku cleared her throat and laughed in a strange manner. In that case, all you need to do is stick right next to her as she is walking home Is it alright if I just stick to her desuka? Thats right jya, all you need to do is stick to her until she gets home. And then whenever she is talking to someone or doing anything, you should constantly talk to her Wait a minute! what are you teaching her?! Yurikago instinctively raises her voices and protests. The method Kohaku taught to Hera was just that destructive. Yurikago was imagining just how crazy it would seem if a mysterious life form like Hera that only she could see was sticking to her every move and then continuously talking to her. Will her spirit and mind be ruined first? Or will her sanity be doubted by others first? She thought that it might reach that kind of disastrous stage. Just for assurance let me ask one last thing, is she able to exclude herself from being able to physical sense you? That is impossible desu. I am Taiyou-chans desu. If there is one person in this world that can kill me, it will only be Taiyou-chan desu. Even if you brought a god or an illusion, I would still have a method to deal with it nanodesuyo Well, you heard it jya Having the conversation with Hera, Kohaku turned to face Yurikago with a smile. It was exactly like a devils smile, that was how Yurikago saw it. Well then, what are you going to do? What are you going to do desuka~? Kohaku and Hera was working together and pressuring Yurikago into a corner, in actual fact, she didnt really have much of a choice anymore Chapter 71: The Third Bride/ Total of three minutes in the bathroom Chapter 70: The third Bride/ A Moth flying into the Flame Chapter 72: The third bride / While there is no demon Ku ku ku,, Havingthis many flowers is indeed good. Its a shame that some of them have yet to be plucked jyana If you put it that way it makes me not want to go in Yurikago was bickering with Kohaku. Even though Yurikago was trying to talk back to Kohaku, the young looking old woman turns a deaf ear and completely ignores her. Next to these two girls there was: Kotone, Suzune, Kazane and Aoba. The women were all nude, they were completely naked just like when they were first born. If you were to ask why, well thats because they were all in the bathroom. In the building named as Taiyous Castle, which was supposedly design as a residential apartment complex, the bathroom was quite spacious even with all of them entering together. All the women were taking a bath together right now. After eating dinner, Kohaku suggested that they should all take a bath together. Under the pretext of trying to deepen their friendship Kohaku invited the girls to soak together. Taiyou on the other hand was still in deep contemplation and it was like he was unable to see anyone else. Even when the three twin sisters and Aoba came home from shopping, or when Kohaku was trying to help out with the preparation of dinner while actually being a nuisance he was deep in his own thoughts. For quite the long time, he was just lost in thought. If the three sisters didnt stop him, he might have not realized that he was picking up the soy sauce bottle instead of water, and he might have drunk it up. That was just how much of a daze he was in, it was almost like his spirit was out of his own body. Naturally the three sisters who didnt know why Taiyou was acting in such a manner worriedly asked about it. With that Kohaku told the girls Taiyou has reached a turning point jya. As expected the three sisters didnt know what she meant by that. All they knew was that it must have been something really important and that they sincerely did not want to obstruct Taiyou. To that point there was no problem at all. In actuality while the girls might not completely understand what he was going through, they had no doubt that it was something that was deeply involved with their future, and considering the fact that Kohaku also acknowledged this fact, they wanted to fully support him. The problem came a little afterwards. Because she thought they might become a hindrance to Taiyou if they just wandered around the house aimlessly, Kohaku invited them all for a bath. And thus, due to such a thing happening all the women were in the bathroom. As per expected everyone was in their birthday suits in the bathroom. When Kohaku mentioned that there are flowers in the room, it wasnt just a joke. In truth, all the women in this bathroom were splendidly attractive and had their own charms akin to beautiful flowers. Kohaku as her name suggests had the whitest skin amongst the girls in the bathroom. Although her body was quite underdeveloped like a child, if one looked closely at Kohaku, they would see her rich adult-like sex appeal. Well among the three sisters, you can also say that they are still in the developing stages for their bodies. However, while their bodies are thin, they also have their sweet swelling parts that emphasized their womanly areas, and an adorable look that made you want to protect them. The person with the healthiest physique was Aoba who had unfastened her ponytail hair. Her perky breasts that were pointing upwards reminded one of the finest quality gems, there was this charm to it that increased a persons desire to keep it close at hand. Lastly, there was the girl with the long hair that draped over her entire body like a mantle. She had a pair of peaks that resembled peaches and a silky smooth hair, her body was like a work of art that made you focus your attention to it. It was the perfect combination of beauty and elegance it was one of those high-level bodies. To think that in this large bathroom all these women were assembled, it would be a modest expression to say that there was flowers in the bathroom. Umm. Kohaku-san When you mentioned plucking, you mean by Taiyou-san ? We.. arent really knowledgeable about this sort of thing Saying that the three sisters huddled together. Kukuku, that was just a joke jya. Husband is not going to do such a thing; he is too preoccupied right now jya. You saw it too right, the state husband is in? Well thats true Yurikago was the one to respond to Kohakus words in a prompt manner. As if she was trying to show off her nice proportions Yurikago stretched out her back as she entered the center of the steamy bath. It almost seemed like she was used to being seen, or perhaps being seen did not bother her in the slightest, it was that kind of atmosphere. Doing that, the three sisters were staring fixatedly at her body. Nevertheless, you guys are truly an interesting bunch. While your faces are exactly the same, the size of your bodies are entirely different. If the size of your heads were exactly the same it would be really revolting, but it seems that each of you have nice proportions for the size of your bodies. How do I say this.. it reminds me of the Seven-five-three festival?(TL Note: this festival is also known as Shichi-Go-San Festival and is said to have originated in the Heian period amongst court nobles who would celebrate the passage of their children into middle childhood) Although they were strictly different, the three sisters had different bodily proportions yet their faces looked exactly the same. The three sisters knew exactly what Yurikago was implying. Well thats because we three are triplets Yes, it is natural that we look similar However, we also dont know why only our bodies are different in size Has it been like that since a long time ago? No, after we entered elementary school we started showing our differences For some reason or another the rate that we grew was at a different pace from each other Before then, we had been just like any other triplet Hey theres something Ive been wondering about for a while now. Did the three of you used to talk in this manner in the past? The person who interrupted the conversation was Aoba who had posed this question. Unlike Yurikago, Aoba was acting the complete opposite, even though this bath only had women in it, she was really shy and she used a towel and her hands to cover her private places. To Aoba who was shy, Kohaku asks back. Oh by the way, since when have you been classmates with these girls nojya? Since middle school up until now. The Hayakawa-san from before didnt used to speak in this sort of manner, until just recently, I feel like they didnt speak in this manner That is. Kotone was the one to speak first but then the three sisters exchanged glances with each other. They were worried about whether they should answer this question or not. After a short while, the girls resolved themselves as they turned towards Aoba and started to speak. That was because we tried to conform with society standards Yeah, its the same thing as when someone says slang or if someone speaks with formality The way we talked was one of formality In other words, this is how you guys normally talk? Yes! ..The reason you became like this is due to that Natsuno-kun? Yes, its all thanks to Taiyou-san! Aoba made it seem like it was Taiyous fault but the three sisters corrected it. It wasnt Taiyous fault, it was thanks to Taiyou. To the three girls, this was something that they could not concede to. While the girls were chatting with each other, Kohaku slipped out of the bath and sat down on a wooden stool. She was applying a handful of body soap to her body with a sponge. After a moment her pink body was covered in bubbles. You really have such a white skin, almost like some sort of sculpture While that is very flattering, your body looks even more like a sculpture than mine jya. The proportions of your body is capable of even making a woman jealous of you jya You think so? I dont think very highly of it though Fumu, hasnt there been anyone to praise you of this fact up until now? There is no one in my presence that has ever dared to praise me, well to begin with there is rarely anyone who gets to see my true colors If thats true than thats a shame jya Kohaku washes her body as she lets out a sigh. When someone puts great care in taking care of a flower thats when the flower is capable of beautifully blooming, youve heard about this jyaro? Thats if you are a flower This saying isnt only limited to plants nojya. In recent years, why have women been compared to a flower? thats because there are too many properties that resemble a woman within a flower jya. If water is not given, it will wither, and the more love it is given by its owner the more it will bloom in full glory jya Oh, yeah? Let me say it in even more common terms. The more a woman falls in love the more beautiful she becomes, in a time of love a female hormone is secreted and this hormone is able to change the body by itself to make it even more beautiful nojya. Moreover, the female hormone is after all secreted the most when a woman is being loved jyayo I see Therefore thinking up till this point, your beauty can only grow worse jya. Because of that you should imagine just how much more beautiful you would become if a man enters your life Even though you are saying such a thing, how come I dont really feel envy or vexation from your words? Desiring something that you cannot obtain is only something the immature youth does jya, moreover I also have pride in this body of mine Pride? Umu, this is a body that my husband has said to be beautiful, and it is also a body that has received his love jya Yurikago tightly purses her lips. After having a conversation with Kohaku, it was instead Yurikago that felt vexation. Kohaku had a confidence in her and even though she was clearly handicapped in terms of bodily proportions her eyes was still dazzling and radiant. Above all, even though Kohaku praised her to be beautiful, in Yurikagos eyes, it was in fact Kohaku who was more beautiful than her. Kohakus body was quite plain and almost hidden within the bubbles, by any standard her body shouldnt have any sex appeal to it. However, to Yurikago, her body actually looked like it was the most sexy out of any woman she has ever seen. (Perhaps..) A thought started to sprout in her mind. It was like when the snow started to thaw and a new bud sprouted from the ground. Woops! At this point her thoughts was interrupted as if heaven was saying that it was still too early to think such things. The sponge that Kohaku had been using slipped out of her small hands and flew in an arc like a parabola. Peta* a sound of it colliding with something resounded, as the sponge landed on to Yurikagos breasts and then it fell on the ground. On her perfect body, there was the mark of a sponge on it. To her maiden body which was pink in colour, a white slimy soapy thing was clinging to her skin defiling it. Chapter 72: The third bride / While there is no demon Chapter 71: The Third Bride/ Total of three minutes in the bathroom Chapter 73: The Third Bride / Awakening Umu, it is very erotic nojya As if she was speaking for all the pubescent boys in the world, Korhaku raised her thumbs up as she spoke. The person herself didnt really understand the meaning behind Kohakus words and merely tried to wipe the white foamy bubbles dripping down her chest with her palm. Erotic? Fumu, Dont you understand these kinds of things? Then perhaps if I explained it to you, you would be able to understand? What have you been talking about since a while ago? So what if bubbles are attached to my body? Fumu, it looks like someone just pasted something all over you jya What are you saying?!! The person who reacted to Kohakus words were Aoba. Unlike Yurikago who was brought up as a princess, for better or for worse Aoba had been raised in a common manner. However, the fact that he is not here to pluck the flowers is becoming more and more regrettable. As the main character of a romantic comedy, it is the standard to show up in a situation like this and cause trouble jyaga. While saying this, Kohaku glanced at the entrance of the bathroom towards the smoked glass door. It doesnt seem to be going that well jyana .I understand that you were talking about something sexual Yurikago breathed out a sigh. While she may not have the knowledge in these types of matters she was by no means a foolish person, in fact she had a very high comprehension rate and was quite the intelligent human being. Even now, my breasts seemed like it had milk or semen pasted all over it, thats the kind of thing you were talking about right? Very insightful jya, by the way its a secret as to which one I was thinking about jya I dont even want to know Saying this Yurikago sighed again. Picking up the sponge she dropped, Kohaku resumed washing her body. On the side the three twin sisters were sitting in a circle as they washed down each others backs. Meanwhile, Yurikago was standing with her imposing figure as she looked at the situation. Aoba was curious about what she was doing and so she talked to the girl that rarely involved herself with others. Her, what are you doing just standing there? Im watching, no, Im learning Learning? Ehh, as it is I cannot wash myself, therefore Im seeing what everyone else is doing and then I plan to wash my body What do you mean What is this about? Aoba was in the midst of confusion when Kohaku suddenly clapped her hands together. Incidentally, you are like a princess within the Junishima family jyatana, up until now everything around you have been taken care of by the low-ranking people of your family Thats right Well that seems about right, therefore you are able to maintain such a beautiful appearance jyana Folding her arms together Kohaku nodded her head up and down in acknowledgement. Eh, What do you mean? This girl has a very exaggerated upbringing, it is the so called daughter that lived in a secluded room jya. Ever since she was born, not to mention taking a bath for herself, she doesnt even need to wipe her own butt jya Ehhhhhhh? Aoba was left flabbergasted. What Kohaku said was clearly going too far that even Yurikago started to protest. Of course I do that kind of thing myself! Hou, you do? I sincerely thought that you left that to one of your subordinates Obviously I dont? However, you are inexperienced with bathing jyaro? Ive at least bathed in a hot spring before Yurikago said this as if it was a natural thing. Declaring such a thing whilst standing there, she appeared to be some sort of divine being. To such a person, the three twin sisters asked timidly. Excuse me, Yurikago-san, if you are unable to wash yourself then Would you allow us to wash you? Please let us do so Hayakawa-san? What are you girls saying? Thats because, Yurikago-san is our benefactor We must at least do this much Rather, if we are able to repay your kindness even a little, we would be glad to do so The three sisters spoke as if this was the norm, and Kohaku could not help but to smile gently. Aoba was the only person here that didnt know the things that happened between them, she was left with her mouth wide open and was at a loss for words. To the three twins, Yurikago still asked them calmly. Will you help me then? Yes! Thank you, Im sorry about this Subtly putting her chin down, Yurikago gave them her thanks. Whilst she did have a high birth origin, it was not like she didnt hesitate in asking help for this sort of thing. Standing still in that place, she was now waiting for the three sisters to help her. While Aoba was still rolling her eyes in bewilderment, the three sisters got ready to wash Yurikagos body cheerfully. Turning the faucet and letting the hot water out, placing the bathing chairs and grabbing the sponge and body soap. Having perfect coordination, the three sister combination was very effective and completed all the preparations instantly. Im sorry to have kept you waiting Yurikago-san, please come over here We will wash you Leading Yurikago by the hand, the girls led her to the bathing chair that they prepared. CZuru. At that moment, a wet sound arrived in the ears of all the girls who were in the bathroom. It was the sound of wet feet sliding across the bathroom floor. And just like that ???????the three girls simultaneously lost their balance at the exact same time. Dongara Gashann (Crashh), A classical sound effect of someone falling could be heard as they fell. The three twin sisters had involved Yurikago in their crash as they were holding on to her hands. Hayakawa-san! Fumu, This is a wonderful spectacle jya On the one side, Aoba was really worried about her classmate who had just slipped as she gasped, on the other hand, Kohaku lifted the edge of her mouth and showed a really amused expression on her face. The three sisters and Yurikago had fallen on the bathroom floor, not too sure about how the mechanics of the fall worked out, but they were thoroughly intertwined with each other. Kazane was holding down Yurikago, Suzune was straddling her, and lastly Kotone was pressing her breasts against Yurikagos face. The sight of these youthful girls entwined together whilst being naked, if a pubescent boy was to see this scene right now, it wouldnt be strange for them to rush into the toilet immediately, it was that kind of dreamy scene. Fumu, for there to be such a splendid scene, it would be totally wrong for us not to record such a moment. You girls just wait here; I will come back with Husbands phone jya Dont come baC Hyaa Yurikago was raising her voice in protest but, as she struggled to get up, Kotones foot slips once again and this time she was thrusting her hips towards Yurikagos face. Wait, what are you girls doing?! The one who objected to this was Aoba. It wasnt because she was in the bathroom, there was something else that made her raise her voice whilst she blushed. Im sorry! We didnt mean to do such a thing Thats right, please believe us! Our bodies only belong to Taiyou-san! The three sisters were desperately trying to explain, although they tried to hurriedly stand up, whenever they moved they would lose their footing again somehow, they only made it worse as they became even more tangled up with Yurikago. Seeing this Aoba was going to help out.. however, her body sensed that it would also become dangerous for her and she could not do it. The four people were only able to get up after a full three minutes had went past. After finally being able to wash the body clean, the girls all entered into the bathtub together. As if she was trying to hide, Aoba submerged her body from the shoulder down into the hot water, on the other hand, the three sisters and Yurikago didnt really mind it if their bodies were seen and the upper portion of their bodies were floating above the water. Kohaku was sitting on the edge of the bathtub and only her feet were soaked in the hot water. Everyone had their own way and preferences for bathing. You girls, are you normally like that? Yurikago tone of voice was slightly filled with amazement as she asked the question. Yurikago was pretty easily letting the incident pass, and this was also perhaps because due to her princess upbringing, she didnt really feel shy being exposed to an unnecessary party. Thats not true! That was an accident Normally that kind of thing is impossible! Is that so? I was convinced for a second that you were doing the same kind of thing as him Same kind of- The person who reacted to Yurikagos words was Aoba. Sealing her lips in a panic she grandly blushes as half of her face sunk into the hot water. Well, at most it was just a happening jya. Our husband doesnt need to do stuff like that, even without causing this type of trouble, he has already been able to build a harem jya Nobody understood the double meaning of what Kohaku was trying to imply in this bathroom. Hera who usually joined in and Taiyou who usually retorted her, none of them were here right now. However, even if people did not understand the meaning behind her words, it was already enough for them to understand the direct meaning. That seems to be true Yurikago lightly shuts her eyelids and nods subtly. The three sisters were looking strongly at Kohaku. When you see how adorable they looked, it was indeed obvious that they didnt need to create any ecchi happenings for things to proceed. However, the moment Yurikago next opened her eyes, she was amazed at the scene before her. Hey, you really said that there is no need for happenings? Then what do you call that? Yurikago raised her hand and pointed at something. Eh, Kyaaaaahhh?! Turning her gaze to where Yurikago was pointing Aoba let out a grand scream and even her head was completely submerged under the bathtub. On the other side of the smoked glass, a tall shadow of a person jumped into the view of the womens eyes. Chapter 73: The Third Bride / Awakening Chapter 72: The third bride / While there is no demon Chapter 74: The Third Bride/ True Motives Beyond the smoky glass door the girls could see the figure of an intruder, the girls reactions were divided into two types. The three sisters and Aoba quickly sank their bodies into the water to hide themselves. Aoba was the girl who even screamed out. On the other hand, both Kohaku and Yurikago were completely unperturbed and they didnt even try to hide themselves. Among the girls, the three sisters reaction was slightly unexpected, well nonetheless, they were still young maidens at heart and they were weak to surprise attacks. Ah, sorry sorry. The person who screamed just then, was it Aoba? Im really sorry if I surprised you Muu That voice..is it Akiha? Everyone was taken aback as the voice that came was different from their expectations. Because there was only Taiyou left in this house who hadnt entered the bath, everyone thought that he would appear, therefore when it was someone else they couldnt help but to be surprised. Thats right, do you mind it if I open this? Im opening it okay? Without waiting for permission from the girls inside of the bath, Akiha slid the glass doors as it rattled while it opened. Indeed it was only her figure that showed up. Not wearing her usually school uniform, Akiha was just wearing a casual outfit. Wearing a fluffy one-piece dress combined with denim short pants, she was dressed casually and this suited her candid atmosphere. She who appeared had sparkling eyes. There are five pair of breasts.. How wonderful! What are you saying Akiha! Aoba was protesting at the behaviour of her best friend. Its boobies you know? Arent they wonderful? Breasts, butts and a mans sexy well-built arms are part of gods miracles, at least thats what I believe What an awkward choice nojya. Well, I dont intend to criticise it though Eh? Akiha darts her eyes across Kohakus body from top to bottom. You, dont have any breasts jyan? What a blunt way to speak nojya. Well, I suppose it is true jyana Kohaku didnt argue and withdrew easily. Whilst still having a composed face, Kohaku slowly submerges her body and sunk into the bathtub. So, whats going on? What led to such a wonderful event? Leaving that aside, how did you manage to come in here? Eh? Ahh well, I came from the front door entrance? I even tried ringing the chime but nobody was coming out to answer. Therefore, because the door wasnt locked, I just came in without permission Was husband not present? Kohaku was doubtful. He was there, in the place that looked like a hall of some sort. He was sitting on the sofa, with a thinking person pose, he didnt even realize that I had come in I see Kohaku nods. After questioning her Kohaku got the gist of things and left the matter at that for the time being. The other girls also seemed to have understood the situation and so they didnt say anything, however, this only made Akiha raise a question. Looking around the bathroom, Akihas gaze landed on to Yurikago. Back to my question, can you please explain how this wonderful situation came about? How did it come to this? Moreover, didnt the amount of people increase in comparison to before? Who are you? Are you also a new member of his harem? Im just a guest. Or more like, why did you come to such a conclusion? Well youre here in his house, besides you are absurdly beautiful Well if you put it like that, you also fit the description to be in his harem? Well thats not true, I mean look Im not naked Fumu, in that case Miss Aoba is going to be a member of the harem jyana. Shes in this house right now, moreover shes completely in the nude jya Ehhhhh? While still having half of her face sunk in the hot water, Aoba raised a scream. Her reaction was like a girl that didnt want to listen to their conversation any longer. Well as for Aoba, its only a matter of time Its not only a matter of time! Why are you assuming that! Its my womans intuition, my intuition whispers to me that Aoba will sooner or later fall for him Indeed, that makes sense Umu, if thats the case then I understand jya Akiha had her thumbs up as she spoke and both Yurikago and Kohaku was in agreement with her words. Dont be convinced so easily! I, definitely wont become like that Unable to hold it any longer at their teasing, Aobas large voice protested against her best friends words. After the women had finished taking their baths, each of them returned to the living room terrace. Excluding Akiha who didnt take a bath, Yurikago, Kohaku, the three sisters and Aoba who was dragged into the bath without her consent, all of these girls were wearing a towel yukata that was quite revealing on their skin. A sweet aroma of soap drifted about the room. The young girls were not wearing any perfume and so this room was filled with their natural captivating smell. Even after such a long bathing time had passed, Taiyou was still in deep thought. Sitting on the sofa, with a bent forward posture and his elbows on top of his thighs, he had both his fingers linked and placed against his chin. This was indeed the posture someone took when they were thinking about something, only his eyes were staring right in front of him. Why is he being like this? Because she came a bit later than the others, she didnt know the previous circumstances and thus asked the other girls. He is approaching a turning point in his life jya Heeh, thats kind of cool jyan? Akiha had an expression that was in between admiring him and not really admiring him as she approached Taiyou. Akiha waved her arms right in front of him in order to get his attention and when this didnt work, she made her hand into the shape of a megaphone before placing it right next to his ear saying Oiii. Even after all that there was no reaction from him, therefore she grabbed the white cloth which was on the table and placed it on top of his head. Ohh, its sticking and not falling off. What an amazing amount of concentration! Should we try putting an orange on top as well? It makes me really curious as to how many things we can pile up on top of his head jya What are you saying Kohaku-san?! Taiyou-san is thinking really seriously You must not disturb him! The three sisters objected to Kohakus idea. As if turning a deaf ear, the young looking old woman just smiled. Akiha kept trying to make distractions for Taiyou but the three sisters also started to obstruct her from doing so. The four girls were gathered around Taiyou and was making a lot of commotion. Are you fine with not doing anything? At this point, Yurikago asked Kohaku. Unlike the three sisters, Kohaku was just spectating and so Yurikago became curious. Umu, Im fine with it jya. Instead I am really interested and expectant at just how far husband is able to concentrate so deeply, irrespective of the noise and the disturbance around him jya. The more that this continues, I feel as if husband will surely experience great growth when he does return jya. Or perhaps, it may have no consequence upon the result I see, you are quite strict on him arent you? Isnt this only proper for the man that will become the central pillar of this household? That may be true By the way, what do you mean by a turning point? Perhaps she was bored with playing around with Taiyou, but Akiha suddenly started to ask questions again. She had the kind of personality that would ask whatever it was that she didnt understand. Seeing this Kohaku gave her a model answer. Ignoring the fact that it may be bad to talk about these details with an outsider, Kohaku started to explain in detail about Taiyous present condition. Hearing the story Akiha only needed to think about it for a little while before striking her hand with a fist in realisation. In other words, he is thinking about the best way in order to support the women of his harem? And because of that he is seriously considering all the possibilities? Thats exactly right jyana How wonderful jyan. Is that so, is that the type of earnest man he is? Whats this, are you perhaps interested in him jya? Not right now Akiha immediately rejects the idea. And yet, there was no bad meaning in those words. Judging from her frank tone, it was just like she said, she was just not interested right now. What a prompt answer jyana Well thats because, Im not really in love with him or anything Heeh. Youre the first person Ive met that spoke words in a such a literal sense Thats true jyana, speaking in such a literal manner without any sarcasm or evil intentions behind your words, its been several decades since Ive known someone like you jyana Are you praising me? Of course Praising you without holding back jya That so? Thanks then Indulging in the praise of the two girls, Akiha radiantly smiles as she gave them her thanks. Leaving that aside, Akiha why are you here? I was just worried about you. I was the one who left you here yesterday, and so I was just wondering how you were faring after that ..Yea For a second, I felt responsible but seeing you so lively makes me feel relieved, it seems that compared to yesterday you have a happy face jyan Eh? Well, at least now, I dont see an expression on your face that tells me you want to commit suicide jya I. Did I really have that kind of face? Yes, you were really depressed And you also seemed really out of it Like Kohaku-san said you looked like you wanted to die Did something happen? Other than hanging out with her while we were all nude, nothing else happened jya Just doing that made her like this? Wonderful! Akiha was saying her favourite word, and Aoba was blushing. As if he was waiting for the completion of their conversation, Taiyous eyes began to shimmer back alive and his gaze was placed on the girls around him. Chapter 74: The Third Bride/ True Motives Chapter 73: The Third Bride / Awakening Chapter 75: The third bride/ The emotions deeper within Effort, Friendship and Success there was a time period when these three things were a big deal. There is a road to the kingdom type element to this ideal, whereby being able to attain those three things was considered to be the perfect life. However, is it really possible to achieve success purely just by making an effort? Strictly speaking, there was certainly such an age. Opportunities were everywhere and even if you didnt put in any effort. there was a period of time where you could still achieve success. However, these people who had things easy for them started to fantasize about what it would be like to put in the hard work. Face adversities and hardship, and overcoming those obstacles in order to reach success. In order to meet the public demand, many stories that followed this format started to appear one after another. Nevertheless, the real world was not such a sweet place, even if you put in a huge amount of effort, it doesnt necessarily guarantee that you will be successful. Natsuno Taiyou, knew this. At a comparatively young age, he had already developed this knowledge about the society. Therefore, he stopped making an effort. If a huge amount of effort was made and yet there was no guarantee of a reward, why should anyone go out of their way to expend all that energy? It was such an absurd thing and that is why he stopped doing it. No, to be precise, it is more correct to say that he stopped exerting effort in things that did not guarantee a reward. He escaped to the world of games. Inside of a game, specifically within the RPG genre, the game system endorsed the action of repeated grinding, and the more that you grinded you are guaranteed to become stronger. The strength you gained was proportionate to the effort you exerted, whenever you put in the work there will always be some sort of compensation given. This did not mean that Taiyou gave up on his real life. It was just that he was completely absorbed in the game system, and in real life he was covered with a light feeling of hopelessness. However, now He had once again started to come back to his real life. Making an effort and acquiring more strength, he wanted to make his Brides live a happy life. That was his goal. Taiyou made his resolve to achieve those goals, as a means to achieve those goals he was thinking of ways to adapt himself to the requirements. He believed that with the power he had he was definitely able to have his seven brides. However just because he had these powers, he didnt think that it was guaranteed that he would make his seven brides happy. Therefore, he was going to make his best effort to arrive at those goals. He was desperately thinking about the means to achieve the maximal optimal results for his efforts. The method of changing the power he was guaranteed to gain from his repetitive work and with the minimum amount of loss, convert that into his brides happiness. Finally, he was able to come to a conclusion. .What kind of situation is this? This was first thing he said when he came back to his senses. He was not able to grasp the situation at all, since to him, just a little while back there was only Kohaku and Yurikago in the room, but before he knew it the three sisters and Aoba were home, and even Akiha was here. Even though this living room was capable of physically supporting many people, having so many people come into this room made it very lively. Taiyou was really curious about the circumstances of how this came to be. Did you finally overcome it? Kohaku spoke in a profound manner. No I havent overcame anything. If you show that kind of triumphant look that only exists in a manga, Ill be troubled However, you have a face that tells me youve decided on something. Its like the face of a male that is about to go on the hunt jya I only thought of this idea that I wanted to try doing, after asking for some opinions on it I would like to decide on what to do next I understand, were going to have a family conference jyana Family conference? No I want to ask you Taiyou was about to finish his sentence but then he shut his mouth. To his side, the three sisters had this worried expression as they looked straight at him. Seeing such a lovable sight his chest became hot and *chu* a wet sound of kissing resounded as he gave the three of them a kiss each. It was only a brief kiss, but it was a kiss that melted their hearts. The three of them were surprised and moved deeply. Because this will be our first family conference that will decide our future together, I will be happy if you girls let me hear your opinions on the matter Yes! Oh, that seems kinda wonderful Akiha felt admiration when seeing such a spectacle. Taiyou looked at her and said this There is Probably no need for me to ask why youve come here right Of course After seeing Akiha nod her head, Taiyou turned his attention to Aoba. Looking at her straight in the eyes with a serious face. Aoba faltered and slightly stirred. Just now he had kissed those three girls and now he was looking right at me, what is he planning on doing I wonder? That was the kind of worried expression she had on her face. In a certain meaning she was worried for her chastity, but Taiyou had no intentions of the sort. Still with the serious look on his face he asked Aoba. What about you, what do you plan to do in the end? Eh? Just a little while ago, I visited your parents house, and spoke a bit with your three mothers. I felt somewhat angry when I was there, and Ive come to comprehend a little bit about why you left home The moment Taiyou said this, it was like a series of events started that made Aoba once again sink in a depressed state. Although he felt guilty seeing such a face, it was definitely a necessary factor to discuss so he continued onwards. The me right now, has a moderate amount of power, and whilst I am capable of sheltering you, it would be inappropriate to continue this forever right? If you just run away from home without any sort of goals, sooner or later you will arrive at the northern provinces or at the bottom of hells door What are you.. Trying to say? A purpose Taiyou raised his index finger. What do you desire? I Aoba looks downwards. Biting on to her lower lip, it seems like she was trying to endure something desperately. Hey you, arent you being a little hard on her? Akiha spoke up. I already avoided my harshest manner of speaking though Whats with that? Your harshest manner of saying it? I have it open, so why not enter my harem -Pan! (Slap!) Before Taiyou was able to complete his words, a dry sound echoed. The moment the word Harem came out of his mouth, Aoba rapidly lifted her face and swung the palm of her hand. Aoba who has just slapped him had tears accumulate in the corner of her eyes. Just like Taiyou said, to Aoba right now, this was the harshest way of speaking to her. You can be relieved, I had no intentions of saying that. In fact, in the present situation Breaking off what he was going to say Kohaku spoke out. Thats true, the you right now is unwilling to invite her to your family jyana We also think the same Although we really wish to create a harem Its not okay to include just anybody Kohaku started it off and the three sisters followed through. People who knew the girls personalities would be surprised that they would have such an opinion. I know it already, after all Im just a burden.. Thats not really what I was getting at, well thats not the point anyways. My question is, what do you want to do? Even if you ask me what I want to do, I Lets arrange all the information that I currently know. In your house there are four adults, one man and three women in his harem. Up until now, youve managed to deal with it somehow, but this time around he plans on obtaining another woman into his harem, moreover this girl is a high-school girl. Because of this youve gotten mad and left home. Am I correct up to here? Only four people? If you count the amount of concubines and mistresses he has had my father has even more than that you know? We arent talking about your situation where its almost like an aristocratic household, so please be quiet for now Yurikago interrupted their conversation and Taiyou rejected her input, before asking Aoba again. So how about it, what do you want to do? . Do you want to ruin this new fourth girl? Although I dont know who she is if we do enough investigation we can probably do something about it. At worst, we can just make her disappear Tha Aoba was going to rebut his words but she swallowed down her own words and looks down again. However, even if we did something like that you would only escape your worst case scenario, isnt that right? You told me that you hated people who cheat, and that youve endured the environment at home for years. Even if this fourth girl disappears, all that will happen essentially is that you will avoid the worst scenario but you will still revert to a level of environment that you could barely live in previously. Even so, if you wish for it I can lend you a helping hand, if that is what you truly wish for Miyagi-san! When he called out her name in a large voice, her body shuddered and with a frightened expression she looked towards Taiyous face. If you stay silent like that I wont know what you want, right now Im asking you what you want to do? Are you planning on just running away forever, never solving the root of the problem itself? I. Thats not Miyagi Aoba! Hii This time he called out her full name, when he did, she finally looked straight at him, with a scared expression or a surprised expression on her face. Please, let me hear what you really want to do He spoke in a strong manner as if urging her to answer. He looked straight into her eyes as he spoke. In that moment, a variety of expressions flashed by Aobas face. Complex emotions surged into her mind, and those thoughts became expressions on her face. Finally, a face of resignation and acceptance showed and staggeringly she began to talk while partly sobbing. I.. want to know who my real mother is.. This was the desire that is she has had for many years. Chapter 75: The third bride/ The emotions deeper within Chapter 74: The Third Bride/ True Motives Chapter 76: The third bride/ It is still too early to dream about it The three sisters had their eyes wide open, and Yurikago faintly moved her eyebrows. Akiha had an expression of sympathy on her face, while Kohaku let out a sigh because Aoba finally said what she wanted to say. -I want to know who my real mother is. This was a shadow that had been following Miyagi Aoba around and has tormented her over the years. When Taiyou visited the Miyagi household and heard their story, he had a feeling that this was the case. Taiyou speculated that there were two reasons for Aoba as to why she left home, the first was that it was purely because her father wanted to increase the amount of his lovers by one. The second possible reason was that it acted as a fuse for a deep seated problem that has been bothering her since a long time ago. He didnt know which one it was, but he thought that the second reason was more likely. It turned out that it was just as Taiyou had expected. Having a new woman being added to the harem and someone new that she had to call mother was just an excuse for her to get angry. Because of this opportunity to make an excuse, the thing that troubled her for so many years exploded. Aoba started to cry, letting out a loud voice as tears streamed down her face. Taiyou just let her cry as much as she desired. Although the three sisters couldnt stand it any longer and was going to try to comfort Aoba, Kohaku gently stopped them. After letting her emotions out and crying bitterly, she was finally able to calm down, thats when Taiyou started to talk to her again. You truly want to find that out dont you? .Yeah If you later find out that amongst those three women, that none of them is your real mother, are you sure you wont regret this decision? Hearing Taiyous words, Aobas body shook as she trembled. Although she seemed scared, her face did not show an expression of shock. She herself had probably imagined such a possibility. For her to not have a real mother (Kotone speaking) Is there really such a thing? (Suzune Speaking) Then Miyagi-san will (Kazane Speaking) This is just a possibility, in Miyagi-sans case just thinking about it there are four potential patterns to this scenario. Her real mother can either be: A, B, C or option D neither any of them (Taiyou speaking) Strictly speaking if it was in fact option D, it could be further split into a category of someone that it is someone she is acquainted with or someone totally unknown, but thats probably something to talk at a later date jyana (Kohaku Speaking) Yeah, well these are just the potential possibilities (Taiyou Speaking) After understanding it a little more, the three sisters turned their gazes towards Aoba as Taiyou asked her the question again. If you want me to investigate this, there is a possibility that you might dig out something you dont want to see. Therefore, let me ask once again, do you really wish to know? Saying this, Taiyou looked straight at Aoba. His eyes were like a further reminder. Aoba hesitates a little bit but then she looked towards him. I want to know who my real mother is, I really want to know Aoba, if you find out later that amongst those three mothers, none of them is your real mother, what are you going to do? Her closest friend Akiha asked the question. Normally she has a carefree atmosphere but you could tell that it was now filled with concern. I dont know, but I still want to know I see I understand, if youve decided that then I will do everything in my power to help B-but how are you going to do such a thing? The first step is to take a DNA test, well this much is obvious though. But if we were to take this approach, how long would it normally take for the results to get back? Turning towards Kohaku, he asked her the question. Out of everyone here, she probably had the most knowledge, besides just a little while ago, she was involved in a project that was related to genes and genetic material so Taiyou thought that there is a large possibility that should would know about DNA testing as well. As was expected, she answered him back promptly. In my approximation, it will take around ten days to finish, needing to wait for your turn and filling out the official documents, also the time it would take to mail the results to us jya Is there a faster method? Umu, well if you spend a large sum of money, you can avoid all those processes and just obtain the results of the test right there on the spot jya. However, the problem lies in a different place What do you mean? When you hear about DNA testing, what kind of thing, or what do you think is the method of testing jya? Well. I thought that it was getting the hair of the person and then using that piece of DNA to perform the test, am I wrong? Strictly speaking it is a little different from that, we can still use hair but that is not the best alternative. The best is if you can gather the saliva from that person and use that perform the test jya The saliva.. from that persons mouth? Thats right jya Taiyou looks down and had a thoughtful look. He was thinking that if it was as simple as requiring a persons strand of hair, then even if it may be a little troublesome to obtain, it wasnt necessarily going to be a hard task. However, if you were to try an obtain a persons saliva from within their mouth then it was an entirely different story. Unlike just sneaking into someones house and stealing a strand of their hair, collecting someones saliva wasnt that easy. Must we really do it like that though? If you want to do this, dont you want the results to be absolutely accurate jyaro? Thats true Taiyou nodded his head as he agreed with Kohaku. If you were to perform a DNA test and the results of the test were ambiguous then there would be no point in making the test in the first place. Especially with the possibility that neither three of them are her real mothers, he wanted to avoid an unclear result if at all possible. Taiyou was thinking of a method in order to obtain the saliva from their mouths. Naturally the answer didnt come to him that quickly, in fact he was quite troubled as to what he should do. At any rate, it was the child that wanted to confirm who their real parents are. He couldnt really just ask the women to cooperate with him and give him a sample of their saliva thus, there is really not much choice other than to do it stealthily or obtain the sample by force. Doing it stealthily was difficult and so Taiyou could only think of methods that involved doing it forcibly. However, if he did it forcefully then regardless of Aoba being able to find the results, she might end up damaging her current relationship with her mothers. And so he was desperately trying to find a method in order not to do that. I know of a method that will increase the accuracy of the results even if we use hair as the sample The person who interrupted and suggested this idea was Yurikago. Because this was a matter that didnt really involve her, she had just been quietly observing however, unable to stand it any longer she butted in the conversation. Is that really true? Grabbing on to her words as if they were a string that could let him escape hell, he determinedly asked her back. Yeah, although it is just a faint memory, Im not talking about the hair itself, but the white part at the tip of the roots, if you used that part then I heard the results will be much more accurate The white part at the tip of its roots I see Taiyou murmurs the words that Yurikago spoke like a parrot. Although this was also slightly more difficult than just getting any strand of hair, it was not something that he couldnt do sneakily. With this method, will the results be out quickly as well? Yes, because the person doing the tests will be affiliated with the Junishima family, I can introduce you guys Thank you Giving his thanks to Yurikago the discussions was settled for the time being. Late at night in Taiyous Castle. Just when the clock strikes midnight, Taiyou felt a certain presence outside. The three sisters were sleeping peacefully and he gave each of them a kiss on the forehead. After tucking them in and making sure they wouldnt get cold by covering them with a thin towel blanket, he quietly got out of the bedroom without making any noise. The living room terrace did not have any lights on, but moonlight was shining and Aobas figure could be seen. She was sitting on the sofa, and just looking at something. It wasnt like she was looking at anything in particular, she was just absentmindedly staring into space. Taiyou approached her slowly and called out to her. You still not asleep? Natsuno-kun Taiyou was a little shocked. Aoba was calling out to him in such a soft tone of voice. Since the first time her talked to her, this was the calmest reaction he ever got from her. At the very least he wasnt just rejected immediately, therefore Taiyou sat down next to her. What were you doing out here? I was just thinking about some things After saying that she stopped talking. Taiyou wanted to know what she was thinking about but he didnt press her for an answer. Natsuno-kun, can I ask you something? Ahh, ask me anything Nastuno-kun, who do you like the most? You asked me this question before havent you? Taiyou showed a bittersweet smile as he remembered that she had once reprimanded him while asking such a question. At that time, he couldnt answer her properly and she got really angry. And now, the answer her gave may make her even more angry than before. Do you really want to hear the truth? Yeah, let me hear it For this matter..my answer is probably, that it isnt one of them Eh? Aoba was surprised and it was a reaction he expected. If you were to ask me who she is, then it will be a little difficult to explain. To be honest I dont even know her real name. I only know of her nickname, or perhaps it was an alias. Well, the girl I like the most right now is not, Kotone, Suzune, Kazane or even Kohaku-san, it was this girl Do the other girls know about this as well? Yes, they are aware of it. Or more like. Taiyou continued to speak.. Kohaku-san told me this when we first began our relationship, she told me that she didnt trust a man who claimed that he could love every woman equally What do you mean? Aoba looked at him with astonishment. Equality is only an illusion, human beings are partial creatures. A man who says otherwise is someone she cannot trust. Rather than saying something like that, she preferred that I let her know how much I like on every separate occasion. Im sure that she has thought deeply and experienced many things out in her life to be able to reach that kind of conclusion. That was just how much she denied the superficial connotation of the word equality Chapter 76: The third bride/ It is still too early to dream about i t Chapter 75: The third bride/ The emotions deeper within Chapter 77: The Third Bride/ Challenged to a Fight Hearing his words Aoba held her tongue, and she thought about young looking old woman who was here just moments ago, she then showed a surprised expression. Well, whatever happened in Kohaku-sans past, that was exactly what she told me. Kotone, Suzune and Kazane also have similar thoughts in the matter. If it was the three girls, they had an even more straightforward way of putting it for me Therefore, you came to like this other different girl more? Yeah Taiyou leaned back on his sofa and looked high up into the ceiling. Although the order is different The sequential order? Yes the order. According to what the girls are telling me and what they want, Ive decided myself that I cannot treat them all in exactly the same way. However, as a matter of course I still treasure them all individually and that is the main premise of our current relationship. Ive also decided to stop feeling guilty about it Feelings of guilt? Aoba was getting caught up in her own thoughts and she had a complicated look on her face. Although I may be mistaken in thinking like this He started off with this before continuing. But you told me once before that I was a cheater right? Uuu.. Gulping down her breath, Aoba flinched. Surely hes not planning on bringing that up? That was the kind of expression she had. Ah no no, Im not trying to blame you or anything. Id be lying if I said I wasnt bothered by it, however, but knowing your circumstances I dont plan to blame you. My point is, the premise of cheating is that you hide your infidelity, right? So for instance, if you hid this information from your wife or your girlfriend that would clearly be considered as cheating Yeah, thats true In my case, Kotone and the girls they were already aware. that Kohaku was going to become one of my lovers. And they told me that, they wanted me to have fun with Kohaku-san. And also go on dates and stuff. If I had to sneak around and did things like this behind their backs without telling them Then at that time, I myself would have a very terrible sense of guilt. For me to keep them in the dark about it. perhaps I could not even endure the sense of guilt and it would devour me. I dont know about how other guys would feel about this, but I am like so. Definitely Yes. If you were to ask.. Kohaku-san had many things to say in regards to these matters Saying this Taiyou began to imagine Kohakus appearance within his own mind. And his chest was filled with reminiscent feelings. -Feelings of guilt is self-explanatory, it is the bad feeling you get when you know that youve done something wrong. Then in that case, what is the crime you committed? Is it cheating? No, its not, that is just one of the ways that you can name it and it isnt really the true nature of the action. In this case the true nature of the action would be that a crime is committed due to having a fun time with Kohaku-san Cutting his words there, he was imagining it in his mind. He imagined the guilt he would feel for having an affair with Kohaku and then keeping the three sisters in the dark. It would be twice as punishing as the actually happy time he experienced and it would cause him more pain then pleasure. Even just by imagining it in his mind right now, Taiyou chest tightened and he felt tormented. Without letting her see his pain, he continued to talk to Aoba. Naturally, doing something like that would make me feel pained, but thats not the end of it. If I were to think about all the moments we spent together as a crime, I wouldnt be able to bear the thought of it. I mean dont you think so too? If you were to believe that spending time with the person you love is actually a crime and have a guilty conscience about it, there is something fundamentally wrong with that Therefore I decided, not matter who I was spending my time with, I would completely immerse myself and enjoy the moment, even if that means that I am neglecting someone else in that time period. I decided that feeling guilty while spending time with a person is something that I must not do But if you do that, I think that its a little cruel. I mean, if you were to be like that, then when you were enjoying yourself with someone, there is also someone else that is bound to be feeling lonely That may be so. In that case, I will just have to spend time with the person who was feeling lonely and make them feel happy But you also said, that you didnt believe in equality, didnt you? Yeah, I did say that. But the thing is Taiyou was grinning. I didnt say that that I could not love one person more than another, right? You mean to say..? Aoba had a face that stated that she didnt understand the sentence he just spoke. For instance today I will love Kohaku-san, tomorrow I will love the three sisters, the day after if Kohaku is feeling lonely I will love her again, in three days timeC and it goes on Is that.. like a bubble that you need to continue blowing? Kind of like that, but if the bubble pops, all I need to do is make a new bubble. If doing this the bubble bursts or if I burst the bubble, it is still fine, thats how Id like to think about it I think that your self-confidence is weird Well, its probably because Im announcing my determination right now It couldnt be helped, Taiyou lifted his palms in the air and exaggeratedly lifted his shoulders. -eh, I think that weve really gone off topic. What were we talking about initially? Scratching his head Taiyou tried to recall the beginning of their conversation. Thats right, I remember now, you were asking me about who my favourite was No, dont worry about that anymore You sure? Without saying anything Aoba just nods her head. She was just absentmindedly brooding about something. Looking at her be like this, Taiyou was thinking Was my story able to convey something? Was my answer able to help at least a little in regards to what she was brooding about? Taiyou didnt know for sure, after all Aoba was now in the midst of a very difficult time, and right now he was probably one of the ingredients that could worsen her difficult time. After all, he was the man who was aiming to have Seven wives. Even if he was accused of being even more atrocious then her own father who was aiming for his fourth wife, he wouldnt be able to say anything in return. If he thought about it, it was probably the best option to just deceive her. yes, it was the most optimal choice.and yet. Taiyou was going to answer everything with complete honesty. It might provoke her thoughts, and it may cause her to intensely reject his ideals, but he had already determined himself to tell her the truth. However, you couldnt really say that there was no profit to telling her the truth. A hot flame burnt in Taiyous chest as he thought how he was going to explain things to her. He simulated what he was going to say inside of his own head. When he did this, he had the urge to just go straight to the girls and do exactly as he imagined. It wasnt like he was trying to avoid a sense of guilt; neither was he doing this out of obligation. It was just his pure emotions of wanting to be with them. He wanted to see their happy faces. Kotone, Suzune Kazane and also Kohaku. He imagined them being happy, their smiles and their blushing cheeks. According to the circumstances, they could be shedding tears of joy, but if it was those kinds of tears, he wouldnt mind seeing them every single day. Eventually, the communication between him and Aoba ended with him being able to reaffirm his current beliefs and he was the only know who benefited out of the conversation. As is expected, Aoba was thinking about her own sense of guilt in all of this, and she realized she was going into a depressed state so she quickly put a stop to those thoughts and shook her head in a hurry. Aoba who was just thinking about things in silence finally began to speak. Natsuno-kun, you really resemble my father Eh? Taiyou became speechless. Im sorry, my words was insufficient. You are like my father, you do the same things that my father does, thats what I meant. The things you just said, are seriously similar to my dad, and it just got me thinking So what is your father like? Taiyou was incredible interested in hearing what she had to say in regards to this. Thinking about it properly, several hours ago, when he just left Miyagis house, it showed him the possibility of what his life may be like in the future. If she was able to give any details in regards to this matter, there was no way that he wouldnt be interested. My dad. Ive never seen him ever apologizing to my mothers Hm? Inclining his head, Taiyou was a little bit confused as he tried to digest what she was saying. I even think you guys. do the same things.Instead of apologizing, my dad would make up for it by making them happy. My mother, mama and Okaasama, he would love the three of them dearly and this was very obvious from his actions I see And the thing is, I think I can understand it now. I think that my father doesnt really think that I am all that important. I think that of course as his daughter he thinks that Im adorable.. but, I dont think that he values me as someone of importance It got me thinking and, it may be possible that Im not even fathers real child That is Taiyou started to talk but then shut his mouth. There was no point in comforting her with petty words, thinking this was the case he swallowed those petty words and changed what he was going to say. If we appraise the dna we will be able to find out. Rather than guessing this and that, it is much better to just appraise it properly so that we can clarify all the facts Yeah, youre right Agreeing with him, Aoba closes her eyes. She was just making all kinds of expressions by herself. Her facial expression keeps changing, and a variety of deep thoughts were probably going through her mind. Taiyou did not really have any words that he could say. At least for now that is. After a short while, her eyes open and she looks straight at Taiyou. Natsuno-kun, can I ask you something? For some reason, Taiyous heart was beating and he was a little startled. Aoba was showing him a gentle smile that shes never showed before. Natsuno-kun can you tell me more, about this person that you like the most? Chapter 77: The Third Bride/ Challenged to a Figh t Chapter 76: The third bride/ It is still too early to dream about it Chapter 78: The Third Bride/ Welcome Home Kiss Uuuoohhhhh! The tip of the sword which was approaching him was frantically being avoided. A dark grey colored flash of light splits the air every time the sword is swung, the scent of death spreads as the sword skims past his nose. Natsuno Taiyou was holding his ground, making a fist he stepped forward. In order to gain victory DD He went onwards. He was going towards the Reverse Heavenly Reversal sword which was normally concealed in the white girls breast pocket. 1 Taking a lower posture to adjust to the height of the small-sized girl, Taiyou launched a body blow with his fist. *Buuuooon* Just from the sound that tore up the air, it was obvious that the fist he launched reached a terrifying power that was akin to a one-hit kill technique. If she was to get hit by something like this, it wouldnt be strange if her body was blown away towards the skies or perhaps it would be enough to create a hole in the center of her body. Thats if she got hit The girl did not get hit. Taiyous punch hits the empty air and his full power swing did not land on its target. He was astonished at the scene before him, the white girl who was supposed to be right in front of him just several moments ago had completely disappeared, there was only her lingering fragrance remaining. Thats..my Residual afterimage DD Taiyou reacted to the voice coming from his rear as cold sweat dripped down his forehead. Pivoting his leg across the ground, he turns around and launches another body blow punch. Thunk! He felt an impact - but he couldnt swing his fist any further. His fist had been stopped by the Reverse-Heaven blade. It was like he hit into some kind of thick wall, or perhaps it was better described as the feeling of hitting the hard ground. No, for someone like Taiyou, walls can easily be pierced, and a crater as big as a sumo wrestling ring could be formed out of the ground. He had that much power in his punch. In other words, the girl who was able to stop his punch without any difficulty with her sword must have a power that exceeds his own. Free formC The girl mutters in a subdued voice. Her eyes were saying something. Faster than he could think, a dreadful feeling ran up his spine. It was killing intent. The white girls killing intent was literally her resolute will of being prepared for death. This is the third time hes ever felt this feeling, and it made him want to just turn his back and run away. Star Fire being set ablaze, technique DD However, he endured it. He endured this overwhelming and absolutely terrifying killing intent. Gritting his teeth, he firmly placed his feet on the ground. Taking one step forward. The girls eyes slightly opened wide, and she was indeed surprised that Taiyou was able to take that step forward. The technique she just performed was done after she put her sword back in its sheath; it was probably connected to the art of sword drawing, an iaido kind of technique. She was able to pull her sword out of her sheath so fast that she was able to interrupt the trajectory of his arm. Pashi. A small sound echoes and the girls arm hit against Taiyous body. Using her free arm, she dealt a blow to his body. Naturally, he didnt receive much damage. It was a pain similar to being hit by a cardboard and was slapped really hard with it. Haah! Again, he threw another fist at her. Taiyou didnt have any special techniques, his only arsenal was using his full power to perform a punch. Instead, if someone were to be grazed by this destructive strike, the shockwaves alone were enough to send you flying away it was a one-hit kill technique. Taiyous strategy and tactics for battle revolved around being able to land a single hit of this punch. All his movements were for that purpose. However, he could not land a single one. His fist which was launched in the same manner was avoided in the same manner as it hit the empty air. A sensation of the blood vessels in his fingertips ripping assailed him. The girl instantly moves and in the next instant she was already right next to Taiyous chest. Taiyou closes the gap in a rough manner taking big steps forward *Za Za*, whereas the girl took gentle and fluid steps *Su Su*. Her steps didnt even cause the air flow to change, but at the same time she moved with extreme speed. In fact, Taiyous eyes could not even recognize that she had already stepped away from him in an instant. For him, every time he swung his fist it was like he was hitting an illusion or some kind of mirage. Free formC The girl mutters and placing the sword back in its sheath, she swung towards his chest. Pure stone piercing, technique Shakin! Dosu! An impact came from the pointed end of the sheath that directly touched his skin. The shock from the blow runs through his body and the piercing pain was almost enough to make him lose consciousness instantly, taking two steps back he was staggering on his feet. The attacks did not end there. Power.. U..p The white girl makes a small victory pose as she spoke in her unique way. In the next moment, her figure disappeared from in front of his eyes. -Behind! He couldnt see anything nor feel anything. She literally just vanished from his field of vision in an instant. Taiyou used his judgement which was based on his past experiences fighting her that she would be sneaking behind him. Without any hesitation, he turned around and put all his energy into the punch. Once, twice and a third time, he swung his fist as it splits the cool air. However, there was nobody there. Over, here. Behind you.. be-hind The girls voice was always behind him every time she spoke. In the next moment, he was struck on the crown of his head. Ouch owow. As expected, I cant beat you. Taiyou was sitting cross-legged on the ground of the park in the morning as he began to rub the back of his head. A numbing pain and a little bump appeared where he was hit in the head. A little bit away from him, Shirokiyami was wearing long sleeves even though this was still summer, she was in her usual goth loli fashion clothes and she extended a helping hand towards him. But, youvegotten strong-er. way more than, bef-ore You think so? Yes, and.. as expected, you are an irregu-larity. Even though you look like this, your power and speed are Heyy, whats wrong with the way I look? Eh? You said my speed improved as well? Yeah, youve become fas-ter Did I? While still rubbing the back of his head, Taiyou was thinking. Right now his speed was stuck at a value of 29, but it seemed to be a speed that was able to receive Shirokiyamis recognition. Indeed, it would seem that as he continued to increase his level, he also became stronger. Although he wasnt able to win against her, on the contrary, Taiyou actually gained a boost to his confidence. By the way, Im just wondering but how long do you think it will be before I can win against you? Just now, I.. Powered, up Ahh, you did I can do that. at least three more, times Doesnt that make it seem impossible, oi?! Or more like, you must be joking about that, right? Taiyous voice raised unintentionally. If her words were true, the only way he would ever be able to beat her is if some sovereign emperor from outer space came to this world and killed his best friend, and in his anger he manages to power up drastically. Yeah. Im lying I thought soC In reality I can power up another seven times Thats even worse aint it?! Right now Im using around 20 percent of my power Are you serious? Seriously, serious Taiyou breathed out a sigh. Thats because at this rate, he didnt know what he needed to achieve in order to defeat her. One of the end goals for Taiyou is to beat her in a fight and obtain her. 2 Right now this particular goal just suddenly seemed like it was so far away. But, the rate at which you become stronger. is strange. So much so that I wish, you would tell me the sec-ret Its love Taiyou spoke out decisively. Thats because, he felt like it was not yet the right time to tell her about Hera. Really? Shirokiyami nodded her head calmly. It wasnt easy to get a read on what she was thinking. For the time being, he decided that this was enough. In addition to his strength, she had also recognized his improvement in speed. It was kind of like when an adult patted a childs head telling them Youve grown really fast, that was the kind of praise that Shirokiyami was giving him and for now he decided that this was good enough. What he was afraid of the most was if he worked extremely hard and yet it was completely unrelated to his results. No matter if it was the him before or the him right now, he still thought in this manner. As long as he could gain experience and increase his level and was guaranteed to become stronger, no matter if this process was a grueling or a dull process, he would not mind it at all. Sooner or later. As long as he was able to become strong enough to defeat her in the end, this would be good enough for him. Right now there is no need to become impatient. (Hopefully, at least my feelings are conveyed.) Umm, Natsuno..kun? The voice coming from his side was something he was becoming accustomed to hearing, but for some reason it sounded a little puzzled this time around. When he turned around, Aobas figure could be seen. Her hair was tied up in her trademark straight ponytail. She was in her casual clothes wearing a striped t-shirt with a matching light blue skirt. However, her face was clearly filled with bewilderment. Seeing this Taiyou realized that he had not yet introduced them to each other. Sorry, sorry, we suddenly entered into combat so I totally forgot. I havent introduced you guys yet. Shes the girl I spoke about last night, the one I like the most. Pleased to meet you, Im a bride, candidate Shirokiyami made her self-introductions, and Taiyou was surprised at what she just said. Eh, are you going to admit that you are one of my candidates? A candidate, is a candidate. But judging from how things went today you certainly will be rejected, for cert-ain I thought so Taiyou became slightly teary-eyed, he understood that he was nowhere close to reaching her standards, but hearing her say it like that still made him sad. He endured these feelings and swallowed it down before turning to Aoba once again. For some reason or another, Aoba had this really complicated look on her face. Chapter 78: The Third Bride/ Welcome Home Kiss Chapter 77: The Third Bride/ Challenged to a Fight Chapter 79: The Third Bride/ Exposed Aobas eyes widened with amazement. The scene before her eyes was too unexpected because it was so unusual.As if there was a screen, the feeling was similar to wearing 3D glasses in a movie theater. She was nothing more than a mere high school girl. To her, it was the type of superhuman battle that could only be seen in manga or movies. The white-haired, goth-loli girl was even better. Although it was her first time seeing such a person, she hadthis atmosphere around her. However, even Taiyou could not grasp the superhuman movements. How can they move so fast? How did that punch make a buuooon sound? As far as Aoba was concerned, Natsuno Taiyou was a cheating man until now, a mere classmate. A quibbler who liked games and an ordinary boy who didnt stand out in class. That was the image of the boy called Taiyou. She saw a guy like that challenging Shirokiyami, although she really had never heard of such a superhuman battle (or anything such as that.) Each time he closed in on Shirokiyami while appearing to swing his fist, a strange feeling welled up within her heart. A vague yet strangely exciting feeling rose in her chest. As she was surmising about what was happening, Taiyou took a barrage of blows from the sheath of the sword, and admitted defeat. Thats when she headed towards there. Whats wrong Miyagi, why do you have such a face? Ah, were you astonished that such an event started suddenly? eh, yea It wasnt just that but that also was it. For the time-being, Aoba vaguely nodded and turned towards Shirokiyami. Nice to meet you, Im Miyagi Aoba. You? She held out her hand for a handshake as she asked for her name. Nice tomeet you Shirokiyami returned the handshake, however she did not give her name. Aoba reluctantly began a different conversation because there was no sign that Shirokiyami was going to speak while shaking hands. umare you in Natsuno-kuns harem? its arranged, howeverundecided Despite wondering about what that probably meant, she asked more questions. Do you like Natsuno-kun? Yes An immediate reply was returned following this response. Is that so!? Why are you surprised Natsuno-kun? No, it just seemed like there was no way that could be Taiyou said, while gazing at Shirokiyami with eyes full of anticipation. yes, defeat mequickly Ah, I surely will defeat you! Shirokiyami nodded. Aoba was not understanding the relationship between those two more and more. Afterwards, various things were discussed, but it only resulted in Aoba becoming more aware of her mysteriousness. Is that so? Suddenly, Taiyou clapped his hands together as if he remembered something. I was going to forget to hand this to you! He then held out a rectangular item that was wrapped in a white cloth to Shirokiyami. Aoba thought it was something similar to a candy box. Thisis? Im returning some of it because Ive become more successful ..did you? Including giving that to you, I also wanted to have a discussion this time, about how to increase more of this. I understand Shirokiyami nods, showing that she understood. Then, I recommended..FX1 If I do that, Ill lose all the money! Taiyou raised his voice. I didnt know you knew about stuff like that. I was thinking more along the lines of how I can be more powerful like you .Are you sure? Shirokiyami said while squinting at Taiyou. In that moment, Aoba felt a chill run down her back, however she did not show it. Yeah .Iunder-stand Both of them communicated similarly by nodding to each other. Aoba had a strange feeling while watching two people like them. Taiyou Castle. Parting with Shirokiyami, Aoba and Taiyou returned so that the three sisters could prepare breakfast.All of the residents of this house, including Yurikago and Aoba, had stayed at Taiyous Castle last night.It seemed somewhat like a small dinner party comprising of seven people. Since the three sisters; Aoba, and Taiyou were going to school afterwards, they were dressed in their uniforms; while Kohaku and Yurikago dressed in plain clothes. Taiyou and his wives sat beside each other while the two guests, Aoba and Yurikago were sitting horizontally. Is that so? You immediately challenged her jyana? Indeed, however, I wasnt really a match for her.On the contrary, I must admit that she went easy on me. Are you ok Taiyou-san? Did you get hurt when you were fighting her? She was using a sword wasnt she? Yes, but its ok, its healing. Im being treated like a child, so its probably ok not to worry. If you chase after her, even you could receive an injury jyarona Thats how it was.Furthermore, her speed seemed to have raised as well, according to her. Its a difficult situation; therefore, I want to raise my speed a bit also. Taiyou continued telling the girls about Shirokiyami, while eating the breakfast that the three sisters made. Whats wrong? Why do you have that facial expression? Yurikago asked Aoba on the side.Until now, the two had little involvement.Yurikago kept quiet but Aoba was surprised and confused. No, its nothing. You were staring at him so hungrily? What, did you fall for him? kaah!!! Aobas face turned red as she objected frantically. Thats not it! I just think that Natsuno-kun and the others are just strange us? Taiyous ears reacted to her words. The three sisters and Kohaku stared at Aoba similarly. Yes, the woman who I met a while ago who talks funny. It was strange wasnt it Taiyou was not surprised. He realized that it was natural that she would be surprised. It was certainly understandable following last nights conversation.He also understood the thing that Aoba was most concerned about. Up to now, he was not the type of person to purposely flaunt anything. At least, concerning this, he was trying to keep the talk about the other wife candidate a secret. Regardless, the three sisters had an extremely happy face. How happy a face did they have? It was the same happy face they had when they did thehave a good day kiss, since they started living together. Taiyou more actively pursued a harem and because he desired a harmonious one with the girls, he liked a story like that. If it happened; he could then say he loved the girls with pride, and naturally talk about such things with a happy face. If he did it like that, for the time being, Aoba only reacted to what he said. Do you want to speak happily as well? Yurikago said teasingly and made a face as if sayingI know everything. Aobas face became bright-red like a crab boiled instantly. Its not that! really? Yurikago was grinning more and more.Aoba could not endure it any longer and suddenly stood up. Thanks for the meal! She was angrily returning to her room when she passed in front of Taiyou and glanced towards him.She was concerned about what kind of face Taiyou was making. That led to an accident. While frantically pretending to not look, she became negligent of her feet. kyyyaaa! Her foot tripped over something and she fell towards Taiyou. Taiyou tried to catch her but his reaction was too late. He held out his arms but her body slipped through right towards Taiyou.She crashed into him with her all of body weight and Taiyous vision became pitch black. Hou An amused Kohakus voice was heard. At the same time, there was a familiar sensation.. The feeling of lips and a slightly sweet fragrance accompanied by a soft touch. When the weight lifted, he opened his eyes.Thats when Taiyou could see Aoba holding her lips. No way he thought as he traced his lips with his finger.The look on Aobas face became more and more embarrassed.This I kissed herAs he was thinking that. Taiyou-chan! Im home nanodesu! Did she do it purposefully? As Taiyou was thinking about the extent of the timing, Heras figure appeared.2 Chapter 79: The Third Bride/ Exposed Chapter 78: The Third Bride/ Welcome Home Kiss Chapter 80: The Third Bride / Her Determination Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan! Ive been looking around for a bit but Taiyou-chans Kyaa!!!!` While Hera was yelling something, Taiyou snatched her out of the air and put her under the couch seat he was sitting on. A struggling voice could be heard from under his butt but he decided to ignore it. However, it was already too late. Although it was an accident, he still kissed Aoba. She now had a completely different look of surprise than the one she showed immediately following the kiss. She gazed back and forth between Taiyous face and his butt. It was clear that she had noticed Hera from her reaction. Natsuno-kun` Woah!, Kotone and her sisters meals are delicious! Especially this cabbage in the miso soup. I think that if I drink this, the upper-half of my body will become completely nude1 Just now` Its delicious, too delicious! Give me a second helping Kazane, I want to eat food made by you for the rest of my life! That voice` Come to think about it, its time for the morning soap dramas. You absolutely cant look down on the recent morning soap dramas! Taiyou said in a loud voice while desperately gulping down his meal. He even turned on the TV in order to backup what he was saying. However, it was a futile effort. No matter how much he did, Aoba looked at him with eyes as if she was totally convinced of what she saw. Eventually, she said nothing while her gaze was fixated only on him. When their eyes met, Taiyou gulped and couldnt catch his breath. Husband, maybe its already too late? Surely you can see that its pointless to hide it. Even now, Hera-chans voice can still be heard. Is she screaming something? I think that it would be better to let her out. Kohaku, Yurikago, and the three irregular sisters. One by one, the girls opened their mouth, in order to persuade Taiyou. Taiyou sighed. He nodded feebly and tilted his body; thus, releasing Hera from being pinned under his butt. A blonde fairy immediately flew out and protested to him. What are you doing Taiyou-chan!!!? I went through a lot of trouble to think of an amazing idea for Taiyou-chan, only to receive such cruel treatment nanodesu! If anyone was suddenly snatched and held between a couch and a butt, naturally there would be complaints.Immediately following Heras release, she raised both hands and protested furiously. She suddenly stopped speaking once she noticed everyone looking at her. Huh? Whats the matter everyone? Hera followed everyones gaze and realized that even Aoba was closely observing her. Oh has Aoba-chan become able to see me? She asked Aoba cheerfully despite sticking out like a sore thumb. Private School Koen Gakuen High School 1st Year A Group. Before morning homeroom, Taiyou sat in his seat facing Aoba. Normally, Hera would sit on top of his desk while being extremely noisy, but now she was unusually quiet. Although other people could not see her, Taiyou requested that she be quiet, while he explained the complicated story to Aoba.Despite complaining, Hera kept silent in public. Hera sat between Taiyou and Aoba, who were facing each other. In other wordsDD After Aoba listened to Taiyous explanation until the end, she tried to summarize the story she heard, with an astonished look on her face. DDWhat do you mean? She immediately held up a white flag. 2 Although Taiyou considerably simplified his explanation of what happened since he met Hera, Aoba still did not seem to understand or accept it. Despite the story not advancing any further, Taiyou seemed relieved. Currently, Hera can be seen by Kotone and her sisters, Kohaku, and Yurikago; which was a total of three people.They all accepted Heras existence immediately. 3 Although she existed right in front of their eyes, Taiyou did not believe that this existence outside of common sense could be accepted very easily. Thus, he wondered how they could have comprehended it so quickly. So in this case, he was relieved that Aobas reaction was refreshingly different from the others. However, he couldnt afford this to go on much longer. Taiyou decided to explain it more bluntly but with only the phenomenon and the results. If I said its like how the main character of a manga is possessed by a fairy and obtains magical powers, would you understand then? Yeah.I understand, butDD She said that as she watched Hera. She understood that it was something that could happen in manga. However, she still couldnt accept the fact that Hera existed even though she was right in front of her eyes. Looking at Aobas face; Hera smiled, laughed, and waved her hand. Aoba pointed to herself with a confused look. Well, in any case, you shouldnt think about it too deeply.Even I do not know why this happened. One day she just suddenly appeared before my eyes. Is that so? Aoba said as she alternatively looked at Taiyou and Hera. In the end, she took a deep breath, and calmed herself down. Ok, I understand now Do you really understand? I dont understand but for the time being Alright Taiyou had a bitter smile. Aobas reaction was refreshing as expected, and so, he felt relieved once again. So from what Ive heard from Natsuno-kuns story, she will stay by Natsuno-kuns side now and forever? Yeah Taiyou nodded despite having a confused expression. By the way, how long has Hera been around me? She was with us for a good percentage of the time. Then, how did I suddenly become able to see her? ugh Taiyou unintentionally groaned as if a sore spot was poked. He racked his brain trying to figure out how to explain the conditions in order to see Hera. Considering the details of Heras first appearance became hazier when he tried to remember, he could not explain that as well. Taiyou thought of several things, but he arrived to the conclusion that it was impossible to deceive her. He decided to explain instead. She can be seen only by people..who kissed me Taiyou told her in a muffled voice so that the surrounding classmates could not hear. Ah!! Aoba pressed against her lips. It seemed that she was clearly remembering the accident that happened during breakfast. Her face instantly turned red. As a result, Taiyou noticed that the temperature in his face seemed to rise as well. sorry After a while, Taiyou bowed his head to her. Although it was an accident, the fact remained that he still stole a kiss from her. Furthermore, he still hadnt apologized properly for that incident. Having thought that, Taiyou bowed his head. Oh, that was an accident. Therefore, it doesnt count because it was an accident.Thats why well both forget about it. Is that ok? Yeah, because it was an accident Aoba emphasized that it was an accident. It became severely obvious that she wanted to convey that fact.Regardless, it still could not wipe away his feelings of guilt, but he decided to believe her. Huh? Suddenly, she raised her voice and seemed to have noticed something. Her eyes opened wider and she had an astonished look on her face. What happened!? That twin-tailed girl that was with us since yesterday Oh, Yurikago? What about her? She also saw Heraright? Ah Taiyou remembered that morning. Based on Yurikagos words, it was clear to assume that she could also see Hera. He became extremely troubled while thinking of a way to explain how Yurikago could see Hera. The first hour of class was like lying on a bed of needles. The contents of the senile teachers lessons were similar to spell incantations. Not one thing entered Taiyous head. Hera also wasnt there. She disappeared somewhere as soon as homeroom was over and the teachers switched. Taiyou was far away from finding the perfect solution and the cause of the conflict had left. He glanced at Aoba. The three sisters who were sitting in separate seats, worried about Aoba as well. It seemed that Aoba was absent-minded, as if thinking about something, during the entire class. Her hand that was holding the pencil completely stopped, and even her notebook that was far away, was noticeably blank. Taiyou did not know what she was thinking, and because of that, only the worse guesses crossed his mind. Someone she was not dating, kissed her, and did not take responsibility for it. To make matters worse, the conversation that he proudly spoke to her about last night vividly crossed his mind. Taiyou became ashamed and felt as if he should disappear into a hole. However, contrary to how he felt Natsuno-kun, will you go home together with me? During the break, Aoba came close to him, and asked such a thing. Chapter 80: The Third Bride / Her Determination Chapter 79: The Third Bride/ Exposed Chapter 81: The Third Bride / On Board! To your house? Blinking his eyes, Taiyou was looking up towards Aoba who was standing. Although she looked serious when she spoke, it didnt seem like something that she thought about carefully and calmly. Having such an invitation delivered with such an expression on her face was something beyond the limit of what Taiyou expected she was going to say. At the very least Taiyou did not predict she would say something like this. After all she was running away from home right now and the cause of the situation has not even been resolved. Moreover, they were making plans to resolve the problem in the near future so at the very least, it wasnt necessary for her to go back home right this instant. Therefore, Taiyou was perplexed and was wondering as to why she would say such a thing. Yes, I want you to come together with me But before he was able to think any more than this, she unwaveringly uttered the same invitation again with a determined facial expression. That is, you just want me to come? Yeah, just Natsuno-kun For what reason? Taiyou just asked a natural question. Even though it was obvious that she didnt want to bring him over just to introduce him to his parents, he was still quite wary and was trying to read her intentions for inviting him over. Aoba was keeping quiet and averting her gaze. Thought she wanted him to go with her, she was hesitating on whether or not to tell him the real reason. And seeing that Taiyou was also hesitating, she was wondering if he wanted to question her reasons. Although she felt bad if he just came along without knowing anything, at the same time, there werent any major problems that could arise out of him just following her. Leaving feelings aside, because he was an outsider to her familys point of view, there wasnt really anything that he could do to make her situation worse. It was mainly a problem of feelings. Therefore, she was confused as to what she should do. Eh? What are Natsuno-kun and Aoba-chan talking about? It was at this moment that a classmate Katsuki Nakajima spoke to break the stagnant atmosphere. He was well known as being sociable and he was the type of person to just jump from group to group and talk to anyone. Coming to where Taiyou and Aoba was at, Katsuki showed his usual friendly smile, but he also had a slightly surprised face as he asked the question. What an unusual combination, since when did you guys get along so well? W-well, things just happened this way Huh? Fufun, I see I see After nodding his head repeatedly, he started switching his gaze between Taiyou and Aoba. Seeing Katsukis gaze, both Aoba and Taiyou seemed slightly uncomfortable as it gave them a bad feeling. Katsuki was a man that was brimming with curiosity, and he could occasionally become too interested in something and would be unable to read the mood. Therefore, for the current situation, Katsuki was probably the most troublesome fellow to deal with right now. I should probably try to change the subject somehow. Taiyou was thinking about how to do this when Nakajima-kun, can you come with us for a sec? A voice could be heard from a little place away and Katsuki turned around to it. When Taiyou also turned himself towards the source of the familiar voice, he saw the figure of the three sisters. The girls were beckoning Katsuki to come towards them. Kotone-chan, Suzune-chan and Kazane-chan, whats up? Perhaps because he didnt really have any major business with Taiyou or perhaps it was because the three sisters who were usually very hard to get in touch with called out to him, but in any case he was merrily walking towards them. His entire face was smiling widely as he danced with joy and walked towards them. Looking past Katsuki who was in very high spirits, the three sisters gave Taiyou a knowing wink. It was the kind of look that said, leave this to us!. Taiyou also returned a thankful look towards the girls. Because they were blushing just a little, he thought that he conveyed his gratitude without trouble. Lets change the place Whispering to Aoba, he stood from his seat and left the classroom. Aoba nodded her head silently and subtly followed behind him. After going out of the classroom, they headed towards a corridor that connected the buildings together. The corridor which linked to the building of club activities was quite empty as long as it was not after school when the club activities began. After making sure he was in an area that was deserted, he turned around and looked at Aoba. If its here we should be fine Yeah. We got saved by the three girls didnt we? I suppose we did, I will make sure to thank them later A feeling was welling up in Taiyou. The women who gave him a lifeboat in his time of need made him feel both thankful and he loved them for it. He decided that he would properly thank them later as he swore it in his heart. The Hayakawa sisters, somehow resemble mothers You think so? Taiyou just went with it without trying to expand the conversation in this regard. Previously, Aoba told him that he resembled a father figure and now she told him that the three sisters resembled a mother figure. He couldnt help but to notice that she was probably relating Taiyous situation to her own family situation, but right now, her family was in the midst of a big turmoil. At the very least, it was big enough to cause their daughter to run away from home. Even when he went to the Miyagi Mansion and talked to her family, there were certain details and circumstances which he could see happening to himself in his own future. After thinking about such things, Taiyou felt awkward and found it hard to sympathize with her. Therefore, he intended to let the matter pass and change the topic. So let me clear it up by asking again. Why did you suddenly want to go back home today? Furthermore, you wanted me to come with you? Well like I told you a little while ago, there was something that I wanted to talk about with my mothers The thing you wish to talk about, do I need to be there for it to work? Is it inconvenient if you. come together with me? Aoba doesnt answer his question and just repeated her invitation like she was pleading him. Its not like I cant.. but I dont understand why I am needed. I also dont know what you are going to try to say to them. At the very least, I want to know what you plan to do, is that really too much to ask? Aoba looked downwards and became silent. Her fingers were fidgety, and she licked her dry tongue to moisten it up. It was not like she was trying to keep silent, after seeing such actions it was easy to tell that she was conflicted whether or not to tell him the reason. Therefore, he just waited for her in silence. After a short while, she took in a deep breath and faced him with resolve. I want to say to my mothers, that I want to perform a DNA test in order to determine who my real mother is Huh? Taiyou knitted his eyebrows. Because her conduct was just so inexplicable, Taiyous brow was deeply wrinkled. Is it necessary to do that? Since yesterday, Ive been watching Natsuno-kun and the others, and Ive also heard stories from Natsuno-kun Saying this, Aoba had an intense look on her face. And it got me thinking, if I just secretly did the DNA test without telling my mothers about it Even if a result does come out, if I did it secretly, I will be sure to experience feelings of guilt Feelings of guilt. As if he was examining the words, he repeated them to himself. He remembered those words from last night to this morning. They were words he said to her several times. I.. yeah, its true. I really like, love and treasure my mum, mama and mother. They were affectionate to me since I was a child, and even now, I think of all of them as my mothers. For my mothers to hide who the true mother is from me, I think that they must have their own good reasons Even so, I really want to know who my true mother is, the woman who gave birth to me. Because Natsuno-kun is willing to cooperate, it has become possible to investigate it. However.. if I secretly investigate behind their backs, I am sure to experience guilt in return. Therefore, I want to meet them face to face and tell them that I will be investigating this issue So basically, you dont want to hide anything? This was also one of the main points of what he discussed with her previously. And after taking in his own words, she made this decision herself. Taiyou didnt know whether this was a bad thing, right thing, wrong thing, or if it was a good thing. But, there was one thing that he understood clearly. Coming up front with someone and declaring things honestly, is something that he definitely liked to do. I understand, I will go with you Really? Yeah, although this is not what we originally intended, it appears that I am partially to blame for instigating you to take this action. Therefore, I plan to take responsibility till the end Thats not quite right, you didnt instigate me. It was not like you spurred me on Is that right? Taiyou smiles bitterly as he asked her back but in the next moment, his smile changed into surprise. Natsuno-kun opened my eyes. I was always running away and you helped me see clearly Isnt that a little exaggerated. At least thats what I believe, is that not good enough? Aobas face showed no hesitation as she spoke. Trying to build a harem, Taiyou never thought that what he was doing was the right thing (although by no means did he ever think he was doing something wrong). He felt slightly sorry about the fact that he might not be the best influence on her but that was trivial. Right now, the girl he saw in front of him was a like a totally different person. Since he first met her, this was the happiest expression she ever showed him. There was no anger in it, no confusion, nor was it a reckless expression. She had clear eyes, and a bright cheerful smile. Seeing her have such an expression on her face, Taiyou could not say anything more to her. At the same time the emotions within him. In particular, a feeling which he recently got to experience started to bud. Chapter 81: The Third Bride / On Board! Chapter 80: The Third Bride / Her DeterminationChapter 82: The Third Bride / Confrontation between Mother and Daughter Even Taiyou was shocked by his sudden infatuation. zee haa.. He was feeling the shock from when he was in the hallway together with Aoba. There was a rise in his pulse and mild throb in his chest. Feelings that undoubtedly meant favor towards the opposite sexDDDit was love. He could clearly notice that he began to like Aoba. However, that was fine and ok. At this point in time, he did not intend to pose as a virtuous one-woman type of man. The problem was the timing. Taiyou became amazed at himself for beginning to like one girl after another. huffha, damn What are you doing Track and Field clubһ Arent you ashamed of running sluggishly!? Thats right, Thats right However, Taiyou thought that he no longer had any doubt that he began to like Aoba. Even until now, just by recalling her retreating figure leaving the hallway; his heart began to beat faster and his temperature rose. At first he thought that??it was that kind of thing. Like the mating season that approached after he had a relationship with the three sisters and Kohaku. The reason he disregarded the feelings was because he thought he merely desired her body. 1 However, He wanted to embrace, kiss, and love her. Having these types of thoughts indicated that the emotions existed. It doesnt mean that there was no lust, but it wasnt entirely lust. He didnt want just her body; he wanted her heart as well. It could certainly be called greed, and if that was the case, Taiyou thought that he was already in love.He already accepted it.Taiyou decided to think so after repeatedly asking himself. DD Pippi`! huh? Incidentally, after the thought, he heard an unfamiliar sound. When he looked in the direction of the sound, his eyes opened wide. He saw the P.E teacher in a jersey blowing the whistle. Alright, thats it for now. The girls will get to change their clothes until the break time bell rings and the boys turn will be from break time until class begins.With that said, youre all dismissed The P.E teacher said and quickly walked away.Again, Taiyou surveyed his surroundings. The early summer sunlight increased in strength daily. There was an intense reflection in several places on the school grounds. Including him, the boys from First Year Class A, were mostly assembled there. All of them were wearing gym uniforms. Here and there, there were classmates out of breath and clinging to the ground. Seeing that, Taiyou thought now that I think about it, werent we doing a marathon for P.E class , without any deep emotion. Haah Haah Natsuno Yes? He heard the parched, wheezing voice of a boy next to him.When he turned around, he could see the appearance of a classmate glaring in his direction, with their hands on their knees. His name was Tashika Kazama. Taiyou remembered that he was a celebrity and called the new star of the track and field club. Hey, youre pretty good Eh? ah, yea Taiyou did not know what it was about but decided to nod for the time being. However, I wont lose next time, remember that Kazama left the parting remark and walked away.Taiyou wondered what in the world Kazama meant and began to look completely confused. Good job Taiyou-san Heres a towel Please use it After Kazama left, the three sisters with their peculiar way of speaking, came beside him. They spoke in turns based on height only in front of their husband Taiyou and family members. They relaxed around Taiyou the most and constantly spoke in the order of Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane. Those three were wearing the schools assigned white shirt and blue bloomers, which was regulation for the girls.While looking from their gym sneakers to thighs; their healthy legs which were like a fawns were seductive. Taiyou instinctively put effort into restraining his bottom-half.Otherwise, considering there were many classmates around, he would have exposed his shameful behavior in front of them. Pretending to be calm, he took the towel and wiped off most of the sweat from his face. At any rate, Taiyou-san is awesome You defended the boys top position until the end It was worthwhile to cheer for you Top? Confused at their words, he lowered his towel and turned his gaze. The three sisters had the type of eyes that seemed to be looking at an idol they yearned for, and yet, also like a mother being prideful of her son. Yes, it was the top Taiyou-san and Kazama-kun were both in dead heat2 You were ahead of third place by one lap Really? 3 Taiyou was muttering like it was completely someone elses problem, as he watched Kazama leaving. He realized whatI wont lose next timemeant now, although it was too late. Hey, Natsuno was amazing right? No, Kazama just seemed to lack spirit You idiot, they both completely went past you three laps ahead, how could that be lacking spirit?! The voices of classmates could be heard rising here and there. They were critiquing Taiyou and Kazamas dead heat match which developed moments ago. Many of them were praising Taiyou, possibly regarding the great running they saw earlier. Taiyou-san, were going to go ahead Ill take the towel See you later The three sisters spoke one after another based on height; took the towel from Taiyou, and left. Wait a second Suzu-chan, Ill hold the towel It was decided that I will hold the towel this time, Kaza-chan dont snatch it away It smells like Taiyou-san after all. After seeing the real thing it makes it so unbearable The girls headed towards the school building while noisily disputing about something. Before long, only the boys remained in the schoolyard.After the girls returned to class, it was the boys turn to change clothes.Taiyou thought about what he should do. He didnt have much free time before returning to class. He was bored and had not much time to do anything. Dammit, that Natsuno guy is getting carried away Leave it me, Ill discipline him a little Taiyou called Hera and asked her about the conditions and how much experience he needed for the next level. He wondered if it was something that he could do steadily. At that time, while he was thinking that, he felt a human presence moving from out of nowhere. DDDon! Suddenly, he felt something hit his shoulder.When he turned around, he noticed the appearance of his classmate falling on his back. It was a classmate named Saitou who had piercings and blonde hair. He fell on his back while looking at Taiyou with a shocked face. Oh, sorry Taiyou apologized while extending his hand. There were rumors that this boy had a rough temper and associated with bad people.Despite being a classmate, Taiyou always avoided dealing with this type of person as much as possible. However, it couldnt be helped that he was knocked down, so Taiyou apologized and extended his hand. But, that wasnt good. Saitous face changed from astonished to angry in the blink of an eye because of Taiyous action.He slapped Taiyous hand away and stood up on his feet. You shouldnt be too full of yourself He said the incomprehensible remark as he walked away. Taiyou wondered what that was about while tilting his head to the side and looking puzzled. There are rumors about Natsuno-kun After school, Taiyou and Aoba walked beside each other. Taiyou parted with the three sisters in class and met up with Aoba in order to take her home. Aoba started speaking about such a thing while leaving the school gate. Taiyou tilted his head in confusion. Rumor? About me? Yes, everyone was talking about todays P.E class ah, was it about when I had a one on one with Kazama-kun? That was unpleasant. I forgot to restrain myself because I was thinking while running Taiyou said while regretting it. Although he had superhuman powers now, he had no intentions of showing it. Rather, it was better to completely hide his powers when they werent necessary. He considered that pointlessly showing off would produce useless quarrels. Theres that, but thats not all. I have not seen it, but there was also a rumor passing around about Saitou-kun Saitou as well? Yes, Saitou-kun purposely bumped into Natsuno-kun, but everyone is saying that it looked like he was knocked down by a Sumo Wrestler .Ahh, so thats what it was about Taiyou understood the situation while listening to Aobas story. At the same time, he also was thinking about restraining himself more habitually.He chatted with Aoba about the rumors, which were the topic of conversation for a short while, but she suddenly became less talkative. The closer she approached her house, the less she spoke. The reason being obvious, Taiyou intentionally said nothing, as they advanced towards the house. They arrived soon. The Miyagi familys western-style mansion, maintained a vast amount of land, within a quiet residential area. Although Taiyou visited once before, in his eyes, it was like the castle of the last boss. Chapter 82: The Third Bride / Confrontation between Mother and Daughter Chapter 81: The Third Bride / On Board! Chapter 83: The Third Bride / Please give me your daughter Translator: Mikazuki Their gaze swept across the Miyagi mansion. Aobas uniform did not look suitable for ones home and she looked nervous. Her face stiffened as she tightly clenched her fist. Its MiyagiDD Natsuno-kun Looking at her appearance, Taiyou thought about proposing to come another day; however, the thought was suddenly interrupted. Lets go Yea Taiyou nodded lightly and followed behind her. He wanted to ask her if she was still feeling ok to meet them, but to mention it now was irrelevant. They both entered the vast grounds and stood in front of the door. She was doubtful as she stood there doing nothing but the door made a deep sound and opened. Aoba passed through as if it was extremely natural. Taiyou had a feeling that not only was it not the time for visitors, but also the residents personal time, and was a little shocked when it opened. Welcome back, Aoba-sama When Aoba entered the foyer, she was greeted by Miho who was in a maid outfit. Taiyou was still a little shocked in regards to Aobas title, however considering the scene he saw the last time he visited, he expected it. Im home, Mother. Is everyone here? Only Atsuko-sama is inside, come in Only Mama. Thats fine, I want to speak with her, is that ok? Ill guide you Miho led the two of them with a composed expression.She glanced over her shoulder at Taiyou but he couldnt guess what she was thinking from the look. It was because she did it so calmly. Following Miho, Taiyou and Aoba were led into a different room from before.It wasnt a reception room but it overflowed more with a lived-in feeling, like a cozy living room.Taiyou guessed that it was because Aoba was here and it was the room used for family. Sit down, Natsuno-kun Taiyou nodded and sat on the high quality sofa that was plentifully stuffed with a good filling.The quality of the level of comfort was excessive compared to the living room terrace in Taiyous Castle. Atsuko-sama will come soon Mother Aoba called Miho as she was about to leave. Along with Mother as well Certainly Miho bowed gracefully and stood near the wall.She refrained from doing anything which made her look like a servant. Aoba said nothing in particular, probably because it was the way of the Miyagi family. After waiting for a while, the door opened and Atsuko came in. Atsuko dressed completely different from Miho and looked like a wealthy celebrity. Based on the previous information from Aoba, Atsuko was reaching her forties, but she looked youthful as if she barely approached her thirties. Taiyou remembered the words beautiful witch from back then. Welcome back, Aoba Mama Aoba did not respond to Atsukos preemptive punch by saying welcome home.1 Atsukos eyes slightly wavered at the exchange while Mihos face stiffened, but both of them reacted to such an extent that it would normally be overlooked, unless carefully evaluated. (No, it was different! Even in that situation, the extent of the reaction was even more unusual) Usually, Im homebeing omitted is not enough to cause turmoil. Taiyou reconsidered and focused his mind once again. Atsuko sat facing Aoba while they both stared at each other. Well, are you finished running away from home? No, Im still not done yet, but I will be soon Oh? The unexpected words surprised Atsuko. What do you mean? Isnt it strange that you decided to sort out your feelings so suddenly? Yes, Ive already resolved to sort my feelings, therefore, its more of a distinction I wonder where did you learn such a thing? Atsuko said as she turned towards Taiyou and gave him a flirtatious glance. The glance she gave him seemed to imply that he was a bad influence for her daughter. That may or may not have been the case. Regardless, Taiyou decided not to say anything. Well then, what did you come back today for? Because there is something I wanted to say to Mama and everyone. Is Mommy not here? In a little bit. If you do have something to say, Miho and I are here, so you can say it Mama and everyone are a parliamentary system right? Aoba unintentionally smiled. That somehow interested Taiyou. It was an unrelated matter however, thus the conversation advanced forward. I understand, well then, talk So Aoba started. Her face suddenly became tense and it was as if she turned into a completely different person. Taiyou was beside her and unintentionally had his breath taken away from the change. Naturally, the two women opposite of them were astonished. Their face showed a hint of implying that they had never seen their daughter like this before. It was as if Aoba announced a declaration to them. Thats why I will do a DNA test Atsuko and Miho were at a loss for words because what Aoba said was too unexpected. Taiyou thought that he understood their feelings. Suddenly returning and then saying such a thing face-to-face as well. He thought that surely the women would be two-times as shocked. Aoba did not change her expression and looked straight at them both. Somehow, Miho who composed herself easily before, reacted furiously. Aoba-sama! Do you know what you are saying!? Do not do such a thing as a DNA test! So then, why wont you tell me Mother? Who is my birth mother? Thatis something I will not tell you at least by my own discretion I do not deem it acceptable as well. Thats why I cannot tell you Aoba Yeah, I know.I figured that mama and everyone would say that. Thats why I decided to investigate it myself Students like Aoba-sama should not be able to do such a thing like thatDD As Miho started to speak, she suddenly realized something and glared at Taiyou. Her expression seemed to have eloquently implied if hatred could kill a person. Yes, I will cooperate Youre a student as well right? Im not just a mere student. There arent many things I can do, but I can introduce Miyagi-san to the highest level of DNA testing agencies. Wont you give up? Is it fun to tear apart a persons family? Its because I am not the type who enjoys leaving cracks. 2 Taiyou replied undauntedly.It was at this point that he started to lose his temper a little. It was a series of events where they were only thinking of themselves, and in a way, ignoring their daughter. Taiyou could not approve of it regardless of the circumstances. In other words, he strongly felt that he did not want to become that way.Considering he was building a similar family, the Miyagi family was a negative example, one which he could learn from their mistakes by watching them. That was why he opposed them. Please give up Aoba-sama. There is still time now Its useless Miho-san. Look at Aobas expression. It looks exactly like that guy from Toushiro.You should have well realized the stubbornness of such a face, dont you agree?3 But It seems you wont give up. Either we tell you ourselves or you will investigate it yourself? Youre giving me the feeling that you wont stop until you know the truth. Even if we forcibly stop you? I will stop you with all of my might Haa. Because I will Aoba quietly but distinctly nodded her head. It seemed that she was already resolved. I understand, do it yourself. If thats the case, I wonder why did you come here and ask me? If you were going to investigate, you could have investigated it alone.Couldnt a DNA test be completed just by stealing hair in some way? What good did it do you by coming here? (Thats a good question) Because I like Mommy, Mama, and Mother. Its because I love you Is that so Aoba-sama (That being said, do you understand now?) Atsuko expressionlessly comprehended it while Miho understood but had a sour face. Taiyou was slightly surprised by their expressions. I have understood what Aoba wanted to say and her feelings as well.However. Atsuko seemed ok but narrowed her eyes. Her atmosphere had completely changed. She majestically exuded the attractive sex-appeal of an adult, but now it had changed into an atmosphere that no one could get close to. If Shirokiyami emanated a blood-thirst like a sharp blade, Atsuko emanated an imitating air that reached the ceiling. For a moment, Taiyou felt like he was suffocating, despite there being nothing. I do not approve of it. I will not allow it When Atsuko said that, Miho stiffened her face as well. She showed her willingness to follow her opinion by being silent. Thats our consensus. This is the one thing that we could never yield on.Does Aoba still have an intention of doing the test? Yes I understand Atsuko said after nodding slightly. Chapter 83: The Third Bride / Please give me your daughter Silence flowed between the mothers and daughter. A heavy air dominated the battlefield and everyone was making an expression as if they did not know what to say. They slightly diverted their gaze while trying not to make eye contact. The situation could not be helped at this rate because even if the silence ended, they would depart without having an important conversation. Taiyou thought that there was no choice but to introduce a powerful medicine. After comparing different simulations in his brain, Taiyou turned and spoke to Aoba. Miyagi-san, do you mind stepping outside? huh? There is something that I want to say to Atsuko-san and Miho-san, may you give me some time? It wont be a long so Ill finish it quickly but You finished what you wanted to do right? At this point, what can you do? No, what do you wish to do? You wanted to tell the truth because you did not want to do the DNA Test? To put it bluntly, even if you are here, your mothers will never tell you the truth. You understand that right? That is. If you have something to say, you should say it. If not, give me a little time and Ill be happy .I understand There was hesitation but eventually Aoba nodded slightly and stood up. After reluctantly gazing at Taiyou and the two mothers, she walked out of the living room looking discouraged. Once she left, Taiyou turned towards the two mothers again. Excuse me So, what do you have to say? I will say it bluntly. Ive fallen in love with Miyagi-san huh? pardon? Atsuko and Miho were caught off guard and looked confused. From their expression, it seemed that they assumed Taiyou would say something much more serious, and looked more shocked than he expected. What are you talking about? Ive fallen in love with Miyagi-san. From now on, I will court herI intend to get her to fall for me No, not about such a thing. Where did all the talk about DNA test go? Ah, that? Taiyou smiled. He didnt really care about that and made a facial expression that implied so. That is Miyagi-sans story.Furthermore, it is the circumstances of your family.Thus, it is essentially unrelated to me. Am I wrong? Youre not wrong As she spoke, the perplexed appearance faded from Atsukos face.It was such a face that showed that even now, she could not keep up with the unexpected conversation. Its really an unimportant discussion from my point of view.Furthermore, to put things bluntly, perhaps even Miyagi-san doesnt care about it Why do you think so? There should to be four test results. Besides someone from the three of you, I think that the fourth result, someone else entirely, could possibly be the birth mother Did you not think about the possibility that her father is different? You said earlier that Miyagi-san was becoming similar to her father. Furthermore, Miho-san was convinced. I dont know the reason why, but you are all convinced that Miyagi-sans current father is her real father.Am I wrong? Youre not wrong Miho nodded seriously and answered. I swear by the Gods of Heaven and Earth that what Ive said is the truth. We have also been expressing that to Aoba-sama the entire time Well, taking that into consideration, I guess there can be no more than four outcomes I predicted that outcome before we recommended the DNA test to Miyagi-san. She said that whatever the outcome, she will still love you all as her mothers for the rest of her life.Even if, for example, none of you are her birth mother If thats the case, there should be no need for you to investigate I think that you are saying that the remaining unpleasant feelings and my discussion are different.Indeed, its unrelated to my position as a bystander and I even said earlier that its unimportant.However, from my point of view, I think the future of Miyagi-san, who I have fallen for, is important You, speaking in this overly clear-cut attitude, is making me feel unpleasant you know? To the astonished Atsuko, Taiyou calmly asks her a question in return. Can you tell me one thing? How did you feel when Miyagi-sans dad made his clear-cut decision? Well, now that I think about it, I felt a little bad For me, even now, Im still just as happy In other words, its like that. The story has gotten off of topic so Ill return to the main point.I love Miyagi-san. My family. I intend to bring her into my family. To do that, Ive considered telling you in advance.So its ok if you and Miyagi-san have a falling out. You can leave her to me Taiyou said while turning his gaze towards Atsuko and Miho.Taiyou consistently appeared carefree as he looked at the two women. They finally overcame their shock and returned a harsh look. Do you intend to fan the flames of this crisis? Frankly speaking, its in the event that it gets to that level In the event? I have decided that my objective is to win over Miyagi-san and become happy together.I wont choose the way to do it nor have a preference for how it gets done. If you lot want to argue with her and this causes your family to be broken, that is also fine with me, I will just use that to my advantage and comfort her broken heart. No matter which way the dice falls, if I cannot achieve the best solution, I will just aim for the second solution, its that kind of story When Taiyou said that, Miho glared at him. Taiyou thought that she was much more straight-forward than Atsuko, although she had the behavior and appearance of a maid.On the other hand, Atsuko remained calm and replied with a cold tone. Even if you say that, it doesnt seem like thats one of your strong points I have two wives and they will cooperate with me in matters of a womans heart The three people glared at each other. Before long Atsuko sighed, leaned all of her bodyweight against the couch, and looked up towards the sky. I give up. It seems to me that if you are this stubborn, you will really grab a complete hold of Aobas heart I will tell you that thats not my only intention. Im going through this much trouble right now, because I want her to be able to return home to her parents It does sound plausible Atsuko-sama, theres no way you could have been fallen for such a story right? I wont tell them, I cant tell them. That will not be changed Miho looked very relieved when Atsuko denied telling him. Therefore, even if we dont want to compromise, we are going to be forced to compromise. Were you trying to say something like that? Yes, that is precisely right Taiyou nodded. It was a means to an end. There was no need to be fussy but he did not change his stance. In other words Ill perform the examination my own way. You all can deny it and not say who is the birth mom, but Miyagi-san will still insist that she is the daughter of you three.Afterwards, I hope you will welcome Miyagi-san back as if nothing has happenedDDand still think of her as your daughter Naturally we will! Miho said loudly. This is fairly one-sided of you Atsuko gave Taiyou a cold-hearted look as she put emphasis on the word you. After all, its an original proposition I came up with based on my circumstances Youre that kind of child? You were more frivolous when I met you before, or I should say, you were much more hesitant Regarding that, its thanks to you Taiyou said while placing his hands on his knees and bowing deeply. Those words came from his true feelings. The last time we met, I thought about the words that you said to me after I returned home. Almost through the entire night. That is why I developed such a way of thinking When I gave that speech, I did not think that it would come to this. I merely advised you to possess strength Miyagi-san will be my strength1 Are you serious? Of course So Miho-san. What should we do? Isnt it troublesome because only the two of us are here? We could have postponed it if it was only one person Well, if our opinion is divided Does it seem divided? It seems like I will become unanimous for some reason or another. After all, there is no other way Well, I guess its fate right? Atsuko sighed and turned to Taiyou. I understand. Thats fine Thank you very much However, there is one condition.Ill decide after seeing it, I wonder if you will agree or not? What could it be? Confess to Aoba while being in this house. Ill be able to judge your seriousness if I see that Chapter 84: The Third Bride / Reverse Confession Chapter 83: The Third Bride / Please give me your daughter Chapter 85: The Third Bride/ I''m Scared of a Harem Translator: Mikazuki Taiyou arrived in front of Aobas room and stopped his feet. He secretly thought that this would never happen. There seemed to be no great solution for the problem of Aoba and her three mothers. He did not understand why Atsuko and the others hid who Aobas birth mother was, but he felt that they had no intention of speaking even if they would die. On the other hand, Aoba clearly could not move forward because of the adolescent peculiarity called stubbornness, causing her to go as far as running away from home. Driven by a sense of competition, Atsuko became even more stubborn because of that. It was a vicious cycle. There was no indication in one way or another that persuasion or preaching was possible. It was not a problem that could be solved by playing the side of gender equality. Therefore, Taiyou decided to attack it from a completely different point of view.He brought up some type of unusual negotiation, trying to find a breakthrough, and got caught up in a complicated story. It can be said that it achieved success in some way. He did not quite know about the composed Atsuko but at least Miho recognized him as the ringleader who tempted Aoba, and turned her anger towards him. It can be said that it seemed he accomplished his goals of redirecting the parents hatred towards himself. To get that far was amazing, but then Atsuko proposed something unthinkable. That he should confess right now. She had a faint smile on her face immediately after saying that. From what Taiyou experienced with Kohaku and Sakura, he preferred probing for ones true intentions, and somehow understood Atsukos true motive. Maliciousness. There was no need for Taiyou to confess to Aoba at this moment. There was no need to at all. Thats why it was nothing more than Atsukos revenge. Bringing up some type of unusual negotiation and using it against a shocked man, was meager revenge. Words hold power. Particularly in this situation, even if it was a joke, he could not help but to obey. After all, Atsuko is a mother, and Taiyou said that he likes her daughter.Furthermore, she said that she would allow him to do as he pleases if he accepted her proposition. In some way, it was a very justified argument, so there was no reason for Taiyou to refuse. And so, arriving in front of Aobas room, Taiyou could not help but to have a bitter smile. Half of it was the enjoyable sensation of outwitting her and the other half was the fun of arguing back and forth. Now He sorted his feelings and took a deep breath once. His facial expression changed quickly as he looked up. It changed from a bitter smile to the face of a well-defined man. Knock Knock. Knock Knock. Two knocks were repeated twice, based on manners he learned from Kohaku. Mother? Taiyou heard Aobas reply from within the room. Taiyou thought whether Miho would knock that way and guessed correctly, considering who she pinpointed. I want to talk to you about something, but can I come in? Huh, Natsuno-kun? A minute, wait a minute He heard a slapping sound from within the room and judged that she was rushing. Suu, haa, suuhaa. In, please come in After awhile, she gave him permission to enter. Taiyou turned towards the door and entered. It was a fancy room like a girls. He noticed that she was indeed rushing to change her clothes. She sat in a chair and was dressed in plain clothes.She appeared to be in her usual straight ponytail, blue mini dress, and coordinated black knee-high socks. Her thigh that could be seen between the top of knee and hemline of the skirt, and her kneecap that was transparent through her brand new knee-high socks, made Taiyous chest tighten. Excuse me While suppressing his rapidly beating heartbeat and pretending to be calm, he closed the door behind him. Natsuno-kun, have you finished your conversation? huh? No, it startsnow For a moment, he thought that was an indirect rejection. Although he had not begun talking about anything yet, he misunderstood being asked if the conversation had ended (Do not be too conscious) While secretly smiling faintly, he changed his attitude. The conversation with Atsuko-san and Miho-san? Yea Well you could say something or another came from it. Is it ok to tell you? Keeping in mind what Taiyou asked, Aobas body became stiff, and it was obvious that she was nervous. She was nervous earlier but now it became more obvious that she was nervous now.Instead of Taiyou who calmed down, her nervousness was caused by a misunderstanding. A faint mischievous side begin to bud in Tayou but considering it was not necessary at the moment, he threw it out of his mind. ActuallyI, I have fallen in love with Miyagi-san eh? PlentyDD after truly freezing for no less than ten seconds, Aoba finally squeezed out a voice. It was the reaction that seemed to have witnessed something extremely unexpected. Furthermore, puzzling over it three and a half times, and then seeming to have an accepting reaction. Compared to Atsuko and the others reaction, Taiyou felt that Aobas was refreshingly pleasant. What, what are you talking about Natsuno-kun? I like you, I love you na na na na na naDD1 Taiyou did not mince words and chose to speak in a way that did not leave any room for misunderstandings. Aoba who was confessed to, panicked on a grand scale. What are you saying Natsuno-kun!? I love you No! Thats not it. Whats the matter all of a sudden? After saying it, Aoba made a surprised facial expression as if she realized something. It cant be. You said something to Mama didnt you? It had to be Atsuko-san? You dont believe that it was Miho-san? Its because Mother isnt someone who instigates you. If I make that assumption, then it is the type of thing Mama would do Oh, now I understand. I believe you Its as I expected after allwhat is Mama doing? Thats not the case. I was told to said something I said earlier, but its not like that Then, what do you mean? When I told Atsuko-san and the others that I love Miyagi-san, they told me that they would accept me as soon as I confessed. eeeeeeeeehhhhhh? There was a short pause and then Aoba was astonished on a grand scale again. In other words, I was told to convey my feelings properly Fe, fe fe fe feelings? I like you whah! Taiyou repeated his confession.After he did, he could see Aoba becoming extremely flustered. It was way too unexpected and sudden. She was so cute that Taiyou wanted to embrace her with all his strength. JoStop joking Natsuno-kun Im not joking, Im serious But, you suddenly said such a thing If thats the case, wait until you are calm. Then, will you consider if Im not serious or not? He said while looking straight at Aoba.The gaze that Taiyou gave her caused her to panic lightly but he did not say anything afterwards. Aoba gradually calmed down after seeing that his eyes were serious.After staring at the look on Taiyous face for a while, Aoba quietly asked a question in return. Why do you like me? Do I need a reason? Yes, its necessary Aoba answered immediately without hesitation. Thus, Taiyou responded. It seems that it was during the daytime when we talked in the hallway? That time, your face just before returning to the classroomTheres no way to explain it. I fell in love the moment I saw it During the daythat Yeah? Does anything come to mind? Could it be that you remember the face you made? Ah, no, thats not it Aoba crossed her hands and hastily denied it. Thattime? Yeah, that time, was when I fell in love with you but, Natsuno-kun. You have Hayakawa and the others that I met this morningDD Yeah, thats right. I already have girlfriends. Thats why Im saying it like thisDDI also like you You want me to be in your harem as well? Aoba asked in return. The panic that remained in her voice until a while ago had already disappeared.She calmed down and asked him with a serious tone. Thats right Taiyou nodded clearly without glossing it over or expressing it in different words. If there was a need for someone to make an excuse, this was the situation. Now however, Taiyou believed that there were times when excuses were not necessary. Aoba looked downward for a short while. While slightly biting her lip, her face looked like was considering things but hesitation was intervening. Taiyou waited and was prepared to wait forever. He thought that he could wait forever if he was able to know her feelings. EventuallyDD, Natsuno-kun, I also have something to say to you what? I alsomay have fallen for Natsuno-kun huh? This time, it was Taiyous turn to be confused. He didnt expect her to say something like that. He didnt imagine it in the slightest. Chapter 85: The Third Bride/ I’m Scared of a Harem Chapter 84: The Third Bride / Reverse Confession Chapter 86: The Third Bride/ Serious Confession Translator: NefarianEditor: Mikazuki As one would expect this was something that surprised Taiyou. When he cross-examined it with his own memories of the first time they met, he was sure that the first thing she said to him was that she hated him. Afterwards, it was not like they got any closer. Therefore, suddenly hearing the fact that she may potentially like him, was something that would naturally make him astonished. Consequently, he had to clarify the matter with her. S-Since when? I may have a slight father complex Without answering his question directly, Aoba suddenly makes her own confession. I loved my father, no, its better to say that I still love him. Since a long time ago, Ive always felt that my father is really cool. He cherished me. Whenever I got sick or when I got hurt, he would always be there to take care of me. Hes my amazing fatherbut at times like this, hes mostly expressionless I see Nodding his head, Taiyou chimed in. There was a time when I thought that he was being cold towards me, but I was wrong. I understood that father took very good care of me and valued me. When I was sick, he worked really hard to do various things. Therefore, gradually I started to think that being able to keep his emotions under control like that made him a really cool father. Thats because he usually laughs so much and acts kind of awkwardly, but only when it was necessary would he zone in and become expressionless Right, that does seem cool Different from the first time, Taiyou nodded quite clearly this time. When push comes to shove, he acted without panicking or being flustered and became serious and accomplished what was necessary. Without a doubt such a characteristic is something even other males can look up to. The reality was that Taiyou did admire her dad to a certain extent. Thats why Ive always loved my father. Also, my father doesnt act like this just towards me, its also the same with my mothers. Mom. back then she had some sort of big illness, Im not sure exactly what it was but I think she had cancer Is that so? Taiyou recalled the appearance of the other mistress which was not in this house right now. When he thought about it, he could also sense that in comparison with Atsuko and Miho, she seemed to possess this ephemeral atmosphere. Back in those days, father was always like that. Working with all his might for moms sake. Always making time so that he would be able to be next to mom. Father did these kinds of things for us all the time. To mama and to mother. Therefore, in all honestly, even if my mothers increase by one more person.. I thought that if its a person that dad chose, it would be fine Ahh This time, Taiyou made a small nod. He was able to figure it out somehow. At first, although she did run away from home because a fourth mother was going to be introduced to her family, before she knew it, she had already gotten over it. For Aoba, the important part was finding out who her birth mother really is. I loved that kind of father. It was to the extent that I developed a slight father complex Does that have anything to do with me? After thinking that her story was completed, Taiyou abruptly changed the topic of conversation. The feelings Aoba had for her father. in addition to the strong bonds she had with her mothers were conveyed to Taiyou. But leaving things as they were, was only going to make things worse. Thats why he planned to correct things starting from now. It was at this moment that Aoba looked towards him and gave him a sweet smile. I think that Natsuno-kun, kinda resembles my father a little Is that right? Yes, when you were talking with Hayakawa-san and Azumaya-san you really looked like my father when he was talking with my mothers, and when you fought with that white girl, your serious expression also resembled my father My face.? Especially when we were talking last night, I really felt the same kind of vibe from you. And thats when I thought that you were a good person So thats how it was. Yes, Natsuno-kun looks like my dad and the girls around Natsuno-kun look like my mothers And I thought that it just looked so good Does it really look good? I thought that you denied this type of a relationship? Up until now, Ive always hated people who cheat. But neither dad.. nor Natsuno-kun are cheaters1 Thats for sure Without hesitating, as if there was no other way to interpret it, Taiyou gave a clear nod of agreement. Although there might be people who have a different interpretation, Taiyou believes that his relationship with the girls isnt something that is fickle. Therefore, I think I might have fallen for you Might Taiyou feels caught up in her final word. Yeah, I dont really understand it clearly. Is that really the case, or is it just my imagination? I dont know yet I see. But the thing is, Natsuno-kun Yeah? Im scared to enter a harem She didnt say that she didnt want to, but that she was scared. Looking at the face of the girl who spoke, she certainly seemed to be frightened. Miho-san, tea Atsuko who was in the living room asked Miho for more tea. If you were to see the appearance of the two interacting with each other, 10 out of 10 people would immediately think that it was a relationship between a celebrity and her maid. However, in actual fact the two women equally loved the same man and there was no such thing as who was on top or who was below. At the very least. for the two people and also for the other woman who had something to take care of outside of the house right now. these three people had equal rights amongst each other. Nevertheless, Atsuko was very laid back whilst Miho seemed to be in charge of undertaking the housework around the house. Other people may not be able to understand their relationship, however, to them this was something natural and it was something that they were happy with. Although Atsuko abided by this type of relationship, she was acting restless right now, and her unsettled appearance was showing. Atsuko-sama, this is your seventh cup, I think that it may be good to hold back a little Uu, but Being rejected her extra serving of tea, Atsuko moaned like a child, and without being able to calm down, she stared at the wall. Beyond her glance was Aobas room, she seemed to be really uneasy and to top it off she started to unconsciously fidget. Atsuko-sama, even if you worry so much, nothing will happen.I think that it would be better to calm yourself Uu, Miho-san is so cold. Arent you anxious about Aoba? Different from when she was in front of Taiyou, Atsuko gave a feeling that her mental age became quite childish. Although she seemed like the mistress of the house, the things she said were totally child-like. Although I am, but there is nothing we can do at present. What I can do is to assume the worst case scenario, and make preparations for that time Worst scenario? Yes, if it turns out that Aoba-sama and that person truly love one another, I would not be required. I will only be required if it turns out that Aoba-sama and that young boy do not have a close relationship Do you really think.. they would have mutual affection? What does Atsuko-sama think? Miho threw back the question that she was just asked. Atsuko thought for a little before answering. That boy, dont you think he resembles Toushiro?2 What are you saying? In this world there is no person in existence that is capable of being compared to our Supreme Master3 Without any hesitation, Miho declared her strong beliefs. Perhaps listening to her speak made her feel more calm, but Atsuko started to ask again in her smoother manner of speaking. No I mean his family lineage, and his inclinations. Dont you think they might have some sort of low connection? If its about that. let me think; I think that he may have the same blood type O? Thats a little generalized, can you elaborate a little more That would be difficult for me to ascertain. Thats because thinking that anyone resembles Master, is something akin to a large disrespect Really? Well I think that hes quite similar. Especially when he gets angry.. or when he loses his temper. Didnt you notice it? The eyes that boy had today, it looked really dangerous you know? .. Yes, a mixture of both stubbornness and recklessness, these are common traits that a young person may have. Thinking about important things alone would probably aggravate his emotions Yeah, I think so. Miho-san probably doesnt know about this but, when Toushiro was young, during his high school days, he would often have those kind of eyes. Recently, hes settled down a lot and gives off this really mature vibe but Well, that single-minded earnestness of his is really similar, whilst he is still young I suppose that it is fine to behave this way Atsuko and Miho were both looking in the direction of Aobas room. I wonder what Aoba thinks of that kind of boy.. Should we stop them? If its now I think there is still time .What do you think will happen if a parent tries to interfere with their childs love life? .Either it will turn out to be a trivial matter, or it may require a greater resolution I agree. Trying to break them apart may make things worse Ive heard this before. It isnt good for a parent to decide something for a child, even if it is appropriate to help them, the decision should be made by the child. Especially when deciding on things like their own university course, a big decision is more reason for a child to make their own decision Ive heard of that before as well. When a parent decides things for their child, if later in life things turn out badly, they may start blaming their parents in order to create an excuse for themselves. But as for me, I dont really mind it even if she ended up having a grudge against me.. Making the decision for her will not be benefit Aoba-sama. Doing something that will not benefit her requires considerationDD Miho replied immediately. Thats just the way life is! It cant be helped. Miho-san, another serving of tea please. Until this ends, lets just drink together Understood Without Aoba knowing it, her mothers were really worried about her. Chapter 86: The Third Bride/ Serious Confession Chapter 85: The Third Bride/ I''m Scared of a Harem Chapter 87: The Third Bride/ Approved Conditionally Translator: Nefarian Going back in time a little, inside of Aobas room. After she frankly mentioned that she was scared, she showed Taiyou a frightened expression. Showing him such a feminine and weak side of her, Taiyous desire to protect was stirred up. Settling down his mind, he asked her a question. .Is that perhaps due to the fact that your parents were like that as well? When seeing it from Taiyous perspective, no just judging from the current situation it was a proper question to ask. Yeah, but, I think that it is a little different to what Taiyou is thinking of Different from my thoughts? Yes. You know, my mothers are really close with each other. Even when they are happily talking with each other, or when they are flirting with dad. Even when they are in a big fight with each other. Umm, do you understand What Im trying to say? I dont understand it completely but, I can appreciate that they are close enough to have a big fight with each other and remain close friends. Even after having such a quarrel, there arent any future troubles created, right? I dont know if it wont create future implications but, they are able to use the topic they argued with and make fun of each other with it. Because I used to see this every day, it became a normal occurrence, but if other people were to see this, they would normally become really nervous I see, they really get along with each other dont they? Taiyou nods and imagined the scene. In other words, to describe what Aoba meant is that they were the type of people who would express their true feelings to each other without reserve. Because Taiyou doesnt have this kind of relationship just yet he couldnt totally relate to it, but on the contrary because he didnt have this in his relationship yet, he understood how difficult it was to achieve such a state. Thats why Im afraid. If I truly reach this kind of a relationship with Natsuno-kun, will I be able to.. still get along with the other girls that Natsuno-kun like? I think that I will surelyDD Breaking off her words mid-sentence, she looked straight at Taiyou. DD Be a jealous girl Jealousy. Taiyou was startled at hearing this word. This was something that he did not encounter in his life yet. Right now he has two brides. Neither of them have ever mentioned such a feeling, and not even the word has been said. Especially for the three sisters, since the beginning they were the ones who wanted Taiyou to get together and create a harem with Kohaku, so they never showed him such an emotion. Although they may have mentioned being envious as a joke occasionally, it was not something that would make them feel distressed. Therefore, because Taiyous first experience in dating were the three girls, feelings of envy that a girl may have, completely slipped his mind. Only for an instantDD Taiyou felt really shaken up. In the time he took to think, there was plenty of things he decided, one of the things he decided was for him not to waver. He was resolved to gather seven women in his harem and he was prepared to make all the members happy. Even without Atsuko telling him, he realized that in order to accomplish these goals, he needed a big amount of power. It wasnt as simple as just gathering seven women, but in order to keep them all happy, he needed a power beyond his imagination. In order to gain such a strength, he concluded that hesitation and the like is worthless. Thats why, he instantly recovered his wavering mind. Hera He spoke out not towards Aoba, but towards an empty space where nobody existed. He didnt know if she was nearby, he didnt know if she was listening to the conversation. However, Taiyou had belief. He believed that she would arrive within a short period of time to appear before him. Hera was fundamentally connected to the deepest portion of this human being named Natsuno Taiyou. If he called out to her, no matter the time or place, she should rush towards him. Thats what he believed. As was expected, it was just like Taiyou had thought. Yes, okay~ Did you call out for me Taiyou-chan? Yeah, I called you. In a certain way, you are quite the easy woman arent you? Because whenever I call, you will appear Fufufu~n, thats of course. After all I exist for Taiyou-chan nanodesuyo~ Ive become accustomed to the way you speak without noticing it these days Saying that Taiyou turned towards Aoba. Although one thing led to another, you are able to see her figure right? Y-yes Aoba drew back a little. Being able to see a non-human existence, Taiyou supposed that it was a natural reaction for her to have. In that case, I want to introduce you to her. Her name is Hera. Now that you mention it, do you have a full name other than just Hera? Or are you fine with that? At this late hour?! Shouldnt you know her name by now? Was the kind of face Aoba was showing to Taiyou. I dont really have any other name~ If I was forced to say, I would call myself Natsuno Hera desuyo~ Well you heard her, apparently shes Natsuno Hera. Well her name is a trivial matter, as you can see from her appearance, she seems to be a fairy It is actually very important desu Hm? Names are extremely important Thats what you meant?! Umm, this. person? Eh, or more like. that thing. what is it? I am the fruit born from Taiyous love Ehhhhhhh?! Can you stop with saying something that can be misunderstood? Taiyou gave Hera a smack on the head and asked Aoba. You knew that I used to play a lot of games until a little while ago, right? Yeah, you always played in the classroom, Natsuno-kun was really quite famous for it Undoubtedly it wasnt a good kind of famous. But well, that doesnt really matter anymore. Playing games like that I always fostered and levelled up my characters until they were the strongest they could be. The embodiment of that passion is Hera. Therefore, please dont mistake it with the other meaning1 I-Is that so If you were to ask me what she is. Hera, please show her Eh? Ah thats right desu, if I dont show them at least once, they wont get it~ Hera poked herself on the side of the head. While winking, she stuck her tongue out. Considering her size, this was an extremely cute gesture. Then here it goes~, there we go~ Eh..eh, ehh, ehhhhhh? Aoba was bewildered as she raised her voice for some reason. Outwardly nothing has changed, but Taiyou knew what was occurring to her. Right now she was experiencing something Kohaku referred to as information and numbers flowing between the back of her eyeballs and her back teeth. If a torrent of numbers just suddenly appeared in front of your eyes, it is natural to be surprised. T, this is? Its my status. It quantifies my abilities numerically It feels like Im in a game Thats exactly right, its like an RPG. This is the power that Hera gave me, with this I am able to have more abilities than the average human being. Ah. Is this why you were capable of winning against our school marathon runner Saito-kun in physical education? Yea, its thanks to this. Because marathons are probably about speed and physical strength Your value on strength is really high. Thats my highest numerical value. If I hit concrete I can break it apart, and perhaps if I was given sufficient time, say around 10 minutes, I can make a whole building crumble and turn the area into a vacant land I.. see Aoba was astonished. This was just so unrealistic but it was a fact that she could see Hera, and she also saw the scene that occurred during his physical education class. Although this was not what Taiyou really wanted to show her. Miyagi-san, can you please turn your attention to the last status number? The last one and the one before that Eh, the last one? .. Ah Aoba was taken aback. Looking at the two numerical values Taiyou told her to. One of the numbers was still at their lowest, and the other remained in a bugged state. ?Harem65535(-16383) ?Popularity0(+0) Could this be.? Thats because I currently have two people in my harem Two people? Isnt it four.? Ahh, I havent explained that have I? Then I guess for now you can assume that its four people If he had to explain about the three sisters right now, it would derail the conversation, so he left that aside for now. I think that the cause of this is because I was able to make a harem with four people in it. And I just noticed that this is perhaps what you mean when you said that you were afraid W-What do you mean? Its a simple thing. Although I am extremely unpopular.. I can still get along with a part of the people in my harem. A person who is unpopular will probably remain unpopular, but once you enter my harem I think that this harem numeric figure will help us get along This thing Does it have an influence on my mind? Kotone and Kohaku have told me that it doesnt affect their minds Remembering the words, they told him, happiness gradually spreads in his heart. The reason its at such a value, is because I want it to be that way. This is what I believe and thats why I will interpret it as such Taking a pause, he looked straight at Aoba. A piercingly direct look. I think that this is not the ability for me to create a harem, instead its the ability for me to maintain a harem. I decided that anyone who enters my harem, will be happy without exceptions. Therefore, you dont need to be worried, as long as youre with me. I will make sure that no matter what you fear, I will make you happy Taiyou declared so. Without wavering in the slightest, he powerfully finished his sentence. Although in normal circumstances a person may doubt what he was saying, but because of his tone and the determination in his voice, there was this feeling that any rebuttal was not going to be permitted. In fact, it looked like Aobas heart was deeply moved by it. Therefore, please abandon such worries and be with me. I will make you happy No, I will absolutely make it happen even in a numerical sense Taiyou shuts up and made another statement. Please make me happy There was nothing that he couldnt accomplish with his numerical figures. Taiyou strongly desired for Aoba to respond to his feelings. Chapter 87: The Third Bride/ Approved Conditionally Chapter 86: The Third Bride/ Serious Confession Chapter 88 The Third Bride/ Coming Full Circle Translator: MikazukiTranslator Checker/Editor: Nefarian Make Natsuno-kunhappy? Thats right Taiyou looked straight at Aoba. It was both coercion and pleading. Either way, there was no difference between the two in the desperate situation. The high stats and inhumane level that he reached until now was useless at this time. He interpreted that even having a harem stat of 65535, was only to maintain the harem itself. He could only make a desperate appeal to her. If I make Natsuno-kun happy, will I be happy as well? You will Taiyou bluntly declared it. For that purpose, he was ready to do anything. He stared at her with a gaze full of burning passion. Aoba stared back at him but eventually cast her eyes downward and looked away. He wondered about the significance of her looking down. Taiyou became more impatient as he thought about it. He had to say something. No matter what effect it would have or how he would look. He without a doubt fell in love with Aoba. He was able to declare such strong feelings with pride. He didnt want to be rejected. He wanted to make Aoba his own and achieve his desires. Those were the strong feelings that swirled within Taiyou. He thought that he had to say somethinganything. His feelings became stronger and more refined. In that moment, the scene before his eyes changed into something he never seen before. Taiyou saw the air and the world. For example, he saw the scenery around Aoba change colors. It was as if her aura materialized and could be seen. Taiyou swallowed the words that were leaving his throat. Words from this point on surely were not necessary. Such thoughts calmed him down. Eventually, Aoba lifted her face. She had a face as if she was smiling despite being worried. Simultaneously, it seemed that she had resolved to do something at the same time. Natsuno-kun, can you promise mejust one thing? Its my a wish Ive always wanted Tell me MyOur. Children, definitely tell them who their mother is As she said that, her face looked like it could burst into tears at any moment.Within the faint smile, a large teardrop accumulated in the corner of her eye. It was something that tormented her for a long time and she never wanted to make anyone else go through that. Taiyou embraced her gently. He held her shoulders and lightly caressed her head. He held her entire body closely, completely wrapping her. I promise you, Ill make sure of it! Taiyou calmly spoke with determination . Aoba cried in his arms. Taiyou continued to caress her head until she was satisfied. Aoba stopped crying, raised her face from within his arms, and began to speak to him. Natsuno-kun.In addition to that, just one more. Can I request one more thing? She blushed as she said that.She looked ashamed of making another request after just asking her lifetimes wish to be granted. It was too cute for Taiyou. He felt like he would drown and could not deal with it any longer. If you listen to my one wish Y, yeah. I understand. What is Natsuno-kuns wish? As she was saying that, Taiyou put his hands on her jaw and raised her head. Immediately after shocking her, he kissed her. He only felt the kiss. At that moment, his head became fuzzy. It wasnt from simply touching her nor was it his first kiss. He had already experienced much more than just kissing. Even so, Taiyou felt so happy that his entire body felt like it was floating. When their faces separated, Aoba was blushing. Is this, Natsuno-kuns wish? Thats it. What is Miyagi-sans wish? Yeahthatuhhh Aoba hesitated for a while. Can you do it, once more? As soon as her pleading echo left her mouth, Taiyou clung to her lips once again. The momentum shifted; nevertheless, the fact that he was kissing her soft lips satisfied his heart. There was a sweet atmosphere for a short while and time continued. Presently, Aoba felt more embarrassed than before. Natsuno-kun, that isI have anotherwwish Only if you grant my wish Ye, yeah The conversation is not progressing at all nodesu! Unable to just watch, Hera ruined the sweet mood and cut into the conversation.She yelled loudly while flying around Taiyou and Aoba in circles. Why!? We were in a good place Its not the right moment since the story is not advancing.Return to Taiyous castle and do it at night nodesu N, NightDD Well, thats that Aoba blushed magnificently at Heras words but Taiyou, unlike Aoba, comprehended and was in agreement with her. The feelings of excitement from the kiss was still rising, but for the time being, he controlled his sense of reason and calmed down. Well then, once againwhat is your request Miyagi-san? Um, wellI thought I would ask you to let me stay there as well At Taiyous Castle? Yeah, the room I am using now. Ah, a different room is ok as well but I just want to stay there. Thats what I was trying to ask you From my point of view, everything will work out, but is that really ok? Yeah, thats what I want to do I understand.Then Hera, you return first. Can you let everyone know about what happened? Miyagi-san and I will go later Yes! I will tell everyone and be back two hours later desuyo` I didnt tell you to come back after you left! ahahahaha! Taiyou opened the window and Hera laughed as she flew away towards Taiyous Castle. Well, then Shall we go? Taiyou gently softened his embrace and talked in a whisper. In the living room at Miyagi residence. Taiyou was standing and faced Atsuko and Miho. Therefore, please allow me to call you mother-in law from today on Taiyou said and then bent his waist and bowed deeply.Immediately following the first voice, Miho returned to the living room and stiffened. Atsuko was slightly taken aback and then sighed. So thats the outcome? Yes, that was the outcome Aoba-sama, are you really ok with this!? Yes, Mother Please calm down and think well Aoba-sama. That boy has another woman. That is DD Miho-san calm down` weve become too impatient if we deny this as well Well, that and this are The same. Its different when it was still early but now, its not honorable for us to say that he has other women Atsuko-samaAre you really ok with this? Sooner or later, our daughter will become a bride. Besides, isnt this way much better than running away from home? Atsuko said that while gazing at Aoba for a brief period. I do not know what was said nor done to Aoba, but she looks strangely clear-headed. Somehow, she looks like she does not care who her real mother is anymore. Rather than making things worse and running away, Aoba currently seems to be much happier living beside the man she loves. But Miho-san, youre being too overprotective.If you are so inclined, will you try to decide for the majority? My other mother-in-law who is not here..what is she like? Shes somewhat different. For example, I let things take their own course and Miho-san is the overprotective type; therefore the other is the type who pushes their child into a bottomless ravine I see. Putting that aside, it means that everyones in agreement right? You can say that. However, Ill ask you one last time. Are you really ok with this Aoba? Yep I understand.Well then, idiot son 1 Youre suddenly calling me your idiot son? Taiyou smiled bitterly, however, being called that did not feel bad. Give me your address Address? What for? In order to bring Aobas luggage altogether at once. Since she isnt running away, I need to send her things for everyday life. Is saying such a thing necessary? I agree.I understand And one more thing. We will go and visit you tomorrow Huh? Miho-san, our lifelong dream. Shall we do it? Taiyou was shocked and perplexed by the unexpected development. Chapter 88 The Third Bride/ Coming Full Circle Chapter 87: The Third Bride/ Approved Conditionally Chapter 89: Homeless Child/ Delinquent Leader on a Rainy Day Translator: Nefarian Geez, Mother. After leaving the Miyagi Mansion and on the way back to the closest train station. Aoba who was walking side by side with Taiyou, was pouting cutely. Although she wasnt showing a smile, the expression on her face was far more positive than compared with a few days ago. Taiyou was trying to endure himself from laughing as he asked her to clarify the issue. Youre talking about that long-cherished dream that Atsuko-san mentioned arent you? Yes By the way, do you know what it is? Yeah, I do. Theres something that mum always says jokingly. If I ever became a bride, there was something that she wanted to do. Aoba was leaving out some of the important specifics because she was embarrassed. Thinking that her appearance was just so cute right now, Taiyou asked to get more of the details. Oh, really and what exactly does she want to do? Demon Mother-in-law Oni shutome? In a slightly off sync accent, he repeated her words like a parrot. Having heard something that hes never heard in his life, Taiyou could not immediately catch the meaning of her words. The words kept going around in his mind and somehow a little while later, he was able to understand. Ahh, Demon Mother-in-law. Meaning she wants to bully her childs husband-to-be? Yes, Mother told me since I was young that if I ever got married she wanted to do this. She said she would make sure to torment her son-in-law to the fullest, whilst shouting in a really threatening manner. Then again.. That really seems like something she would do Although he hasnt been her acquaintance for very long, Taiyou already had an idea as to what kind of person Atsuko was. Its easy to imagine that she will perform many template actions akin to bullying. Atsuko would have many tricky plans, Thats the kind of impression she gave him. Hmm but well, its probably going to be fine. If its Atsuko-san. I dont think that she will pull moves like a professional wrestler or something ..Thats naive, Taiyou-kun What do you mean The thing is, both Mother and Mama will join in Eh Mummy, Mama, and Mother. All three of them will combine their efforts and bully their future son-in-law to the fullest, theyve always agreed upon this since a long time ago That does seem kinda bad Especially Miho-san, Taiyou was secretly most afraid of her. Teasing, bullying and trying to break his mentality, if it was just Atsuko she would probably be using her mouth to verbally abuse him, meaning that as long as he responded in a mature way he would probably be fine, but if Miho was going to join in as well, this changes everything. Its likely that Miho was going to try various means to bully him. He only stayed in Miyagis house for a short period of time, but it was enough to understand. Miho did not approve of Taiyous relationship with Aoba. If a Mother-in-law does not approve of her son-in-law, there is no doubt that there will be plenty of torment and conditions that the mother will set up against the son. At first he was thinking quite hard about what he could do, but little by little, he felt that he didnt really care about it anymore. The existence of Aoba by his side allowed him to think in this way. She was close enough that her body temperature was transmitted via the air. He gently drew Aobas shoulder into his embrace. It was a little forceful as a gesture, but at the same time, his hands were in all respects, very kind and gentle towards her. Suddenly having her shoulders embraced, Aoba was surprised and looked at him with widened eyes. Natsuno-kun?! Adjusting his pace to match hers, he asked her a question in a whispering tone of voice. What is your dream Eh? What is your future dream I heard what your request was a little while ago, but I dont think Ive heard about your future dreams I dont reallyDD Aoba was seemingly going to say, she didnt have any dreams but then Taiyou interrupted her. Hearing about Atsuko-san and your mothers talk about their dreams, made me realize something. Its enough to make me imagine them talking in the past. I think that surely, they would have had so much fun whilst speaking merrily amongst each other Yes, I think so. When they drank tea together they would often chit-chat about it. When they were talking about this topic, they would all get really excited and they seemed to have a lot of fun I thought so, I can imagine it Nodding, he asked her again whilst still embracing her shoulder. So what is your future dream? I.. Aoba was hesitating and so Taiyou decided to talk about his own dreams first. By the way, my dream is to make all of you bloom beautifully Make us beautiful? What is he talking about? Aoba blinked her eyes in confusion. Making the woman you love become beautiful, isnt that something people often say? I really want to confirm if its possible. Kohaku-san, compared to the first time I met her, youd be surprised at how much more beautiful shes become. So much so that I sometimes feel like my soul is being taken away when I look into her eyes, shes become extremely beautiful that it makes me shiver. You might call me conceited, but I really believe that Kohaku has become so beautiful since she fell in love with me, and its because we continue to be in love. That Azumaya-san? Aoba was muttering to herself. Taiyou understood the meaning behind her mutter. Taiyou places more power into the hand that held her shoulder. Kohaku-san has become like so, and I want to continue to keep her that way. Moreover, I want all the girls who are together with me to be in love for a very long time, and keep all of them blooming. Cutting his words short for a moment, he strengthened his resolve before saying it once more. That is my dream Yes. I see, but how about Hayakawa-san and her sisters Thats the thing Taiyou smiled ironically. Their dream is to create a harem, creating a harem, they want to be one of the people in it. Im sure youve heard the expression, falling in love with being in love havent you? I think they are probably in love with the idea of being in a harem. Not really in love with me. But, I think that they really do like Natsuno-kun I dont doubt it. But how do I put this? Taiyou scratches his head showing a bittersweet smile. Although this may just be my selfish desire, but one day I want to make them stop saying the word harem ..Youre being jealous, arent you? Perhaps. He showed a strained smile for an instant, but then he adjusted his expression back to normal. So, what about your dreams For the third time, the same question was asked. Aoba who was reluctant to speak a while ago, was now quiet as she carefully considered her answer. This time Taiyou also stayed silent, and without urging her on, he just waited patiently. They entered the shopping district from the residential area and the station came into view from far away. The number of pedestrian passer-bys increased, there was even some people who looked with irritation at the two who embraced each others shoulder. Ignoring these people, Taiyou just walks slowly. Before long, Aoba opens her mouth. I want to become like my mothers Become like them? In what way? My Mum, Mama and Mother. I want to be as close as they are with each other, laughing together, sometimes arguing and also crying together. I think that, they will always be there for each other forever. I want to have that kind of relationship where we can live happily for a long time Talking gracefully and slowly, her words were packed with emotion. Anyone who heard her talk would know that it was her true wish. It seems like I am not a part of that dream Taiyou spoke out teasingly, but not in an unpleasant manner. Imagining her getting along really well with his girls, somehow gave him this strange sense of happiness. Umm, that is.. Im sorry Ahaha, thats alright, you dont have to apologize. I kind of understand how you feel. Perhaps, your father also had the same feelings as me. Though thats just my guess. Natsuno-kun.. Aoba whispers his name. Taiyou stopped walking, he drew her even closer and gave her a light kiss. Aoba was blushing and he whispered into her ears. If that is your dream, Im sure it will come true Eh? Thats becauseD Saying this, Taiyou turned his line of vision ahead. Following his gaze, Aoba also looks to the front. In that moment, the girl in his arms held her breath at the scene in front of her. Why. Do you even need to ask? Im sure you already understand it yourself, dont you? But.. They couldnt wait any longerD for your arrival. Saying that, Taiyou pushes her back with the arm that was on her shoulder and sent her out. Yes, her dream will surely be fulfilled. You may even say that it was being realized right now. Pushing her back gently he remained standing in place. In front of the two people was, Kotone, Suzune, Kazane and lastly Kohaku. Over the other side of the ticket gate, these girls were waiting for her. The girls were impatient to meet their new family member, and they were so excited that they got on the train and came to pick her up. Chapter 89: Homeless Child/ Delinquent Leader on a Rainy Day Chapter 88 The Third Bride/ Coming Full Circle Chapter 90: Homeless Child/ The Sun within the Storm Translator: MikazukiEditor/Translation Checker: Nefarian Early on a Friday Morning, in the living room terrace On the LCD TV for the family on the news program channel, a reporter wearing a raincoat is on the TV screen, broadcasting what is happening outside. It was the usual day of the traditional typhoon. There was no problem watching it being broadcasted but if you watch carefully, you come to an understanding that you cannot deny that there was a feeling of leaving behind an era. Because this was the age where telecasts are digitized and anyone could do simple video editing, it reached the point where accidents occurred more frequently, if you paid more careful attention. Even now, there are countless uploads on the internet of beautiful woman reporters whos underwear can be clearly seen through transparent clothes. Its become quite festive and merry. A man completely unrelated to the disturbance, the husband of the harem?Natsuno Taiyou was sitting directly opposite of the TV, while a young elderly woman?was sitting on his lap. The physical difference between the two made them look like parent and child but if you looked closely, you would see that Kohaku had her fingers crawling around his chest. Using her fingers in a sensational way that no child could ever do.Even though her caresses were making his mind feel uneasy, it was still early in the day so Taiyou was repeating excuses in his mind to stop the uneasiness. I guess the typhoon will come after all. I thought it would turn away somehow or another It seems so jyana Its the first typhoon of the year. Its nice that school has been canceled, but I dont want it to cause damage It seems so jyana Your moms navel protrudes outward, your dad is a pop-eyed goldfish It seems so jyana Were you not listening at all to what I was saying!? He raised his voice as high as possible. Since a little while ago, it had been one thing after another. Kohaku felt like that for a long time and had only been giving half-hearted replies. She was in a good mood, so she sat on his lap and behaved like a spoiled child to Taiyou. It would be ok if it was just that but coupled with her appearance, if it wasnt for her puns, it would feel like watching a toddlers regression. If he thought about it, the way she used her hands were obscene, clearly grasping Taiyous sensitive part and sexually arousing it. Taiyou thought that it was really wicked. Thats why he retorted the way he did and she finally said words that were not half-hearted replies. Is it not good? Once in a whileI feel like being spoiled in order to clear my head She said that in such a good mood that it could have had a heart mark attached to the end of it. Thats fine but Although he was actually happy, Taiyou held back from saying it. Please consider the time and case Time and case? Kohaku tilted her head in confusion, because she was still in spoiled child mode, the old lady of 130 centimeters was very cute.While holding such a girl in his lap, he glanced out the window. It was about time for a normal typhoon to land, but only slanted rain soaked the windows, which made the windows make a rattling sound. As the typhoon approaches, I have to check that doors are locked and potential for fires Youre so serious. But I like that part of you jya Well, I dont think its worth liking Taiyou-san Yes? He lifted his head in response to the voice and Suzunes appearance was there. How long had she been there? She suddenly bent her waist and kissed Taiyou on the lips. When she lifted her face, she had a huge smile. Please leave that to us. If there is something, we will regrettably call Taiyou-san, so please flirt with Kohaku-san until then Is that ok? Yes! Ah! but, please be affectionate with us afterwards o, ok Satisfied with Taiyou being flustered, she immediately departed.Without knowing if anything was checked, she went into a vacate room. On the second floor, Kotone came out of one room. She smiled when her eyes met Taiyous and then she entered a different room.Kazanes appearance could not be seen but based on the sounds that could be heard, she was probably doing a similar thing. The three sisters were restless but they wandered around the house looking delighted. Hey, Natsuno-kun Kohaku started purring like a cat and this time, Aoba came in. Her long straight ponytail was swinging back and forth. She was wearing her casual clothing which was a skirt and over the knee socks. She was relatively slender for her height. Her knee high socks wrapped around her slim, elegant legs, radiating healthy beauty. Because the boundary between cloth and skin was at eye-level, Taiyou instinctively reached out and touched her exposed skin between the top of her socks and the hemline of her skirt. Hyan! Ah, sorry, unintentional mistake What are you doing!? Well, you were too charming Taiyou put his hands together in a worshipping pose and said sorry. Ah Aoba blushed and muttered something. It was the word Im happy but it was drowned out by the sound of rain and wind, so it did not reach Taiyous ears. Taiyou asked what the purpose of her visit was as if nothing happened. Do you have any errands for me? Well, no, theres nothing. See you later! She ran away while blushing magnificently. He saw her figure immediately run up the staircase and return to her room. Taiyou secretly regretted overdoing it and angering her. Youth is good What? What do you mean? Even now, you didnt turn around jya When Taiyou didnt understand the meaning, he tilted his head to the side. Kohaku often refers to lines from famous works. Sometimes, she uses the original source as is and other times, there are different meanings caught up in it. Compared to that, Hera is easy to understand just from personal experience.Even though they seemed similar, Taiyou somehow thought that it was two different people. Well, my husband is a nice guy. I should have said this before jya. Males such as Lions and Gorillas usually do not work, the only time they work is when enemies appears jya Is that the way it is? Judge for yourself,if it wasnt such a thing, would the women be delightfully wandering around?You should leave the house to the women What are your true intentions? Spoil me with all of your strength! Are you an orange!?1 Taiyou retorted. He had a guess that it would end up this way.Of course, there is no objection to making love rather than spoiling Kohaku , so he thought it was ok for now. However, soon his turn came to do errands. This doesnt seem to be a foreign enemy Within the storm, Taiyou is holding an umbrella and walking with a plastic bag hanging.Strong crosswinds blew occasionally, and each time the umbrella looked like it could be crushed. Inside the bag near the handle that was being twisted by the wind that was blowing, was a round florescent light within a paper box. The three sisters were doing checks inside the house and this particular object was broken, so he was asked to buy a new one. While he was in the middle of admiring Kohakus beauty, his breathing was moderately rough and because it was leading up.. to the good part, she gave him a bitter gaze as he left. Well, I guess even male lions are made to run errands. but if Im not mistaken, male lions dont need to hunt, right? Murmuring such things, a strong wind changed directions and blew violently. Woah! Taiyou quickly lifted the umbrella with both hands and tried to direct the tip of the umbrella in the direction the wind was blowing. However, he could not react to the wind in time and the plastic umbrella was crushed following a tearing sound. In the rain, Taiyou was soaked in a split second and stared at the completely useless umbrella. Its certainly time for me to go He muttered. The wind that destroyed the umbrella became increasingly stronger as if it was leveling up. It then became a crosswind that made it difficult to stand.Indeed, Taiyou thought that him going was the correct solution because he could not afford to risk sending out his brides into such a storm. He crushed his now useless umbrella with uncommon yet extraordinary strength, crumpled it, and rolled it into a large baseball. He once again headed for home.As soon as the rain blew sideways, his pants were immediately soaked, but since they were mostly submerged since the beginning, he no longer cared. He firmly treaded one step after another towards Taiyous Castle. Uh? That is Suddenly, he caught sight of a figure that he recognized in his peripheral vision.Shirokiyami, with her trademark black goth-loli fashion, was standing in the center of a treeless childrens playground. She stood still in the storm without evidence of an umbrella. Her long white hair that reached the back of her knees, swayed in the wind. She was soaked with water while looking at up the sky with her usual boundless gaze. Taiyou somehow associated her appearance with a kitten left by their owner and placed in an empty cardboard box made for selling oranges. He approached and entered the park in order to call out to her. What are you doing? Training? She did not appear surprised when Taiyou suddenly called out to her, and she answered while looking up at the sky. Training? Beating the headwindstraining Incidentally, arent you getting wet from the cold rain? I mean, its usually dangerous especially considering that rather than mere headwinds, a typhoon is approaching Its no wonder that its stronger than I thought No no no, wouldnt someone normally notice this type of thing? What isnormal? Never mind with the philosophical questions Taiyou pulled Shirokiyamis hand and walked towards the exit of the park. What are youdoing? Dont worry about it, just follow me A rainy dayBancho?2 If you understand, then just follow me without complaining If I was a cat Id scratch you all over the place You can scratch me as much you want later Please give me Milk That manner of speech, Ive already heard enough to make my stomach full ??? While exchanging all sorts of trivial conversations in the rain, Taiyou returned home with a kitten left by their owner in an orange cardboard box err, or rather, the girl known as Shirokiyami. Chapter 90: Homeless Child/ The Sun within the Storm Chapter 89: Homeless Child/ Delinquent Leader on a Rainy Day Chapter 91: Homeless Child / Lets travel surrounded by cute girls Translator: Nefarian Taiyou Castle was standing tall even in this tempest storm, Taiyou opened the door and entered. Having lost his umbrella, both Taiyou and Shirokiyami created a big puddle of water beneath their feet. Aoba comes over with a clatter of loud steps to greet him at the front door. Welcome back Natsuno-kun. Eh, why are you so soaked? And also that girl is.? Ill talk about the minor details later, is the bath free right now? Ah, yes. Kohaku-san said that when Natsuno-kun comes back, hell want a bath, so we already heated the bath I wont ask why she assumed that I would need a hot bath.. But thanks. Saying his thanks towards Aoba, he looks at Shirokiyami once again. Come here. Her hands had already become completely cold due to being wet, he grabbed her and headed straight for the bathroom. Pulling open the polished glass door, she was taken to the bathroom. Wait a minute. Saying that, he let go of her hand and entered the bathroom alone. The bath was hot enough to release a steamy vapor that caused the ceiling to drop down droplets of water with a *pitter patter*. The bath was really wide and it was filled to the brim with hot water. The waters already heated so you will be able to take a bath soonDD Eh? What are you doing!? Taiyou let out a loud voice instinctively. Thats because Shirokiyami had already entered the bathroom and all her goth-loli clothes she normally wore were taken off and she was stark-naked. Her white skin exposed under the fluorescent light, and her splendidly beautiful and naked body was way too ero-tic. These days, Taiyou felt like a car whose break mechanism stopped working, becoming dumbfounded he felt like his brain would just stop working. What do, you mean? On the other hand, Shirokiyami was acting normally and didnt seem to be worried about the situation at all. Its the bath, after all. So I took off my, clothes. Its normal, to take them off. Normally you wait until the guy gets out before taking them off, dont you?! ..Now that you mention it. Thats not what you should be saying?! What if I lost my reason and started to attack you?! ..Cut? Thats scary! Its really scary to think that you would cut me! Ah. I made a mistake. Huh? Id be scar-ed?1 Saying that, she held on to her small body shaking left and right as if to hide herself. Even after she was acting cutesy and saying dialog like that, Taiyou wondered why but he still doubted her. No, well forget about that. I dont really expect you to act like that so. To be frank, Id prefer if you just cut me instead. .You a masochist? Im obviously not! Then. Are you a super-masochist? Why is it becoming worse?! Speaking in this sketch comedy type of way, Taiyou actually regained his cool. Shirokiyamis silly lines somehow seemed really spontaneous, so it a cooling down effect on Taiyous lust. In addition to the circumstances leading to another situation, it was no longer a situation he could become aroused in any longer. Taiyou pulled Shirokiyamis hand and forcibly pushed her into the bathroom. Look, for the time being, just soak your body in this hot water and warm yourself upDD In the moment he spoke. The glass door slid open with a clattering sound: *gara gara gara*. Welcome home nojya, Danna-sama. Dont you need your bride to wash your back for you?DD2 The person who showed her face, was Kohaku who was still in her spoiled child mode. Her sleeves were rolled up, and she was holding a towel, but once she saw the scene inside of the bathroom, she exclaimed with an Ohh. She alternated between looking at Taiyou and at Shirokiyami, after that she closed her mouth, she went out of the bathroom but her face remained and she continued to peek inside. Im sorry, it seems that I wasnt able to read the mood jya. The bath will be free for about 2 hours so please take your time. What do you mean by 2 hours?! As if wed need that much time! How could it be?! Dont tell me you only need three clicks to finish up? Thats too extreme! Or more like, the denomination used is strange! Three clicks is what a King uses to count time, you know? Please throw away those types of geeky obsessions! Whats wrong? Hearing the commotion occurring in the bathroom, the three sisters came in this time. However, the moment they see the scene in the bathroom, the three girls rapidly turn their eyes away and hid themselves in the other side of the wall. Im sorry! To have intruded! Koto-chan, Kaza-chan, we need to lay out a futon bed in the open room Ill leave that to you, Ill go and buy a camellia flower3 Wait a minute, you guys dont need to prepare the futon bed, the flower is also unnecessary! Taiyous words seem to have no effect as the three sisters already started to move and prepare. Chasing after them to join in, Kohaku also closed the door and calmly left the scene. Holding his own forehead, Taiyou could not help but to let out a sigh. In comparison, Shirokiyami was as expected very calm. She slightly tilted her head before asking him. In a situation like this Is it normal to lay out a futon? No, its not normal What about the, Camellia flower? That kind of thing only happens in a TV showcasing the Showa Era! Since the beginning, Taiyou wasnt planning on doing anything to her. After sighing out one more time, he pushes Shirokiyami into the bath before heading out of the bathroom. After taking a bath, Shirokiyami looked really cute in her new outfit. She was wearing this light blue colored Pyjamas. The three sisters prepared it for her, so judging from the size, it was probably Suzunes clothes. The pants were quite short reaching only up to her knees, and the cuff of her clothing had this vibrant red colored string wrapped around it, it was a really lovely outfit. Originally she always dressed according to her code name Shirokiyami, and only wore either white and or black type clothing, but now that she was actually wearing all these different colors, Taiyou thought that she looked really good in them. He was relaxing on the sofa lying on his back, but once he saw her, he stood up straight and couldnt just sit slouched anymore, that was how lovely she looked. Y-Youve finished? Yes. Ive finished Have you been able to warm your body? It would be bad if you caught a cold so. Im fine, I wont Catch a cold. Youre saying that with an awful lot of confidence arent you? Yes, cause Im the strong-est. You sound silly saying that, so please stop. Although, that in itself is persuasive coming from you. Taiyou smiled wryly after speaking with her. Although he tends to forget, she was actually known as a teenage expert who is declared as one of the strongest existences. Its easy to imagine that shes trained her body to a state where she was immune to catching mere colds. But all things considered, can you tell me why you were in a place like that? A typhoon is going to be coming you know? You cant be seriously saying that you were going to train in that kind of weather? Saying that, Taiyou glanced at the scene outside of the window. Because a typhoon was approaching the area, the intensity of the storm was increasing at a remarkable pace. The rain hitting against the window, was no longer something that could be replicated by just pouring water from a bucket. I was seriously, training. Eh? I was making progress. in the storm. Training under a waterfall or in the sea is also good. but its a little dangerous Taiyous eyes were bewildered as he continued to stare at her. He didnt think she was seriously training. But, she really didnt look like she was lying to him, just like she first told him, it seemed to be the case that she was literally training in the storm. Im really sorry. Taiyou stands up straight, then he turns his body towards her and bowed deeply lowering his waist. ..Eh? If that were really true, then I have actually disturbed your training. I didnt know what you were doing. So Im really sorry. Thats fine, more.importantly After saying that, she avoided meeting his eyes. It was like she wanted to say something, but was finding the right words to convey her message. I was lying Pyon.4 Making a halo by placing her fingers on top of her head, and doing an awkward pose. She looked like a child that was acting foolishly. . Is that so? Taiyou thought that she was definitely lying about lying right now. But he didnt point out this fact. She was being considerate of his feelings so he didnt want to treat her with disdain. Stop standing there, you should also come and sitDD Letting bygone be bygones, she was heading to her seat when DDCrackle, Snap. An unfamiliar sound struck his eardrum. In the next moment, the electricity cut off. Kyaaahh! What? Whats wrong? Ohh, this is? The voices of the women living in this house could be heard. Everyone? Are you guys alright? Yes! Were fine! No problem nojya. Both the three sisters and Kohaku responded while talking in a slightly higher pitch. But for some reason, Aobas reply could not be heard, thinking that this was strange, Taiyou headed towards the direction her heard the sound and called out to her once again. Aoba? *Silence*. Indeed, there was still no answer. Wondering if something had happened, Taiyou walked through this dim area, and headed towards Aobas direction. And then, he found Aoba at the bottom of the stairs. She was holding her head while crouching down, and her body was trembling. Aoba? Natsuno-kun. She looked up at him with teary eyes. It was apparent from her face that she was frightened by something. Want to hold on to me? DDYes The moment he asked, Aoba flew up and jumped towards Taiyous arms clinging to him. Even while in this position, she was trembling, even though it hasnt been long since the power cut off in the house, the small hands clinging to him were already completely cold. Are you scared of the dark? Aoba nods her head up and down. Seeing her like this, he embraced her shoulder closely, and returned to the living terrace area. He was comforting the trembling Aoba while looking out of the window. All the lights outside seemed to have gone out and he couldnt see a single light working. It seems the power failure has occurred in a large area. That means that we cant do much but wait it out. Saying this, he continued to hold her tight whilst sitting down on the sofa. Suddenly, he noticed something. Shirokiyami was still standing in the same spot, but she was acting weird. Her face still remained expressionless but, this was different from her normally boundless and elusive expression. He could see that she was tense. Above all, her treasured sword the Reverse-Heaven that wasnt there a little while ago was now taken out and being embraced closely. It was like she was using it as a support. Dont tell me, you areDD Im not afraid okay? She spoke as if she was making light of the situation. Normally Shirokiyami had this tendency to talk in broken sentences, but right now the words she spoke were very clear, for a moment he just stared at her blankly and then Taiyou started to laugh a little. Danna-sama. Taiyou-san. From the corner of his eyes, he could see both the three sisters and Kohaku. Taiyou beckons them to come over towards him. The girls rushed up to him with happy looking faces. I will be together with them like this until the power comes back on, Taiyou was thinking of doing this but then Boom. Rumble, rumble, rumble. Along with the thunderous sound, all the girls around him simultaneously cringe with fear (Shirokiyami went as far as to take her sword out of her scabbard). The building was shaking largely. When he looked in the direction of the sound, he saw that the wall was destroyed by a broken gigantic tree, and the wind and rain was blowing everywhere into the house. Chapter 91: Homeless Child / Let’s travel surrounded by cute girls Chapter 90: Homeless Child/ The Sun within the Storm Chapter 92: Homeless Child / Scented Afterimage Translator: MikazukiEditor: Nefarian Taiyous Castle in the morning. Taiyou and Kohaku were standing in front of the empty hole. Even though they were indoors, the large empty hole was great for ventilation. The refreshing air after the typhoon departed passed through their nostrils, giving them a sense of invigoration as if they were in the meadows. I dont think we can go on like this Taiyou tried hard to raise their spirits but it was in vain. Around the room was wreckage of the wall that was crushed by a huge tree. Because it was exposed to the storm all night long, it was soaked and had various kinds of garbage scattered around. Every room that had a door that was closed was safe, but the living room terrace was atrocious. This is unsatisfactory Yes it is. Im fairly ready to clean it, haha, but first I have to move this out the way Taiyou said as he proceeded to lift the tree which was the main culprit for the disaster. It was as heavy as a temple pillar and weighed several hundred kilograms; however Taiyou easily lifted it up. He went outside while avoiding hitting anything. So, what are we going to do about the wall? After looking again, the damage to the building was serious. Several walls were knocked down and it looked like ruins. Even though Taiyou could move huge objects which weighed several hundred kilograms, he was at a loss when thinking of how to restore it. Danna-sama, I guess this is something that can no longer be solved by an amateur jya1 Indeed, theres no other choice but to call a ContractCarpenter Ive already called one. A Contractor will come in a bit jya. I heard them say that they will be here between today or tomorrow and have it fixed in two days Awesome There was a double meaning behind Taiyous words.One reason was because of how fast Kohaku operated and the other because of how the merchant would fix it in two days. In that case, we cant live here in the meantime. We need to find shelter somewhere Yea, as one would expect, we cant live in a place where there is construction. Well then, will you come to my apartment? Even if its small, its ok as long as I can be tightly attached to Danna-sama, but there is an even better place than that A better place? Hot Spring jya Come again? Now, once everyone is ready, well leave immediately jya Kohaku turned around and standing in front of their gaze were the three sisters and Aoba who prepared for the journey beforehand, as well as Shirokiyami, who for some reason was standing perfectly next to them. Their eyes were shining. When they got outside, there was one car parked there since who knows how long. It was a red minivan with six seats. Are we going by car? Thats right jya Who is driving? Taiyou had a bad feeling and looked around. Taiyou, the three sisters, and Aoba were all minors. Regardless of if it could be done or not, none of them were old enough to drive legally. Although Shirokiyamis age was unknown for the time being, she could not have a license as well because she had to be the same age or younger than Taiyou. In other words, if anyone could be called drivers, it wasnt them.Naturally, Taiyou suddenly looked at everyone again and then returned his gaze to Kohaku. She had an elated and proud face while showing a picture card she was holding. It was a drivers license, and furthermore, it was gold. Of course the driver is me jya Wait a minute, isnt that really bad? What? Will even Danna-sama take a license from an old person? Do not look down on old people. See for yourself jya As she said that, Kohaku opened the door and got into the drivers seat. At that moment, Taiyou was standing in front of the car, seeing the sight that he predicted through the windshield. her head Aoba muttered something while Taiyou was holding his head. Kohaku, whose growth stopped at 130 centimeters because of her being an Eternally Little, only had a small portion of her head above the steering wheel when she got in the drivers seat. It was just like displaying a severed head at a prisons gate. Huh? did you say something? N, No,didnt say anything Well Kohaku-san, its not impossible right? Why do you still have doubt? Shall I tell Danna-sama one good thing? This license is gold and I am not paper jya In other words? Does that mean you drive normally? Thats amazing Kohaku-san No, Im bad at driving normally, butoh well Taiyou thought that that wasnt enough questioning but decided to give up since it was futile. Kohaku wouldnt say she can drive unless she could so she wasnt lying. He couldnt erase his anxiety but decided to believe her and get in the car. So, he decided to collect everyones luggage, opened the backdoor, and loaded it in. The three sisters and Aoba got in the car and were in the backseat. Are you ready? Kohaku asked. Yes, certainly Yes, I am The sounds from the 3.1 channel could be heard from left and right. Lets gogo This time a voice was heard from the top of the roof. WellDD DDwait a minute!!! Taiyou cried out, opened the door, jumped out, and looked up at the roof of the car. There, Shirokiyami was wearing her usual Goth-Loli clothes. She did not enter the car but was sitting on top of it with her knees aligned to the roof, and had a sheathed Japanese sword on her lap. Why are you there!? I goton the car Get inside. Why the roof? I want to feelthe wind? Cool dude! but you probably shouldnt do that. Itll be dangerous if you fall from there Its ok. Iwont fall. Besides, a swordsman on the roof of the carincreases market price No no. What would you do if you were seen by the police? kill? She showed him a napkin and a white blade. 2 Do not kill!? At any rate, get inside I already dont have a seat crowded That is correct in regards to the back seat but theres the passenger seat Therethe death rate is the high-est Oh, you were secretly worried Aoba murmured from the interior of the car. I understand. In that case, I will take the passenger seat and you can ride in the back Well then us too! How can you join!? Natsuno-kun, I will take the front No, I cant allow it after hearing that the death rate is the highest there. Ill ride up front y, yea ok When Aoba realized what she heard, her cheeks were dyed red. Just like that, Taiyou was worn out from the noise and hassles before even departing. In the end, once he got in the front passenger seat, the girls settled down in the back and they finally could start. Kohakus driving was quite comfortable. From the passengers seat, the sight of a child sitting in the drivers seat was more uneasy than when watching from the outside, but once the car started moving, her driving was calmer than any other driver Taiyou had rode with. Even if you placed a cup on the dashboard, her calm driving made it seem like water would not spill out of it. Leaving the urban area and getting on the highway made the drive even calmer. Even though it was a family car minivan, it seemed as if he was riding in a luxury car such as a limousine. Although he was riding in it, it did not feel like it was moving. Youre used to driving I see Do not look down on a veteran beautiful girl. There was a time when I was often driving around like this jya You were driving around? Thats right. I would wander around here and there while driving and traveling around Japan jya In the car? You slept in the car? What did you do at night? Also how about a bath among other things? It was something like a motor home which had a bed and there was also a simple shower. There were enough equipment and amenities that it was not an inconvenience when I was on a journey. It was a moving 1k travel studio jya3 Really? Thats pretty cool. Riding a car and going around Japan Does that car still exist!? The three sisters voices matched each other and their eyes seemed to be expecting something. Its still in my possession because I usually dont use it since Ive stayed in the suburbs Really? Then, lets ride it next time Lets travel with everyone Aoba as well Right after that, Kazane turned towards Aoba with pleading eyes. Aoba nodded nervously.Although they felt a bit reserved and there was a wall around the new girlfriend, Kazane and the three sisters were aggressively and positively trying to close the distance. It was their dream from the start to make a harem so they wanted to become friends with everyone. Thus, they immediately had a feeling of wanting to get along with Aoba. Furthermore, they also invited Shirokiyami to this trip. The next morning once the storm had passed, as Shirokiyami was saying that she should leave, they forced her to accompany them against her will. When she felt doubt about why they invited her, they explained that considering she would most likely be there in the future, they might as well get along now. The three of them all believed that Taiyou would without a doubt; win Shirokiyamis heart sooner or later. Because the three of them had such an idea, there was chatter and laughter amongst the girls along the way. By the time they arrived at the hot spring resort, Shirokiyami and Aoba had somehow or another completely opened their hearts. Chapter 92: Homeless Child / Scented Afterimage Chapter 91: Homeless Child / Lets travel surrounded by cute girls Chapter 93: Homeless Child/ Extreme Wall Slam Translator: MikazukiTranslation Checker: Nefarian In the afternoon. The Natsuno family plus one came to a historical inn at a hot spring resort. Located in the mountains in the north, beyond the prefectural border. It was clear that it was a very familiar place for Kohaku. This was because of the fact that they went straight to the inn without any hesitation in regards to directions after getting off the exit and the pleasant interaction of the hostess who greeted them at the main building when they arrived. Guided by the hostess, Taiyou and the others were not guided to the main building but rather to a detached house on the premises. All the rooms in the building were Japanese style rooms. It had the atmosphere that suggested there was an amazing writer who wore a kimono here decades ago. When Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane stepped foot into the building, they became very excited. They opened all the sliding doors, checked the rooms, and admired the garden which could be seen from the banquet room.Although not as obvious as the three sisters, Aoba secretly had sparklingly eyes as well.Noticing Aoba who they had become friends with in the car, they pulled her hands and all four of them went to explore the inside of the inn. After watching them leave, Kohaku suddenly let out a deep breath. Well, I will rest a bit jya Rest? Yea, I guess Im tired from the long drive jya.I will only take a little nap.With that said, Danna-sama? Yeah? Would you sing a lullaby? If would you like, we can sleep together as well While joking, Taiyou entered the bedroom and laid out futons for Kohaku. Would merely sleeping together be enough? Kohaku who came in late was being mischievous and had a small demonic smile. Provocation, temptation, and teasing. It was an attractive smile that encompassed them all at the same time. At least for Taiyou, it made him feel like pushing her down on the futon right then and there. What if I decline? A veteran beautiful girls reputation would be tarnished jya Kohaku smiled gracefully, but her ridiculing face increased. We also have a rare audience so Im in high spirits jya Audience? DD Ah! Immediately after doubting Kohakus words, Taiyou saw Shirokiyamis appearance. Greetings Spectator Because of the atmosphere of the Japanese house, standing behind the sliding doors gave her an ephemeral atmosphere.She also wasnt wearing her usual goth-loli fashion but a yukata, which gave her such an appearance and aura. Taiyou looked at her up and down and then became flustered. Since the three sisters and Aoba went out, and it was just him and Kohaku, it created a sensual atmosphere.However, there truly was a third party. T, this isDD Its ok. Itsok. I understand You understand? While listening to what he was saying, Shirokiyami took the coins on the low table, made an Ohineri by wrapping them in tissue, and threw them at him.1 I understand What are you doing!? Youre certainly unfamiliar with it. Its a gift to throw at actors when you want to honor them or when they do something amazing or exciting jya. Like a flower you give to an actress. What shall we do before she throws it? What kind of advice are you giving!? I understandI will doit. Threetwoone There is no need to continue doing it! We are not doing anything anymore! You wont do it? Not even the lullaby jya? Please refrain from saying such things with a grin! Taiyou retorted. The sensual mood from a little while ago had vanished. It really wasnt????remotely close to such feelings from earlier. I will take a little walk Return before sunset jyazo` Taiyou left the detached house while Kohaku purposely spoke in a mother-like tone. Immediately after rushing out, Taiyou was a little irritated and said good grief. The irritation he had vanished quickly after a short while however. The garden of the Japanese-style inn had plenty of summer grass. Because of the trees shadows and the high elevation of the land, the neighborhood was cool. The wind that caressed his body occasionally while playing the sound of leaves was refreshing and helped him calm down. The air is delicious, it is really delicious I.agree Woah! He heard a voice that he did not expect.Turning to the direction of the voice, he saw Shirokiyamis appearance. It was the same as a few moments ago. Her ephemeral aura kept him from noticing just how long she had been there. Why are you here? That person issleeping. I came so I would not inter-rupt I see Taiyou was convinced after what she said made logical sense. Even so,you were brought along somehow so is now ok? Now? Well, I think it is too late at this point, more or less Well, for meits ok, for the time be-ing Really? Besidesthe one who is followed has a tendency to bechallenged I agree with that Are we doing itnow? She looked at up at him. She asked Taiyou with the such a beautiful face, that it gave him the feeling as if she was completely begging him. His heart tightened and throbbed. However, that feeling was from being overly optimistic and totally unrelated. Taiyou clenched his fist tightly and through an upper-cut. It was a punch that could be described as scooping something from the ground. It made a Buuuon sound and cut open the air.If the punch were to hit iron bars or concrete, even they would be crushed flat. However, it did not connect with Shirokiyami.The punches were thrown with enough force that it felt like the blood vessels in his fingertips were bursting. Immediately afterwards, an ephemeral voice was heard from behind. Is itafter-image? Why the question? Well, it was a slight afterimage but I saw it Taiyou turned around with a slightly bitter smile. That? That is also anafterimage Once again, he heard a voice ????from behind him. Did I really see an afterimage? Taiyou turned towards the voice once again. Shirokiyami was in her original spot while standing with a nonchalant face. Her straight, long white hair that spread along her smooth and slender back, fluttered in the wind.She was a beautiful women who could be compared to a Peony 2 What is it this time? afterimage Well, its strange that you can do such a thing Is it permitted?That wayeven the bullets of a Gatling Gunwont work. Its better if Iavoid them however Isnt that beyond manslaughter! Its just you Lastboss Shirokiyami pointed to herself. There really is a sense of you being the last boss. Do I have to win against such a person? Is it even possible? Is it notpossible? This time, she bent her head slightly while asking. If the three sisters or Kohaku did that, he would have had sex with them immediately. Of course, he wanted to do it with Shirokiyami as well, but her overwhelming difference in abilities made it impossible. 3 Taiyou gazed at her and asked her a question with a serious look. I must win a fight in order for you to be my girlfriend right? Or are you telling me there is another way? No, you need to conquer me and make me all messed up. Must I really mess you, is this some sort of set course meal? The last part is myservice to you. I dont need service like that. Well thats that. If thats the case, its hopeless I can beat you. Are you saying you give up? No Taiyou declared to her clearly and suddenly. She was slightly surprised because he interrupted what she was saying. Since Ive decided that I wont give up on you,Ill find my own way to beat you by anything means necessary You seriouslywill go thatfar I seriously will go that far He repeated the same words, started walking, and then stopped. The sunlight leaked through the leaves and the cool wind once again caressed the body. The slightly depressing feeling that he felt from the overwhelming difference in ability returned. I understand Shirokiyami nodded and walked next to him. However, somehow or another, Taiyou felt hat he did not have any animosity.He thought that that was just how things were for now. If youre seriousthen I will be serioustoo huh? The next timeI will be serious Have you ever been serious? Out of 100%I will give 100% If you think calmly, thats just 100%! It means I will beserious I know! I know but Is it better for you toquit? No, if youre serious than I will be serious as well Taiyou responded immediately. I feel that its useless to go easy on you if I want to beat you Yeah, I understand On the other hand, when I do defeat the serious youyou understand right? I understand I will give you my soul and all ofme By the way, what happens when you give 100%? Catchball Huh? I can play catchwith my afterimage. However, I dont throw it backit looks bor-ing Seriously!? You can throw and catch a ball with yourself? You dont havea dad No I have a dad! or should I say, he exists WellIm feeling a presence Presence? Can you sense peoples presence or something? Yeah, for example For example? Ponytail is nowquarreling with aman? eh? Chapter 93: Homeless Child/ Extreme Wall Slam Chapter 92: Homeless Child / Scented Afterimage Chapter 94: Homeless Child/ Veteran Beautiful Girl Translator: MikazukiTranslation Checker: Nefarian Miyagi Aoba was alone outside of a shop by herself. A winery located about 5 minutes on foot from the inn. Its a nice spot that visitors surely drop by when visiting this place. Originally, while walking and chatting with three sisters, they said they found the store while looking for a souvenir to give Kohaku. They invited Aoba to the store but she refused. Because of a constitutional problem, just smelling the scent of alcohol made her become tipsy. She realized she was someone who could never drink. After explaining that, she sent the three sisters inside the shop, and waited outside. Which reminds me, none of us can drink There was no bench outside the shop, so she thought about such a thing while leaning on the wall. As far as she knew, it seemed that neither her father nor three mothers could handle alcohol as well. Even though Atsuko surely had the nature of a heavy drinker, all she could handle was one bottle of beer, which made her hop off the walls crazily. I wonder if my new mom can drinkbut I doubt she can Aoba restrained a chuckle. She figured she might as well try to buy a bottle of wine for her parents in order to make fun of them. Even though she thought about her parents, she also considered about how the age of the person who will become her fourth mother would not be unusual. The thoughts made her not as depressed as before. On the contrary it even made her feel happy. Its all thanks to Natsuno-kun, right? She thought aloud, being clearly aware of that fact. She accidently peaked inside the store a bit through the glass and caught glimpse of the three sisters. Immediately after she began to live with Taiyou, she heard stories about how he would eventually make seven wives. Also, she heard from Taiyou that even though the three sisters were triplets, they considered themselves one person. In other words, nine women would eventually be with Taiyou. That was three times the amount as in her parents home! Even when the fourth mother comes, thats still less than half. Taiyou promised Aoba that in the Natsuno family, their children will know who their true parents are. A promise and an overwhelming harem that exceeded her parents. With the two things combined, Aoba started to think that she did not care about her troubles. That calmness also appeared on her face. Until now, she was a flower bud that was tightly shut but now she was in full bloom and seeping with love. To say in a few words, she was attractive. One could even say that she was as pretty as Ms. Japan. Unfortunately, a bad bug was wandering around and drawn to the flower bud before it could blossom. 1 Hey, I was looking at you for some time now, you alone? Eh? When Aoba shifted her attention to who greeted her, there was a boy standing there. He had a hairstyle that was cut short on the sides and raised on the top. His clothes were very loose and his only appeal was that he looked a bit different from everyone else. The boy was surely the same age as Aoba. Puzzled, she asked him another question. Are you talking to me? Thats right, you you 2 Aoba raised her eyebrow and scowled as she repeated and carefully examined the way he addressed her. Without sensing the discomfort oozing out of Aoba, he spoke to her more. Youre alone right? You free right now? Im not alone and Im not free Aoba realized that he was probably some sort of smooth talker. She spoke bluntly and implicitly rejected him. Is that so. Do you know where the station is? Eh? Station? Yea, the station The boy gave a large nod. Aoba was suddenly confused. The stationit certainly seemed like it was that way That way? From here? Yeah,if you go downhill, you should see it if you turn at the restaurant The noodle restaurant? Have you ever eaten there? Is it delicious? No, its my first time coming here Is that so. In that case, do you like soba itself? I like it. Everyone loves udon in my prefecture, but I enjoy both soba noodles and udon noodles. You? UmUdontoo Before she knew it, Aoba was having a conversation with the boy. A conversation was formed while she was answering his series of trivial questions. Anyone would answer each question one by one if they were caught up in the pace. By the time someone thought that it shouldnt go on, it was already too late. Questions flew from the boy one after another. Engulfed by the situation, she could no longer resist, and started to go along with his conversation. She thought to herself This is worthless but since his first introduction, he was blatantly not addressing what Aoba said earlier about not being free. By no means could she say I dont know so get away from me in regards to the question What direction is the train station in? Aoba was not a woman who could go to that extent. In the meantime, she felt that the boy was rapidly getting closer to her. She wondered if he was physically getting closer to her or if it was actually in her head. Or was it both? Aoba could not distinguish between the two because she was unconsciously being engulfed in his conversation. (Natsuno-kun) As she was being cornered, she tightly shut her eyes and called the name of the man in her heart. DDDon! The wall behind her shook with a sound. Surprised, she opened her eyes and the figure of the very boy she called out to was standing in front of her. Natsuno Taiyou. He forced his way in between Aoba and the smooth-talking boy and stood in front of her. In the process of protecting Aobas entire body that way, he unconsciously hit the wall she was leaning against. Natsuno-kun! Huh? Who are you? Beat it!3 Taiyou unilaterally said that phrase as if to declare that he would not give the guy a chance to speak. In addition to the smooth-talking boy rebelling, his facial expression became angry. It was the first time he had another expression other than a smile. Cmon! Im not beating it. Im not afraid of you! The smooth-talking boy charged at him but Taiyou grabbed his chin with the hand that wasnt slammed into the wall. He raised the boy with his fingertips like a vice. The boys feet kicked the air as he struggled to get free. 4 Seeing the boys face turn bright red from his blood rising, Taiyou let him go, however the boy failed to land correctly and landed on his back. There wont be a next time Taiyou said while looking down at him. Taiyous threat and the unmatched overwhelming power were made clear. The boy looked frightened, tucked his tail between his legs, and ran away. Taiyou turned to Aoba after seeing the boys appearance vanish. Are you ok? Y, yeah I see. Well, I heard you were caught up in something so I came as fast as I could. Im glad I made it in time you5 Before his eyes, Aoba was pondering the word with a meaningful expression and he was wondering what was going through her head. Huh? No, nothing. Thank you Natsuno-kun No, Im sorry I was late. I wish I had ran faster No, you still came So Im happy Aoba said and smiled with narrowed eyes. There was passion in the word of happy. Taiyou who heard it felt his heart beating. It was a word said by an extremely beautiful girl named Aoba. A beautiful girl who he had fallen in love with. It was different from the genuine words I love you and I like you, but it had the same destructive power as them. It can be said that Taiyou would do anything if it would make Aoba happy. He felt that he would even split the world in two if he needed to, just to see her smile. They stared at each other and let their faces approach each other gradually. Soon their lips were touching. Hey` Woah! Hiyan!! The two of them noticed Shirokiyami staring motionlessly at them while standing beside them. She had been staring at them with her trademark unimpressed expression for who knows how long. Wwhats the matter? Nothing I brought youhere Aah. Thats right. Thank you. It would have become a major incident if you did not tell me. Taiyou said that and meant it. He truly appreciated Shirokiyami. Thanks to her informing him, Taiyou knew exactly where Aoba was being confronted. Of course he wanted to thank her but he was secretly thinking about a much better way to show his gratitude. Even though I told youit still became a majorincident Huh? DynamicWall Slam Eh? Eh!? Shirokiyami pointed. Taiyou and Aoba turned their eyes and were both shocked at the same time. Somehow, the wall that Aoba had her back against had cracks spreading out in a linear pattern, from when Taiyou slammed it like a sumo wrestler. Double meaningWall Slam 6 No, well I will perform theWall Slam aswell While saying that, Shirokiyami was hitting the wall which made a cute pechi pechi sound. Taiyou and Aoba smiled bitterly at the same time while staring at the wall. Chapter 94: Homeless Child/ Veteran Beautiful Girl Chapter 93: Homeless Child/ Extreme Wall SlamChapter 95: The Homeless Child/ The Ghost Girl Translator: Nefarian A stand-alone house covered under the veil of darkness. The chirping of summer insects and sound of water-filled bamboo sticks clacking against a stone rhythmically sounded in the background. Furthermore, there was a lovely sight to behold as many glamourous girls wearing yukatas surrounded him. Taiyous brides were all changed into yukatas. The three sisters were wearing three different colors of red, blue and yellow respectively. Aoba was wearing green and Kohaku was wearing a light blue yukata. It was a multi-colored arrangement and each of these girls had their own cute looking points. Since Taiyou left to change his clothes, the beautiful ladys had been having a pleasant chat with each other. On the other hand, Shirokiyami who was not part of his bride group wore her trade mark goth loli fashion clothing. Perhaps she really liked wearing these types of clothes, or perhaps she just disliked wearing a yukata, but ever since the girls came out of the hot spring, she remained in her usual style of clothing. Arent you going to change into a yukata? Im good. for now For now? Differenti-ation. Is that so? While it was a small movement, Taiyou nodded his head. Although she wasnt saying very many words, he was still able to understand what she wanted to say. Because all of his brides were wearing the yukata right now she didnt want to wear it, if he wanted to force her to wear it Taiyou had to defeat her in combat, thats the kind of thing she implied. Hearing her words made Taiyou a little glad. Why are yousmiling? Cause Im happy. Youre happy? Ahh, after all your words from before means that you are seriously considering my proposal, right? At the very least I understood it as you keeping your promise. Thats true. however. However? I always say that to everyone I meet. If they want me.. they need to defeat me. Is that so Taiyou was slightly discouraged. Although it didnt change the fact that he needed to beat her, hearing that any male could step up to the challenge made him feel a pang of loneliness for a moment. B-ut Hmm? Once again, she spoke in her peculiar manner in accordance with her unique breathing patterns. When he wonders what she was going to say next and looked at her, he couldnt see the expression on her face as she was looking towards the garden. I wouldnt go to the hot spring with just any one. Is that true? Its only cause. I dont have to worry about being attacked. Even if thats the case, Im happy. Even though she told him that she went along with him because she wasnt afraid he would attack her, he still felt that this made him somewhat special as opposed to other men. Therefore, make sure. you dont misunderstand. Yeah, I wont. Taiyou shows a forced smile. Well the feeling that he was special was only a hunch he had after all. In order to be truly special in her eyes, Taiyou realized once again that he needed to be able to overpower her in combat. Remembering the show of strength, she showed previously, he noted that there will be plenty of future troubles for him to face. (Well, I can only try my best) Once again he strengthened the resolve in his own mind. Husband, just what are you doing standing over there jya? are you going to neglect your cute brides and flirt with another woman? What were you speaking about with that person? Both Kohaku and Aoba came towards Taiyou. Unlike Kohaku who was talking to him in a jesting and playful manner, Aobas words were slightly mixed with jealously. Just a little something. I dont understand what you mean by a little something jya. Its about the fact that he wants to defeat me. and viol.ate me one day. Ohh! Ehhhhhhhh?! No thats just an exaggeration! And moreover, Kohaku-san why do you seem happy instead?! Uuuuu.. to think that my husband would grow up into such a bold gentleman, Im so happy that tears are coming out of my eyes jya. Kohaku was pretending to cry showing her crocodile tears. Im telling you that your response is weird, moreover your response is not suited as a bride, its more like you are acting like some sort of delicate mother. Hikaru Genji was one of the men who aimed for veteran beautiful girls so it kinda suits your role jya. Please dont try to force me into such a thing, moreover what is a veteran beautiful girl? When a girl is 70 years of age and yet she is still beautiful, wouldnt she be considered a veteran jya? Although, even if you were to play professional baseball until you were 50 years of age, you would still be considered a rookie. I see, Kohaku-san is really at that age isnt she? The newcomer Aoba shows a surprised face as she heard Kohakus age. Thats right, Im the beautiful veteran girl Kohaku-tan jya Kohaku stuck out her chest and spoke out proudly. Kohaku-tan if by some chance I lose, will you come to help? If by some chance Taiyou smiles bitterly. .The chances are about, 1 to 1,000,000.? The probability fell! Or more like it fell way to much! You can rely on me Yami, at that time I will be husbands assistant and make sure you thoroughly fall jya1 Eh? You will help Natsuno-kun? Okay, Im counting.on you. Ehhhhhhhh? Youre also fine with that? Aoba was shocked and seeing this Taiyou sighed with relief as he thought Ahh, now thats a normal reaction. Taiyou went for a walk with Aoba. The inn within the mountains showed a different type of scene during the day and Aoba was looking here and there with curiosity. On the other hand, Taiyou was not too interested in the scenery. Ever since he left with her on the walk, Taiyou was only concentrating on Aoba who seemed dazzling to him. Although he was frequently looking at her, when their eyes were about to meet he would also look away. The thing making him worry so much was Aobas hand. (I want to hold her hand) It was a really junior high school like thought to have. This hot spring has quite the beautiful scenery within the mountains doesnt it? Have you ever been here before Natsuno-kun? No.. this is my first time here. I see, this is also my first time. In the past I also went to a hot spring within the mountains along with my family and it was quite common for monkeys to appear. The monkeys were really friendly, look, its kind of like how there are pigeons in the park, they arent afraid of humans and they dont attack us either. Oh, I see. They were extremely cute, and also we were able to buy some of the monkey food which was being sold from a nearby store. You mean food like rice crackers? Yeah, those kinds of snacks. Hmm, do you think some monkeys will appear in this mountain? Perhaps. Chiming in the conversation, he continued to walk together with her. Taiyou wasnt even the slightest bit interested in monkeys. The only thing in his mind right now was, how he was going to be able to connect his hands together with Aoba. If he was just to ask her permission straightforwardly, although she may be embarrassed she would likely agree to such a request. If she was the three sisters or Kohaku, he probably wouldnt have hesitated doing such a thing. The three sisters were also his classmates but since the beginning they had already confessed straight up to him. In Kohakus case the first time they met, they met with a kiss and then after that she always held goodwill towards him. Comparing to the other girls, Aoba started off hating Taiyou. Since the time she left her home, furthermore, there was a period in their relationship that was worse than just being classmates and this continued for quite a long time before the settlement of her family issue. Therefore, even though they had already confessed to each other saying they want to be together for a long time, there was still many things that Taiyou couldnt say to her upfront. (But that wouldnt be good of me, right?) Thinking that the hesitation was unnecessary he became determined. H-Hey Aoba. Whats wrong? The thing isDD Geez! That again? Just when Taiyou was about to ask the question, he was interrupted by the hysteric voice of a woman from a long distance away. Because the girl spoke out with such a voice of indignation and anger it completely destroyed the atmosphere that Taiyou was setting up and Aobas attention was attracted to the scene. I wonder whats wrong? Natsuno-kun, lets go and take a look. Y-Yeah. Although he was discouraged by the fact that things did not proceed as planned, he realized that he wasnt going to be able to get a good mood again so quickly. Reluctantly he followed after Aoba. The voice came from the direction of the inn. There was a large entryway and a Japanese style sliding paper-door that opened widely. On the inside of the room, there was multitudes of people in what appears to be a banquet. Although there were some low tables lined up and all types of cooking on top of the tables, near one of the tables was a waitress with a resentful face looking down on the table. Whats wrong? The customer.. Kohaku-sama. No, theres nothing wrong. He was curious as to the unique way Kohakus name was called with the sama attached to the end of her name, but even more so, he was curious as to what was going on near that table. On top of the table, there was food lined up and only one persons portion was eaten. This is? When he asked a question, the waitress answered him with a face of resignation. It was stolen. What was stolen? Yes, I was just going off to prepare for the cooking and when I took my eyes off for an instant, it was gone. Recently, this kind of thing occurs quite frequently. You mean by some monkeys or something? Aoba asks. I dont know, we never see who actually steals the food. But I dont think its monkeys, if it was the food would also be scattered across the floor. Certainly, it would be strange if they only purposefully took a persons portion of food away. Looking at the state the table was in one more time, Taiyou was convinced it wasnt a monkey. Just like he said, the only thing gone was a single persons portion of food. The food right next to it wasnt touched in the slightest, it was unlikely that any type of animal did this and it seemed like a persons doing. Do you have any cameras used as surveillance? We regard the customers privacy highly, besides this inn doesnt have such a thing installed in the premises because it may ruin the scenery. Ahh, I see, so you dont want to spoil the elegance of the building. This was something he could understand. If you knew the background of this place, this was an inn with nearly 100 years of history behind it. If they set up cameras here and there to keep a close eye on the customers, it wouldnt really reflect well on their inns reputation. Im very sorry, I will go back to the kitchen and prepare another meal in a rush. After saying that the waitress rushes away with half a run. Taiyou was alternating looks between the dishes on the table and the waitress who left to the kitchen. Chapter 95: The Homeless Child/ The Ghost Girl Chapter 94: Homeless Child/ Veteran Beautiful Girl Chapter 96:The Master of both people/ Not a coincidence but inevitable Translator: Nefarian Whats wrong Natsuno-kun? Im worried About? No matter how you see it, this only occurs after someone eats it. Yeah, I think so too. Specifically, one persons portion is gone and they even used the wooden chopsticks Aoba answers and the wooden chopsticks that were split up were broken off badly and was of different lengths. So I heard from the waitress that this kind of thing happens quite often recently. But this is a tourist destination, dont you think its weird? I see, nearly all of the guests here are only staying at the inn briefly. Yes, its hard to say just how long each guest stays in the inn, but normally tourist dont stay over for such a lengthy period. Thats true, I also thought the same. Even though this has occurred for quite the long period, they still havent searched for the culprit. Furthermore, there hasnt been anyone in particular that declared they hold a grudge against this inn. Indeed.. This is a little mysterious. Natsuno-kun, are you bothered by it? Yeah. Taiyou nodded. Normally, this kind of thing is not something he would be concerned about, but for some reason this caught his attention. Even if you asked him the reason for it, he wouldnt be able to answer very well. Still, even though that may be, he was interested in how the food was eaten. I understand, then lets look for the culprit. Eh? Youre bothered by it right? Thats true but Then lets look for them. Aoba was being proactive and Taiyou agreed to her suggestion. Though hes started to feel this way for the past several days now, he felt like Aoba was much more cheerful in mood than when she first met him. She barely gets angry or depressed and differing from the first impression he had of her, she was actually a very lively and beautiful girl. Though in saying this, how are we going to find the culprit? I dont think that they would purposefully leave breadcrumbs or footprints pointing to where they were hiding Thats true. The two of them looked around their surroundings and found that there werent any easy clues. Then lets start by gathering information, perhaps we may be able to understand somethings after. Alright, I guess its better than doing nothing. Theres no need to do that desuyo~ When the two of them were about to walk away, Hera showed up from thin air. Its been awhile since she last appeared so Taiyou went Ohh as he saw her. You were here? Thats so mean of you desu~! Hera pushed up both her hands as she protested. Ahh my bad, its cause I couldnt see you all this time, so I assumed that you were staying back at home. I wouldnt do such a thing. Besides, even if I was at home, Taiyou-chan and I are barrier-free nanodesu. No matter where Taiyou-chan is, I can immediately appear before him. I remember you telling me that before. Yes nanodesu, I exist for Taiyou-chan desu~ Ive also heard that before he didnt say this thought out loud and instead asked about the first thing she said when she appeared. What do you mean when you said that theres no need? I know who the culprit is desuyo. I saw them after all. Over here nanodesu. Being led by Hera, both Taiyou and Aoba arrived to this particular building. It was a building that was about 10 minutes away from the establishment and it seemed to be deserted. Completely different from the Japanese style inn they were in before, this building had its own atmosphere. It was like a house that someone lived in before but is now gone from this place, or the kind of place that kids made into their secret basement, or the type of place to be used as a test of courage by the neighborhood kids in a summer night, the building had that kind of atmosphere. Is the culprit in here? Yes desu. Na-Natsuno-kun.. Aoba who was very high-spirited moments ago was now tightly grabbing on to the cuff of Taiyous clothes. Her voice was trembling and it was obvious that she was frightened because of the atmosphere. It was the same way she reacted when the typhoon occurred just yesterday, but could it be that she was also afraid of the dark? Is what Taiyou thought to himself. Seeing her like this, Taiyou naturally moved in to tightly hold on to her hand. Im holding your hand, so its okay Un Thank you. Aoba nods and squeezes back in return. After putting it to his mind that his top priority was to defend her if something were to happen, they both set foot inside of the building. Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan~ What is it? Please wait here for a moment desu. Why? Just when he wanted to ask her this, Hera already flew inside of the building. He didnt understand the reason but he had no choice but to reluctantly wait there. Before a minute passes, Hera had already warped right in front of him. I found them, they are in the same place as before. Where is that? It is in the building around the side, inside the storage room desuyo~ Hearing this Taiyou nods, silently looking towards Aoba he maintained his grasp and walked together with her. Making sure to keep quiet as they advanced through a garden that was overgrown with weed, they went around the side of the building. When they did they found this prefab type storage room. Taiyou silently looks at the storage room and after that looked to Hera for confirmation. Yes desu, thats the place desuyo~ Hera was talking normally and only Taiyou and the person he kisses can see her figure. Taiyou nods and he heads to the storage room with Aoba. Unexpectedly his foot steps on a tree branch that dropped next to his feet. a snapping sound resounded and the storage room shook as if in reaction to the sound. In the next momentDDDD The door of the storage room opens and someone from inside comes jumping out. The other party was agile and catches Taiyou off guard, however (Compared with Shirokiyami this is) He had enough surplus time to even think of this sentence in his own head. Comparing it to Shirokiyami who was able to leave afterimages from both the left and right, this person didnt even seem like they were moving. Taiyou extends his free hand and tries to catch the culprit. However, DDSquish. This kind of sound effect resounded in his own brain. A soft feeling gets transmitted into the palm of his hand that tried to reach out to the culprit. Kyaah! The moment he understood what it was that he felt in his hand, a piercing scream in the night sky that seemed like it was going to tear silk apart resound. Sorry, sorry, Im sorry, sorry. Returning to the inn, he bowed his head to the girl who was now in his room alone with him over and over again. From her looks she seemed to be quite a young girl and it was likely that she was close in age to Taiyous group, she seemed to either be in junior high or perhaps a high school student. She easily exceeded a height of 160 cm and she was a tall kind of girl. Furthermore, the reason she screamed so loud just before is because she boasted an overwhelmingly large breast size. He had never seen this type of huge breasted girl before. Ahh no, if you apologize so much, I will feel bad going home. You grabbed her boobies real good after all desuyone~ Please stay quiet in front of others. Eh? When he suddenly swatted Hera who appeared suddenly in front of him, the girl was staring at him confused. Ahh, no nothing. More importantly, would you mind telling me your name? Ah, Yes! My name is Pochi! Yes? Ummm Ah, yes. Mai neemu izu POCHI1 No its not about the language, moreover why did you speak your name so specifically the second time? After all its my name, so Im used to saying it. Is that how it is.? No that doesnt really matter. Is that really your name? Hesitating in calling this alluring girl by that name specifically, he wanted to clarify the matter. Yes! That is the name that my father gave me! I see, for the time being lets leave it at that. I have this one thing I wanted to ask you however Umm, yes? She looked despondent. It seemed like she could already guess what Taiyou was going to ask her. Even though he started feeling guilty after seeing her like this, he still boldly opened his mouth and decided to ask her. Apparently there is someone who keeps eating the dishes in this inn without permission, is that perhaps your doing? Yes Thats me. Im sorry. Why? She keeps silent. Placing both her hands on her thighs, she purses her lips and looks downwards.Perhaps she didnt want to say why, or perhaps she couldnt say why. No matter what it is, she must have her own circumstances, is what Taiyou surmised. I see. By the way, let me change the topic a little, but are you still hungry? Eh? We are about to go eat dinner soon. If you are still hungry I thought, we could prepare one more portiDD My stomach is empty! She declared it as if her life depended on it. It was enough to make you think that she led a life of hardship. I understand, then I will tell them to prepare more dishes. In the meantime please stay hereDD Saying that the triplets opened the sliding door and entered the room. Taiyou wanted to speak with his advisor so he left the room. Outside was Kohaku, giving him a wink he headed outside to her direction. Before long they walked to a location that couldnt be heard by the people inside of the building, Kohaku then proceeded to stand to a halt and turned around to face him. Danna-sama. The girl who talked to him was showing a strained smile. But it was hardly a laugh and it was more so filled with bitterness. When he saw such an unusual expression on her face, Taiyou thought something may have gone wrong. After taking this Pochi girl home with him, Taiyou asked Kohaku to do an investigation on her background in private, so he deducted that her bitter expression is likely because of this fact. Whats wrong, did you manage to find something out? I investigated it in a hurry jya, therefore it may be a mistake but You arent being articulate like usual, did something bad happen? Rather than something bad I would say its like an unknown experience? No even though I know this kind of thing exists, its an unpleasant knowledge jya. Unknown? Knowledge? Im sorry, but can you say it in a simpler way? I suppose so. First I will start with the conclusion. That girl does not have a birth certificate to identify her jya. Eh? In a certain way. Saying this made her even more uncomfortable. She legally doesnt exist as a person, shes like a ghost girl jya. Looking at the deserted house, Taiyou was astonished. After hearing this story, his face changed in a similar way to how Kohakus looked right now. Chapter 96: The Master of both people/ Not a coincidence but inevitable Chapter 96:The Master of both people/ Not a coincidence but inevitable Chapter 95: The Homeless Child/ The Ghost Girl Chapter 97: Two Masters/ Over 100 Translator: Nefarian After leaving the eerie house and heading towards the main building. During that time, Kohaku did not utter a single word, she walked in a brisk pace as she led Taiyou. Entering the main building, they passed by some of the waitresses along the way. Though the younger girls behaved themselves and lowered their heads just as they were supposed to act towards customers, the older women in this inn purposefully made way moving any luggage aside and giving Kohaku a deep and reverent bow. Taiyou remembers the fact that a few hours ago one of the waitresses called her Kohaku-sama, more so than he thought, he felt that Kohaku had quite a deep connection with this inn. He wondered what had happened in the past and as he thought about these types of things, he was being led deeper into the inn. Eventually they ended in front of a heavy well-made door, the doorknob was twisted slowly and Taiyou was sent in the room. Kohaku doesnt enter and stands beside the entrance of the door. Wait in here for a while jya. Kohaku-san? Ive called on someone who has a better understanding about these type of things jya. I also want to hear about it in more detail from them nojya. Is that so? Well then see you soon. Kohaku spoke in a more mature way than usual as she shut the door and left Taiyou inside the room. Taiyou sighed as he saw her close the door and began to look around the room. The room had a table that had a plate saying living room, there was also a fine looking carpet that made no sound even when it was stepped on. Lastly there was also a high quality sofa that your body could sink into. This location was in the most interior portion of the main building and the usual hotel guests were not allowed entry into this place. Taiyou was left alone in this room so for the time being he sat on the sofa and looked all over the room. It was likely that this room was created to entertain guests that were planning on doing business, but there was no other characteristic to the room other than it having high quality goods so Taiyou got bored very quickly. As he was thinking about what to do until Kohaku returned, he saw this square note-pad along with a good ballpoint pen on top of the table. After looking at it for a while, he took the pen and paper into his hands. On it, he started to write the names of his girls. Aoba. Suzune, Kazane and Kotone. Kohaku. And lastly, Shirokiyami. From top to bottom, he wrote each of their name full of feelings. While thinking about their appearances in his own mind, he wrote their names They were now the names of women who lived within his heart. Miyagi Aoba. Having long hair and a straight pony-tail, she had a bright smile and was an attractive young girl. Her figure was delicate and slim, she had a moderately sized chest and a beautiful pair of female legs that had its own charm to them. When they first met each other, she disliked him and called him a cheater, but that was because she was in a special type of family relationship where she had three different mothers, not only that a fourth mother was about to join her family as well. Above all, she lived her life without being informed of who her real mother was and she continued not knowing about them even until now. After confronting her deepest issues together with Taiyou as her support, she vowed to never let her own children experience the same fears and worries she experienced and ended up living together with Taiyou. Right now they havent moved past the kissing stage, but she was a woman who clearly had feelings towards Taiyou. The three Hayakawa sisters. Suzune, Kazane, Kotone. They were born on the same day by the same mother, even their genes were the same, they were identical triplets. Even though they had the same face, for some reason or other their sizes and height of each were in three different stages. Kotone had a body appropriate for her age, she seemed to be an ordinary high school student, Suzune is half a head shorter and was more like a junior high student, whereas Kazane was almost the same size as elementary students. If the three of them were standing side by side, you would think they were the same girl in different stages of their life, almost like a before and after picture. These girls recognize themselves as one person even though they are triplets and since they were a child they had already planned to live together with one man. This thought strengthened as they grew up and it changed into a desire to have a harem with themselves being part of it. And finally they met up with Taiyou and the girls were now living under the Natsuno household as his trustworthy housewives. Azumaya Kohaku. Her outward appearance was even more like a child even when compared to the childish looking Kazane, Kohakus height was at 130 centimetres. However, in reality she is a big senior in life that has lived for over eighty years. There are no lies when she calls herself a veteran beautiful girl, her cheeks were still plump and her hair was trimmed and shiny, her neck was still flawless and her physique had not changed for many years. Her face always had a smile on it and she had a different kind of cheerfulness in comparison with Aoba It was the kind of smile that made you believe that she had lived her life and been to places. She had a childish appearance yet her eyes had a depth and maturity to it. The reason behind all this is that she is one of the Eternally little, they are a group of girls who lives their whole life stuck in their 10-year-old body. Being unable to grow any further she lives the majority of her life in this form. She was a young-old lady that had kept her body pure until she met with Taiyou, but since that one night she had given her purity over to Taiyou and began calling him Husband and would whisper this lovingly into his ears at every chance she got. Shirokiyami. Both the age and real name of this beautiful swordswoman is unknown. The color of her skin was as white as the snow and her white long hair reached the back of her knees and it reminded you of a silk thread. As if to add contrast to her look, she always wore this black gothic dress that covered her arms in a sleeve that had a bell-like shape. The dress had a skirt and she also wore a black over-knee socks that covered her leg. She has a unique way of breathing and speaking, the expressions she showed were quite limited almost like a doll, but to contrast this, her eyes held a deep boundlessness and a strong light within them, no matter how you see it she was a very unbalanced beauty. She was known as the strongest expert in the world and every time Taiyou met with her, he would issue her a challenge. They made a promise with each other and she told him that if he could defeat her in a duel, she would become his woman. Since then Taiyou has continued to challenge her whenever they met. Each time, this monochrome colored girl would wield her wooden scabbard against him and would repel his attacks. Right now, he couldnt even reach her feet. Thats why his desire to win against her became even stronger. Seeking her love, making this feeling grow, the crazy emotions were always swirling within his own mind. Taiyou was writing the names of the girls one after another. It was the kind of conduct that you did in class, sort of like drawing scribbles in a notebook to pass the time. Writing the names of the girls he liked was a normal conduct for a boy in his puberty. Inside of this room, you could only hear the sound of Taiyous soft breathing and the scribbling of his pen. The way he wrote the names side by side, almost made it seem like someone practicing to write kanji, but as he continued to write, none of the letters ever became messy nor written incorrectly. Taiyou put his feelings at every stroke and dot, in order to write the names of the girls he so adored. It was like he was given a treasure from the gods, no it was more like he was treating this as dealing with god. He wrote with reverence and respect. Above all, he wrote their names with overflowing love. He kept writing their names on the paper putting all his feelings into them. One character at a name, he wrote the girls names, it felt like something was beginning to build up within his own mind. Aoba. Suzune. Kazane. Kotone. Kohaku. Shirokiyami. There was no longer any misunderstandings. Each time her wrote their names down, he felt something accumulating within his heart. Taiyou felt satisfied. He wanted to collect his feelings within his own mind and each time he wrote their names down like this, he reaffirmed the feelings he had for them. It was like he was pouring liquid in a water jug. Or like the feeling of enriching a dry earth with water. Therefore, Taiyou continued to write. Pouring more of his feelings into it and wanting to feel even more satisfied, he wanted to fill his heart with all their love and beauty. While thinking in this way. Gradually, he started to mutter out their names as well. DDAoba. Suzune, Kazane, Kotone. Kohaku. Shirokiyami. DDAoba. Suzune, Kazane, Kotone. Kohaku. Shirokiyami. Thinking about them dearly, he kept writing their names. Suddenly another names floats within his mind. After filling out many pages of the memo-pad he didnt write it down, but now that it came up in his mind, it was a name that didnt seem to disappear. Taiyous hand stopped writing. For a moment, he was about to write that name on paper. Taiyou hesitated, did he have a right to write this name? Would it be alright to arrange her name amongst the women he so dearly loved? He did not understand his own feelings, to begin with, he didnt even know why her name came out in the first place. Therefore, Taiyou turned over the page on the memo pad. At the very least it would be separated from his list of names, just a trial he tried to write the name once on a brand new page. Yuri Murmuring out at the same time, he wrote the first letter of her name and then ended with a horizontal line. Tereretetete~? Taiyou-chan has levelled up! In front of him, a fairy about thirty centimeters in length appeared out of nowhere. Chapter 97: Two Masters/ Over 100 Chapter 96:The Master of both people/ Not a coincidence but inevitable Chapter 98: Two Masters/ The Girl without a Family Registry Translator: Nefarian The word that was stuck in Taiyous head came to the surface. There is a certain word that was popularized among the Japanese people for a certain period of time. That word was KY aka people who cannot read the situation. 1 The behavior of the clueless fairy which magically appeared in front of him right now was the very consolidation of the word. Youre amazing Taiyou-chan, with this youve managed to hit level 12 nanodesu~. Whats even more amazing is that I did not even need to teach you the method to earn experience points, youve managed to find the method on your own! The totally clueless Hera looked at Taiyou and gave him a bright smile. As expected, Taiyou-chan is wonderful, youre the only one in one-hundred million nanodesu. Taiyou-chan is the only one I can be proud of. Oi. Alright, since there is nobody in the surrounding area, let me show you immediately the results of the level up. Taiyou-chan, theres something really surprising thats becauseDD oops, Taiyou-chan has tried his best so I think it will be better to check it for yourself. Hera continued acting like she was deeply moved. Oi, you. With this, you are getting closer and closer to Yami-chan, right now its probably at the level of a romantic fling, but one day a blooming romance will arise~ Listen to what Im saying! Hera was just talking on and on to herself and Taiyou reached his limit and shouted out. And then a slapping sound resounded as Hera got slapped into the carpet. That hurt nanodesu! What are you doing Taiyou-chan! Are you having a male period or something?! Listen to what people are saying! Or more like why did you suddenly appear here! Eh? Well I mean you levelled up you know? Ive even made sure that there was nobody in the surroundings just like you requested, but are you somehow unsatisfied Taiyou-chan? Level up. Yes, the thing Taiyou-chan was doing just now accumulated experience points and a level was gained as a result. ..Are you talking about the writing of the girls names on the memo-pad just now? Thats exactly right nanodesu! DDSlap! Hera is slapped one more time, this time she spins around and flies away towards the wall. What are you doing?! DDSlap! Hang on a minute Taiyou-chan DDSlap! What are youDD DDSlap! Stop it alreDD DDSlap! Calm down and listen to whaDD DDSlap Did I do somethiDD DDSlap! Y-You meanieDD DDSlap Being smacked over and over again, Hera was finally in tears. Still every time she was dusted away, she still fluttered.. and unsteadily wandered back to where Taiyou was. Looking at her in such a state, Taiyou felt a little better. He always had the impression that the tasks that Hera had him do to level up were meaningless and useless tasks. She made him do things like stack up blocks and knock them down, dig up holes and fill it back up, turning a coin back and forth, these types of menial tasks. At the very least, all the tasks he had to complete since now has been things like this, so it was kind of ingrained in him. Moreover, even Hera has mentioned that these were repetitive tasks. So he thought that raising his level was essentially repeating useless type of work. But the thing he was doing just before was something he did not consider meaningless, it was the thing most distant from the word meaningless. Writing the names of the girls he loved and confirming the feelings he had for them. At least he was getting some kind of satisfaction from doing the act. Certainly when he considered it calmly, the fulfilment he earned from writing down their names in the note and the fulfilment he felt when doing the repetitive laborious work was similar (he did not want to admit that it was practically the same). Nevertheless, the fact that the act led to his level up insinuated that it was a form of meaningless and useless work. From his point of view, getting angry was a natural thing. Uuu.. Taiyou-chan I felt a murderous intent desuyo. However, when he thought about it calmly, Hera (probably) did nothing particularly bad either. She was only acting faithfully based on her own instincts and she also kept her word to keep quiet when other people were around. Not only that, when Taiyou was swatting her away, even though she was tearful she always seemed to come back to his side obediently. Seeing her appearance like this, Taiyou felt a slight tinged of guilt. .. My bad Eh? I was really irritated before, but now Im reflecting on it. Is that why you are speaking like this nanodesu~? Im being serious, that was my bad. Saying this, Taiyou lowered his head towards Hera. Unable to anticipate this development in the slightest, Hera panicked a little. W-Wait a minute Taiyou-chan! What are you doing? Please raise your head~ Im sorry, please forgive me. I understand desu, I will forgive you~. Ill forgive you to the extent of me trying to speak out very difficult kanji words! So you can raise your head now Taiyou-chan! Is that so? Thank you. Taiyou raises his head and seeing that Hera became relieved. Fuu, that was surprising desu. Im truly sorry. Its alright, I only exist for your sake Taiyou-chan. I will do anything for Taiyou-chan, besides, its alright for Taiyou-chan to do whatever he wants to me desuyo~ Thank you. Yes desu. Ufufu. What happened? Im sorry, its just that Im really happy when you said thank you desuyo~. If I can hear those words from you, I wouldnt even mind it if I kept being swatted until the very last ounces of my HP desu. The last ounces of your HP? Dont tell me, are you saying that you can actually be killed? Yes desu. Didnt I tell you before Taiyou-chan? I can only be killed by you Taiyou-chan. Ahh, now that you mention it, I do remember hearing something like that from you. Was that really the truth? I can not tell lies to Taiyou-chan desuyo~ Hera speaks in a joyful manner. She always speaks in a roundabout way, but somehow the words she spoke just now had a completely different feel to Taiyou. Is that so? Well then, let me just recollect my thoughts and then would you mind showing me the results of the level up? Yes desu, in that case, here it goes~ As soon as Hera finished speaking, a torrent of numeric figures rushed through Taiyous brain. Numbers he was used to seeing continued to flow through. Did agility finally exceed 30? Eh, hasnt strength gone over 100?! Yes desu, as expected of Taiyou-chan. Being at level 12 and having strength over 100, you are like a grizzly bears senpai arent cha~? Isnt that a total balance breaker.. Taiyou opened and closed his palms whilst looking at it. As Shirokiyami has pointed out, nothing really changed about his physical appearance and it did not seem like he was someone with any sort of overwhelming power. Should I try measuring my grip strength? You can also do the bench press desu, Im sure you will be able to lift more than 190 kilos~ I may even be able to become an assassin if thats the case. Isnt it a little different from that desuka? Well Im still the same person inside so its alright. Oh, I see nanodesu~ Exchanging a Hera-like conversation. He was confirming his newfound abilities. Just how much more explosive can his strength be now that its gotten up to this point was something that he wanted to test out sooner or later. After a while, the door opened with a click. Two women showed up from there. The first girl was the familiar young looking old lady and the other was a face he had seen for the first time. The woman who came in after Kohaku was a female in her 50s and she was elegantly dressed in a tailored kimono. Her spine and backbone were still tensely upright, and she gave off this feeling of grace. Ive kept you waiting nojya. Hanaeda, this is my husband jya. The two women were standing in front of Taiyou and Kohaku was introducing him to the woman. Taiyou panics and stands up in a hurry, even though this was their first meeting, her appearance looked like an elderly person and because of this he bowed his head to show respect. Nice to meet you, I am Natsuno Taiyou. Its my pleasure, my name is Iwashiro Hanaeda. It is my honor to make your acquaintance. Please raise your head. Yes. After saying this, the three people started to sit down. Taiyou sat at his former position, Kohaku sat by his side. Hanaeda sits on opposite side facing the two people. Oh? Ah? The two women raise their voices at the same time. When he was confused at what occurred, he noticed that their gaze was gathered at the same spot. The thing they were looking at was the memo Taiyou had written in just until a while ago. In it was the names of various women, naturally Kohakus name was also in it. Just like Kohaku-sama has told me, he really does seem to love you from the bottom of his heart doesnt he? Of course jya, if he wasnt such a man, I wouldnt go as far as to trust in him. Ive started praising someones spouse again. L-Leaving that aside. Since he was deeply embarrassed by the topic, Taiyou hurriedly tried to change the topic. Did you say your name was Iwashiro-san? What kind of a relationship do you have with Kohaku-san? Since a little while ago, I noticed youve been calling her with the sama honorific. I am indebted to Kohaku-sama. Although it may be presumptuous of me to say this but, I feel as though I am like her daughter. Daughter. Murmuring out the word, he turns his gaze towards Kohaku who was next to him. Are you going to fancy another girl whilst your bride is right next to you, danna-sama? Thats not allowed jya, Hanaeda is like my daughter, so it would be incest if you were to fancy her jya. No, thats not the casDD Im joking jya. The thing that I wanted to discuss with you along with Hanaeda is the main reason I have brought her here. The main reason Having those words roll off the tip of his tongue, he turns his eyes towards Hanaeda. The woman was looking at Taiyou with a serious expression on her face. Then, let me talk about PochiShe said. Chapter 98: Two Masters/ The Girl without a Family Registry Chapter 97: Two Masters/ Over 100 Chapter 99: Two Masters/ No Sound Level Up Translator: Nefarian In saying that, where shall I begin I wonder.? Hanaedas face changed to the color of confusion. She wasnt sure where to start and she had a concerned expression. In that case, would you mind if I asked you something I am curious about? First of all, the girls name. Why is she called Pochi? After confirming that Hanaeda agreed to his request, Taiyou asked the question he was most concerned about. The name of the girl was without a doubt like the name of a pet dog, thats why he was curious about the answer. That is the girls name. Her real name? You cant be saying that her real name is Pochi right? I dont think that the government office would accept a name like thatDD After saying that, he took a big breath of air. He suddenly remembered the thing he talked about with Kohaku minutes ago. Thats true, the government office would not accept a name like that. To begin with, it was never reported to the government offices. I will also talk about the details surrounding this matter. After Hanaeda says that she takes a small breath of air before beginning her story. Fourteen years ago a woman came to a nearby mansion. The house did not have an owner living in it so the girl lived there as its new owner. That girls name was Karina, after living in the mansion there was something similar to a family name plate that was hung on the door. Nobody had seen the womans appearance, after arriving at the mansion she closed herself inside and never showed herself in front of others. Every day all the things she needed in her daily life were delivered to her house, only when a person by chance heard her voice on the intercom would they notice that she sounded like a young woman, however nobody really knew exactly what she looked like. Before long, it was known that a strange person by the name of Karina lived in that house. After several years passed, a young girl sometimes showed herself from the mansion. Either the woman brought the child with her when she first moved or she gave birth to the child in the mansion, that was how young the child looked. Even though the child was playing in the premises of the mansion, the woman named Karina was still only recognizable via the intercom phone system, she did not show her figure at all. Years passed and the little girl gradually grew up. Even though she became of age to go to school, the girl stayed within the house premises and did not enter schooling. When a certain person visited her mansion to find out more about the circumstances, that person found out that the young girl called Karina as Master and that the young girl was named Pochi. The person who visited the house suspected that the young girl must have been abused in the household. However, in the end, there was no intervention by the person. Thats because there was no trace of abuse on Pochis body. Another thing is that even though Pochi calls her by Master but if you imagined her saying Mother instead, you could sense that they had a great mother-daughter type relationship. In the end, there was no room for outside intervention and both Karina and Pochi kept living in the mansion. Pochi doesnt go out of her plot of land and she did not go to school, but apparently Karina seemed to have given her some education so she properly had knowledge taught to her. She talks to friendly and sociable people who walks past the mansion, so to the tourists around who did not know of her circumstances, she seemed like a home town girl who was a little clever. On the other hand, Karina doesnt show herself to the outside world and only occasionally can her voice be heard. And then another decade passes. On a certain fateful day, Karina disappeared from the mansion. Leaving only Pochi behind. Ironically, just like the name she was given, Pochi continued to guard the mansion. As one would expect she would get hungry after a while, so she occasionally left the mansion to steal food at this inn. Taiyou who had listened to the end of the long story was speechless. He had a few guesses here and there as to what may have occurred, but he never expected anything like this. Thats as far as I know. Up to this point, everyone living around these parts knows this story. In a certain way, both Karina and Pochi have become celebrities of sorts. From here I shall take over. Pochi..I heard most of the details from Hanaeda and I also relied on my intermediary sources to investigate further information. After doing that, I managed to uncover something surprising jya. Something surprising? Thats right, when that girl named Pochi was born, there was no birth certificate issued jya. No birth certificate created? Is such a thing even possible? In itself the event isnt that rare, but for it to have been left in such a state for more than ten years is something that can be considered rare jya Is that so? From there Ive thought about various things and I thought about the possibility that Karina and Pochi were real mother and daughter, but the investigations led to nothing jya. Why is that? Thats because Karina had already passed away, there was a public record of her death and testimonials from the hospital, not only that but her cremation was also recorded. It isnt possible to find out even with expert appraisal jya. Is that so? Karina and Pochi. Karina..Kana?1 When he was saying out the name of the mother, he suddenly shifted the intonation of the mothers name and it became a different word. Have you noticed it, Danna-sama? Hearing this, Kohaku answered with a faint smile. Thats exactly right, Karina was literally as it implied, a temporary name. Her real name was Suzuki Yuuko, once again, this was such a generic and ordinary name that it was difficult to get anything out of it jya. . Taiyou became even more speechless. The girl named Pochi just continued to become more and more enigmatic. In fact, I was surprised. Hanaeda intervened the conversation. You were surprised? Yes. That girl is a very good child. She often greets people courteously whenever they pass by the mansion, hmm, how do I put this, she is a really bright child very similar to you, Taiyou. If you exclude the fact that she doesnt go out of her mansion, she is a very lovely and good girl. Furthermore, she has the ability to sympathize with other people. Whenever I was in bad physical condition even if it was just slightly, she would notice it immediately and be worried about me. Is that how it is? Thats why, the moment that Karina-san passed away, I continued to care about that child and visited the residence. If it was necessary, I even thought to take her in as raise her as my own.. however However? That child does not want to go out of that mansion. As long as you pass through the mansion, that girl will remain very bright and tender as usual, but if you suggest or talk about her leaving the mansion, she will take a strong stance and refuse any suggestions. It was not just towards me, anyone in the neighborhood that did the same was treated as such. Everyone around here is concerned for the girl, after all, she is a gentle soul that can provide people with peace of mind when they are in her presence Therefore, whenever she stole any of the dishes, you would not make any big commotion out of it. Hanaeda nods quietly. Because it wasnt possible to get her out of the mansion, I could do nothing but leave her alone. I once tried to forcibly remove her out of the residence, but at that time she acted enraged and struggled violently. Thats why, I never would of thought that Pochi would leave that mansion. Hm? Wait a moment, whenever she went out to steal the food, hasnt she come out herself? Yes, well she did come out, but that was all her going out by herself. Up until now, there has never been a time when that girl was taken out of the mansion by someone else. Ahh, so it was like that. Danna-sama, you are the first person to have accomplished this feat jyana. .. What does that mean? I dont know. However, but if possible I would like to ask for a favor. Hanaeda says this and quietly lowers her head. If it is possible, please take that child out from the mansion completely. I sincerely request it. Even though Taiyou was at least two generations younger than herself, Hanaeda spoke with respect and sincerity. Seeing her head lowered down so deeply seemed to reflect her strong feelings towards Pochi and also how she regretted the fact that she was powerless in all of this. After Hanaeda stood from her seat, only Taiyou and Kohaku remained within the room. Even though they were sitting next to each other, they did not create their sweet lovely dovey atmosphere. Thats because the both of them were thinking about the girl known as Pochi and neither of them were able to get into the mood. Taiyou places his elbows on to his thigh and he had interlocked fingers that was placed under his chin whilst having this pensive look on his face. Danna-sama, what are you thinking about jya? . I remember the story of how this girl grew up raised by wolves. Its the story of Amara and Kamara jyana? Taiyou did not even respond to indicate that he was paying attention to Kohaku, in this case the names did not matter to him. What mattered was that this girl named Pochi was in an environment and condition that was not very good. Danna-sama, when you went to the mansion, was there any particular place that felt off? Hera. Without directly answering Kohakus question, he called out to Hera. As soon as Hanaeda came into the room, Hera erased her presence but the moment her name was called out, the little fairy warped herself in front of Taiyous eyes again. Yes desu, did you call for me, Taiyou-chan? When we went inside of the mansion previously, did you see inside of the building? Yes, when I was looking around for Pochi-chan, I saw it desuyo. How was it, I went directly towards the storage room, so I did not see what it was like inside. Lets see.. it was like a childrens room. A childs room? Are you talking about that girls room? Both Taiyou and Kohaku were dubious. Yes, there was a small bed and lots of small sized clothing. In the other room, there was this picture book or childrens toys. There was plenty of those type of things lying around desu. It seems that she was not being abused jyana. Ahh, according to Hanaeda-sana, she did not attend school, but she was seeminly properly educated. She seemed to have been cherished and she also received the proper education. She grew up to be a gentle girl that could understand a persons heart. However, she was taught not to leave her mansion and she was not given a family register. This is too odd, it almost seems like she was raised with such contradictions in her lifestyle on purpose. That may be true jyana. Hey, Danna-sama, shall we return, I would love to hear the story directly from that girls perspective in person jya. Thats right. Taiyou nods and stands up, a few breaths later, Kohaku also stands up. The both of them heads towards the door and they leave the main building and went towards the place they were staying at. Ah! Taiyou-san! When he returned, only Kazane came out to greet him. She was looking around restlessly and after seeing Taiyou, she rushed over to him with a panicked expression on her face. Whats wrong Kazane? That girl, that girl ran away! What did you say?! Chapter 99: Two Masters/ No Sound Level Up Chapter 98: Two Masters/ The Girl without a Family Registry Chapter 100: Two Masters/ Aren''t Parents Supposed to Give Birth and Get Old.....? Translator: Nefarian Being Surprised, Taiyou looked towards the abandoned house. Hera flew in front of him and raises her hands in the form of a cross on top of her head. Seeing this Kazanes already small shoulder became even more tiny. Im so sorry! Taiyou-san was depending on me and yet I What on earth happened? Y-Yes, well. After Taiyou-san and Kohaku-san went out, we talked about a variety of things to that girl, I thought that we should get along. At first she was responding very amiably, but she became stranger as we continued to talk. She became more strange? In what kind of way jya? Umm, she looked unsettled and began looking around left and right.. It was like she was searching for something. Looking for something.. Dont tell me she was looking for her mother? I dont think she would still be looking for her at this stage What happened after that jya? Yes, after that she suddenly brought her face really close to our neck and sniffed as if she was smelling our scent After that it seemed that it wasnt what she was looking for, so she jumped out of the room and ran away. Hearing up to this point, its almost like a dog has run away. Its true! Please believe me! Ahh sorry, the way I worded that was quite bad. Its not like I am doubting you Kazane. There is also her name and she just gives that kind of an impression. Ah. Im sorry. Kazane was feeling despondent. And so, only you were waiting here for our return? Yes! Aoba-san, Koto-chan and Suzu-chan all ran after her It would seem that neither Koto-chan nor Suzu-chan have found her yet. How are you able to tell.. Never mind, it must be your telepathy with each other. After asking her the question, Taiyou remembered that the three triplet sisters shared a special connection that gave rise to a special telepathic ability. Taiyou-chan! I will also try to find her desu. If I find her, I will immediately come back to inform you desu! Im counting on you! Saying that, he bid the flying Hera farewell, then he proceeded to look right at Kohaku and asked her opinion on the matter. What do you think about this, Kohaku-san. Umu. Kohaku nodded and then answers him with a serious look on her face. If it was just her running away then there wouldnt be too many issues, but I feel that the prior actions she took just before running away is something we need to be concerned about. Yeah. You said that she smelled you and then thought that you werent the right one, is this correct? Yes! Kazane nods in a big way. For one, that girl followed danna-sama but now she has run away. Yes, but why. Perhaps, she was drawn in by danna-samas smell? No way. Naturally, danna-samas scent would have been stuck to the three girls jya, thats why at first she was happy to be with them, but after a while she realized that it wasnt the same and so she ran away. .When its all brought together in such a way, I kind of feel like it may actually be the case. U-Umm.. If thats the case then there is one more thing Im worried about. What is it? That girl, sniffed around our necks, but when she was sniffing my neck the number of times she did was a lot. Both Koto-chan and Suzu-chan only got one sniff each, but she sniffed my neck three times. At that time, did she say anything in particular? No, nothing. Ah, she only said something to Koto-chan, but it was something that was whispered directly into her ears, I couldnt hear what she was saying. It makes me wonder what she actually said. Umu. Please wait a moment, let me go and ask Koto-chan! Saying this, Kazane ran into the building. Just as he was thinking about what she was going to do, moments later he saw her coming back towards him with a disappointed look on her face. Im sorry Both Koto-chan and Suzu-chan left without their smartphones. Oh, you tried to call them by phone. Im sorry Right now we are capable of sensing the rough situation and feelings of each other, but unlike in the past when we were kids, we are no longer able to communicate just via our hearts.. No, it is not something you need to apologize for. But.. Its alright. Saying this Taiyou kneels on one knee and hugged her gently. Her little delicate body was something that seemed like it would break if you put in too much power. Normally she would press her body into him even more but perhaps because she felt tormented by her guilt she was just standing still, her body had become stiff standing upright. Her face had looked like that since he had returned. Kazane felt guilty for the fact that Pochi escaped and it was clearly pointed out when looking at her face. After that she wanted to redeem the situation by getting into contact with Kotone but her sister didnt bring her phone with her and the telepathic communication was only working partly, so it only made her feel even worse. Naturally, Taiyou had no intention of blaming her at all. After listening to what Hanaeda told him, it was in fact rather natural for Pochi to escape, besides there was no merit in blaming the girls for trying to immediately chase after Pochi nor was it reasonable to blame them just because their telepathy wasnt up to par. However, she was blaming herself. Desperately wanting to console her feelings somehow, he was searching for the answer within his own head. After being stuck in his own mind restlessly thinking of something to say, a completely irrelevant topic came forth. The truth is, I actually levelled up a little while ago. Eh? The sound of wind flickers through them. She had a reaction of being startled at such a random comment. Even Kohaku who was standing on the side had a similar reaction. Is that true, danna-sama? Ahh, if you check my ability youll understand it immediately. Ah.. Its true jya. Since when Taiyou gently releases his embrace and takes out a piece of paper from within his pocket. Every single one of his womens names were written there. This was one of the pieces of paper that Taiyou had written on moments ago. When they were leaving the reception room he somehow put it inside of his pocket. When he showed it to Kazane, she became increasingly puzzled. I was told to wait for someone by Kohaku-san, so whilst I had some free time I somehow started writing your names on the paper that was left on the table. At first it was just based on a whim that I just felt like writing all the names of the girls that I liked on the paper, but after doing this for some time, Hera suddenly appeared in front of me and announced that I had levelled up. Im not sure how to put it but, it was a very unexpected coincidence. Fumu, I need to punish that little fairy later. Ahh, Ive already done that before so, please just let her off. Eh? What do you mean? Kazane was unable to understand what Taiyou and Kohaku was talking about. It would seem that Kazane didnt understand the implications and essence of what levelling up was or what Hera normally required him to do. 1 Well dont worry about it. What I wanted to say is that when I was writing your names down, I was constantly thinking about you girls. I thought about your names within my mind as I wrote them down. Its the thing you do when you write the names of the person you like down on to a note of paper isnt it? Back when I was still a school girl I didnt have anyone like that so I never did it, but what about you Kazane? Eh? M-mme? Oh? That cute manner of panicking, alright, Ive decided jya, as soon as we get home, I will examine your textbooks and notes to confirm it! Y-You cant! Seeing how flusterred she became, could it be possible that she wrote another boys name asides from Taiyous name.. But that wouldnt be the case right? Although Kohaku did consider as a possibility for just a moment. Anyways, as I was writing it a thought crossed my mind. Aoba names was one person. Kotone, Suzune and Kazane was two persons. Kohaku was three persons. and Shirokiyami was four persons. After a while, Taiyou was smiling at Kazane. Whats amazing was that when I was writing these names down I didnt realize it was anything to do with writing down the people I loved. But after I finished writing your names I finally realized that I had already fallen in love with all of you. Moreover, I felt that I lost my guilty conscience. You dont have to ever feel guilty about it! Kazane shouted out in a loud voice. This exchange has been done over and over again and at every occasion the three girls would clearly let out their opinions on the matter. Thank you, I also agree with you now. Therefore Kazane Bending his knee so that he was able to be on the same eye level, Taiyou looked at Kazane straight in the eyes. I will be able to make your dreams come true soon. The dream of having a harem family together. Since the moment that my guilty conscience has gone away, I can now move forwards towards the goal without any hesitation in my heart. Is that true?! Yeah. Or more like, this really is your dream isnt it? I didnt think you would respond so positively to this extent, even to reveal such a brilliant smile. Please dont joke around about this! Youre right. Thats my bad just now, sorry. In saying that, I really hope for your continued cooperation in the future. So that I can face this with my fullest capabilities, so that I can have peace of mind, I need your three girls who I consider as the first wives to provide me with their full support. Yes! If its for Taiyou, we will do everything in our power. We will do everything we can do in order to create our dream family with Taiyou. Ahh, Im counting on you. Taiyou and Kazane, these two people were looking at each other face to face. Looking into her resolute gaze, it was as if Taiyou was feeling her energy itself was flowing directly into him from her eyes. It was the kind of emotion he felt when he was writing their names down on the piece of paper but even stronger multiple times. I would die for you. Somehow, those kind of strong words that Taiyou would normally never use popped into his mind. Taiyou believed that these were definitely her feelings. A little while later, the young old woman interrupted them from the side. Whats this jya, are you saying you dont need the power of your second wife? I did not expect for you to butt into the conversation at a time like this. Im a woman so, instead of using logic we like to speak using our emotions jya. Sometimes we also get jealous. Yes, of course I also need you. If they are in charge of the domestic and foreign affairs, I want you to come and fight with me on the outside. To speak figuratively, I want to be able to rely on you to protect my back. Isnt this more of a role for Shirokiyami? That girl is more like besides me.. no, I would imagine her to be standing a little bit in front of me. She is someone I imagine that is capable of thrusting herself head first into battle and cleaning everything up. I see. Umu, I completely understand the situation jya. Kohaku nods and a smile floats across her face as well. The two girls were smiling and her drew their bodies closer to his at the same time. For a while a sweet atmosphere persists. Taiyou-san! W-What is it? With Kazane suddenly shouting out, Taiyou was caught off guard and became startled. Just now I got a message from Koto-chan, Koto-chan has managed to find that girl. Is that true? Alright, lets all head towards the place Kotone is at Moreover, it seems that she has met up with Yami-chan. In accordance with Yami-chans plan, they were moving stealthily so as not to provoke the girl. Eh? Muu Both Taiyou and Kohakus eyebrows jumped up at the same time. Whats wrong? Is it bad for them to trail her from the shadows? No I think it should be fine, if an expert such as her were to tail that girl, there should be no problems. She was probably going to charge a part-timer fee the next time she met him but. This was not the time to be concerned about that. Ummm, then..? Havent you noticed it yet? What havent I noticed? .Kazane, would you mind if you were to ask Kotones present location? Yes We passed this place during the day time, its near a soba noodle store where a heliport was close by. I see, also can you ask if Shirokiyami has brought her katana with her? It would be fine to also ask if she brought any type of weapons. Okay.. Umm, when she was asked about the katana, she said that its hidden behind her skirt next to her body. Also she was surprised because we asked such a thing suddenly. Oh. Umm.. Is there something else you needed to ask her? She told us that because we are following the girl, its not good to keep making so much noise. Ahh, theres no more questions, well in truth I still have some but ??? Kazane tilts her neck in confusion. How about you, have you noticed it? Taiyou used the same words that Kohaku asked him moments ago. What do you mean by notice something? Since a moment ago, both you and Kotone are not just communicating via your emotions, you have actually been communicating with words, isnt that right? Ah Chapter 100: Two Masters/ Aren’t Parents Supposed to Give Birth and Get Old…..? Chapter 99: Two Masters/ No Sound Level Up Chapter 101: Two Master''s / Car Translator: Nefarian Are we really able to have a conversation Suzu-chan can you also hear us? Yeah, loud and clear. Whats going on? It feels like we went back to our childhood. Back then we always used to talk like this amongst ourselves. While the other people around us kept looking at with faces that said What are those girls doing? Since when did we lose our ability I wonder? Eh, but theres probably no need to ask that. Yeah, its when father.. Thats right Therefore, the reason we were able to regain this ability is because DD Of Taiyou-san, right? As expected, Taiyou is our fated person. Yes, Im so glad we met him. Since a while ago, Kazane had been keeping silent. Without a doubt she must have been conversing with her two other sisters. This could clearly be seen on her face as she constantly changed her expression dramatically from one of surprise to one of joy. After some time.. It would seem that she finished, so she turned to face Taiyou. Taiyou-san, there is a message from Suzu-chan. She said that shes joined up with Aoba-san, but because Koto-chan and Yami-chan are keeping track of the girl, Aoba-san is going to be coming back here to meet with us. I understand, please tell her we will be waiting for her here. Also, when youre done, I want you to go meet with Kotone and Suzune. I have somewhere that I need to go with Kohaku-san for a little bit. Where will you be going? I also want to come. For a moment, Kazanes small face showed an incredulous expression. Just when she thought that she was useful to Taiyou, he suddenly wanted to go somewhere without her, so she thought she was still insufficient and she looked like a puppy that was about to be abandoned. Looking at her like this, Taiyou gave her a peck on the lips *chuu* in order to comfort her mind. Its not because I dont need you, in fact I know that I will need you girls from now and long into the future. Thats why, now that your telepathic abilities have returned, you girls should really meet up with each other. Its hard to explain it with words but, I really feel that it would be better if you did so. Okay. Though she gazed into Taiyous eyes for a while longer, Kazane was eventually convinced as she went away in order to meet up with her two sisters. Seeing her off safely, Kohaku let out a small sigh. This was a rare reaction coming from her. Whats wrong Kohaku-san? I just thought that. The potential within young people is truly magnificent. I envy how dazzling they are and how they can look forward to their future with hope. It makes me wish that I met danna-sama back when I was in my prime Back then I wasnt even born yet, you know? Taiyou replied to her in a joking manner. Now that you mention it, youre right jya. But still, Im still envious. Is that so? Thats right jya, everyone is growing alongside danna-sama and its really enviable jya, Im already old like this and there isnt any room left for me to grow so I dont think thats the case, is it? Then let me paraphrase it. When someone reaches my age, their head becomes hard and its not possible to change jya. This time Kohaku spoke jokingly. Although she was almost saying the same thing in substance, putting it in this light hearted produce the right amount of self-blame so he could understand it. It makes it slightly more convincing somehow. Right? Kohaku covered her mouth as she giggled. Even though she was saying that she was jealous, it didnt seem like she really took it to heart. Therefore, Taiyou didnt worry about it for much longer and he just enjoyed playing with her as per usual with their interesting conversations. In this manner, the two people were conversing with each other without stopping until Aoba returned. Taiyou, Kohaku and Aoba, all three people were lined up together and walking along the street at night. This was the road that Taiyou and Aoba used together a couple of hours ago. It was the route towards Pochis house. Kohaku was the one who suggested that they head there. While leaving the shadowing of the girl to Shirokiyami and the three triple sisters, their plan was to investigate Pochis mansion. Because there were also some parts to the story told by Hanaeda that were inexplicable, Taiyou readily accepted the proposal to check up on the place. And so the three people walking shoulder-to-shoulder headed towards the residence. Come to think of you, you have really beautiful hair jyanou. As expected, having a hair so long, doesnt it require a lot of maintenance? On the way there, Kohaku suddenly brought this up. It was something that had nothing to do with the place they were heading to and it was directed at the girl on the other side of Taiyou, the girl with the pony tail. Once you get used to it, it isnt such a big deal. Kohaku-san hasnt ever grown her hair? I dont remember, I think the longest Ive ever had my hair was at the length where it reached my shoulder jyata. Is that so? But when I look at you like this, it makes me remember of Junishima Yurikago. Jyuunishima Youran? Who is that?1 Ahh thats right, youve never met her before jyana. Just like you she had long her, she also had a twin tail jya. When you walk, both of you share the same walking gait. Oh? That girl she often decided to walk in front of danna-sama and at the same time danna-sama liked to pull on her hair as she walked jyata Eh? Aoba showed a surprised expression and Taiyou smiled bitterly. Did he really pull her hair? When she asked back, Kohaku nodded. Every time I saw her, he was always pulling on her hair jya. He also ignored all of her complaints. Somehow, whenever I saw her twin tail, I just had this irresistible urge to pull on it. Including her reactions when she told me that she didnt like it. Its not like I dont understand, when she was in her disguise, it felt pretty good to tease her. As the two of them were talking about Yurikago, Aoba who was walking side by side with Taiyou suddenly moved forwards half a step in front of him. Aoba? Aoba keeps walking silently as her ponytail shakes from side to side like a lively fish tail. Wondering what was going on, he called her out on it. Aoba, you dont have to be in such a rush. In the case that Pochi returns to the mansion, the girls would give us a report so we can take it easy. 2 Aoba turns around and watches Taiyou silently. For some reason, he felt like she was giving him a slightly reproachful look and he was puzzled by it. W-Whats wrong? Its nothing. This time she had a sulky expression as she slowed down her pace and started walking next to Taiyou again. What was going on with her?is what he was thinking in his own mind, this time it was Kohakus turn who was on the opposite side to stifle a laughter. Just what on earth was going on? Taiyou inclined his head to one side and was oblivious to the current state of affairs. He wanted to just ask the girls straight out but he suddenly imagined a scene of him stepping on a field full of landmines. Suddenly feeling two droplets of sweat dripping down his back, he decided it was best not to touch on the subject. After continuing to walk towards the mansion in such a way, the three people shortly arrived at their destination. This was the mansion that Pochi was staying at. Aoba clung to Taiyous side and under Kohakus leadership they headed towards the entrance of the building. The young looking old woman placed her hand to turn the door knob and a sound of *click* resounded, however the door merely created the sound without showing any intentions of opening up. It seems that it is locked jya, is danna-sama going to take care of this one? Or shall I? I just want to clarify but, what does Kohaku-san intend to do? Its a peculiar skill I learned a long time ago, if its a lock like this, I can open it in less than a minute. Saying this Kohaku takes out a hairpin. Regardless of where she pulled it out from, it was a wonderful item that allowed someone to know instantly what it was going to be used for with a single glance. You past is really heavy isnt it? Smiling bitterly, Taiyou placed his hands on the door knob and turned the handle. Instantly the door makes a snapping noise and opens up. Danna-sama that took you three seconds jyatana? We are a little pressed for time so I will make sure to properly apologize later for breaking it. Shrugging his shoulders, Kohaku smiles at him approvingly. Going through the entrance of the door one by one, they attempted to turn on the light switch but it didnt turn on after pressing it. If this was a horror game, we would probably start by restoring electricity to the place. In that case we need to find the fuse first. But this is real life, so its probably because the bills havent been paid for? Thats probably true, in this case we would probably need to find both a power generator and some gasoline to fix it jya. Kohaku takes out her mobile phone and uses the light function attached to her camera. A light comparable to one that is given off by a flashlight illuminates the inside of the dark building. It was like the three people were exploring a haunted house together. Some of the doors they encountered were also locked, but each time Taiyou would break the locks in place and intrude inside. Gradually a sense of unease spreads out to the three of them. Hey Natsuno-kun, isnt this room. A childs room as well? Ahh, it is a childs room. This room, the one before. and even the one before that, they were all childrens rooms. Thats correct, all the rooms we have seen so far were childrens rooms. The three people wondered at the oddity as they stood still and looked all around the inside of the room. Hera had mentioned before that there were childrens rooms being properly maintained. Therefore, he was not surprised to see the rooms even after intruding the mansion. However, no matter which room he went in, they were all childrens rooms and he could not help but to feel a sense of discomfort. The size of the furniture along with anything and everything else was made under the premise that it would be used by children. What could this all mean? That woman by the name of Karina, did she really want to spoil Pochi to this extent? Even so this is abnormal. Danna-sama, take a look at this. Kohaku had found something by the side of the room and presented it towards Taiyou. It was a slightly dusty and heavy old album. After dusting it off carefully and opening it, there was a photograph of Pochi with an unknown woman next to her. This is. Something that was taken in this room right? It looks to be the case. Then this is the room we were in a while ago? This very young looking child is Pochi I think? It really resembles her face. If so, who is this young child over here? The three people were confused. In the photograph, they saw a girl around the age of ten, carrying a baby in her arms. There were babies that didnt really look so different when they grew up. Pochi was no doubt one of these types of people. Still not really knowing the identity of the other girl, they flipped the pages of the album one after another. Gradually, they were able to find out that this was an album that recorded Pochis growth throughout the years. The Pochi within the album soon grew up. From a baby that was crawling on the ground to a toddler who was taking its first tottering steps. Changing into different colorful clothes she eventually grew up into a very beautiful girl. The face of the three people looking at this stiffened up little by little. In 1 out of every 5 pictures, there was a girl in the picture with Pochi. Somehow, that girl never grew up into adulthood. Whilst Pochi continued to grow and pass the other girls height, the other girl looked completely the same as the first picture they saw. At first she seemed to be relatively healthy, but in the current picture, she still looked to be ten years of age however, she was riding on a wheelchair. Aoba was in astonishment and Taiyou was taken aback. Shes one of the eternally little? Kohaku muttered in response, she had the most surprised look in her face. The expression on her face conveyed that she could not believe what she was seeing in front of her eyes. An eternally little gave birth to her own child jyato? Chapter 101: Two Master’s / sCar” Chapter 100: Two Masters/ Aren''t Parents Supposed to Give Birth and Get Old.....? Chapter 102: The Two Master''s / The Master of a Master Translator: Nefarian Kohaku had an astonished expression on her face while inside Karinas mansion. The face illuminated by the flash light from the phone was like she was in some horror movie. Just as she was surprised, Taiyou was also surprised. Is it that unusual..? eh, was it that unusual? Eternally Little, also known as the leftover old maids. To people like us, giving birth to our own children is an exceedingly rare case jya Umm, what was it again? The ratio of Eternally Little who got married is one in ten, and the people who didnt get divorced and actually had children is a further one-tenth of that, right? Aoba spoke from the side as if to confirm the facts. She was not there in the past when they had this sort of conversation, so her being able to say this right now made Taiyou astonished. You seem to know a lot about this, or more like even I didnt know about the second part you mentioned. I investigated it for a bit. I wanted to quickly get along with everyone else, so I I see. Taiyou nods and Kohaku who still hadnt gotten over the shock of it replied. Thats right jya, to add to that the ratio of Eternally Little born is at a rate of one person in 500,000. Do you know what this means? This means that there are probably only one or two at most in Japan at a time? Ah.. After a short interval, Taiyou and Aoba looked at the album at the same time with a surprised face. If they cross referenced it with the statistics up until now, there wasnt any eternally little that could possibly have a baby, it was a hopeless to consider. It can be assumed this this woman in the album was the only one. As this was the case, it was natural for Kohaku to be so amazed. However with this, it all makes sense, as an eternally little mother, she was not able to go outside and mingle in the presence of other people. Kohaku was convinced after looking at the album and then makes a proposal to Taiyou. Danna-sama, lets search a little more. I want some more detailed information. Yeah, I also thought the same. I will help out! Taiyou nods solemnly and Aoba releases Taiyous arm which she was clinging to. The three people regained their composure and began to search the residence again. They searched each of the rooms while relying on the light shone by their smartphones. Natsuno-kun! Look over here! In the third room they passed since obtaining the album, Aoba shouted out in a cheery voice as she found a cover with the title Diary on the top. When they turned over the cover, they knew that the contents matched the title. Since coming to this place, all the events were recorded on the white paper with neat handwriting. It wasnt the type of diary that one wrote in every single day, it was more of the diary that you wrote when there was something important going on. The three people read the diary carefully. There was recounts of events from all the four seasons. When reading such a diary where the two people clearly held deep emotions for each other, a really vivid image appears of what they lived like. Just like a brilliant novel, this diary made them engrossed in the story. Before they noticed it, the three people had read through the end. The diary cut off this Spring. Karina was bound to her sickbed and the last letters were written shakily as she expressed her concern for Pochis future. After the three people finished reading, all three of them couldnt help but to sigh. After a while, Taiyou was the first to open his mouth. If this diary wrote the facts of the matter, there are somethings that I now understand. Yes, Pochi is the real daughter of Karina-san and she was loved. Karina is one of the Eternally Little and she realized that her life was nearing its end during Spring, now she has probably already passed away. And one more thing. Her naming sense is the worst, jyana? The three of them smiled bitterly at Kohakus words. This was their shared view after reading the diary. Karina undoubtedly loved Pochi with all her heart, it was to the point of doting on her. From the way she wrote, it clearly depicted that she thought Pochi was the best name ever. It wasnt anything nasty or something meant as a joke, she genuinely thought that it was the best name. Considering all of this, the three of doubt could not help but to doubt her naming sense. Even so, why did she have to live hidden in this kind of place? Why didnt she register Pochis birth? Taiyou riffled through the diary. Thats true jya, there is nothing that alludes to this point. Neither is there any information on the father. There must be some more clues? lets look for a bit more. At Taiyous suggestion they started searching again. They looked all over the rooms. Since they obtained information that Karina was in fact an Eternally Little, all the rooms which supposedly resembled kids rooms were now distinguishable between Pochis room and Karinas room. They understood this because it was clear that Karina really cherished Pochi. Her room was filled with the basic daily necessities but Pochis room would have toys and other entertainment goods within the room. But with that alone, even if they went into all the rooms, they werent able to gain any additional information. In such a case, there was no longer any need for them to remain in the residence. This time, they wanted to hear the story directly from Pochi. As soon as he left the residence, Taiyou caught something out of the corner of his sight. Seeing that he took a glance at Kohaku. After knowing that Karina was an Eternally Little, Kohaku had a grim expression. Although its not to the extent that she was depressed, ever since entering the residence, the level of tension has increased. Seeing her like this, Taiyou said this to her. Lets go for a drive. huh? W-What are you saying Natsuno-kun? Wait a moment. Saying this Taiyou heads towards the storage room where he first found Pochi. There was one of these bike trailers left behind. Come aboard. You mean on top of this? Yes, lets drive with this. ..I understand. It looks kinda interesting jya. Hey you too, Aoba. Y-Yeah. Aoba was at a loss and Kohaku became slack jawed. Taiyou beckoned them to hop on the trailer and he started pulling the trailer forwards with all his strength. As they journeyed onward, Taiyous trailer was approaching its upper speed limit. The trailer was moving fast along the wind and Kohaku was in a good mood whereas Aoba gradually enjoyed it more. Overtaking some young people that was riding on a bicycle and leaving them in the dust made the two girls giggle and smile at the ridiculous sight. Looking back behind him to see the bright faces of the girl and Kohaku who seemed to have regained her composure, Taiyou thought that it was well worth it to do these stupid things. Kohaku was really enjoying the trip. Along the way, they needed to contact Kotone to confirm their location and Kohaku was bragging full on about how fun it was to go on the trailer and get driven around by Taiyou. This caused the three sisters to feel very jealous of them. Hearing about the location via the phone, they arrived in due time and stopped the trailer right in front of Pochi. The two girls who got off from the trailers platform stood in front of Pochi. After loosening his grip of the handle he also headed towards Pochi. Just as he was thinking of what to say. Master! Before he could even open his mouth, Pochi suddenly jumped over to hug Kohaku. Calling the un-aging girl Master and smelling her with a *sniff sniff*. If this happened several hours ago, they wouldnt know what to make of it but after knowing Karinas true identity and reading her diary, he had a semblance of what was going on. Apparently Pochi is associating the smell of an Eternally Little person to her Master. The reason she followed Taiyou in the first place and also the reason she let her guard down in front of the three sisters is because there was a lingering scent from Kohaku. Pochi clings herself to Kohaku and Kohaku responds by embracing her in a soothing manner. For the time being, Taiyou left the two to their own devices as he made his way closer towards Shirokiyami who was standing a little distance away. Thank you. She was thanked and she responds to him quietly whilst staring at him with her boundless gaze. It wasnt a big deal. its only to the extent of a nights lodging and a meal. Im only. returning the favour. That latter half is quite funny when said in Japanese. Thats why you should quickly return the debt. Lets continue the conversation then. Well in any case. Just how much was left of it again? If I remember correctly I just returned around 10 million before this so it should have decreased by a large amount Shirokiyami looks doubtful as she stares blankly. Dont you remember?! I remember there is, 10 million left. How can that be possible?! No matter how you calculate it after the last payment, there should only be a little left over you know?! Ive included the interest. Thats just extortion I tell you! And really sloppy accounting Im telling you! Togo also did. the same1 You are really wicked! You are even worse than that person!2 Im just kidding. After including the interest, its fine to just pay 2 million more. Well that seems more reasonable. The figure she came up with was still really just a rough estimate, but because Taiyou also thought that it was around that amount he consented to it. After settling the negotiations with Shirokiyami he was looking back towards Kohaku and the others when Taiyou realized something. The place where Shirokiyami was standing at didnt have much light and behind her was a forest. He recalled that last night a typhoon passed by. Shirokiyami was clearly pretending back then to put on a brave front. For a moment he thought that perhaps he could use this to his advantage in order to defeat her. The other day. I saw this movie. Eh? Suddenly Shirokiyami speaks out of context. Taiyou was wondering where this was going as he stared at her in puzzlement. A robot movie, the robot is aggressive After it wakes up it opens its mouth wide and becomes ferocious. Swallowing up everyone in the surroundings it becomes a slaughter machine. Ah, I may have seen that one as well. Or more like, isnt that one of the famous masterpieces? What about it ? If someone.. did something I didnt like. I may also become like that. DDUgh In that instant, Taiyous backbone freezes as he experienced a shudder. Almost like someone just put a really cold ice cube against his back, his whole body was frozen in place. For a moment he was ready for death. Such terror was wrapping across his whole body. The sense of shock paralyzed him. It was only a few seconds after that he realized that this was killing intent. When he noticed it his fear was quickly suppressed. Do you hate it that much?! What do you, mean? Shirokiyami was playing dumb. After releasing so much killing intent she was still able to play it off that easily. Taiyou could only be amazed. Ah yes yes, its nothing! I wont touch your reverse-scale again alright?! Yeah, you cant touch a persons reverse-scale. No matter who, it is. Yea, yeah. While interacting like so, Pochis state of mind had calmed down by a lot, she was whispering to the old-young girl about something. Because he wanted to ask them something, he naturally came closer to the two of them. Realizing this Kohaku grabbed Pochi by the hand and pushed her back towards Taiyous direction. Go on, you can say it jya. But I.. Then, shall I say it on your behalf? Eh, that is.. Although Pochi hesitates for a while, she soon shook her head clear. No, I will say it by myself. Umu, do your best jya. Pochi being sent off by Kohaku, turned to face Taiyou. She stood within touching distance of him before taking a huge breath. Before long she became determined. Goshujin-sama! Please keep me! For the time being, Im going to ask Kohaku for an explanation After calming himself down, Taiyou turned to ask Kohaku as he had no idea what had just occurred. Chapter 102: The Two Master’s / The Master of a Master Chapter 101: Two Master''s / Car CHAPTER 103: Girls in Distress / Sun Tzus Art of War Translator: Nefarian Danna-sama, I think we should keep this girl. You havent given an explanation yet. Repeating the same retort, Taiyou was still demanding an explanation. Neither Taiyou, the three sisters and Aoba who had tried to come closer to the conversation between Kohaku and Pochi could have expected this outcome, they all had bewildered expressions. Only Shirokiyami maintained her boundless gaze, but even so there was no doubt that she was still looking with interest at the group. Everyones thoughts became one and the mood indicated that the people demanded an explanation about Pochis situation. Please explain to me so that I can understand it more. In that case, lets explain in order. Danna-sama is my Master jya Rather than Master, isnt it closer to head of the household.? Aoba was pointing out the difference between the two meanings as if explaining something to a foreign person.However, Kohaku didnt mind the words and continued to talk in her own pace. And I will become this girls Master. In such a case, it is only natural that I obtain permission from Danna-sama in order to keep her jya. Hang on a second, if youre trying to explain things in order, I feel like there is something very important being left out. Its a normal thing to skip past the boring process and just go straight to the result jya. What type of end game boss are you?! You shouldnt worry about it, I dont really worry about the small things. Im telling you to explain so that I can understand what happened before. Umm excuse me. The Master of my Master? Taiyou was about to give a vehement retort to Kohaku when Pochi addresses him from the side.Her eyes were wet and moist, it was really reminiscent of the famous puppy eyes gesture. Is it really impossible, to keep me? No no, to begin with, do you really understand the word keep in this particular context? Yes, doesnt it have the meaning of Providing food for a pet and fostering them? You actually understood?! Eh, why are you answering in such a joyful way then?! Hey, Suzu-chan, Kaza-chan, even back when we were in the room a while ago, I have a feeling that this is.. Yeah, theres no doubt about it, Im looking it up in my smart phone right now. But, it might be just a coincidence so, lets just wait a little while longer. The three sisters were whispering something amongst themselves from the side, but right now Taiyous mind was filled with Pochis situation so he couldnt really concentrate on what they were talking about. To such a Taiyou, Pochi attempts to give the finishing blow. I would really love it if, the Master of my Master could keep me! For the time being, just wait. Yes! Pochi immediately listens to the command Wait. Voices of admiration comes out from the surrounding women. Thats not the kind of meaning I was intending! You girls also are having really weird responses! It wasnt a Wait command? It wasnt! So for the time being, please just stand over there on standby! Raising his voice to a shout, he talked in a manner that wasnt normally used in everyday conversations. Even so Pochis response was I understand! with great joy in her voice. For now, Kohaku-san, please dont try to rush off and give us a proper explanation, is that alright? Hmm lets see, well, youve probably realized it long ago but, I plan on taking care of this girl. . Yes. After seeing that Kohaku was finally speaking in a serious tone of voice, Taiyou answers slowly with a nod. First is that this girl is the daughter of an Eternally Little jya. I spoke a little with this girl when she jumped over and apparently she is able to smell a different scent when comparing normal human beings and the Eternally little. It seems that there is a smell that is peculiar to the Eternally Little jya. In other words, both Karina and I have the same kind of smell. You are both part of the Eternally Little after all. Aoba who accompanied her to Karinas mansion, was murmuring in acknowledgement. Thats right jya. In addition to that, this girl has become emotionally attached to me. As you can tell her disposition is like so, perhaps she sees me as her mother and is seeking protection from me. I see. And one other thing. Would it be alright if you didnt laugh after hearing this? What is it? He looked towards Kohaku in a manner that implied that he wasnt going to laugh. She had a serious look on her face. Since a long time ago, its been a dream of mine to become a mother. Although she has been using the words Master to address us, for her this word is equivalent to the word mother. Ahh, Iwashiro-san also mentioned the same thing. I feel like this has been all according to fate. I will take this girl to the government office and make a proper family register for her and officially make her my daughter. If I do this, I feel like I can enjoy the feeling of being a mother that Ive always wished for. You mean like a daughter-in-law? Wasnt Iwashiro-san also in the same relationship? Thats a little different jya, she may think of me in that way, but I was merely acting as her supporter jya. I wasnt her mother. I see. Taiyou nods. She didnt say the precise circumstances of the story but hearing the words acting as her supporter he could conjure up an image of what might have happened between the two. Certainly, in that sense she couldnt really be called a mother, at the very least, she couldnt claim to have felt motherly feelings from such a thing. Thats why, Im planning on taking her in jyaga.. As Ive said before, I intend to offer my everything to Danna-samaI will also keep doing it from now. Thats why, I really hope to obtain Danna-samas consent in the matter. So thats how it was. By the way, whats with her calling me the Master of my Master.? Shes just following along to what I was calling you, probably So its cause of you?! Well, it certainly makes more sense now. After all, she has a submissive personality similar to a dog, so she may have recognized you in this type of way. After Aoba mentions this, Taiyou recalls the specific behavioral traits a dog possesses. When a dog follows a ranking hierarchy within a human household, they sometimes recognize multiple members above its own ranking. Thats where this Master of my Master is coming from. I suppose its similar to having an Alpha? Shes not doing this because she fears you or anything jya. No I wasnt worried about that. Taiyou exhales a small breath of air and faces Kohaku once again. She keeps her smile but also has this longing look in her eyes. Thats the kind of eyes Taiyou thought she had. C On their way back, they also used the trailer driven by Taiyou. It couldnt really be called a comfortable ride, the three sisters were barely sitting on the edge of the seats and the newcomer Pochi was clinging on to Kohaku tightly. Just like how he arrived, he didnt seem to be sweating in the slightest, by his side Shirokiyamis silent footsteps could be heard as she kept up with him. From anyones perspective, they would seem like a strange line-up. If rumors were to be spread by witnesses, it was a sight that could easily become a ghost story or urban legend. Even though he was slower than when he arrived, it was still like he was driving a cross bike at full speed.With the wind blowing against them, the beautiful women had their hairs running wildly against the wind. Meanwhile, the three sisters were asking Pochi questions. An Islamic countries royal family, or perhaps a ladys room from a noble family. Or a single man with a lot of women attending him. Something like that? What do you think, Suzu-chan? It makes sense, but I feel like a different place also exists. I dont think so, Suzu-chan, that kind of word is written like this in the dictionary. There is no mid part to what Suzu-chan is looking at. Ah, so thats how it is. But you guys, seem to notice it quite early jya. The women were chattering noisily with each other. Pochi included, they had a happy atmosphere around them. It increased. again. Shirokiyami mutters. Before I noticed it.. it keeps on multiplying. One moment there is one girl.. now there are three, hmm. You are also a girl, so cant you stop talking in such a hypothetical manner? Taiyou tries to give her a quip, but in the next moment it was like she disappeared from sight. Besides, it didnt really increase in the manner you were hinting, right? After all, Pochi is becoming Kohaku-sans daughter. Eh? Huh? Shirokiyami was surprised by Taiyous words and he was also surprised at her reaction. What do you mean when you go Eh? Well, its cause, I know her secret plan What did you say? While running, he turns around. And met with Kohakus gaze. As expected of Yami, I cant hide anything from you. Its not like you really hid it. Wait a minute Kohaku-san, are you still hiding something from us? No, Ive already spoken about it. Kohaku speaks indifferently. Just like Yami has said, I havent really tried to hide it jya. Rather, Danna-sama is the one who hasnt noticed it jya. Im the one who hasnt noticed? Ohh! Clap, clap, clap, sounds of clapping resounded. Leaving Taiyou aside, the three sisters already noticed it first. W-What is it? Ahh, its natural if Aoba-san hasnt realized it yet, when we talked about this in the past, you werent with us yet. When I declared that I was Danna-samas thing, I presented both my body and mind towards Danna-sama jya. Such a thing Ah? After Kohaku gives her a hint, Aoba seems to have understood the situation. Hang on a minute, what are you guys. Oh. He was a little behind the girls, but Taiyou finally understood. He finally understood the meaning behind Kohakus words. Kohaku-san dont tell me you While running with the trailer in tow, he looked behind and stared at Kohaku with a cold gaze. Kohaku was looking at him with a big smile on her face. What comes after sisters mixed in a rice bowl is of course a mother-daughter bowl jya. Taiyou was completely dumbfounded, he did not expect in the slightest that Kohaku would be scheming something like this. If shes your daughter, isnt it obvious that this will become incest?!! This was the loudest quip Taiyou gave in this day. He really did not expect for Kohaku to be planning something like this. CHAPTER 103: Girls in Distress / Sun Tzu’s Art of War Chapter 102: The Two Master''s / The Master of a Master CHAPTER 104: Girls in Distress / The Confused Elderly Woman Translator: Reflet Taiyou looked up at the night sky once he entered the garden, arms folded. The moon was hung high in the sky as if it were a plate decorated with the stars of the entire sky, and these two contrasts werent usually a visible sight from the city. There are a lot of stars, but the moon is the same as ever, I guess. Thatst, rue. As he muttered to no one in particular, he felt Shirokiyami stand next to him. It wasnt just her manner of speaking derived from her unique way of breathing; he had just recently sort of begun to recognize her presence. Taiyou, who was in love with her, thought very positively of that. People long agolooked at the moon that never changed even when they were on a tripthey were reminded of their, home town. Yeah, there was that sort of haiku or poem, huh. Yes, that muchdoesnt change, after all. I see. By the way, arent you going to enter the hot spring? Taiyou listened carefully as he asked Shirokiyami. From the other side of the building, behind the detached area that had an open-bath family-oriented stall, he could hear high-pitched voices. Just earlier, the girls that had returned via the trailer had dubbed this as welcoming party and invited Pochi into the hot spring. The voices that he was hearing right now were the females entering the bath. Speaking of which, Taiyou was also invited, but he refused. Furthermore, he had left the building, trying toavoid any potential disaster. Incidentally, Shirokiyami was also invited to come along, so he had really thought that she would enter the hot spring with them. According, toSun Tzu. Taiyou had a puzzled look on his face, questioning what she had suddenly started saying. A fastball thrown into the day after tomorrow. She would from time-to-time have this habit of refusing to follow up in the catch-ball of conversation. What do you mean? He somehow picked up that ball, attempting to throw it back. Those who fighteth virtuously, are those who winneth against easy opponents. Sorry, can you say that in a more easy-to-understand manner? I mean, youre saying it in a really fluent way so Im sure that those are some really important words to you. We, dontfight losing battles. Im starting to get this less and less. If you become an adultwill you, understand? So is this a question? Or maybesoon, after this. What are you, a commercial! A good-tempo back-and-forth conversation unfolded, but it ended with him still confused. In any, case. Yeah? So, are you really going to go forthe Mother-Daughter Bowl? Not a chance. In response to the new topic that she brought up, Taiyou laughed in a strained manner and shook his head. Kohaku-sans just saying that on her own, okay? I dont have that sort of intention. And besides, Kohaku-san is just saying that as a joke, Im telling you. I know someonewho is, like, that person. Huh? Saying that theyre nothingpeople who add more, than they need, to. That seemed to be yet another ball that went into the day after tomorrow, but this time it shifted to a Guin curveball with the likes of a magic ball. Unlike earlier, he got the gist of what Shirokiyami was trying to say. Youre saying that Kohaku-san is like that, arent you? Thatshow the, phrase went. The phrase. Taiyou pondered those words in his head. The phrase that Kohaku often put to her mouth like a catchphrase. A phrase that every time it was uttered, he secretly felt that it was too much. DDI offer everything to you. Almost as if she were swearing an oath, she let that phrase out of her mouth at every opportunity. As if reexamining something within herself, she would turn to Taiyou and continue saying it. That phrase, huh That person is, seriousI, think. She intends tostrip herself of her daughter and, offer her to you. No way, that has to just be a play-on-words. Cause Kohaku-san usually does that sort of conversational exchange. Butpower dwells, in her words. Just like how you saythat youll defeat, me. Yep, Ill definitely defeat you. Saying that, Taiyou took a step back into a fighting pose. Deciding that it was best not to dig too deep into Kohakus affairs, he attempted to change the conversation. Ive become a bit stronger, so can I come at you right now? I, wont. But Shirokiyami didnt play along. She wasnt even paying attention to Taiyou, silently gazing up at the sky. Being ignored annoyed him so he thought to still rush at herbut he decided to stop. Looking at her from the side gazing at the moon, she was acting obscure as usual, and there didnt seem to be any way to get ahold of her. Taiyou felt that her face was pretty. Her face-in-profile would be in the best three among the girls that he loved. If it meant wrecking that face and that atmosphere, then he didnt want to forcibly challenge her. Taiyou was fascinated by the view of her sidelong face for a short while. If he were to take a picture and submit it for a contest, it would undoubtedly have the title ofHeaps of Corpses All Around. That kind of scenery unfolded before Taiyous eyes when he returned to the room. The three sisters along with Kohaku, as well as Aoba. They had come out of the bath in their yukatas with a tinge of cherry blossom adorning their skin, but some of them were hanging their heads with their hands and knees pressed against the floor with the shape of the orz emoticon, while others were leaning against the wall with the air of a burnt-out boxer. These were clear signs of some form of severe psychological damage, not to be taken lightly. What happened? I lost Aoba replied, dejectedly hanging her head. There was no power in her words. You lost? To think they would be that big They were way bigger than when clothed Thats justthats just cheating Kotone? Suzune? Kazane? You girls are still fine jya, Im justIm just Even you, Kohaku-san? What in the world happened? I get you, Kohaku-san! Im of the same opinion! You understand me, Kazane! The two small-framed individuals who had been fighting for first place tightly embraced each other inside the house. The atmosphere was just like those typical 8 a.m. public management broadcasts. Taiyou tilted his head some more after seeing that sight. Fidgeting in depressed and excited manners, those girls were clearly not their normal selves. He surveyed the inside of the room to figure out what the cause was. Master. Ohh, its you, Pochi, what exactlyDD Unlike the brides, Pochis voice coming from behind him was the same tone as before. Thinking he could find out something from her, Taiyou turned around, but what appeared before him stole his gaze. Melon Taiyou muttered for some reason. In a moment, the room was filled with even deeper feelings of resentment. When wearing a yukata, Pochi boasted a volume that was vastly larger than when wearing her regular clothing. Taiyou looked at that, and looked at the girls. I seehe began to say but immediately swallowed his words. And I thought that wed be fine in this area. No Aoba, youre pretty fine too, you know? I dont need your obvious counseling! Aoba screamed in a hysterical voice that felt quite exaggerated. Youre going over the top And although he said that, Taiyou secretly felt that he somewhat understood. After comparing the girls, he attempted to say the results in his head. Aoba: Mediocre breasts. Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane: Meager breasts. KohakuDDFlat as a wall. And Pochis huge breasts dwarfed all of their sizes put together. Priceless big breasts Saying that to himself looking at each of their chests in turn, Taiyou was reminded of a commercial rhythm that he had often seen a while back. But since putting that into words would result in something catastrophic, he resisted the urge. He also resisted the urge to praise Pochis rack. Glancing at his unnecessary conflict, the girls began to band together. This is no good, I gotta start drinking milk from tomorrow onward! Ill also prepare small fish, Aoba-san! Well also do our best! Ill think up a get-big meal menu with my utmost effort, okay! The sisters encouraging each other and Aoba. Kohaku who was ridiculing herself to the side. I envy these youngsters, with nothing on their minds but their futures and hopes. Those were fine words, but is this really the place to use them!? Master Pochi was trembling. Her face showed that she understood that she had caused her mother-master and the others to become this way. But, she had not done one thing wrong. At least thats what Taiyou thought. No, its not your fault. If anything, its their own self-destruction. Self-destruction? Yesbecause they challenged her, even though it was already clearself, destruction. Emerging suddenly by Taiyous side, Shirokiyami gave a supplemental explanation. It seemed that she hadnt really taken any damage. When did you get back. Wait, so this is what you meant when you said you wouldnt fight? Grasping your capabilities isimportant, impor, tant. She said nonchalantly. Oh, you should also enter the hot spring, Taiyou-san. The hot water was amazing. Yes, the hot water was Somewhat depressed, the three sisters referred Taiyou to the hot spring. Taiyou did just that. There was no point being here, so he took a towel and yukata from them and headed to the hot spring. He undressed in the changing room and entered. That was a spectacular open-air bath. Possibly designed with families in mind, that separate, private place had a bath that could fit everyone with room to spare. Just standing at the entrance was enough to rub against his nasal cavity with the smell of sulfur, and top of that, for some reason there was a large volume of apples lightly floating on the hot water. Perhaps its a form of medicinal water? He wasnt sure what their intention was, but at the very least thought that it brought about some sort of atmosphere. Well, first Id better wash my bodyDD Please let me do it. Yeah, go ahead andDDlike hell Id say that! Instinctively responding, he turned around. Pochi was there. Having undressed at some point, she was standing there without a single thread covering her naked body. Wait, why exactly are you completely naked? Ummbecause Master said to do so. Kohaku-san! CHAPTER 104: Girls in Distress / The Confused Elderly Woman CHAPTER 103: Girls in Distress / Sun Tzus Art of War CHAPTER 105: Girls in Distress / The Females Sneak in at Night Translator: Reflet Giving in to his emotions and raising his voice, Taiyou yelled in the direction of the room. Pochi, still naked, timidly peeked at Taiyou in response to him suddenly raising a loud voice. She wasnt necessarily frightened, but was more of perplexed as to why he had suddenly raised a loud voice. Taiyou was also perplexed, but, his cause of perplexation was much clearer. After all, he was certainly not expecting to see Pochi naked and the sight was too dazzling for his eyes. Unable to face her head-on, he subtly avoided her with his eyes. Both in a state of perplexity, the two of them spent a brief moment of silence together. At length, Pochi gathered up her courage and broke the ice. Please let me wash your back. N-No, you dont have to do that. In contrast to the courageous Pochi, Taiyou wavered like a middle-school boy. You just entered the hot spring, right? So come in before it gets cold. Uuu As he rejected her offer, Pochi began to become more and more teary-eyed. A feeling of guilt pierced through Taiyous chest. You dont want me to? No, its just Uuu Umm Uuuuu I get it I get it, just please dont look at me like that. Pochis eyes were like that of an abandoned puppy. Unable to last against that, Taiyou gave permission. As soon as he did that, her face burst into a broad smile. Thank you! Before we do that Taiyou diverted his eyes away from her and slipped past her side, making a mad dash for the changing room. Grabbing the door, he threw it open at once with a clatter. Hyaa! A female scream could be heard. The girls were gathered around the area where the door was thrown open. Kotone, Suzune, Kazane, Kohaku, Aoba, and even Shirokiyami were there. Leaving one exception, the girls had fallen down in surprise when Taiyou had suddenly opened the door. What are you guys doing? Erm, uhhI was curious. We thought it would come in handy. To monitor mah daughters growth. Collective behavior isimportant impor, tant. Aoba answered with a faint voice, the disorganized sister trio actually answered in unison, Kohaku responded with a remark that was difficult to take seriously, and Shirokiyami was standing proudly without any prideful expression on her face for some reason. Though there were a variety of interesting reactions, suddenly, the girls let a gasp escape their mouths. These were tiny, inaudible screams that could not be conveyed in words. There were some who were red-faced, and they were all focusing on one detail. Whats wrongOh. Taiyou realized what had happened as he asked. Fitting for the bathhouse, he was currently entirely naked, and the girls had their eyes focused on thething that was laying idle. S-Sorry. Aoba, who had not experienced something like this before, turned as red as a lobster and bolted away like a startled hare. Chasing after her, the three sisters and Kohaku also left the changing room. The remaining Shirokiyami unexpectedly pulled out a katana from her skirt. The white blade poked out of the scabbard, making a shing noise. Put away yourhazardous, material. How about you put away your hazardous material! Exclaiming loudly, he shut the door slam with all his might. Shaking off the girls, he returned to where Pochi was. Having a change of heart, he sat in the bathhouse chair and had Pochi wash his back. Just a wash, its just a wash He repeatedly chanted in his heart with a Buddhist-like prayer. In fact, he felt as if he were about to slide into an All Is Vanity attitude. Heave-ho, heave ho Not comprehending in the slightest what was going on in his mind, Pochi made a hand towel sudsy and let out an sweet, enthusiastic voice as she began to scrub his shoulders. How is it? Not bad. He bluntly answered. Okay! Pochi put even more power into it. Impressed, Taiyou thought that was very commendable. Im skilled at rinsing peoples backs. This is because I used to regularly do it to my master. Masteras in Karina Nose-san. So you guys regularly went to the bathhouse? Yes, we went every day. I see. By the way, is it alright if I ask you what kind of person that Karina Nose-san was? What kind of person Master was? Pochis perplexed presence transmitted from behind his back. Even so, the scrubbing rhythm of her hands showed no alteration. Taiyou gave her a helping hand. Seems like she was a pretty small person, right? Yes, the same as my current Master. And did you ever call her Mom? I tried it a while ago, but it just didnt feel right. I felt that Master was Master and no one else. I see. Slightly nodding, he began to think. The title of Master didnt seem to actually be forced on Pochi by Karina Nose, judging by what she said. Still having his back scrubbed by Pochi, Taiyou asked her various things about Karina Nose. Pochi answered each question faithfully after thinking earnestly each time. In the end, hearing mostly from a proud Pochi that she was doted on or that her relationship with Karina was quite close, he was able to reconfirm what the relationship between the two of them was like based also on Hanaedas stories and Karina Noses diary from before. Umm, Master is Masters Master, right? Thats complicated. Taiyou smiled bitterly. DDMaster Taiyou is Master Kohakus Master-Husband. Her statement would sound normal with an annotation, but if there were no annotation then her expression would sound very entangled. Of course, this was something that he could answer, so Taiyou distinctly nodded. Thats right. And Master is also the Master of the other people as well, right? Huh? Oh, you mean Aoba. He wasnt able to immediately understand what she meant, so he answered after a short interval. Well yeah, thats also correct. Shirokiyami, that goth loliwait, do you even know what goth loli means? Yes. Abbreviated from Gothic and Lolita , it is a fashion style unique to Japan that combines the usually different elements of gothic and lolita. And it is also a way of pointing out that subculture, right? I didnt expect an answer like that, but well, yeah. That goth loli clothed girl is the only exception, but also isnt exactly an exception. I see. Then should I call everyone Master? Huh? Taiyou fell into further confusion. This time he purposefully organized her words in his head and finally understood what she was trying to say. She was asking if people like the sister trio and Aoba who were in the same position as the master Kohaku should be called Master. No, you dont have to. Theyd get more and more confused if you called them that. And besides, you dont really want to call them that, do you? If it is Masters order, then. Taiyou could tell that she was probably implicitly displeased with the idea. Then you dont have to call them that. Just stick with calling only Kohaku Master. Okay! Pochi answered, putting more strength into rubbing his back. Master, Ill wash you off with water, okay? Yeah. As he nodded, Pochi reached out behind him for the looming showerhead. At that moment, he heard a cute voice of Hyan! and a wet slipping sound. The next moment, weight pressed against his back. At the same time, a squishy sound effect echoed throughout his head. A unprecedented sensation that he had never felt even once since the day that he was born. The sensation of having boobs pressed up against his back. S-Sorry Master! Are you hurt? No ImDD About to say fine, he felt a tingling sensation surge through his back. He wasnt sure why, but Taiyou felt like this was really bad. Without any particular reason, he felt that continuing on like this would be really bad. He halted the war-prepared objects with a forbidden move, then Pochi regained her posture, and with his back being washed, Taiyou was left imagining dirty things in his head until departing the open-air bath. Once everyones tempers had completely settled down, Taiyou returned to the room where everyone was. For some reason, the room was even gloomier than earlier. The wives resembled how they were after their bath earlier, but one step more depressed. Not understanding what had occurred, Pochi was at the sidelines in bewilderment. W-Whats wrong? Taiyou inquired, predictably worried about their demeanor, but. Boobs Big breasts F cup Cow Calling her a cow is going too far! Amongst the various statements uttered by the sister trio and Aoba, Taiyou thrusted into Aobas last statement. Nearby the distracted girls, Kohaku was gazing up at the moon from the windowsill. At a single glance she seemed to be composed, but What are you looking at, Kohaku-san? The moon, look, tonight is a splendid moon, hoho. Yeah, youre right. Are ya familiar with the story about the moons appearance resembling a rabbit pounding mochi, Master-Husband? I think so, yeah. Perhaps if we could receive the rabbits luck, those things would become somewhat more levelled. You too!? Taiyou burst in with wrinkled eyebrows and a sigh. And wait, judging by your reaction, it sounds as if you saw the whole thing. You peeked in the end, didnt you? Nah, Master-Husband didnt seem like he wanted to be seen, so I risked mah life tah stop the peeking. It was worth risking your life for? Then why didDD Iread their presence and, experienced, it. Thats seriously wasting your power! Wait, so why arent you shocked; you ran away when you were invited to the bathhouse earlier, didnt you? Its because Imade sure todivert, my. Eyes. Your eyes have nothing to do with reading their presence! An unprecedented issue had arised with Pochis membership, and Taiyou was concerned for the future. CHAPTER 105: Girls in Distress / The Females Sneak in at Nigh t CHAPTER 104: Girls in Distress / The Confused Elderly Woman Chapter 106: Girls in Distress / From Within the Car Window Translator: Reflet Hey, so are we really going to do it? Aoba, the person with the most common sense, asked in a low voice through the darkness. Surrounding her were the sister trio, Kohaku, Pochi, and even Hera. For some reason, everyone there except for Aoba had excited expressions on their faces. Of course. If we didnt then things would be inconvenient, you know? Were going to be family from now on after all. I get that, but Hesitating to talk, she looked in Kohakus direction. Aobas intuition was that she was the eldest of them all, so if there was any way to stop what they were about to do, it would be a word from her. But, as if they were broken, or perhaps they had never existed from the startAoba could not feel the slightest intent from Kohaku to stomp on the brakes. If yeh lost your nerve, then you can stay here. Well just go. I havent lost my nerve. I was just wondering if this is a good idea or not. Course it is, right everyone? Yes! I dont mean for everyone; Im talking about Pochi-chan. Me? Pochi tilted her head in puzzlement. Even a small movement like that caused her voluptuous breasts to sway from side to side, but Aoba chose to ignore that. Yeah, are you really okay with this? Yes; it is Masters order after all. And besides Besides? I dont understand whywere doing something like this, but I can tell that Master is thinking of me. So Im completely fine. Huhu, ya know me well. Cool! Hey, dont say things in such an amorous manner Aoba sighed lightly, pushing back her bangs. This was because the three sisters speech sounded like that of close friends. But but itll be inconvenient unless we do it`, you get that too right Aoba-chan? Youve experienced it after all. This time Hera spoke. With the exception of Pochi, the females gazes focused on the floating fairy. Thatsright. Pochi-chan seems to be fine, soI understand, I wont say anything anymore. When Aoba said that, the girls exchanged glances and nodded once more, soon leaving the room in a swarm. There was a banquet hall beyond the sliding door, and another sliding door of the same making on the opposite side. When they opened that, there was a small room that was one-third the size of where the girls were. It was lit up by the faintest moonlight. There was a one-person futon, and Taiyou was there making quiet sleeping noises. Upon his insistence, males and females slept in different rooms at night. It seemed like the three sisters and others wanted tosleep with him, but there was also Pochi and Shirokiyami, so Taiyou insisted that this was for the best. This was how the females ended up sneaking into Taiyous solo room at night. Ill beh going in first. Kohaku said with a muffled voice, stepping into the room first. Her careful movements were reminiscent of infiltrating an enemy base. Hmm DDNnh! Taiyou turned over, letting out a voice. Kohaku stiffened up, taken aback by the sudden event. Still stiff, she stared at Taiyou, and he once again started letting out quiet sleeping breaths. Realizing that he hadnt actually noticed them, Kohaku took a relieved breath with a phew. Resuming the infiltration, time passed by slowly as she approached Taiyous side. Signaling to them with her eyes, this time the three sisters began sneaking into the room. Normally one would expect the sound of three people sneaking into somewhere would be three times louder, but this was not the case at all. With stealthy feet in perfect synchronization, even carelessness wouldnt make them any louder than Kohakus infiltration. When they reached the area of Taiyous feet You there! Eeek! The three of them let out adorable screams, stiffening up in response to the sudden loud voice. Wondering if they had been found out, they timidly looked at Taiyou, but he was still sprawled on the futon with no signs of getting up. I can see youthere He continued in a mumbling voice. He must beh talking in his sleep. Kohaku said, and the three of them were relieved. At length they resumed their synchronized stealth feet and made it to Kohakus side. Next was Aoba. She made it to Taiyous side without any trouble, arriving on the opposite side of Kohaku and the others. When she tried to give a signal to Pochi outsideTaiyou sprang up. Pushing aside the light-fabric futon, he rose up. The females standing there gave small jumps all at once. He must have found them out this timeDDthat thought raced through each of their minds. But Taiyou, who was standing up, did not aim his eyes at them but instead wandered his unfocused eyes from left to right. The females were beginning to feel relieved that he was only half-asleep, butTaiyou suddenly gripped Aobas hand, squeezing it and pulling it towards himself. Kyaa! Aoba lost her balance and fell onto the futon. Meanwhile, Taiyou skillfully placed his body over Aoba, leaning on her. That position was just like pinning someone down. Aoba N-Natsuno-kun!? I love The sister trio and Kohaku held their breath watching the sight of Taiyou whispering into the ears of an immediately red-faced Aoba. Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock. The wall-mounted clocks sounds drifted through the room. Shortly afterward, Taiyous sleeping sounds could be heard once again. So youre not going to finish speaking? Aoba lifted her voice loudly to the point of quavering, pushing Taiyou aside and getting up. Since Taiyou didnt seem to wake up as a result, Pochi was able to normally enter the room. Sheesh Muttering discontentedly, Aoba looked at Taiyou. Suffering a disappointment and being forced to have something postponed made her state of mind very complicated. Well thats a shame. Fight! The senior wives encouraged Aoba. There were both happy and mixed feelings. He was goingto say, me. Shirokiyami, who was nowhere to be seen earlier, was suddenly next to Aoba. Wha, why are you here? Whatare you, doing? Shirokiyami did not answer her question, instead hurling a question at them. The females exchanged glances, unsure of quite how to answer. Without hesitation, Pochi broke the ice. Its to make me kiss Master. Hearing that, Shirokiyami looked at Taiyou, Kohaku, and Pochi who had answered in order. Incest? She asked nonchalantly. Thats indeed correct. Thats wrong, right? We didnt have those intentions, right? I didnt think that Yami-chan would come`, what now? Hera said as she flew through the air, starkly contrasting from the stealth feet of the sisters. Using that question as their opportunity, the females (with the exception of Shirokiyami) made a circular formation and began a strategy meeting. So maybe something like explaining the situation to her? Even if we did, I dont think that shed understand. Yeah, I dont think shed accept our explanation unless we show her. Wasnt Aoba-chan good enough of an example? Very true At this point it would probably be best tah ignore Yami and progress. I think thats good` Are you sure As Aoba said that, everyone shot a glance at Shirokiyami. They were immediately startled. Shirokiyami had taken a katana out that hadnt been there earlier. In the silence, Shirokiyami gradually and gently composed a fighting stance. Somewhere between silence and movement. The next moment, Shirokiyami performed an iai, drawing and sheathing her katana. The cutting edge glimmered in the moonlight, slipping right in front of the females. It did not cut anything up, since it attempted to slice Hera to no avail. Shirokiyami inclined her head, unsure of why nothing happened. H, mm. W-Whats wrong? Aoba asked. Could Shirokiyami have sensed it? Everyones gaze was focusedthere, so I tried, cutting it. The females gave sighs of relief. It seemed that she had not recognized it. Hera puffed out her chest. If she doesnt kiss Taiyou-chan, she wont be able to see me nor feel me, you see` This just reconfirms it; as I thought, continuing like this will be bad fer evraday life. Why is that so? If we dont do it that wayDDHuh, Master-Husband! Kohaku fell back. It was unusual for her to get this surprised. Taiyou was up all of a sudden, staring at everyone. Y-Youre awake? Yes Im awake. Anyone would wake up when people are talking all around and performing iais and the like. Taiyou looked at them with reproachful eyes. Receiving that glare, the females once again formed an encirclement. What now? Natsuno-kun woke up! Umu, thiss bad. If we were tah currently face off against Master-Husband as a group, we wouldnt be able tah take him down. Should we start over? We ave no better plans, so yeah. Kohaku said, and the females nodded. As the conversation inclined toward retreat, Shirokiyami silently cut in. Shall Ido, it? Youre going to actually do it? She nodded, got up, and moved toward Taiyou. In the darkness, the silently moving goth lolis form was reminiscent of a death god to the females eyes. Taiyou was also the same way, a perplexed expression on his face having barely gotten up. What? Dontthink badly of me. Why!? Is itnot, fine? Can you at least repeat that line twice! A little bit. It seemed like she tried, but it was a bit of a letdown for what was supposed to be an enthusiastic voice. Right after, she struck one of Taiyous vital points with the katana scabbard. The afflicted Taiyou fell on top of the futon right away, unable to move. W-What happened? My body wont move. I struck thesecret, opening. Shirokiyami said, giving the females a glance and then leaving the room, as if telling them to take their time. The females looked at one another, silently nodded, then also left the room with Pochi and Hera remaining inside. After shutting the sliding screen door, Taiyous screaming voice could be heard, but This was indeed a good idea. The girls decided not to pay it any heed. Chapter 106: Girls in Distress / From Within the Car Window CHAPTER 105: Girls in Distress / The Females Sneak in at Night Chapter 107: Girls in Distress / S and M Translator: Reflet The morning of the second day. The chirping of birds and the natural refreshing air blowing from outside the window woke up Taiyou in a pleasant manner. The moment he woke up, he expected someone to be sleeping by his side, but there was no one there. That wasnt a problem in and of itself, but it did feel a tad bit lonely. Thats probably too much to ask for. Bitterly laughing at himself for unintentionally hoping for that, Taiyou got up and left the room. Entering the nearby banquet hall, almost everyone had gathered there. Shirokiyami was the only one not there. Good morning. You all woke up early, I see. Rising early is a general custom fah the elderly. And my house always had that custom. And we regularly do housework. The female wives answered sequentially, with Pochi being the only one who remained silent. She was hiding behind the table, peeking at what was going on. Grabbing the edge of the table with both hands and showing only half of her face was very much like something a puppy would do. When he was thinking of starting a conversation with her, Kohaku opened her mouth and made a proposal. Husband, lets go on a date. Date? Indeed. We came this far to a tourist attraction, so it wouldnt beh refined tah constantly shut ourselves in here. Why dont we go see some scenic beauty or something? Oh, good idea. Nodding, Taiyou looked at the other females. You guys going too? Of course. Yeah, I mean theres no point being by myself. The sister trio and Aoba answered immediately as if they had already come to an agreement. As before, Pochi said nothing, still watching the proceedings with half of her face peeking out. Kohaku called the daughter-in-law. You shall come too, Pochi. DDUh-huh! As if she had been waiting for an invitation, or Kohaku had worded the invitation purposefully like an order, Pochi sprang up and stood up straight, promptly responding. Once that was decided, Kohaku gave a signal and the females began preparations simultaneously. With that being said, it seemed more like they had already discussed this prior to Taiyou waking up, as everyone carried only simple hand luggage and went outside all at once. Hera, who had been by his side since his waking up, approached the remaining Taiyou. Pochi-chan was definitely depressed. Do you think so? Yes indeed; she had the eyes of an abandoned puppy. You do realize this is your fault, right Taiyou? Its my fault? Yes indeed; you do realize that she became that way because you didnt kiss her, right Taiyou-chan`? Taiyou slightly furrowed his eyebrows in response. Even he thought that might be correct. After all, last night he had sent Pochi out of the room without kissing her. He had gently explained away the situation, sending her back to the females who were waiting for the kiss. So Hera was saying that that was why she was depressed. Why didnt you give her a kiss? I bet Kohaku was the one who wanted to make it happen. Thats spot on, but you still havent answered my question, have you Taiyou-chan? Is there some reason why you havent? Is it a family motto? Is it about the parent leaving a will? Or perhaps its a religious principle from a religion? Nothing like that. Then you gotta do it man`, move it move it go go! Besides, if you dont give her a kiss then I cant chat with Pochi-chan. You will at some point. As if saying that the conversation was over, Taiyou gave an ambiguous answer and went outside. The females were all gathered around the car. This was not the wagon that they had used last night, but rather, a proper minivan that had carried them here. Shirokiyami, who had been absent earlier, was also there. She had been sitting on the roof for an unspecified amount of time. The sight of an attractive goth loli on a family car minivan was so irregular that Taiyou was still a bit perplexed, despite this being his second time seeing it. He approached the car and inquired, looking up at her. What exactly are you doing? I got onthe, car. Its okayIll disappear so thatno one, sees. Alright. Taiyou nodded, leaving her be. This was because he thought it was for the best. Her riding in the car versus her riding on the roof. The latter sounded more exciting. It sort of reminded him of a young child excitedly riding in the passenger seat for the first time. Alright, let us be off. Everyone get in. The females nodded in response, filing into the car one after another. Kohaku, seated in the passenger seat leaned out the window and spoke. Ya gotta push it, Husband. Slowly. Alright, sureDDI cant do something like that! Taiyou cut in after he had pushed the car of seven riding females, his sleeves rolled up. No, I think you just did? You went a little far with the joke. Aoba was exasperated and Hera was cackling. You never fail tah amaze, Husband. I expected you tah comment on it but I never thought that youd actually have the capability level tah move it. You never fail tah amaze, Husband. Dont say that twice, and while were at it, dont say that like some sort of big brother. And capability level, what even is capability level? That was 15 kilometersper, hour. Shirokiyami quietly conveyed from the roof. Her manner of speaking was the same as usual, but it had a tone of declaration to it. Did you seriously measure it!? Yami-chansen, sor. There really isnt anything impossible for you, is there! Well that was but a joke. I was going tah have you move the car once all seven wives had gathered, Husband. Kohaku said moving to the drivers seat, while Taiyou hopped into the vacant passengers seat. When that time comes, Ill do ya one better and carry the whole car. Along with one of Taiyous feasible jokes, this time around the car moved with the power of its engine. Shortly after leaving the ryokan, the car climbed up a mountain road. There were twisting roads, some of which even curved one-hundred-eighty degrees, but with Kohakus trained driving, it was a very agreeable drive. It was so comfortable that Taiyou, sitting in the seat with the highest chance of death, nonchalantly thought about how interesting Kohakus change of personality was as soon as she gripped the handle. There was a gift shop when they had come halfway up the mountain, so they decided to take a break and go inside. With the car stopped in the parking lot, the females got out and entered the shop one-by-one, while Pochi was the only one remaining in the car. Just like how she was in the morning, she was acting like a dog, peeking only half her face out of the window. Taiyou called out to her, trying to invite her into the shop. Husband. At that moment, Kohaku had suddenly emerged from the shop. It seemed that she had quickly bought a cone of soft serve ice cream, holding it in her tiny hands. Whats the matter, Kohaku-san? Ya gotta try a bit of this. Soft serve ice cream? Okay, sure. He stooped down to where she was holding it, trying it just a little bit. Perhaps it was the effect of being on a trip, but it had a rich flavor and was pretty tasty. How is it? Yeah, its tasty. But I sort of get the feeling that the flavor is a bit different from your average soft serve ice cream; sort of like vanilla but not exactly vanilla Right, right! Kohaku said, grinning. Surveying her reaction as well asthe soft serve ice cream, for just an instant, something horrible ran through his imagination. Though he was pretty sure that they wouldnt do that sort of thing, he timidly inquired. You didnt have any weird scheme with this, did you? Ah, Ive been found out. Hey!? Glomp. Indifferent to Taiyous rough voice, Kohaku ate the soft serve ice cream with a chomp. Huhu, I just shared an indirect kiss with Husband. That was your scheme!? Not minding his quip, Kohaku, who was now in a good mood from succeeding in an indirect kiss, returned to the inside of the store. After seeing Kohaku go inside, he turned toward Pochi, whose glittering eyes were visible from within the car. He thought to ask her if she had wanted to eat ice cream and was going to offer to buy some, but Taiyou-san! This time the three sisters approached him. Just like Kohaku, they were holding soft serve ice cream. Not one ice cream per each of them, but instead all three of them gripping one ice cream. Ummcould you Try this real quick? Its fine if its just a little bit, okay? You guys too? Let me ask just in case, but theres nothing strange inside the ice cream, right? No, just normal cheese soft serve ice cream! Thats questionably normal! Oh, so it was cheese flavor No wonder it was rich. While thinking that, he bit on the tip of the cranium-spiraling soft serve ice cream. Thank you! Koto-chan, Kaza-chan, lets eat over there. Kay! With satisfied smiling faces, the sister trio went off pitter-pattering to a remote location, licking down the ice cream all at once. The image of them surrounding the soft serve ice cream and dragging their tongues across it was very erotic. Having the feeling that he shouldnt just stare at them, Taiyou regained his composure and turned back to Pochi. Her eyes were gleaming even more than earlier. Taiyou was pretty sure that she was interested in the soft serve ice cream. PoDD Umm, Natsuno-kun. An obstacle got in his way of talking to Pochi for the third time. This time it was Aobas voice. He had somewhat predicted this, so he turned around thinkingYeah yeahto himself. Okay, Ill eat it so bring it here. Eh? But contrary to his expectations, Aoba wasnt holding soft serve ice cream. Actually, she wasnt holding anything in her hands at all. As Taiyou was perplexed by that, she nervously began to talk. Ummthere was limited lip balmso Lip balm Looking at it, her lips had become just a bit glossy. She had probably applied it to her lips and came to show Taiyou. It was Taiyous misunderstanding; jumping to the wrong conclusion. The misunderstanding picked up speed with the likes of a snowball rolling down a slope. So youll, eat it? Aoba said while red-faced and fidgeting. Of course there were no alternatives that existed within him, so placing his hands on her shoulders, he leaned forward just a tad bit. Chapter 107: Girls in Distress / S and M Chapter 106: Girls in Distress / From Within the Car Window Chapter 108: Girls in Distress / Advancing with Him Translator: Reflet Saying just a tad bit and actually doing just a tad bit might be the sort of thing that influential entertainers do as a joke. And if it were between a male and a female, even more so. Just like how the only human beings who could trust the term just the tip were basically aliens, it would be impossible for an aroused man and woman to heed the words just a tad bit. The two of them kissing, Aobas hand wrapped around Taiyous shoulders, tightly grasping his clothing. Their now-rough nasal breathing began to tickle each others faces. Aoba. Natsunokun. Breaking their kiss, he called her name. The girls face had become flushed, and she looked at him with entranced eyes. In a dreamy state of mind, she called his name. One more time. Eh? Is that alright? He asked, returning the gaze of her enraptured eyes. Well Aoba made the face that Taiyou had hoped for. Touching her lips with a hooked finger, she became red and cast down her eyes. But she would also steal glances up at Taiyous face. The desire to tell her that he had wanted to see her make this kind of face grew even stronger. Taiyou, stimulated by a feeling of dominance, staring at her intently but saying nothing. Not rushing her, and not doing anything further if she didnt approve of it. Letting off that mood, he waited for her to open her mouth. But. Ultimately, he was a sixteen-year-old boy who had been a virgin up until a month ago. He was much too inexperienced with the art of teasing. Nggh! Aoba fidgeting in front of him was just so cute, and not being able to take it any longer, he stole her lips. The second kiss, seeking more than before. Natsuno, kun? Sorry. I wasnt thinking about your feelings, and I just couldnt take it anymore and forced it I-It wasnt forced, okay? Huh? I also wanted toDDwanted you to do it! So it wasnt forced, got it? Oh. But even so I really am sorry. That definitely was over-the-top. That tooDD That too? The words that she had said rushed out from his mouth, but he swallowed them abruptly. He didnt even have to ask what she meant. He could of course have her say it, but as he was satisfied, he didnt press. Enjoying a brief period of pleasant silence, Aoba broke the ice. Hey, so are you also kissing the others? Yeah. Taiyou gave an immediate response. If anything, its probably a bit severer with them. Kotone, Suzune and Kazane take turns so I have time to breath, but Kohaku prefers it to last until the break of losing consciousness, so I also have it just a bit hard. Its hard even on you, Natsuno-kun? Yeah. Oh, and by hard I mean breathing; the kiss itself feels super nicemakes me happy. Is that so Aoba lowered her face into Taiyous arms, thinking a bit. Alright, Ill give it my best too. Give it your best? Yeah; Ill give it my best to keep up with your pace, Natsuno-kun. No, you dont really have to give that your best But, if I lose consciousness then the kiss will end right in the middle of it all, right? Men dont like it when things end halfway, right? Thats why Ill give it my best to last to the end! Oh, I see. As Aoba declared this from within his arms, something hot welled up from within Taiyous chest. It was a little different from earlier; gentle, but hot enough to at least rival any other feeling. Smooch. He kissed her lightly, making a noise. The fact that Aoba had closed her eyes and accepted him just prior to the kiss made his chest feel hotter and hotter. Thanks, that makes me happy. Yeah Aoba nodded. In that position for a while longer, they enjoyed the aftertaste. Not long after, Aoba slipped out of Taiyous arms and stood up. Next time, Ill ask Mom and the others lots of questions, okay! Saying that with a red face, she dashed out of the area. She ran deep within the shop and disappeared. What exactly does she mean by ask? Taiyou muttered. He couldnt imagine in the slightest what sort of things shed try to ask them. But he soon stopped thinking. Because after kissing Aoba, he didnt think something like that mattered. Rooted in place, Taiyou briefly enjoyed that lingering memory. Master. Uwa! Suddenly called from behind, he was so surprised that he thought his heart would jump out. The voice came within close proximity. Pochi had been gazing at him from the car that was no more than three meters away. S-Since when were you there? Ive been here the whole time? O-Oh, right. He wasnt sure why he asked that idiotic question. He became embarrassed as well. So you saw us the whole time? Yes, in the arena seat. Uwah Taiyous face became a lavish red on par with Aobas. Being seenin itself, he didnt mind, but the fact that he had forgotten that there was already a spectator there and did all that in front of them was embarrassing. Because that showed just how much he had lost control of himself. He wanted to explain away the situation and have Pochi forget about what he had done, but that would be an unfulfillable dream. Master, what happened just now? Eh? Pochi asked, immensely curious. Based on the question and what it entailed, Taiyou caught on, eager to make it seem like nothing had happened. By just now, do you mean what I did with Aoba? Yes. How do you not know For a second he thought that this was her way of playing bashful, but that wasnt the case. Kohaku probably had her all figured out, but here he was with Pochi, and her eyes seemed like they just genuinely were questioning. Not believing that it was possible, he asked her. We kissed, but do you really not know what a kiss is? Yes, I know! Thats the general name for the fish categorized in the Sillaginidae family under the Percoidei suborder from the Perciformes order. Otherwise, its the English term kiss for the process of pressing ones lips against something or someone. Right? Pochi answered without hesitation. Her way of speaking conveyed her ability to immediately recite anything from memory. Straight from the dictionary as usual, I see. Well as you can see, we did the press lips together definition. Pochi inclined her head, dissatisfied. Taiyou thought that was strange. For a second there he thought that she didnt know what the concept of a kiss was, but her knowledge did seem to cover that. Then why was she questioning what had transpired? This time, Taiyou was the one questioning things. Chapter 108: Girls in Distress / Advancing with Him Chapter 107: Girls in Distress / S and M Chapter 109: Girls in Distress / She Who Could Not Be Protected Translator: Reflet So why do you think that? After all, Master Master is here. Mm? Oh, you must be talking about Kohaku-san. Thinking about that briefly, Taiyou asked a question in return. Do you know what polygamy is? Yes! The act of one man taking many women as his wives, or otherwise, the legal system of the aforementioned process. Some of the patterns seen in this system can take the form of sister polygamy as well as non-sister polygamy. Really? Taiyou said, deeply interested. He originally had asked her the question, but much to his surprise, he had just heard something new. Marveling at her usual unique way of answering, he asked another question. I understand what sisters and non-sisters mean, but youre saying that they each have their own unique categories? Yes; it seems to have been very common for nobles and the upper class to indulge in the sister polygamy model. Among the emperors of Japan throughout history, around twenty-one of them apparently had harems comprised of sisters. I sure didnt know that. Incidentally, do you know which emperors did that? Yes! UhhEmperor Kourei, Emperor Suinin, Emperor KeikouDD In one go, Pochi read off some dozen emperors names without hesitation. Wow, there were quite a few people like that, eh? Taiyou was impressed. He was familiar with some of those names, so although he wasnt sure whether this was true or not, it gave him the impression of sounding quite credible. Which means that since we have sisters in our groupoh wait, never mind; theres also Kohaku and Aoba, so its also a non-sister model in a sense. Mumbling, he then looked at Pochi. You really know your stuff. Thats because I studied together with Master! You see, Master was very knowledgeable and taught me a variety of things. And now I guess youre referring to Karina-san. He could understand from the context that she was talking about her actual mother. And with that general flow, he asked Pochi various things. Pochi answered them one by one in a prompt manner. Taiyou soon discovered that her knowledge far surpassed that of his own. Almost as if there were an encyclopedia within her head, if you metaphorically hit it, it would reverberateDDif you inquired something, it would soon????come up with a diligent answer. Shes got to be at least more knowledgeable than Kohaku. Pochi knew enough of a variety of things to convince him of that. On the other hand, there were a lot of things that she didnt know. Despite the fact that she had knowledge of just about everything found in things like dictionaries and encyclopedias, when it came to things like slang, her knowledge was poor. And although she had the knowledge, she had apparently almost never actually experienced, saw, or interacted with most of these things. Taiyou thought that had to be a given, considering how long she had been locked up in that mansion along with Karina. Once Taiyous questions had settled down, this time it was Pochis turn to speak. So I also kiss Aoba due to our unique situation. Okay, I understand! Youre satisfied now, are you Umm, Master? Yeah? Could you tell meabout the new Master? While saying that, she glanced in the direction of the shop. It would seem that she wanted to know about Kohaku. Kohaku-san, huhWhere do I even begin? Master is Masters Master, right? Im still not used to that way of speakingbut yeah, thats right. Taiyou answered Kohakus question, reminiscing about life after meeting Kohaku. I think that Kohakuis an incredible person. Incredible person? Yeah; you know about the Eternal Littles, right? Yes! They are women with genetic irregularities who have grown without gaining any secondary sex characteristics. Right? I see; so thats how you describe them in dictionary terms. Well, thats right. Its not good to talk about a womans age, but Kohaku is actually old enough to be our grandmotherpossibly even great-grandmother. But nevertheless, shes young. Shes young, shes smart, and her personalitycan be quite sadistic but is overall good, and above allDDshes a beautiful woman. You say shes a beautiful woman? Yeah; you dont get what I mean? Im sorryI cant really tell if shes beautiful or not. Nah; its cool. I think that Kohaku-san is a tremendously beautiful woman. Her seductivenessis just staggering. Whats the wordbewitching, Id say. Bewitching. Refined and captivating; a lovely appearance. Captivating. Her forms and mannerisms are amorous. Coquettish. Shes that sort of person, then. After chanting the general definitions like spells, Pochi nodded satisfactorily. Usually she isnt content with explanations though Taiyou thought with a bittersweet smile. To tell the truth, I wonder why she chose someone like me. Shes lovely to the point of being sexy, shes smart, and she somehow has a lot of personal connections and assets. Frankly, she must have seen loads of men greater than I am in her life. Pochi didnt answer; she just fixed her eyes straight at Taiyou. However, no matter how much I think about it I dont understand, so I stopped thinking about it. You stopped? Yeah; Kohaku-san is still by my side. So rather than think about things like that and trouble myself, I decided to better myself. Kohaku is a great woman. Even among all of the women I know, shes the very best and is unmistakably the best woman in the world. Just to be a good match with that very Kohaku-sanno, to become someone she can be proud of. I believe thats the kind of man that I need to become. Thinking even now about Kohaku, he continued talking. That phrase she always saysDDI offer everything to youDDI believe that Ive gotta become the kind of man whos worthy of that phrase. No matter what. No matter what? Yes, no matter what. Taiyou nodded as if reconfirming his determination. Youll go to any lengths, huh Its because Ive fallen in love with her. Uwa Pochis eyes sparkled in admiration. Looking at her, he reflected on the words that had just come out of his mouth. Taiyou let out an unconscious sigh of relief. Pochi was rich in knowledge and vocabulary, but the other clause was that she didnt have those things linked to actual life. So even if she knew about things that she hadnt experienced, she wouldnt realize when something was actually happening in front of her. As evidence, she clearly hadnt realized???????what he had just done. If this had been seen bysomeone else who was accompanying them, they probably would have quickly poked their nose into it. DDHaving the nerve to speak fondly of her. From his experience speaking with Pochi, she undoubtedly had the meaning ofspeaking fondlyrecorded in her head. If he were to ask her, shed undoubtedly respond withSpeaking proudly in front of others about ones spouse or lover. But that wouldnt connect with what Taiyou did. Taiyou was saved by the girl Pochi. Taiyou sighed in relief. Relieved, he repressed his unintentional desire to go on about Kohaku deep in his chest and stared intently at Pochi. Seeing him suddenly become quiet, she once again hid half of her face beyond the car door. She had suddenly become rather adorable in his eyes. No; ever since yesterday, every time he had seen her he had always thought that she was adorable. Getting to speak closely with her and coming to an understanding of what kind of girls she was, his thoughts only became stronger. Maybe ifI had known it would be like this yesterday The image of Pochi, taken along to his bedroom and left there, floated in the back of Taiyous mind. The thing that was sought from him. When he thought about that Youve got to kiss` The fairy (devil) whispered into his ears. Chapter 109: Girls in Distress / She Who Could Not Be Protected Chapter 108: Girls in Distress / Advancing with Him Chapter 110 Mystery of the Girl / Domestic Telephone Call Translator: Reflet You gotta do it`, and I mean do it as in violate her` Hera whispered in his ears, following him around like a small insect. Based on her elated expression and tone of voice, she was like a demon that had just defeated an arch-nemesis angel. There was in fact no angel there, but he didnt hesitate. Used to this, Taiyou hit her, striking her into the ground. Also used to this, she powerfully bounded up and flew back to him. Hey, what are you doing? Grabbing the protesting fairy by the nape of the neck, he moved her in front of his eyes. What are you doing? Im just reminding Taiyou-chan about what hes forgetting to do, okay? Now then, hurry up and kiss Pochi-chan, and then Ill do what needs to be done with her. Its not that I forgot; I purposefully chose not to, okay? And what do you mean by doing what needs to be done? He shot a question back at her with cold eyes. He looked at her this way because she had said that Hera and Pochi, who had no way of contacting each other, had to accomplish something together, which sounded ridiculous. Ultimately, it was exactly what Taiyou had thought. Playing ball, taking a stroll around the river beachDD Do you seriously intend to treat her like a dog!? I promise itll be fun, okay? For you, maybe. He said as he tried to hit her back down. She had nimbly dodged said attack, so in order to follow up with another attackDDmuch like driving away a fly in front of ones face, he waved his hands in a fluttering motion. Unable to see Hera, Pochi quizzically inquired. What are you doing, Master? Eh? Oh, uhh, hmmyou know, shadow boxing! While thinking about how hard this was for him, he waved his hands frantically and made an excuse. Shadow boxing. Dodging an attack from an imaginary enemy while throwing a punch and so on; the process of moving by oneself to create attacks. After she had recited the usual dictionary information, Pochi made a content face. So thats what you were doing! Oh, so you accepted the explanation What a good girlyou are. Hera pretended to be moved to tears. Seriously, Hera Master! Pochi raised her voice. He initially thought that she had called him, but he realized that her gaze was actually focused behind him. Kohaku came up behind him. Kohaku was smiling, but with earnest eyes. These were not the eyes of her usual jokes or jests, but rather the kind of face she would make when having serious discussions. Listen Pochi, Im going tah be speaking with Husband right now. So be quiet and listen without getting in tha way. Okay, understood! Nodding vigorously, she sealed her mouth with both of her hands. As usual, this was a rather childlike and adorable mannerism. Looking at her and nodding satisfactorily, she turned back to Taiyou. My Husband, Ive heard the story. Story? Indeed; the argument between Husband and Hera. I am of the same opinion as Hera; I think that it would be best for you to kiss this girl soon. Why are you refusing her in the first place, Husband? Well Taiyou hesitated. Now that he thought about it, even he wasnt so sure why he had been rejecting her. There wasnt exactly any reason; he had just partly refused her by spinal reflex. Is it that you resent the fact that I took in Pochi? No, not that. Promptly responding, he shook his head. He didnt have the answer as to why he rejected her, but he did have some composed ideas as to why. I think that you should do as you please, Kohaku-san. Theres no reason to oppose your decisions. Then thats even more reason tah kiss her. Living under the same roof and not being able tah even have a conversation about the unseen is inconvenient. Thats true, but Or do ya perhaps have another idea? If theres a better method then Im all ears. Method Taiyou parroted back in a flat tone. He soon opened his eyes wide, astonished. Objective, and method. He was ordinarily the type of human to distinctly separate those two things. The most important thing was to fulfill the objective, and the methods were pliableDDto rephrase, he was the type of human that would use any means at his disposal. He had come this far doing that very thing. Others had said that very thing about him, and even he thought in that fashion about himself. To relate this to the current conversation, the objective was for Pochi and Hera to both be able to recognize and converse with each other. And there was only one method, which was for Taiyou and Pochi to kiss. The previous him wouldnt have refused. After all, if there was only one solution, then no matter how much he worried or refused, in the end it all came down to the same thing. Thats why he was surprised. Why he hadnt done that immediately, and why he had continuously refused this time around. So he thought carefully about yesterday. Taiyou Castle was broken, they made it to this hot spring area with Kohakus driving, met with Pochi, and took her in. He carefully recalled that string of events. And when he did so, he realized something. Something very dull and laughable that made him want to be knocked down. Haha. Snorting, he lifted a smile of self-depreciation onto his face. Whats wrong, eh Husband? No, I just thought that I really am an idiot. What do you mean, Taiyou-chan? For having pointless pride, you know. I see. Kohaku made an understanding face after a moment. Gazing at each other briefly, Taiyou felt that her eyes that had endured many years could see through everything. DDMaybe I really should have realized that. DDNo, Kohaku-san, you did nothing wrong. Bad things only came about because of my pride. DDThe pride of a main provider may very well be a necessary thing. DDIf the main provider were of a higher caliber. They gave that exchange in an instant just by exchanging their gaze. Thats all it took to convey the information both to the sender and the receiver. Feeling that way about it, both Taiyou and Kohaku were satisfied. Or at least they were, but someone who didnt understand was nearby. Eh? Kohaku-tan, you got all that? Yeah, even I have to do some soul-searching. Its my fault for not properly separating the objective and the method. Theres no blame on you, Kohaku-san. Then how about declaring this a draw? We each take care from now on. Agreed. Taiyou and Kohaku nodded to each other when saying that. And Hera had a gibberish look on her face as usual. I really dont understand what Taiyou-chan or Kohaku-tan are saying. Yeah? But Taiyou-chan looks happy, so I wont complain. Youre amazing in your own way. Well of course, as I am here for Taiyou-chans benefit. A highly versatile phrase. Thinking that, Taiyou laughed, and the other two women lifted the corners of their mouths up into smiles, laughing. After the three of them had laughed at each other for some time, Kohaku called out to Pochi in the car. Pochi dear, get out of the car. Okay! Pochi obediently answered her call, opened the door, and got out from the car. She walked to where Kohaku was. It all happened in an instant. In under a split second; in an amount of time faster than the human sense could pursue. This was made possible by tagging along with ShirokiyamiDDgetting accumulated to bloodlust. Kohaku-san! Sensing the impending danger quicker than anyone else, Taiyou yelled loudly and stepped in front of the girls to protect them. ZudododododododoDD The sound of gunfire echoing, and something aimed at Taiyou, flying toward him in succession. Those things hit his body, which ignored the laws of physics, sending them powerlessly to the ground. The lead bullets fell trickling onto the earth. W-What is it? In response to the quick turn of events, Kohakus voice sounded out, losing her composure for once. On the other side of things, Taiyou was also taken aback, but with the Long-Distance Nullification skill and the experience from fighting with Shirokiyami, he was comparatively calmer. Please dont move, Kohaku-san. Youll be safe if you stick behind me. Alright. He could sense someone taking a deep breath behind him. Being as amazing as she always was, Kohaku had swiftly recovered and was attempting to regain a sense of composure. That was soon shaken by yet another grand-scale impact. Something exploded in front of them. Not an impact, but a flash-emitting explosion. Flash?Bang! Kuh! Momentarily disoriented, Taiyou looked back and hugged Kohaku closely so as to protect her. That way, he could protect her no matter what happened. He made various predictions, simulating how to deal with them in his head. But no matter how much time passed, nothing came their way. Still embracing Kohaku, sight gradually returned. Taiyou-san! Natsuno-kun! Overhearing the racket, the sister trio and Aoba emerged from the shop, protected by Shirokiyami. Taiyou-chan! Pochi-chan isnt here. What! Hearing Heras words, all present were in astonishment. Chapter 110 Mystery of the Girl / Domestic Telephone Call Chapter 109: Girls in Distress / She Who Could Not Be Protected Chapter 111 Mystery of the Girl / Mysterious Defeat Translator: Reflet Taiyou surveyed the area in shock. Just like Hera had said, Pochi was nowhere to be found. Natsuno-kun! What happened? Pochi went missing. Pochi-chan did? She wasntkidnapped, was she? Kohaku asked as if she were murmuring, and the females caught their breath. Everyone immediately focused on what was in front of Kohaku. The lead bullets, sprawled near Taiyous feet. Whats that? Gun ammunitionthat of a, machine gun. Shirokiyami answered, and Aoba became even more astonished. Wha, so its the real deal? So then what we heard just now was gunfire. YesAlso, flashbangs, were used too. Flashbang hand grenade n machine gunWhat in thworld does this signify? Hey, do you know where they took her to? Taiyou asked Shirokiyami, having had numerous interactions with her in the past where she displayed the ability to sense presences, entrusted her with his hope. All I know is thatits that, way. She said, pointing silently in the direction of the mountain. Come winter and it would be a crimson color, but right now it was still an ordinary mountain. So you dont know anything other than the direction Taiyou wondered what he had expected, racking his brains. Lets search for her, Taiyou-san! She was kidnapped just now, so they shouldnt have gone that far. If we all search, well find her. The three sisters proposed encouragingly. Thats right. Lets split up and search. Ill try chasin them by car along the road. After all, the chances that theyre also usin a car are very high. Then Ill search areas that dont have a road. Could you come help too? Ha said looking at Shirokiyami, and she silently nodded, but Butwe cant contact, each other. You didnt bring a cell with you? Were out of, range. She said, and the girls one-by-one checked their smartphones. Mines also outta range. Mine too. Kohaku and Aoba made troubled faces one after the other. Tch, what should we Please leave it to us! The three sisters said in loud voices, their faces brimming with confidence. Taiyou sprinted through the forest. He carried Kotone, the eldest of the three sisters on his shoulders and was running, weaving his way through the trees. He surveyed his surroundings restlessly while sprinting. Every time something moved in his field of vision, he would come to a halt and check, breaking into a run again in disappointment. The only ones here were Taiyou and Kotone. The Natsuno family split into four groups scattered about in various parts in search of Pochi. Taiyou and Kotone. Kohaku and Suzune. Shirokiyami and Kazane. And Hera. Splitting into four groups in that manner, they were desperately searching for Pochi. Taiyou-san, this is from Kohaku-san. She says that the smartphone waves have been restored. Whereas it seems like we still cant use ours; what about Shirokiyami? She also still cant. Alright. Then how about you guys? Youre considerably separated from each other, but Everythings fine; I can also hear Suzune-chan and Kazane-chans voices????? Got it; then Im counting on you to hold out a bit longer. Understood! Taiyou and Kotone, who were on their own in the middle of the mountains where no electronic signals could reach, were using the sister trios telepathy for communication. The girls were conversing via telepathy, so due to having to vocalize the conversation there was usually some time lag, but this time around they seemed to be reaching them with precision. Searching the surroundings whilst sprinting, Taiyou felt a pang of regret. Damn it; if I just hadnt wasted my time worrying What do you mean by wasting your time worrying? I mean that I shouldve kissed Pochi last night. If I had kissed her, she would have been able to directly use Hera Oh, because once you kiss, Hera-chan is able to figure out their whereabouts, right. Damn it. Another word from Kohaku-san. She went all the way back to the ryokan but couldnt find her. She says that shell scout the perimeter and then return here if nothing comes up. Tell her to report back just in case. UnderstoodAh, this time its from Yami-chan. Theres no trace of any people within the sphere of a one kilometer radius. Tch. Their search fruitless, Pochi was nowhere to be found. Feelings of unease grew worse, burning Taiyous chest. This is from Kohaku-san. Did she find her!? No, not that. Umm,Being kidnapped implies that they wont harm er; remember how there were no signs o wounds at the crime scene?, is what she said. The manner of speaking that came out of Kotones mouth had an air of jest. Taiyou was put into a delicate mood of wanting to laugh, but not quite being able to laugh. That may be so, but that doesnt mean that we can just relax, right? UmmThere was no bloodlustnor malicious, intent., she says. This time it was Shirokiyami; with Kotone conveying Shirokiyamis unique way of speaking, it definitely had some sort of peculiarity (in a good way) to it.. She also saidSoI was late in noticing, it. Sorry. No, its not your fault. Taiyou began speaking as if he were in a phone conversation with Shirokiyami, Kohaku, and the others. Youre no different, Husband; even assuming that ya had kissed, that wouldnt necessary mean that this coulda been prevented.. We share the same opinion. Still Natsuno-kun, stop worrying and search more earnestly. Ngh Taiyou was at a loss He felt as if Aoba were right in front of him reprimanding him. All of a sudden, they began converse in a natural flow. Although it was indeed a bit of a verbal message game-like thing being intercepted between the three sisters, eventually, it began to feel like using a phone or computer for a three-way conversation. Initially it was slightly uncomfortable, but eventually, that feeling went completely away. All things considered, this situations odd. Whats odd about this situation? Their mannerisms. Mannerisms? What about their mannerisms? Eh? Natsuno-kun, are you seriously asking that? Of course I am This wasthe criminal act of a, pro. Yeah, cause they came out with stuff like machine guns and flashbang grenades. Aint that right? ? So what I mean is, why did they go to such lengths to abduct her? I dont know whether or not theyre pros, but isnt doing all that to abduct one girl a bit over-the-top? Ah. Taiyou came to a stop while still shouldering Kotone. His shocked expression was proof that he finally understood the situation. The event in which he became involved in order to save the three sisters, and the days in which he continuously challenged Shirokiyami. Those things had numbed his sensitivity. There was of course the fact that he had nullified the machine gun bullets withLong-Range Nullification, and although he was busy feeling remorse for Pochi being kidnapped right in front of him, he hadnt realized a fairly important thing. Aobas intuition was normal in that area. Bringing along that much equipment to abduct one girl was odd in the first place. Youre right; whether it be the speed of their withdrawal or that they escaped from Shirokiyamis vicinity, it really was a strange situation. Taiyou-san, you hadnt actually noticed that? You noticed that, Kotoneoh wait, thats to be expected, huh. Uh, yeah But why? Why did they do something like- Taiyou pondered, standing still. In turn, alarm bells rang in his head. The sense that something terrible was about to happen sprouted up. Taiyou-san, first we need to find Pochi-chan. Y-Yeah, youre right. Becoming aware of Kotone, Taiyou took a step, resuming the search for Pochi. When he did that, Taiyou-chan! I found her! Hera suddenly appeared in front of them. The only one who had been working solo, she had used warping to come and notify them. Chapter 111 Mystery of the Girl / Mysterious Defea t Chapter 110 Mystery of the Girl / Domestic Telephone Call Chapter 112: Mystery of the Girl / Im Sure Theyll Forgive Me Translator: Reflet Where is she!? Ill take you to her. Hera turned around midair, changing course and flying off. Taiyou kicked off from the ground, following her. Their ferocious speed was enough to blow wind toward them, with Kotone holding back her hair with her hands as she spoke to Hera. Hera-chan, Ill notify everyone, so tell me where the place is and where she is! Alright! Its in the area ahead once youve cleared these woods. Once Hera had told her that, Kotone conveyed it among the sisters via telepathy. Taiyou, still sprinting, at length found the target once he had slipped out of the forest for the first time, just as Hera had said. A group of brawny men were gathering around one wagon. Pochi was already set up on the wagon, mouth gagged and hands tied up. She reacted to seeing Taiyou, but was in a situation where her pressed-down shoulders prevented her from moving. Pochi! Calling her in a loud voice, he stopped when he was around ten meters away from the wagon. This was a distance from which he could immediately burst in and commence fighting; the distance to commence fighting that his body had learned from his fights with Shirokiyami. Taiyou lowered Kotone down, setting her behind him. Then he realized something when he took another look at his opponents. Among the burly men, only one was clearly an existence of a different nature. There was a crimson outline of a woman. Though she was a crimson outline, she was by no means a sweet flower. There was a fierce smile in her narrow eyes that was reminiscent of a carnivorous animal, and while glamorous, she surpassed Taiyous height at around 180 centimeters. She was emitting an extraordinary atmosphere from her entire body. We couldnt get away, huh. The huge woman looked at Taiyou, a smile showing on her face. Not self-depreciation; in stark contrast to her words, it was a manner of speaking of someone enjoying the situation. They had no intention of running away. Taiyou just got that feeling. But wow, to think that you got here first instead of Shirokiyami. I guess youd better blame it on bad luck. What do you think, boy? She asked in a collected manner, and paying it no heed, Taiyou interrogated her. Who are you guys, and what was your objective with kidnapping that girl? Oh, did I seem like the type of person who spills the beans? The woman asked in return, snickering. Well, this is the right situation for it, plus its not like I lose anything by asking. Thats also true. Well, youre free to ask, but I have no intention of answering. Then, where do you plan on taking her? Thats basically the same as the other questions. How about you use your head a bit when asking questions? She said in a challenging tone, snickering as usual. Taiyou was a little bit sullen. What about the color of your panties? Red. And further up? The same. Is there hair, or do you shave? Is having none a given? The large woman stifled her laughter. Her way of laughing was not a derisive laugh of bloodlust, but now had a happy nuance to it. And? And what? I mean, what else? For starters, I dont mind giving you about eighty points, but not having any questions beyond that to broaden the conversation means failure, boy. Taiyou closed his mouth. He had just been trying to throw a screwball into the day after tomorrow and confuse her, so he didnt continue. You really arent popular, are ya? The woman made a slightly exasperated expression. Crossing her arms and sighing, her breasts that were a size larger than Pochis wavered up and down. Taiyou wasnt able to retort. Thats not true! Taiyou-san is staggeringly popular; he plans to eventually make a harem of seven, okay! Youre an idiot if you dont understand Taiyou-sans appeal. In place of Taiyou who couldnt retort, Kotone lost her temper and objected. She couldnt handle her harem king being denounced. Hey, seems like youre pretty good at brainwashing. Many thanks for the compliment. Since were on the topic of harems, wanna discuss true love? Using the time that Kotone had made for him when she had cut in, a somehow-refreshed Taiyou tried bringing up a different topic. A keyword that he had found when searching up harems on the internet a bit earlier. He had at that time procured the opinions of the people who discussed things like one-husband-multiple-wives and one-wife-multiple-husbands, so this was a topic that could open up the conversation in many ways. Seems like a topic that would spread the conversation out boundlessly, but no can do. Why? Because it would be a waste to have that conversation end in the middle; if we had time Id like to have the both of us discuss it unreservedly while having a drink. Theres no time? The woman twisted the corner of her mouth into a broad grin as Taiyou tilted his head. Well, I guess its about time. Eh? I mean that I think your guys reinforcements should be here pretty soon. You bought time because you were waiting for their arrival, right? You knowingly went along with it? Well yeah, sure. Taiyou was astonished. Just as she had said, he had intended to buy time until the girls had come together. He felt shocked that not only had she caught on to that, but knowingly played along. Whats the meaning of this?DDAs he thought that, just as she had said, Taiyous reinforcements arrived. I sure did. Kohakus car came from the opposite side, rushing with Shirokiyami and the small-framed Kazane hanging from it. Taiyou and company had surrounded the woman and her subordinates on three sides. Taiyou, Kohaku, and Shirokiyami were in front, while Kotone, the other sisters, and Aoba were standing a bit further away. In response to being surrounded, the burly men readied battle stances, but she was composed, her arms crossed. Alarm bells rang in Taiyous head. His intuition warned him that something wasnt right. Dont tell meit wasnt that you couldnt run away, but that you intentionally chose to not run away? Huh, whaddya mean, Husband? Wow, kids heads these days are surprisingly perceptive. Intuitions good too. The woman gave a reply in an amused manner as if implicitly saying Thats right. Well, rather than fleeing and being traced, its better to keep our objective fulfilled and have enough time to flee after we turn the tables on our pursuers, dontcha think? Fleeor even turning the tables, you have the confidence to pull that off? I do, yes. Nodding, the womans big breasts shook again. The only one who can put up a fight among you is you yourself, right boy? I couldnt figure out even by investigating why a mere student suddenly became drastically stronger, but its not enough strength to make the situation hard-pressed. Lining up a wall of flesh and chopping things up should finish ya right away. Taiyou stiffened upintentionally. Even if I get cut Ill still move right to you, got it? Then once youve moved to me Ill just cut ya again; this has to have some effect on you right? This? Katana. Guns didnt seem like they worked after all. Ngh Special disposition? Or maybe some sort of technique? Its Gods divine protection. Sorry, but its not really in my nature to believe in a god or buddha. How about chi or psi? I encounter them quite often in this line of work. I see. Now then, shall we? If you decide to let us go then Ill fawn on you favorably, so whatll it be? As if answering to that line, the burly men took one step forward. If youll be so kind as to leave that girl, then we dont mind overlooking this. Well, of course you wouldnt. Things were effectively ruptured. The air between the two began to grow tense. They glared at each other. Taiyous group gradually closed in, while the men advanced forward so as to push them aside. In the midst of the air of the critical situation, Taiyou started off by playing his trump card. Shirokiyami! Okay The goth loli girl readied her long katana, aiming at the men and diving in. The worlds strongest girl who could sever steel and rock and even produce afterimages. Taiyou had absolute confidence in that power. After all, he had realized that with none other than his own body. HoweverDD I already told you, didnt I? Paying it no heed, the huge woman sneered. That the only one who can stand a decent chance is yooou, by yourself. The moment she said that, the area in front of where Shirokiyami leaped broke with the likes of the Red Sea. The men stepped to either side, making a straight path. One girl appeared there, standing before Shirokiyami, poised to draw her sword. Still gripping the katana, Shirokiyamis movement stopped. Her usual expressionless face was painted with astonishment. The girl coldly asserted. So are you going to kill me? Bigsi, s. She had her usual manner of speaking, but said her name awkwardly and still had a look of astonishment on her face. In front of the girl, her older sister, Shirokiyami weakly crumbled down. Taiyou looked at that scene with shock. In his mind, Shirokiyami was absolutely undefeatable; the most powerful existence. He had decided that there was no existence in the world surpassing her own. That impression crumbled with much ease. In response to the appearance of this supposed blood relative, Shirokiyami had completely lost the will to fight, becoming unable to battle. Its not over yet, you guys! The huge woman gave a command, and the burly men rushed forward simultaneously. Not at Taiyou; at his wives with the exception of Shirokiyami. Screams rose one by one. The females were defeated by the mens attacks. Taiyou was left standing alone within but an instant. The sister trio, Kohaku, Aoba. Everyone was assaulted in one go, and when Taiyou was hesitating figuring out who to protect, everything had ended. Looking at Taiyou perplexed by the situation, the woman made a ferocious grin that resembled a carnivorous animal. As planned, we can now take our time escaping. Right? He looked at the womans prideful victory face, the fallen wives, and the floor-sunk Shirokiyami. Just who are you? Taiyou asked with a quavering voice. He had become lightly panicked enough to ask something as meaningless as a simple question. Come to think of it, I never did introduce myself, huh? The woman still had a smile on her face, but aimed a cold gaze at him. The names Juunishima Anna; remember it. Chapter 112: Mystery of the Girl / I’m Sure They’ll Forgive Me Chapter 111 Mystery of the Girl / Mysterious Defeat Chapter 113: Mystery of the Girl / Smashing Regrets Translator: Reflet Juunishima Astonished, Taiyou certainly did not think in the slightest that he would hear that name here. Juunishima. An island with the third-largest area in Japan, possessing a population of a million people while for some reason being classified as a village; a bizarre municipality. According to what he had heard, the village headmen, the Juunishima family had control over the islands political authority. This province, with feudal lords that lead a population of a million people had developed in an individual manner like the Galapagos, or otherwise was a region that was left behind. He had gotten involved with Juunishima prior to this due to the sister trio, but they had reached an amicable settlement and had assumed that they wouldnt meet again with the islands people. To think that he would once again be coupled with a person with that name in this fashion. Grimacing, terrible guesses floated through Taiyous head. Why has JuunishimaHave they seriously came for Kohaku-san and everyone because of the blood soulDD Wrong, thaaats not under our jurisdiction. Thenwhat is it? Through the wagon door that was left slid open, Anna left her long feet dangling, sitting down on the seat. This was the kind of behavior prone to vulgar mannerisms, but it was an atmosphere that fit the person herself very well. What actually was under our jurisdiction from the beginning was this girl. Saying that, Anna put an arm over Pochis shoulders. Her? Thats right. Strictly speaking, it would be more correct to say that we were searching for this girls mother. Back from ten years ago. For Karina-san? Why would you- Because this girl wished for it. Are you saying that shes not her mother? When we began searching, this child was still in the belly, after all. Recalling Pochis situation, he was taken aback. Around the time when Karina had been washed ashore, Pochi hadnt yet been born. Even so, what exactly are you saying about her? A candidate for the next family head; to make her an emblem. For Youran? Ohhh? At the name that he had mentioned with his spinal reflexes, Anna, who had been laughing until then, suddenly narrowed her eyes. DDSlipping up, Taiyou cursed his own carelessness. The fact that Youran and Taiyou were connected was probably not known amongst the Juunishima. Whenever she would show up where Taiyou was she would always sneak in, sporting a disguise that resembled what she called prosthetic makeup. Not only that; she initially had given an alias name known asYurikago. Above all, shehad said that. She had even requested him to do things like kill her if necessary before anything was detected. With Taiyou unconsciously blurting out her name, it felt like everything had been exposed. He prayed that she would ignore the name that he unintentionally let out, but Anna didnt overlook that. If you know that girlI seee. Anna was content after thinking about it briefly. Urging himself not to reveal any more faults, Taiyou proceeded to forcibly change the topic. More importantly, why Pochi? Whats the reason why shes going to be a candidate for the next family head? Its her lineage, duh? Lineage? Thats right; this child is descended from the Juunishima originator, you see. While Taiyou was astonished over the shocking truth, Anna laughed derisively, looking up at the sky. Some ten years ago, one female escaped from Juunishima. The woman was equivalent to the legal wifeas far as status, and was pregnant with the heads child. Thanks to that child, the woman had a higher amount of authority, but for whatever reason that woman vanished before the child was born. Karina-san did? I learned of that name just yesterday. Until then, to us, she was always Suzuki Yuko. What do you meanAh. Thats right; the woman was in hiding for a long time. Using an alias, not appearing before people. She didnt even get a birth certificate for the child that she had birthed. The only information gleaned from the people from the surroundings was about a young woman. Thats why we would always search but never reach that place. Thenwait. Taken aback, Taiyou fearfully looked at the fallen Kohaku. The reason why Anna was here, right now, wasDD Thats right; we cast a net, you see. For KarinaSuzuki Yuko. She was skilled at continuously cutting off her whereabouts from the public, as well as erasing her footprints prior to her death so that we couldnt reach her even if she had died. No matter how much we searched, there was no way to search for her from our side. However, if reversed, it was possible. You cast a net, waiting for the other party to come outDD Thats exactly right; well, its like the story of the Stump and the Rabbit. Waiting in vain, the people in charge did change several generations, however. Anna said, smiling broadly. In that sense we have gratitude for you all; because you investigated regarding this girl, because you did us the favor of searching for Suzuki Yuko, we were able to fulfill our task of ten some years. I feel like sending you a letter of commendation, if anything. Meanwhile, I feel horrid. Well, it wasnt your guys fault. You did truly brilliantly in your performance of investigating that woman; if we hadnt been involved then that wouldve been a case of the very best move that Id even want to teach to my subordinates. You were just unlucky. Taking Pochi, what do you plan to do taking her with you? Said Id make her into an emblem, duh? In short, having her do things like ride in a palanquin, you know, the political kinds of stuff. Just like that implies, well treat her courteously like a princess so relax. Grimacing, he shot a glance around him. The four girls: Kotone, Suzune, Kazane, and Aoba were fainted in agony, occasionally leaking pained moaning voices. Upon reaching Kohaku, she was lying face down, not moving an inch. One step away from those girls, Annas subordinates were enclosing them, actually in a situation of taking hostages. Shirokiyami, whom he had hoped to be his joker, was made powerless, and had disappeared unawares. No matter how much he looked around, he couldnt locate her appearance anywhere. Blocked in every direction, this was a situation in which Taiyou had absolutely no alternative. Now then, what shall you be doing? What shall I be doing? Are there even two or three routes that I can choose from? So you can speak coldly after all. To think that a boy like you could make such a voice. Slightly surprised, Anna said shortly afterward in an impressed voice. Relatively the kind of guy I am, Id say. I didnt expect that. After being impressed, her voice had changed to a guarded tone. She slightly moved her body, hiding Pochi. Whenever rage occurred within Taiyou, by nature his emotions would turn around and calm him down. Right now was no different, and his voice became composed only due to becoming filled with indignation. However, this being her first meeting with him, Anna seemed to have decoded it differently. Even if he had to abandon the girls, Taiyou would recover Pochi. She wasnt sure how serious he was, but since the possibility ran through her head, she inserted herself in front of Pochi. That was favorable in many ways, so taken in, Taiyou carelessly took a light step forward. It was a bluff. However, her voice began to sound slightly impatient for the first time since meeting him. Wait, so do you not care what happens to the girls? If I apologize then theyll forgive me; Im sure of it. Even if its made clear that you abandoned them? Yeah, if I apologize. Taiyou continued to take light steps across the unpaved ground. At first it was nothing but a bluff, but gradually, he began to feel that this was definitely the way to go. Even he behaved recklessly here, Kotone and the others as well as Kohaku would surely forgive him. If anything, they were the kinds of girls who would get angry at him for abandoning her. What about Aoba; she might not be okay with it. Actually, taking her parents into consideration, theyre definitely on this side????probably. Thinking of Aoba, Taiyou felt something steadily growing in his chest. A natural smile unfolded from the corner of his mouth. Annas face became stiff. She appeared to be atmospherically pressured by Taiyous smile. You dont seem to be lying, huh Apologizing itself is surprisingly difficult, though. This is unexpected. You guys! As Anna gave the command, the burly subordinates took Taiyous wives hostage and gathered in front of the wagon, forming a wall of people. Taiyou had said that he would abandon them, and she also felt that he wasnt lying. Even so, she would undoubtedly use whatever could be used. During the time that the men held the hostages and were defending, the wagon door was shut, suddenly taking off and leaving elsewhere. As they left, his eyes met with Pochi looking out from the window. Gagged, her wet eyes pointed toward him, seeking help. His chest stinging, guilt and anger equivalent to that rose up. He gathered them up and shoved them deep within his heart. Right now, was not the time. While thinking that, he lightly, lightly walked. Facing the human wall, walking toward the burly men. The men all had eyes of resolution; eyes that conveyed their decision of being prepared to stop the remaining Taiyou, even at the risk of their own lives. A valiant effort from the enemy, is probably what Kohaku would have said. Inhaling and lightly gripping his fists, he freed his heart. The next instant, Taiyou, who had ferociously broke in, thrust his fists into one of the mens faces, drilling him, and he was flown some ten meters away. That, became the signal for the outbreak of war. Chapter 113: Mystery of the Girl / Smashing Regrets Chapter 112: Mystery of the Girl / Im Sure Theyll Forgive Me Chapter 114: Mystery of the Girl / Fine Play Translator: Reflet In the car were Anna and Pochi, as well as a young male driver. Saying nothing, a bizarre silence drifted over the three of them. Eyes directed outside of the window, Anna was for some reason gazing at the scenery that flew by at high speeds. Carrying Pochi like this to the next transportation point was the current job, but the pieces that she had on hand were fairly depleted. She was thinking of how to reliably transport her. While her thoughts were going around, the image of Pochi faintly reflected from the window glass. Restrained and gagged, she was staring straight at Anna with fearful eyes. Even when their eyes met through the window, she did not avert her eyes. Anna turned back, stretching out her hands. DDMmph Frightened, Pochi harshly shut her eyes and cowered. This was the fear from predicting that something would be done to her, that violence would come down on her. Thinking from the standpoint of a captive, it could be said that this reaction was a given; if anything, Anna thought that the weird thing was earlier when she was keeping eye contact. With a faint smile, she put her hands on the gag and removed it. Eh? Astonished, Pochi appeared to have not at all thought that the gag would be removed. Even after she was able to freely speak, still astonished, she remained quiet and stared at Anna. Anna crumpled up the gag and tossed it carelessly into the backseat. After seeing that, Pochi timidly asked. W-Why Why what? Why, did you release me? Didnt you abuct Anna chuckled; not the kind that she had directed toward Taiyou, but a laugh that had almost no hostility felt from it. Did you not hear that conversation earlier? We dont really intend to harm you. If anything well welcome you courteously and have the privilege of returning you home. Courteously? Thats right; I said wed put you up in a palanquin, then make you the head in name, and unlike most groups whod actually try to control you, wed become your subordinate, see. Wed generally listen, and we cant rebel in the first place. RatherDD Saying that, this time she meaningfully grinned. So that the thought of retaliating later on doesnt even cross your mind, its pretty much necessary that we butter you up right now, see. Umm What is it? In that case, return me to where Master is. Because its no good if Im not by Masters side. Thats not possible; this cant be decided by your own discretion. No way If you insist on saying that you want to be with your Master, then after youve reached the island and become the head, you can invite them over or whatever you want. Once ya get power in your hands its whatever you want to do, see. Hearing Annas talk, Pochi became despondent. Anna didnt know her very well; she knew nothing about her other than the information that came in when the woman named Azumaya Kohaku had moved. What Anna did know was that she had been named Pochi, and the fact that she had been half-imprisoned by Suzuki Yuko. Shes pretty smart in that regard. Moreover Secretly thinking that, Anna gazed at Pochi. Silence briefly drifted by, but this time Anna was the one who broke the ice. I wont bring you back, but once we get over there then Ill let you call your Master or something. Make do with that, okay? Callyou said? Yeah; cause if you do that then it wont conflict with my job. My job is to safely take you back, and from the orders that Ive been given, if I can at least do that then I can do whatever I want afterward. As long as I determine that its necessary, kay? Necessary So if youll come along with a good feeling, I can definitely let you do a phone call. Elder Sister The young male driver murmured, and Anna glared at him through the rear-view mirror. Shut it; if you say something Ill??, okay? Mkay. The man quieted down, but a delicate atmosphere floated through the car. Umm, why are you doing that for me? There aint no reason. But, your face earlier. It seemed like it was kind of pained. Hah. Anna laughed scornfully. Its not painful, see, though its not like I cant sympathize. Sympathize? Thats right; we are relatives after all; nothing wrong with that much, right? Youre the Juunishimas heads daughter, but my names also Juunishima. Are you perhaps my older sister? Unfortunately, no. Anna grinned; she had returned to her usual expression. Im actually your niece. Eh? My old man is the person whod be your cousin, you see, so Im your niece. Whaaaaat? Best regards, Junior Auntie. After defeating the men who had filled the rear without exception, Taiyou carried the wives into the hospital. Kotone, Suzune, Kazane, and Aoba. They had light injuries. The majority of the hits and grazes were the kind of injuries that once treated, would allow them to return home. Taiyou was with the girls around a bed. On top of the bed was the sleeping Kohaku. Her consciousness hadnt returned since the event. Having hit her head, the doctors had diagnosed her with a concussion, telling them that although she probably wouldnt suffer any permanent damage, shed need some surveillance for the time being. Gazing at her unconscious form, Taiyou grinded his teeth. Kohaku-sanI wonder if shell be alright. Shell be fine; even the doctors are saying that. Taiyou gave Aoba a comment to help ease her mind. Shell probably wake up by tomorrow morning; afterwards lets go through the hospital discharge procedures, then lets all return home. He said, and the females were simultaneously surprised. When you say return, do you mean that well be the only ones returning? No; Kohaku-san will come along as well. Driving would probably be out of the question, but we can make do with a train or something. Thats not the issue The three sisters let out loud voices. Surprised, he looked at them and noticed that their expressions were angry for once. Were talking about Pochi-chan. What are you going to do about Pochi-chan? Taiyou-sanyou arent going to abandon her, are you? What do you mean abandon herYou guys might not have heard me correctly, but theyre just taking Pochi along with them. From what Ive heard, that Anna person is probably a relative of Pochis, and shes taking her back to make her the head, so they shouldnt be harming her. Thats what Taiyou said, but the girls made dissatisfied faces. In order to persuade them, he continued further. Besides, I wont allow you all to be exposed to any more danger. I feel bad for Pochi, but if it means exposing you to more danger then I cant help any further. Those were his honest feelings. Kotone, Suzune, Kazane, Kohaku, Aoba. Though he couldnt attach any ranking to them, the preferencial precedence between them and other people was very clear. If someone right in front of him was seeking help then he would help them; even Taiyou had that much of a sense of justice in him. But if that and the girls safety were compared and contrasted, Taiyou would decisively choose the girls safety. He did not ever want to taste that feeling of despair of not being able to protect them again, he thought as he looked at Kohakus figure. Theyd surely understand those feelings; accept them. At least that was what he had in mind when he said that to them. For some reason, the girls had uniform expressions of anger. WhyDD DDSmack! A dry sound rang out, and his eyesight became flickering white. What in the worldDDhe only realized after several seconds had passed that it was a slap to the face. Directing his eyes toward the source, he saw Aoba still with an angry expression, right hand outstretched. Aoba? I misjudged you, Taiyou-kun; thats just, the kind of thing my parents would do. Eh? Prioritizing your spouses, and discarding children because it cant be helped. What youre trying to do right now is that exact thing, Taiyou-kun. No, but if youre exposed to danger then I cant justDD Isnt it!? Aoba strengthened her toneDDno, she roughened it. Overpowered, Taiyou wasnt able to say anything back. That was when the three sisters quietly opened their mouths. Taiyou-san, were not scared of danger. What we are scared of is becoming hindrances and preventing you from doing what you want to do, Taiyou-san. What were even more scared of are things that might make you have regrets in the future, Taiyou-san. You guys We want to always, always be together with you, Taiyou-san. Sowe dont want you to make any regrets that will hold you back. Returning home like thisTaiyou-san, wont you have regrets? Regrets Taiyou murmured, as if ruminating the three girls words. Chapter 114: Mystery of the Girl / Fine Play Chapter 113: Mystery of the Girl / Smashing Regrets Chapter 115: Mystery of the Girl / Pride Translator: Reflet If I were to by any chance leave Pochi be and return home like this He imagined what would happen afterwards. They would probably be able to live out their daily lives no differently than before. It hadnt even been one week since meeting Pochi, and it wasnt like they had become emotionally attached to each other. Though she had called him Master, to Taiyou, despite almost being a stranger she was nothing but someone who he found to be allowable to tag along with him. Even so, he could see himself regretting it if he were to abandon her kidnapped like this. In a sense, it was something that didnt have to be thought about. Taiyou had cut her off only because he had prioritized the safety of the girls; the girls that he had to protect. If those girls were wishing for it Thats right; we cant leave that child alone. Taiyou-san! Natsuno-kun. The sister trio and Aobas faces broke into smiles. These reactions practically told Taiyou that they were welcoming his answer from the bottom of their hearts. Seeing those girls reactions, Taiyou couldnt surpress himself from giving a wry smile. What are those reactions; arent they a little strange? Thats what he thought, but swallowing those words, he kept their original meaning and reworded it. You ladies are great women; so much so that Im unworthy of you. He said, and the girls simultaneously became red-faced. Well, if you really really try thinking about it, if we left things as they are now, Im sure that wed be severely scolded by Kohaku-san later on. Looking at the unconscious Kohaku, he smiled wryly for a different reason. Yeah, Kohaku-san seems like shed be more angry. Not so much angry as scolding, Id say. Although in the case of this time, getting scolded would actually be more tough. Thats different from getting angry? A little, yeah. Thinking of the difference between the two, he gave yet another wry smile. The reason why he had been continuously smiling wryly was essentially because he thought that his options were screwed up. In that case, he must make the right decision. Once he decided, Taiyou thought to fly speedily to where Pochi was. Alright then; you all can do me a favor and wait here by Kohaku-sans side. Ill take back Pochi, okay? Please wait, Taiyou-san. Well contact Yami-chan right now, okay? I think that it would be best to have her by your side. No, I dont need her. Taiyou instantly shot down the three sisters suggestions. ShirokiyamiI think that she probably wont be of any use. Judging by her state. Its for the best right now to not keep a useless human around. Taiyou purposefully said in a detached manner. The three sisters whom he had directed that towards were dejected but accepted what he said. The girls had also seen Shirokiyami become unable to battle, so they seemed to understand what Taiyou was trying to say. Gazing at the three sisters, he was thinking about Shirokiyami in his head. He recalled what had happened prior to when she had become unable to moveDDprior to when she had become unable to fight. At that timeShe said big sis, right? So that person was her elder sister? He replicated in his head the words and expressions of the girl who had appeared in front of Shirokiyami. Certainly their countenances resembled each other, and they were similar enough to where he would believe it if someone told him that they were sisters. But those expressions were so cold that he couldnt believe they were expressions aimed towards a younger sister. For household circumstancesI get the feeling that its too severe. Though it would be nice if I could follow up. Thinking that, he decided to pursue her next. Right now, he was in a situation where he had to first think of Pochi. Following that, he turned back in the direction of the door, making preparations for departure. That was when Aoba stopped him with a hoarse voice. Natsuno-kun Hmm? Whats wrong? Im sorry forearlier. Earlier? He inclined his head, wondering what she was talking about. You knowhitting Natsuno-kuns head and all that. Ohhh. Taiyou slapped his hands together. Only after she had said that much to him had he remembered that that sort of thing had happened. There were men who would always mind being hit by women, and from Taiyous standpoint it was unfavorable for him, and yet he hadnt paid it any heed. Though it was something that he had remembered taking to heart, he had adjusted it in his heart to be something not worth apologizing for, so he hadnt connected them initially. Dont worry about itIf anything, Im the one who should be sorry. Thinking about it carefully, those were the worst options for you after all. I even made a promise with you, and yet I was about to forget the essence of that promise. Noits me who should be saying that. Even though Natsuno-kun was doing all that to protect us; even though what you did had to be right Deciding whether something is right or not is determined by what you decide to protect. If it was to protect your bodies and lives and whatnot, that was probably the right decision, but if were speaking in terms of protecting your hearts, those were probably the worst alternatives for you. StillDD Aoba. Huh- He embraced Aoba who had tried to retort in order to quiet her down. Standing in this way embracing is the best with you, Aoba-san. Huhhh? Surprised, she widened her eyes to the point where the corners seemed like they would tear. People like Kohaku-san and Kazane are small, so placing them on my knees is also fine, but youre the best for embracing in this fashion. When embracing you, Aoba, I can feel you more strongly than before. The realization that Im hugging Aoba is just really reinforced. Natsuno-kun With a hoarse voice, she let out a voice overcome with emotion. Taiyou-sanWhat about me? Kotone asked. It was to be expected that of the three sisters, her physique resembling Aobas, that she would be concerned. With you, Kotone, when I close my eyes it feels more vague. Whether Im hugging Kotone, whether Im hugging Suzune, whether Im hugging Kazaneit becomes questionable and I start to not feel sure. And now Im not even sure quite what Im saying. No. Kotone strongly shook her head. That is, a happy thing, at least for us. She said, and Suzune and Kazane nodded their heads in the same manner. Is that so. A sweet air floated through the room. It was because he had been told to do so, and it was also because Taiyou himself thought that he should do so. He was not loving them on the same levelintentionally. In exchange, they were working hard to reach each of their respective best areas in comparison to other girls. Not inferior in comparison; to show how they were superior in comparison. And without concealing that, he disclosed it. To those who were superior, and also to those who were not. He began thinking in that manner; that he should do thus. Now then, this time for sureDD After a moment, Taiyou separated from Aoba. It felt like slipping out of a warm futon in the wintertime; a painful reluctance. While doing so, he tried imaging in his head what Anna wouldwhat sort of actions a person from Juunishima might take, and places where they might go. Establishing several ideas, he decided on an exhaustive search. I have arrived! Hera appeared, having warped there. Along with that, she had a bright and clear, innocent voice that seemed to blow all of the remaining sweet air away at once. Hera! Where have you been up until now? Heheheh, oh Ive been somewhere all right. Whats up with that elated face of yours? Taiyou-chan, do you want to know where Ive been up until now? You want to know, right? No Im fine; right now isnt the time after all. Taiyou bluntly thrust her question aside. Walking at a brisk pace from there, he headed toward the door. You must wait; Taiyou-chan, just wait a minute. Youll really regret it if you dont listen to what your elders and fairies have to say` Although I feel like listening is what would bring me regret. Taiyou recalled the number of exchanges they had done until now. Hera and Kohaku were of a similar type, and the contents of their exchanges and the foundation of their information were also in close resemblance. What was different was that Kohaku could read the air, while Taiyou thought that Hera couldnt. Which was why he attempted to ignore Hera in this urgent state of affairs, but Taiyou-san! Please listen to her. For some reason, the sister trio took Heras side. The surprised Taiyou halted, then mutually compared them with each other. What do you mean by this? We requested her. Kotone said. To stick with Pochi-chan. This time it was Suzune. If its Heras tracking, then you definitely wouldnt get found out. Kazane said finally, and the three sisters meaningfully grinned. Further surprised, Taiyou became dumbfounded. Which, means Like a robot in disrepair, with his movement letting out a gigigi sound, he turned toward Hera. Thats right! I flew here from where Pochi-chan was. No one can see me anyway, and I can return back to Taiyou-chan in a flash. Chapter 115: Mystery of the Girl / Pride Chapter 114: Mystery of the Girl / Fine Play Chapter 116: Mystery of the Girl / GUILTY Translator: Reflet The wagon that Anna, Pochi, and the driver were riding in stopped at a place with no people in sight. With her eyelids closed, Anna was crossing her arms, her narrow fingers beating out a nervous rhythm.Umm Pochi timidly spoke to her. As before, her hands were tied behind her back and she couldnt move decently, but with the gag being released, she was in a condition to converse. Anna asked her back in a somewhat soft manner. What is it? Are you really going to take me with you? Were you expecting me to say This was actually a practical joke or something? Then youd better toss those wishes. In just a little bit an arranged transportation will arrive. Its only a leap to the island with that. Were going to, fly? Yeah, a helicopters coming. Helicopter; with the power of its engine, the rotary wing, known as the main rotor, in the top part of the airframe releases lifting power to fly and is one variety of aircraft. You say some odd things. So have you ridden one before? I have not; because I was always inside the mansion with Master. I see; then have you also never seen the ocean? Ocean. In areas on the earth other than land, filled with saltwater. Yeah, thats it. I have not. Then have some expectations; were going to an island, so as you look around you mid-trip you should see the ocean all around. Is it really that big? Check with your own eyes. Pochi was silent when she said that, but her eyes were glowing with expectation. Anna suddenly thought of her as pitiable. The girl who said that she had always been locked up in a mansion, having not even seen the ocean. If she were to take her to the island, she would of course become even more of a caged bird. From cage to cage; no, the girl who would go to prison. Thinking of that, she felt sympathy well up. However, that was but an instant. Anna thrust that away deep within her chest. I wanted to see it with Master Dont be so repetitive; if you want to meet them that much, all you need to do is invite them once weve reached the island. SoI cant return to where Master is any longer? Yeah, no longer. She looked at Pochi with ruthless eyes. As if proclaiming itas if thrusting the cruel life that she would be living from now on before her. If anything, these are the times when places to return to are running out. Running out? She tilted her head, puzzled. She plainly didnt seem to understand what she meant. That boy has too many people to protect. You saw, right? What it was like earlier. That boy tried to protect those five girls. Yeah You know, humans become more and more helpless as the things that they protect grow more and more. The luggage that you can carry with both of your hands has a limit; even if you rely on the help of others, five people should just about be the limit. Anna laughed coldly. I wouldnt even mind betting on it: the boy wont come. His face had the resolution to not come. If he does chase after us by any chance Ill have him get a Baseball Bat Spank or a Thai Kick. Baseball Bat Spank? Thai Kick? Theyre staples of punishment games. Oh, is that so Pochi became despondent. Anna felt sympathy again looking at that face. She wasnt sure why, but whenever she relaxed her guard, she felt favorable toward her. Whether it was because they were blood relatives, or if it was because of something else, Anna just felt like she wanted to side with her. Even if she felt that way, she couldnt actually side with her. Anna secretively regained her focus. She told herself to prioritize following her mission and taking this girl back with her. Ah. Pochi unintentionally stared through the windshield. Before she could examine what exactly Pochi had found, Anna heard a voice at its wits end. Elder Sister! It was the voice of the subordinate driver who had been silently sitting down until now. Annas expression immediately changed. From that of a mother cat protecting her child under the winter sky, to that of a female tiger hunting its prey. He probably wouldnt have found them without Heras guidance. That was just how far of a place where the wagon was stopped. You return to where everyone is, just in case something happens. I understand! A sidelong glance at Hera not teleport, but fly away, Taiyou glared at Anna from the windshield. The connected gazes scattered sparks. The next moment, once it was intuitive that words no longer had any meaning Run him over. Roger! He could hear voices transmitting clearly through the glass, which were of Anna and her subordinate. Right after, the wagon suddenly took off, charging at Taiyou. Just as commanded, with enough force to kill Taiyou. Hmph! Taiyou didnt even dodge; he instead made a sumo-like pose of thrusting his hands out in the direction of the wagon. Rumbling sounds reverberated, then somehow, the wagon that had started up had come to a full stop. Pushed by Taiyou, it had stopped. The tires let out a kyururu friction sound, but they couldnt advance forward even by a millimeter. What was that? This cant be happening Uwoooooh! Along with a bellow, Taiyou pushed the wagon with all his strength. He pushed this several ton mass wagon along with its tires spinning the opposite way. Taiyou pushed with all his strength. The wagon was railroad-shoved at once. Thud! Crash! Along with the sound of metal being smashed and crushed, the wagon was pushed into a wall. Step on it more! I am! With all my might! Ridiculousthis thing has hundreds of horsepower; for a human to Anna muttered, shocked. Alongside the wall, Taiyou lifted his face, making a broad, savage grin. Could I have you get out of the car? And if I said no? Ill continue to flatten you. Eeek Anna only grimaced in response to Taiyous threat, but the underling male driver was scared enough to let out a scream. Facing the reality that the wagon at full throttle was instead overcome, a threat no longer sounded like a simple threat. Get out! Seeing Anna unable to make a decision, Taiyou put further power into it. The car began creaking; letting out a grinding sound that was normally impossible. Stop it. With Annas order, the tires that were letting out a singed smell finally stopped rotating. Opening the door, Anna got out of the car together with Pochi. Hand her over. Do you really think that things will go your way that easily? What do you mean? I mean that we still have fighting power. What did you just say? Surprised, an unusual sound from afar hit his ears. It was the revolving sound of a rotor; the sound of a helicopter. While Taiyou was perplexed, the helicopter stopped, and burly men filed out. Despite their numbers, the inhabitants were already armed and had surrounded Taiyou in an instant. Kill him. Master! At Annas command, the men assailed Taiyou simultaneously. While Pochi let out her voice, Anna walked her off, going in the direction of the helicopter. Right now, Taiyou was exceeding the average person at everything. His superior power of pushing back a wagon at full throttle stood out, but his speed and reaction and his being able to take hits were also stronger than a normal person. In front of that boy, the armed ten men werent even what their numbers suggested. Before Anna bringing along Pochi had even reached the helicopter, everyone had fallen. Give her back. Wedging himself between Anna and the helicopter and blocking advancement, once again, he one-sidedly thrust his demands at her. Do you think Im going to respond? In that case, Ill just steal her with force. Taiyou gripped his fists, stepping forward. He readied his fist like a bowDDaiming at Anna and releasing it. The strong arm that had forced back the wagon let out a moanDD. No` In an instant, Pochi let out a loud voice and stepped forward, cutting in between Taiyou and Anna. Panicking at the unexpected event, Taiyou pulled back his fist. Pochi? What are you doing? Sorry, Master! Why are you protecting that person? Because because, this person, is related to me. Ahh, right, Juunishima Juunishima Anna. Understanding that name, Taiyou looked at her. The woman who hadnt batted even an eye when his fist came for her was making an anguished, chewed up face in response to the fact that she had been covered. All right, I wont do anything. DD! Thank you. Taking back Pochi who had just said her thanks from Anna, he tore off the rope that had been binding her arms. As if the straw rope were an embroidery thread. While doing that, he spoke to Anna. Ive won, yeah? Im taking Pochi back with me. Elder Sister Yeah, I lost for misjudging you. Dont look down on me; I have this much power. No, thats not what I mean. Anna laughed coldly. I mean you chasing us here; see, I didnt actually think that youd come after us. Is it alright if I ask you why you came after us? Just earlier you were making a face of resignationno, the face of a man coming to a clean decision. Theres a saying that goes like this. Saying that, Taiyou threw out his chest as a feeling of pride welled up from the bottom of his chest. In the shadow of a successful man is a good woman. Chapter 116: Mystery of the Girl / GUILTY Chapter 115: Mystery of the Girl / Pride Chapter 117: The Bond of Parent and Child / Bustling One-Room Translator: Reflet Achoo!! In the hospital room, the sound of huge sneezes resounded. As though they had conspired together, the girls sneezed all at once. You too, Miyagi-san? Kotone made a strange face. It wasnt unusual for the sisters to sneeze at the same time, but now for Aoba to join in, it was a little unusual. Yeah, the interior of my nose suddenly started itching. I wonder if someones gossiping about us? Its Taiyou-san, undoubtedly. Natsuno-kun isnt really like that, I think; besides, hes probably doing his best to save Pochi. I dont think thats the case. Kazane grinned. That was the face of someone who didnt think in the slightest that Taiyou was having a rough fight, and the sisters??????made the exact same faces. You guys are impressive. Taiyou-san is the one whos impressive. No, you guys are impressive. To the point where me sneezing with you makes me feel a little apologetic. Miyagi-san, have you begun to dislike Taiyou-san? No, that sort of thing is impossible?????but In that case, I think thats fine. Suzune said, and the three of them gazed at Aoba. The girls were talking about the only definitive guiding principle of justice. Yeah Aoba said with nostalgic eyes, smiling calmly. I wonder if Mom and the others also felt this way. Miyagi-san, your house is like ours, right? Yeah, although it is a little more snug. Ours is going to increase more and more. By four more people. Wasnt it two more Kotone, who was in a good mood, was corrected by Aobas hoarse voice. So they left After watching from beginning to end the helicopter that Anna was riding on disappear far into the sky, Taiyou finally relaxed his guard. Sighing with a phew, the exhausted Taiyou was filled with a sense of relief that the situation had been managed. As a result of acting out a scuffle by mowing down some ten people with one fist, he had somehow gained a temporary state of tranquility. Master That product, Pochi, called his name, making an apologetic face. Her constant downcast eyes were like that of a child fearing getting scolded by their parents. Im sorry; that I could, do such a thing Are you alright? Taiyou asked that, disregarding her statement. Eh? Show me real quickfor someone who was continuously tied up, there arent any marks. This ropedid they seal it with wax? Taiyou took Pochis hand and took the rope that had tied her up until earlier in his hand, taking a long hard look at it. He could somehow feel Annas consideration there. Looking at the rope and Pochi in turn, he asked her. Could it be that you wanted to go together with her? Huh? If you did, then Ive done something bad; from my point of view shes an enemy, but for you shes a relative after all. If you by any chance have begun to want to go together with her, thenDD I! Pochi let out a loud voice; having been despondent until just now, Taiyou was surprised at her doing this. I want to be together with Master. Im Pochi, so if Im not with Master then its no good. Is that so. Sorry for asking you weird things; then lets return to Masters place, I guess. Okay! Taiyou began to walk forward guiding the vigorously nodding Pochi, but soon remembered something, stopped walking and turned back. Thats right; I forgot something important. Something important? Yeah Saying that, he stared straight at Pochi. He had softly set his hands on her shoulders When they returned to the hospital room, it was curiously in high spirits. No, the veteran beautiful girls name aint Itachi. Then does it have any relation? Of course it does; if one were to be deceived at this level, theyd die by the roadside before even reaching the veteran stage. More importantly, Kohaku-tan, you should tell us more about your travels. Im interested in the continuation of your camping car trip. More so than that, Im interested in the cars interior kitchen. The three sisters, Aoba, and Hera, as well as the recently unconscious Kohaku had formed a circle and were noisily rousing. With six women, the clamor was amplified accordingly, but Taiyou felt healing in that atmosphere. Im back. Natsuno-kun! Aoba was the first to rush over. Was everything alright? Are you hurt anywhere? Sorry for making you worry. As far as I can tell, Im not hurt anywhere. Im glad See, I even told you, that Mii-chan worries too much. Mii-chan? He tilted his head to Kotones words. He could imagine that it was Mii taken from Miki, but he searched his memories, wondering if he had ever heard that way of referring to her. YeahEarlier we were discussing how weve come this far together, so rather than us calling each other by our surnames or attaching san, we should choose a different method. Ohhh, and you became Mii-chan. Is it weird? Aoba asked uneasily, looking up at him. No, I think its nice and cute. It fits you. By the way, Im Kohaku-tan. Kohaku, wearing patient clothing, puffed up her non-existent chest. Yours doesnt fit you. Dont tell me that everyone started calling her that I call her that` Well you always did. UmmId likeDD Pochi-chan is Pochi-chan, okay? Yeah, youre Pochi. Youd best be fine with Pochi. The girls shut down Pochi as soon as she had begun talking. If someone who was unfamiliar with them were watching, this scenery would probably look like bullying. Ah, yes. Im Pochi, please call me Pochi. Thats not what I was talking about though, umm Hmm, what is it? The second master, Kohaku asked in a loving voice. Pochi then made a somewhat more relieved face and once again, began talking. Thought that Id give a greeting. A greeting? We all know each other; it aint necessary, right? No, thats not it. Saying that, Pochi stared straight at Hera. Nice to meet you; my name is Pochi. Nice to meet you as well; Im Hera KrDDwait whaaat? Surprised, Heras eyes darted between Taiyou and Pochi. Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan, Pochi-chan can see me, you know? What happened? If anything, Im more concerned about what happened with your introduction. Taiyou said, smiling. Well, its exactly what you think it is. Ooo! Its exactly what I think it is? With this, shes now also able to see your form. Get along, folks. I look forward to being with you! Pochi bowed in a flash. Yes indeed! If anything, I look forward to being with you. Although I am a fairy, Id rather you not pay it any heed. Fairy. A spirit in the form of a human. Possesses superhuman power, and as a being that delights in playing pranks, it largely makes appearances in Western tales and legends. Is that right? Likes playing pranks, eh? That definitely fits her description. Not pranks; and even if they were, theyre of the sexual kind! Quit it with the two-fold plagiarized lines! Taiyou hit Hera with his palm. He suddenly noticed that the three sisters, Kohaku, and Aoba were silent. Looking at them wondering what was wrong, each of the girls had dissatisfied looks on their faces. All of you, whats wrong? Natsuno-kunyou did??it, didnt you? Eh? Yeah, I did it. Whyd you do it? Eh? Wait, but you all told me do that, and besidesDD That sort of thing is a no-no. Thats right; doing it in secret is a no-no! If ImDDIf this girl isnt here then its no good! Stopping what she was about to say, Kazane seized the tottering Hera as she returned like a stuffed animal, thrusting her out in front of Taiyous eyes. Eh, no, theres not really any need for that, yeah? Its true that I did it when she wasnt there, but look, she can see her and everything. Stare` No, umm Stare`` Uhh Stare``` The girls stared at Taiyou. The power of their stares was like a tsunami surging forward at him. UmmMasters Master. Pochi said with a flushed face, tugging at his sleeve. Ill be fine, okay? That became the finishing blow. She was just so cute with her blushing face and upward-looking eyes, and Taiyous senses were lightly blown away. Pulling her small hands toward him, he sealed her lips with the likes of a beast. The second kiss amidst everyone gazing. With that, Pochi had officially become a member of the Natsuno House. Chapter 117: The Bond of Parent and Child / Bustling One-Room Chapter 116: Mystery of the Girl / GUILTY Chapter 118: The Bond of Parent and Child / Those who Fall Further Below Translator: Reflet Miin miin miinAnd thus the world entered summer vacation. Children and students were alive with joy, whereas the family heads saw it as the prime of their working lives. The head of the Natsuno household was also preparing for a big job. The Natsuno household arrived at the vast parking lot on the outskirts of Seikaen Town. At the parked trailer model wheeled vehicle, the girls, especially Hera and Pochi were spinning around and around with great joy. So this is the motor home that Kohaku-san mentioned before. Despite being the patriarch, Taiyou spoke to Kohaku using only polite language. Kohaku responded to him in a good mood like how a parent would to their child. Thats right. When I was young, I went all over the country with this. You wouldnt know that it was such an old car by looking atDDOw! Taiyous head was struckDDby Kohaku. Kohaku asked him after giving the top of his head a good snap with her open hands, with a face that was smiling but also with eyes that were not smiling. Did ya say something, Husband? N, no. Its nothing. Taiyou hurriedly glossed it over, realizing after being hit that he had indirectly brought up her age. T, this seems like the sort of thing that comes up in American movies. Course; it was imported from abroad after all. The Lylac Companys product, Athanasia81. Its praised fer being a famous car among famous cars at the highest peak. So you drove this all the time? Aoba inquired nearby. Unlike Taiyou, she approached Kohaku with a quite familiar tone. Course. Michael mighta been willing to drive for his partners, but thing is, I was alone back then. Your area of expertise is astounding as usual. When he gave a strained laugh, Kotone of the sister trio appeared from out of the interior. Evenly matched with the still-spinning Pochi and Hera outside, her eyes were also sparkling. Taiyou-san, its amazing in here. Amazing? Yes; its a one-room! One-room? Taiyou gained an interest in that word choice that was completely unrelated to cars. Slowly lowering an elated Kohaku to the ground, he stepped into the inside of the car. Whoaaa. He let out a voice of admiration upon entering. The first thing that met him was a sofa with an attached table in the shape of the Japanese letter. It likely had the capacity for eight people, and if everyone lined their shoulders together then more than ten people could probably sit down. Facing it was a close to 40-inch LCD flat screen television embedded into the wall: an environment that everyone could pleasantly appreciate. There was a kitchen to the side. A deep sink and an electric burner as well as compact, general facilities like a refrigerator, an electronic range, and so on, had been fully equipped. The opposite side had a long, narrow passageway connecting further back; midway there were doors for the restroom and shower room; and going to the innermost location revealed two bunk beds furnished on either side. Though it was of course a motor home, when he saw how space was fully used without waste and how the upholstery was set up to be functional as well as charming, Taiyou was reminded of A Carpenters Work that was often among the renovation programs. When he imagined this building being towed racing along public roads, he suddenly became excited. This israther than a one-room, isnt it more like a 1DK? Right!? And come take a look at this kitchen, Taiyou-san. With these many tools gathered we can cook like we usually do! Taiyou who couldnt hide his excitement, and the irregular three sisters who didnt even have the intention of hiding it. The girls, who liked housework, seemed to be the most excited about the kitchen functions that allowed cooking with no inconveniences even whilst traveling. Taiyou looked around inside. He opened up the doors and storages one by one, checking them. He also examined the level of comfort of the bed and sofa. This may actually be more agreeable than the one-room that I lived in until just recently. Natsuno-kuns house? Yeah, it was inconvenient in many ways with a six-tatami-one-ken. Storage; that general area. Taiyou once again surveyed the surroundings, realizing something. Come to think of it, Kohaku-san, you mentioned earlier that the max amount of passengers was eight people, but there are no more than four beds. Do the other four sleep on the sofa? Tsk tsk tsk. Kohaku shook her fingers with a prideful expression. Thats becauseothis. Kohaku said, reaching her hand to the panel installed in the wall. She operated several buttons. When she did that, there was a mechanical weeen sound, and a small vibration ran through the car. W-What happened? Its amazing`, its changing form, its a Transformer! Things are changing one after the other! Two excited voices could be heard from outside. Even more excited than earlier, these voices could be heard even through the wall. When you say transformationWhoooa! When he was searching for the source of the mechanical sound to figure out what was going on, he realized that he was hearing it from the ceiling. When he looked up, Taiyou saw that the ceiling that had until now been slightly taller than him began to gradually rise. When the slowly shifting motor homes machine noises came to a stop, there was now a loftDDa space like an attic room had opened up. So it becomes like this. Sweet! It transformed. Matching the two outside, Taiyou was also hugely excited. His eyes were glittering like that of a boy seeing their first robot anime. As I thought, ya really dig these sorts of things, eh? Yeah, this is amazing! To think that it doesnt only move, but transforms too! Hey, how do you get on top? Smiling, Kohaku silently adjusted the panel. This time a ladder descended, and Taiyou used that to climb up. Ahead of where he had climbed up, though simple, there was a space where four people could sleep. I see, so now eight people can sleep here! Thats right; although at the time when I used it I was travellin alone, so I didnt use it very much. Yeah, thisll definitely be enough! Nodding widely, Taiyou had at first wondered what would happen, but now thought that everything would be alright. The only thing that was a sham about this, was???????that he himself could not ride. That day, Taiyou had driven back Juunishima Anna and her subordinates, taken back Pochi, and returned with everyone to the repaired Taiyou Castle. Kohaku had busily engaged in obtaining a birth certificate for the family register, then had added her foster daughterDDAzumaya Pochi, to the Natsuno household. During that time period, Juunishima tried various methods to retrieve Pochi. There were times when they had tried to steal her with force, and there were times when they had used old-fashioned, similar-case negotiation methods like sending rolls of banknotes. Each time he had refused or chased them off, but these methods were all just tiding over the situation on the spot and never led to fundamental resolutions. One day, when he had rejected an amount of money that would rival a salarymans lifetime annual income, Taiyou had started a conversation with Kohaku when they were alone together. I think I should really go to Juunishima. At this rate nothing will be settled. Im also of the same opinion that we should cut off the source from its foundation, but is there any way to do this? Im thinking of meeting with Youran first. These things are happening because of the conflict revolving around the next heads inheritance, so I want to firstly meet with the closest person to that and listen to what they have to say. I see; understood. Then while Husband goes to the island, Ill take those girls along with me and cloud our whereabouts. If we completely erase our whereabouts, doubtless theyll have no choice but to negotiate with Husband. Can you really do it? Of course. And besides Besides? I want to show that girl more of the outside world. From second semester onward I did intend to have er enroll in school, and before that I wanted to take er on a trip. I see. That was their exchange, and they decided that while Taiyou was going to Juunishima, Kohaku would take Pochi along to see all of Japan. And today was said day of departure. Taiyou saw off the motor home with the girls in it and Kohaku driving. Smoothly leaving the parking lot and merging onto the public road, one would never imagine that this was all possible for a small-framed, 130 centimeter person. And theyre off. Standing next to Taiyou, Aoba saw them off. She was the only one to remain with Taiyou. Was this really okay with you, remaining here? Im sure that being with them would be a lot more fun. No, Im with Natsuno-kun so Ill be fine. Thats fine then; so lets head off I guess. Wait a bit; the person whos coming with us hasnt arrived yet. The person whos coming with us? Taiyou quizzically inclined his head. The poston bag lying at his feet was packed with luggage for two people. He had always thought that this would be a two-person trip, so he was surprised to learn that they would be accompanied. Yeah, one more person. Theres someone whos a little knowledgeable about Juunishima, so I had them come with us. Whaaat, are they someone who I know? Yeah, Natsuno-kun also knows them. Aoba nodded. Curious, Taiyou wondered who in the world that could be. Dont tell meDD Ive kept you all waiting. Uwah! When he had begun to ask who it was, he heard a voice from behind. When he turned around in surprise, he was further surprised at the identity of the person who had come. The woman who donned an apron dress with the appearance of a maid. The woman who, while sporting a courteous demeanor, her gaze would never look favorably upon Taiyou. Aita Mio. She was one of Aobas three mothers. Chapter 118: The Bond of Parent and Child / Those who Fall Further Below Chapter 117: The Bond of Parent and Child / Bustling One-Room Chapter 119: The Bond of Parent and Child / Teasing the Son Translator: Reflet Okaa-sama! Aoba clinged to the woman who had appeared. Watching from the sidelines, this embrace without reservation or sense of distance, this manifestation of emotions to convey deep affection made even Taiyou feel warm and fluffy, which was enough to make him smile broadly without realizing it. It has been a long time, Aoba-sama. Has Okaa-sama been well? I am obliged to receive such consideration; I am as you can see. I am instead concerned about Aoba-sama; I heard that you sustained an injury the other day. Its fine now; it was just a little blow. Is that so. Mio looked at Aobas mannerism of putting on a show of being strong with a warm gaze. In any case, thank you for coming, Okaa-sama. If it is the wish of Aoba, I would go wherever you would desire. Mio said with an earnest face. And besides, this feels like returning home. Although it seems that I will be quite resented on account of this trip. Eh? Whywait, who resents you? By the two personages of the mansion. The madams who could not accompany Aoba-sama were vexed enough to bite their handkerchiefs. It was enough to prepare me for what is in store when I come back. I could see Mother doing that, but Mama too? She bit hers off. That person is of the physical variety after all. And she can finish a full marathon in 3 hours. Taiyou quietly listened to the exchange between Aoba and Mio. Though he still couldnt adjust to the way Mio spoke to Aoba, if he ignored the manner of speaking, the contents of what they were discussing sounded to him like that of the cozy relationship of mother and daughter. It was as if just recently running away from home and making a fuss about the DNA appraisal was a lie. Taiyou didnt know the results of the DNA appraisal. He had only prepared it, resulting in it directly reaching Aoba. Whoever her real mother was, was meaningless information to Taiyou. After all, once Aoba had been satisfied, she had continued to view the three mothers as her mothers as per usual, which was why Taiyou also still viewed them as her mothers with no differences. There probably wouldnt be anything wrong with knowing, but there also wasnt any need to know. Something like that with no objective or even methods gave Taiyou absolutely no interest. After the intimate mother and daughter had briefly enjoyed their reunion, Aoba remembered the left-out Taiyou and turned his way. Sorry Natsuno-kun, getting all excited here without you. I dont mind. Taiyou smiled sweetly, turning to Mio with a slight bow. In any case, it has been a while, Mio-san. Yes, it has been a long time, Natsuno-sama. Mio said, taking a graceful bow. With refined mannerisms and courteous behavior, as well as from the apron on her figure, she exuded an atmosphere from her entire body that was not of an electronic district, but of a matriarch living in a nobles mansion. She legitimately wore the same outfit and performed those exact duties in the mansion-like Miki Estate. Taiyou did not think that person would seriously show themselves here. So Mio-sans coming with us, eh? Yeah, once I told her about what happened, I understood that Okaa-sama is from Juunishima. So I thought to bring her along. I was the one who asked to come along. If you will be staying at that island, I was under the impression that it might be a good idea to have a pilot. Is that so. Thank you, youll help us greatly. This time he deeply bowed his head, offering thanks from the bottom of his heart. Juunishima, the place of destination. Up until now, Taiyou had heard fragments of information about Juunishima from the people involved: Youran, Sakura, and Kohaku. All of those stories were about things outside the realm of his general knowledge. Frankly, he felt each time as if he were hearing about a different country. As a result, he felt just a bit of anxiety about going to Juunishima. It was the mysterious feeling of going to a different country that spoke the same language. So he believed that if someone from the island were to accompany and guide them, it was of the utmost reassuring. When he said that, Aoba looked around the area as if remembering something. Okaa-sama, where is your luggage? Over there; I will now make my way to it. No, Ill go; please wait here, Okaa-sama. Aoba said, half-running in the direction that Mio had indicated. A slightly different-than-usual pattern of conduct. Taiyou came to think that she was quite excited as he looked at her from behind. She seems to be having fun. Yes, it is most reassuring that she has regained her natural cheerfulness. Though it is a shame that it was to the thanks of meat trash. Huh? Doubting his ears, he looked at Mio, their eyes meeting. Her conduct was as usual refined and unbroken, but it was clear that her eyes were the only things not smiling. Taiyou fearfully inquired of her. UmmMio-san, what did you say just now? I said that it is a shame. Ah no, a little before that. Do you mean the passage referring to meat restructured from trash? Hey, thats different from before! Wait, that sounds even worse, doesnt it!? He quipped with a cracked voice. Ignoring that, Mio continued to send a cold gaze in his direction. Eyes that were so cold that they made Taiyou recoil without realizing it. Is there something wrong with that? Dont tell medo you perhaps not admit mine and Aobas relationshipor something? She had the outer appearance of a maid and referred to Aoba withsama, but the relationship between the two of them was definitely between mother and daughter. Theres also the possibility that she might even be the one who was Aobas true mother. On the other hand, Taiyou had decided to make Aoba his bride. Putting her in his registry was impossible by the standards of the current Japan, but the two of them promised each other their future, and it there was almost no mistake that from here on they would be in a de facto marriage. In other words, a couple. And the stories of parent-in-laws disliking their children-in-laws were in great quantity in the world, so judging from Mios behavior, he thought that could very well be the case. Mio answered Taiyous question with a cold tone. The relationship between the two of you is approved by the madams, and most importantly, Aoba is also laughing happily. Therefore, there is no point in me raising any sort of objection at this point in time. Oh, okay, soDD I simply hate meat trash, is all. These are my personal feelings. Whaaat? I dont wish for much. Only perhaps for a certain someone to get roped into a traffic accident and become trash meat in both name and substance, or perhaps if only that person could get attacked by a slasher and have his male organs lopped off from his body. Other than those wishes, I really have nothing else. That just became even worse! And what do you mean by in both name and substance? It means exactly what it sounds like; were you perhaps unable to comprehend it? Her cold eyes grew even colder. Just by having her eyes look at him made him feel like his spine would congeal. Could it be that Natsuno-samas brain tissue is lower than that of crab miso? No, crab miso isnt brain tissue in the first place, alright!? Yes. Which is why I used it in the meaning ofDDlower than. Oof! Taiyous quip was calmly as well as maliciously in plenty returned back to him. He understood that he was most certainly hated by Mio, and no further words came out of his mouth. He happened to know that he was hated, and he clearly understood the cause. That was the type of cause that nothing could be done about; therefore Taiyou could do nothing about it. Huh? Natsuno-kun and Okaa-sama, what are you doing? As he was being overpowered by Mios quiet rage, Aoba who knew nothing had returned, pushing a carrying case. She had asked quizzically, having read the atmosphere. Nothing at all. Really? The atmosphere feels sort of different from earlier, you know Aoba unexpectedly said that the air was definitely different. Taiyou was contemplating how to gloss over the situation, when I was conversing with Taiyou about how the fact that Aoba-sama has become more cheerful, and the fact that it is thanks to Taiyou-sama has made me a little envious. Mio said, aiming her unpleasant eyes at Taiyou. That iscorrect, is it not? Y, Yeahthat is in fact what you were saying. Seriously Okaa-sama, what are you saying! Aobas face turned a light red, showing embarrassed resentment. That was was so cute, and Taiyous heart skipped a beat, but Mio became further disgruntled upon seeing that. He is the gentleman who is to be Aoba-samas husband; we will be associating with him for a long time, so I thought that it may be good to not hold back and such and tell him my thoughts in a straightforward manner. Mio said, looking once again at Taiyou. Was there, still something that I was holding back on? Noyou didnt hold back in the slightest. Taiyou could answer nothing but that. Because it was unmistakable that he had not even felt reservation the size of a water fleas mucus. You have said it well. Mio said, accepting the carrying case from Aobas hands. Now then, shall we be going? Mio said, and Aoba followed along with that. Taiyou followed along without a choice. The trip had but begun, and yet Taiyou felt like he would sustain a headache with these grim prospects. Chapter 119: The Bond of Parent and Child / Teasing the Son Chapter 118: The Bond of Parent and Child / Those who Fall Further Below Chapter 120: The Bond of Parent and Child / A Mans Profile Translator: Reflet This is impressive Taiyous eyes opened wide upon entering the guest cabin. He was in the ferry that connected Honshu and Juunishima. As if the consumers were numerous, the periodic operating service alone sent out two rides per hour, and the vessels used were fittingly termed luxury cruise ships. As if Mio had arranged for this in advance, as soon as they arrived at the port they got into a ship and were guided to the guest cabin on the highest floor of the six-floor construct. The room was of a simple making to be sure, but it possessed a wideness of up to twenty tatami mats and was furnished with two single beds as well as a sofa table, and even a television. Until coming here, everything that he had caught sight of were seats, and Taiyou was surprised by this. Is it really here, Mio-san? Yes; it will be a sea voyage that requires time as it is, so I arranged it so that Aoba-sama could at the very least spend time here in an agreeable manner. Requires time as it ishow long will it take to reach the island? It will be about five hours for a one-way trip. And so we have this room Taiyou thought that was honestly overdoing it. Five hours for a one-way trip was not by any means a short amount of time, but at the same time, a room like thisit wasnt the appropriate length of time for preparing a room of such agreeable lodging. He honestly thought that the reclining seats one floor below were enough. However, it seemed that this was not the case for Mio. I will brew tea. Aoba-sama, what would you like? Is there white? Id like to enjoy Okaa-samas white tea after such a long time. Wait just a minute. Oh, Id likeDD How about coffee, Natsuno-sama? Mio spoke up with a sensation of cutting him off. Taiyou unthinkingly became overwhelmed by her timing of intercepting with a hard voice. Ah, yeahcoffees fine too. Acknowledged. He was also fine with coffee, so Taiyou had no choice but to nod. Mio, who had received the two orders, pulled out from her luggage tools and leaves and such, and took out things like powder, proceeding to head to a corner of the room. Using the outlet there, she heated the hot water and, with a professional manner of using her hands and complex procedures she began to brew it. Whoa Okaa-samas tea is super good. Aoba said in a boastful manner as she came to his side. Is that so? Yep! Her cooking is also tasty, but the tea that she brews is even more tasty. When Father and the mothers are all gathered on a typical weekend day, they end up drinking more than ten cups. Ten whole cups? Taiyou was perplexed. Yes. One cup for a good morning greeting, one cup before noon to accelerate appetite, one cup to help with digestion after eating. One cup to assist with falling asleep for afternoon nappingDDWith that feel, they spend their weekends in that fashion drinking tea all the time. Wow, thats impressive. If they drink in that manner for all kinds of purposes, does that mean they drink various types of tea? Im not very informed about tea, but I know about things like black oolong tea for removing oil; that sort of stuff. Yeah, there are various types, but I also dont know very much. Okaa-sama is super knowledgeable in that area, so maybe you could try asking her afterward? Right; I guess Ill try asking when Kotone and the others are around. I think I wouldnt mind having them learn various things and even at our place allot a cup to something in that fashion. Eh Aoba raised her voice. For some reason, her face was flushed with embarrassment. Do you do the same thing, with your father and the others? Yeah; is something about that unpleasant? No, its not, but Aoba said as she intertwined her fingers, fidgeting. It was clear that something was up. Curious, Taiyou pursued that, wondering what was weird about the conversation. I wont do it if its unpleasant. No, its not that, its not thatumm, you see. Hmm? This is a special rule of the Miki householdalong with drinking tea, theres something that you do. Something that you do? s. Huh? Youkiss. What? Taiyou gazed in wonderment. He took a long hard look at Aoba, wondering what she had suddenly brought up. You see, Father and the rest kiss when they drink tea. Ummwhen getting seconds they kiss Father, and then they ask Okaa-sama for seconds. What are they, newly-weds! He quipped, and one of the people in question brewing the tea in a remote location looked over their shoulder. It was clear that she could hear Taiyou and Aobas exchange, and her cold eyes looked a bit different than usual, as if askingGot a problem with that?. Hey, Natsuno-kun. So do youalso do that at your house? That? That, seconds rule. Do you follow that very rule? Oof Taiyou was at a loss for words. It was embarrassing; extremely embarrassing. Aoba with a red face and a slightly upward gaze, embarrassed yet making a proposition, as well as this situation. It was like the sweet and sour taste of shoving a whole citrus fruit into ones mouth. In order to answer that with a straight face, Taiyou still didnt quitehave the right state. He avoided her gaze for a short while, thereafter evading the topic. D, did you do it too? Eh? The seconds kissdid you do it to your dad too? I, I havent done it, havent done it! I definitely wouldnt do that sort of thing! R, right. Ah, butI guess I did it to the cheeks when I was little. Cheeks? Yeah, you know. Its the sort of time that youd hearWhen you become an adult youll be Daddys bride`. My mothers always said that it wasnt fair, saying Me too, me too`. While saying that, as if remembering her childhood, Aobas embarrassment gradually sunk, and a grin made its way onto her face instead. That was when Mio returned to where they were with a tray holding two teacups. I have kept you waiting. Aoba also said these sorts of things when she was young, likeMama is my lifetime rival. Honestly! Okaa-sama, dont bring up things from that past like that. Though she said it resentfully, Aoba was definitely the embodiment of a good mood. She took the teacup from Mio, putting it to her mouth. Yeah, Okaa-samas white is definitely delicious. Try some too, Natsuno-kun. Whats wrong, Natsuno-kun? Aoba questioned Taiyou, who was spacing out and not taking the coffee. Come to think of it, Master and Aoba-sama bathed together until she was twelve. Seriously! Okaa-sama, you really didnt have to say that now. You said that your favorite Valentine chocolate was the true sentiment chocolate up until middle school. Well yeah, that was because there werent any other people to give them to. And for Christmas presents, you didnt want anything physical, but rather, the night skyline; there was that year as well. That was definitely due to being influenced by manga. Father got carried away and lastly took out the room keys, so he got disciplined by Mama and the others. Those were good times. True. Huh, Natsuno-kunYoure still stiff, whats really the matter? Cheekbath Natsuno-kun? ValentineChristmas Repeating in delirium, Taiyou muttered several keywords. Aoba initially inclined her head wondering what was wrong, but as if she had realized, her face shone with vitality. Natsuno-kunCould it be Not at all! Im not jealous atDD Once he was about to say it, Taiyou suddenly sealed his mouth with both hands. Hes attempting to quit while hes ahead. Mio said with an exasperated face. Self-destructing by saying something without even being asked, and the actions of nonverbally heightening the attention to it by sealing ones mouth. This was a blunder very unlike him, and it was quite right that Mio looked exasperated. Looking at Taiyou in that state, Aoba got in a good mood, though embarrassed. It seemed she was quite happy that he was jealous. Cough As if trying to gloss it over, Taiyou coughed and accepted the teacup from the tray that Mio was holding. Upon putting the coffee to his mouth, he was taken aback in another way. Thisis delicious. I am obliged. This is amazing; to think that you not only brew tea but you also brew coffee this tastily. This is honestly delicious enough to where it makes me question what Ive been drinking all this time. What brand is that, Okaa-sama? Aoba asked, and Taiyou also directed a face full of curiosity toward Mio. There was of course the way it was brewed, but he was also curious about the brand of coffee that he had just tasted; the true form of the beans used. It is Kopi?Luwak. Ohhh, you brought something amazing with you. From Aobas admiration and that favorable nuance, he could tell that this was unmistakably a good thing. He lifted the coffee to his mouth once more. It somehow tasted even better than earlier. That was when Mio quietly opened her mouth. Made from cat feces. Pu```` As soon as he heard Mio say that, he spewed it out magnificently. Chapter 120: The Bond of Parent and Child / A Man’s Profile Ah, such a waste Huh? After spewing it out, Taiyou had protested saying in a loud voiceWhat did you make me drink!?, but he swallowed those words with Aobas murmuring. No joke or irony, she seriously seemed to think it wasa waste. Bewildered, Taiyou wondered what she meant. When you say that its a waste, you mean this? Yeah, thats a really expensive coffee. Right, Okaa-sama? It is as you say. It depends on the substance, but perhaps you could view it as approximately ten thousand yen for one cup. Whaaaaat Taiyou became perplexed in yet another sense of the word. He had not so much as thought that this thing was ten thousand yen for a cup. Are you sure? I no longer tell lies to Aoba-sama. Repressing the urge to ask But its okay to just lie to me?, Taiyou fixedly stared at the the cups contents. Upon hearing that it was ten thousand yen for one cup, oddly enough, it now seemed to be glowing a gold color to his eyes. But, what you said earlier Uhhwhat was it again, Okaa-sama? From the cat known as the civet. Asked by a gazing Aoba, Mio began speaking with a calm voice. This brand, Kopi Luwak, is composed of processed indigested coffee beans taken from the civets excrements. I say indigested, but what I mean is that a fermentation that is naturally impossible to occur via enzymes actually occurs in the civets body, becoming this refreshing flavor of coffee. Certainlyits refreshing and really good, but Taiyou gave off a sour face. The flavor of the coffee itself was excellent. The tasty coffee had a refreshing and invigorating flavor, and it was enough to make one think Oh, there might very well be enough value in this for its price. There was no issue with the taste, but hearing about the manufacturing process just made him lose his nerve. Was it unagreeable with your mouth? Mio asked as he was staring down the inside of the cup. N, no, thats not it, uhh If it was not agreeable, I could swap it with a different brand? Uhh, yeahthat would be great if you would. Then, something like black ivory. You brought that too? Aoba became even more surprised. You know what that is, Aoba? Yeah, its a coffee thats even more expensive than this one. I havent even had the privilege of drinking it more than once or so. Really? By the way, this is as its name suggests. It is coffee made from beans assembled from an elephants excrements! Feces again!? Isnt there something else? If you would be fine with something like monkey coffee or tanuki coffee. No, I think Im done with that genre! Taiyou quipped in a loud voice. Leaving the two women in the guest cabin, Taiyou went out on deck alone. The ship was already in the middle of the ocean, where there was nothing but sea for three hundred sixty degrees all around. Beginning with the coffee affair, Taiyou confirmed that Mio was harassing him. And to make things worse, these were all mental attacks. Just like the coffee made from cat feces; just like how though it was unmistakably a high-grade product, she had purposefully chosen those to treat him in a mental way, Mio was unleashing the next attack after the next attack in a way that made it impossible for Taiyou to complain. There were four hours remaining until arrival at the island, and he couldnt keep his cool like this, so that was why Taiyou had escaped out on deck. PhewWell I mean, if I were to think of it as a type of jealousy then Id have no choice but to put up with it, but still No matter what was done to him, Taiyou didnt hold the slightest bit of ill will toward Mio. Even an onlooker would be able to tell that Mio was doting on Aoba; meanwhile Taiyou was the man who had stolen Aoba away. If one were to think of the harassment toward the man, the son-in-law who had taken away her beloved daughter, this type of intricate pestering was actually possibly charming. Now then Muttering, Taiyou sent his senses to the fairy who was undoubtedly far away. Promptly, Hera appeared in front of his eyes. Did you call me, Taiyou-chan`? Yeah, is everything okay over there? Yes indeed, its okay. Were actually having a banquet in the car right now. Its still daytime, you realize. And though he said that, when he imagined the scene of the girls gathered jabbering about in the motor home that he had seen earlier, he gave a broad smile without thinking. But but its really lively`. Everyones roused up with common topics. What the heck do you mean by common topics? Topics about what part of Taiyou that we came to like. Wha, you guys- Incidentally, when I said that Im here as myself only for Taiyous sake, Pochis face looked terribly envious at me. How does that make anyone envious!? Because its fate. Seriously, why do you feel the need to say good lines so wastefully? Incidentally, Kohaku-tanDD Yeah, its fine. You dont have to say it. Whaaaaat? Its a wonderful reason; if Taiyou-chan hears it then hell grow to love Kohaku-tan even more, you know? Hera protested. She seemed to want to let out something quite good. But hearing that, Taiyou began to feel more and more like he mustnt hear it. I dont want to hear that from your mouth; I want to hear it directly from theirs. Ohhh. Hera slapped her hands together. That is very true! You do want to hear it directly from the persons mouth, huh? Yeah. I understand; then zip goes my mouth. Until the actual person says it I wont say it even at my peril` Its over; you just normally dont chatter about it any further. Right you are. So, the reason I called you out here was because I was thinking to ask you about the next level. What must I do to rise to Level 13? Youre going to do that here? Yeah, cause Aobas coming with me. As a precaution, Id like to attach further power to myself. I understand; then take out your smartphone, Taiyou-chan. Just as he was told, Taiyou took out his smartphone and listened to Heras explanation. Aoba came out from the guest cabin, and upon entering the deck she quickly found Taiyou, but she also found Heras figure at his side simultaneously. Upon realizing that Hera was there, she turned back once toward the guest cabin, but there was no trace of Mio tagging along, so Aoba relievedly walked up to the two of them. Natsuno-kun, Hera-chan. Ooo, it has been a while. It hasnt even been half a day since we parted Aoba smiled wryly, looking at Taiyou. As if he hadnt even noticed her presence, he was messing with his smartphone, lifted up his head, and didnt even respond. What is Natsuno-kun doing? Hes raising his level; next up is 13. Hes doing it here? Of course he is; after allDD About to say something, Hera instead sealed her mouth with her own hand. Whats the matter? Its nothing. What do you mean by nothing; you just said after all. You should hear that from the person themselves; if I say it then its no good. ? I dont really understand, but okay then. Though puzzled, Aoba accepted the explanation satisfactorily. She then looked once again at Taiyou. His gaze fallen on the smartphone while operating it in repetition with his fingers, his face in profile was the very definition of earnest. His gaze on the smartphone, he was staring at it straightforwardly almost as if piercing through it, working wholeheartedly on raising his level. Looking at his face, Aobas heart skipped a beat. Her heart felt a thrill as she looked at the face of the man who was pushing forward in a straight line facing in front of him. Her heart beat fast, throbbing. Like an insect lured into a light trap, she unsteadily crept her face closer, kissing Taiyous cheek with a smooch. Ooo Hera exclaimed in admiration as Aobas lips began to separate from him. He had been kissed, and yet there was no change from within Taiyou. He was continuing his levelling up with a level of concentration that prevented him from even realizing that he had been kissed. Hes really serious Yeah, that he is. Im sort of jealous. Aoba made a face that was almost laughing and almost embarrassed. Chapter 121: The Bond of Parent and Child / Mother-Daughter Bowl Chapter 120: The Bond of Parent and Child / A Mans Profile Chapter 122: The Bond of Parent and Child / Astonishing Power Translator: Reflet Come to think of it, why did Aoba-chan come along? Eh? Everyone at the other place said this, you know? They said that they wanted to travel with Aoba-chan. I see, so you were with everyone earlier. Thats right. Aoba gave a faraway look as if thinking of something faraway. Well theresno particular reason. Really? Hera made a shocked face. Yeah But but, Kohaku-tan was grinning, you know? Kohaku-san was? Hoh, did she say something else? She had looked melancholic just earlier, but now Aoba was just a bit disordered. The young girl with rich life experience; the Natsuno households leader. Her perception was recognized by everyone, therefore???Aoba had no choice but to be interested in what she had said. Well lets see While crossing her arms, the buoyant Hera put a finger against her cheek, making a pensive expression. She saidDDthat Youths a good thing. Is Aoba-chan enjoying her youth? Oof Aoba groaned; Kohakus words were quite roundabout, but the words that she had directed toward the person in question were enough to be carved straight into her chest. H, Hera-chan. What is it? Dont say that to Natsuno-kun. Why not? Im begging you! Aoba clasped her hands together and lowered her head. To the side, Taiyou was still concentrating on levelling up without taking notice of their conversation. Hera also stared at him. But I cant hide anything from Taiyou-chan. If Im asked then I have no choice but to answer. I understand that, but I dont want Hera-chan to initiate it. Understood, in that case I can do that. Hera thought a bit, then smiled in her usual carefree manner. Really? Thanks! Mmph! Sensing bloodlust, Taiyou immediately twisted his body. Right afterward, Heras body shot past the area where his crotch had been like a bullet. The hell are you doing! As expected, Taiyou protested; it was perfectly reasonable to protest when someone attempted to target the crotch area whilst someone is concentrating. Because if I dont do this then Taiyou-chan wont come back` I will! If you just talk to me like a normal person Ill return! Huh`, but you do realize that you didnt return? Ill return. Hera drooped with a sour face. Taiyou raised a further objection to her pretext. And you aim for the crotch area every single time; at least aim for the solar plexus or something. If youd come to your sense that way, I would Do it. I did. She seemed to mutter something at the end, but it didnt reach Taiyous ears. He assumed she was making some sort of complaint and let it go through one ear and out the other. In any case, what is it? Ah yes, we should be reaching the destination very soon. Really? He lifted his head and looked in the direction of the ocean; upon doing so, just like Hera had said, he saw land and a facility that seemed to be a port. The recent announcement said that there are thirty minutes remaining. Thirty minutes huh, and hows that levelling up? Incomplete. Is that right. Hearing that it would take time, Taiyou completely gave up and put the smartphone away in his pocket. Initially, levels wouldnt raise quickly, but levelling up was exactly the process of getting those points, so the boy who had experienced many a game levelling to max wasnt particularly surprised. Now then, guess Ill return to where Aoba and the rest are. Saying to no one in particular, he motioned to return to the guest cabin. Yo. That was when one man spoke to him. He sported a casual outfit consisting of a jacket with rolled up sleeves and plain jeans. He seemed to be in his mid-twenties and had deeply chiseled features on his face, so that outfit was made to fit him very well. Hah Taiyou gave a vague response to this man who he did not know. My name is Saekusa Tsukumo, nice to meetcha. Oh, and Im Natsuno Taiyou. He introduced himself while shaking the hand that was held out in a friendly manner. He honestly couldnt read the other persons intentions, but since he was approached, Taiyou didnt think it would be right to ignore him. Mid-handshake, he shot a glance at Hera. He was urging her to keep the promise of not talking to him in front of other people. Roger` Hera saluted him, and Taiyou returned his attention to Tsukumo. Their hands were still connected. Taiyou-kun, is it? You have some really nice hands, dude. His shoulders shivered, and he had pulled his hand back without realizing it. Dont tell me, he thought to himself as bad premonitions circled through the back of his head. Dont be so cautious, dont be; Im not homo, and Ill also add that Im not bi either. Im the kind of guy whos established himself to be into the mother-daughter bowl right now, so having those sorts of feelings for you is impossible; relax. Uh, huh By the way, you familiar with the mother-daughter bowl? Written as mother and daughter, its the mother-daughter bowl. It means to sexually eat the mother and daughter at the same time, but this is really something amazing. Mutual love is all well and good, but having them tell you after half-forcing consensus Didnt you say that you wouldnt lay your hands on my daughter? is rather quaint, see. Uhh, what exactly are you trying to say? So Ive set myself to be like that as of late, and its not just that chicken and egg that you see all the time, but also the parent-child bowl made from salmon and salmon eggs that Im hooked on. Oh right, did you know? Where this ship is headed, on the outskirts of the port town theres a soba shop with a parent-child bowl soba on the menu; thats also pretty good. And the shop is run by mother and daughter, so its not just a shop that you can enjoy with the tongue but its also a shop that you can enjoy with the eyes and heart; its amazing, yo. I, is that so? Clamorous alarm bells were ringing inside Taiyous head, bringing it to his attention that this was bad, that this man in front of him was no good. A genuine pervert. He had for a while been encountering strange people quite frequently, but the majority of them were rational, reasonable humans who he could converse with. But this man before him was different: the type of human that reason would not work on. Umm, Ive got toDD Oh, wait wait. When he tried to escape, Tsukumo went round and cut in. The conversation isnt over yet man; from here on Ill be discussing the essence of the spectacular mother-daughter bowl. Sorry, but IDD He swallowed the words I have company. Remembering that Mio and Aoba were mother and daughter, he had decided it was best not to mention it. Well be arriving soon, so I have preparations and such. Do you hate the mother-daughter bowl or something? Males too? No, like I was saying I get it; if youre saying that much then Im willing to make a compromise. But at the very least, do me a favor and tell me one thing. And whats that? As long as he was standing in the way, Taiyou thought to quickly hear what he had to say then quickly make an escape. But, he soon realized that that was a mistake. Did ya know that most of the chicken meat used for eating purposes is of the male variety? What? Just like humans, chickens are divided into male and female; so far so good, but the females are set aside to lay eggs, and they only become food once they can lay no more eggs, but by that time theyve packed on quite a few years and the quality of their meat hardens, so theyre not fresh meat but are made into processed meat. We good so far? Uh, huhsure. So if thats the case, then of course the fresh meat is of the male persuasion all the time. Do you understand what this means? You get it already, right? No I dont. Taiyou was at a complete loss as to what he was trying to say. What an idiot! I gave hints along the way and you still dont understand? It cant be helped; Ill teach ya from A to Z. So this is how it is: As long as the majority of fresh meat is male, the typical parent-child bowl isnt mother and daughter, but is actually father and daughter! Tsukumo insisted, thrusting a fist up into the air. Yes, I understand. Not wanting to be involved any longer than this, Taiyou irresponsibly parried his responses and then tried to escape from that spot. But Tsukumo once again went around and blocked him. Well wait, were not finished talking. No, I really have something to take care of. I gotcha; it was my bad for being roundabout. I shouldnt discuss the parent-child bowl of food, but properly discuss the mother-daughter bowl, yeah? I thought that it would be good as a starting point, but it seems that I really should have spoken to you about it directly. No, I seriouslyDD Taiyou couldnt break away from Tsukumo, who followed him around. In his head he recalled a game scene where he selected theRuncommand only to be cut off again and again. He secretly sighed, ready to give up. He was a dangerous person, but so far there was no real damage done. At this rate he would have to noncommittally listen and then once the ship arrived he would meet up with Aoba and the rest, making haste to force their way out for an escape. They were on the ship, which was on the ocean, and right now nothing could be done, so he thought that was his best option. He thought, and then the next moment Taiyou-chan! Breaking the promise, Hera approached him. Chapter 122: The Bond of Parent and Child / Astonishing Power Chapter 121: The Bond of Parent and Child / Mother-Daughter Bowl Chapter 123: The Bond of Parent and Child / Back and Front Translator: Reflet Taiyou glared at Hera. Around the time they had barely met, they had exchanged a promise for her not to call out to him in front of other people. It was because if other humans were to see him talking to an unseen Hera, they would think he was crazy. Hera had broken that. He momentarily felt unpleasant, but soon reconsidered. Because that was how cornered her expression was. Shooting a glance at Tsukumo in front of him, he took out his smartphone and put it next to his ears. Umm hello, whats up? Even if the person in front of him was a weirdo, he was still in the presence of an outsider so Taiyou put on an act. Aoba-chans in trouble! That composure was quickly blown away. Anyone who was able to see Heras formDDthat is, the girls who had kissed with Taiyou, Hera was able to sense their safety or lack of safety regardless of physical distance. Taiyou who had been saved by that ability on numerous occasions held no doubts toward its effectiveness. Where is she! Over here! Taiyou dashed forward to where Hera was initiating. Uh-oh, you realize were still in the middle of our conversation. Tsukumo went around and blocked him, making this the third time. Up until now he hadnt been pressed the other two times, so he had mentally endured it, and it wasnt anything harmful, so he hadnt gotten serious or escaped. But right now was different, and if Aobas safety was in question then he didnt have the time to be so easygoing. Can you move? No no, from here on out were gonna get into the nitty-gritty of the mother-daughter bowl. First offDD Move. Tsukumo, still trying to talk about his interests without reading the air caused Taiyous boiling point to reach its threshold, turning his personality to below freezing. Letting out the kind of low cold voice that was enough to make ones hair stand on end, he flung out a backfist to brush him off. He had let out thirty percent of his power, so from experience that was sufficient to blast anyone away. Whoa there. As if playing dumb, Tsukumo flung Taiyous hand away, or rather, warded it off. It felt like his hand was lightly touched, then all of a sudden it veered off in a different direction. In a moment, feelings of antipathy shifted to a guarded posture. His hips dropping deeply, he assumed a stance of pitching forward. He then kicked the ground and dashed fiercely. He tried to pass through Tsukumos side in one go. Seeing Taiyous movement, Tsukumo once again revolved around him. Stepping in a bizarre manner, he abruptly spun around him. Having had this happen four times, I could have guessed as much! Quietly howling, he charged through with force. If he would stand in his way then he would blast him away! That was what he thought, but the next instant his field of vision spun around. He should have charged straight forward, and yet all of a sudden he had been spun around ninety degrees. About to dive through the deck railway, Taiyou frantically stepped on the brakes. Just in time he stopped himself from falling into the ocean. Turning around, he looked at Tsukumo. He no longer saw him as a mere weirdo. YouWho are you? Im just a guy with petty interests named Saekusa Tsukumo. Im not asking about that. Age 26, Virgo with blood type O. Im not talking about that either. From about a year ago I set myself up as a man who loves mother-daughter bowls and up till yesterday Ive eaten 49 groups of mothers and daughters. And I really could care less about that. He cut him down with a cold voice. Then what are you trying to ask? If I hear really unpolished questions then I might not be able to answer properly, man? Your objective. Id say that its to spread the love of the amazing mother-daughter bowl in the meantime? Tell me your real objective! Taiyou had ultimately grown tired of Tsukumos talk about eating people. To live out my life in an interesting yet odd fashion, maybe? You bastard! Still being made fun of, Taiyou leaped forward, unleashing his fist with all his might. He possessed enough power currently to blast through steel plating, but not caring, he thrust it at a human in the flesh. But that nevertheless did not hit. Uwah! Hyah! Oof! Like a clown, Tsukumo let out strange voices and continued to dodge Taiyous punches with weird movements. The punch that hadnt so much as grazed him ripped through the sky, and then Taiyous breathing began to grow rapid. Scary scary, if that had hit then it wouldnt have just taken out a bone or two; it might very well have gouged through the flesh, yo. You have even greater power than the rumors might suggest, man. Shut up, make way already. By the way, do ya like the mother-daughter bowl? DDNgh! A question that he had been asked numerous times was thrown at him in its entirety this time. Taiyou went into a frenzy, leaping even further up. Tai?you?chan! He could hear the fairys voice. Like after an encouraging shout at a golf field, a small body aimed at Taiyou flying in. Of course, that impacted his groin area. GuhDD A sudden quick attack; an unexpected attack from an ally. Fainting in agony, Taiyou held his hands to his groin and cowered. Eh? Tsukumo, unable to see Hera, made a questioning expression, and not paying that any heed, Taiyou glared at Hera whilst dribbling cold sweat. But, unlike usual, Hera also returned Taiyous glare in full. What are you doing Taiyou-chan! You must remain calm! Calm Thats right, you need to calm down! Its clear that your opponent is acting out a weird performance and making fun of you; falling prey to his provocation is the kind of thing that bird-brains would do! DD He caught his breath while crawling on the ground like a caterpillar. You must be more composed! ä侲ˤʤΤǤYou must become cool like the spelling of KOOL! Haha. A laugh slipped out. Though she was fuming and lecturing him, Hera was still the girl who spoke in the same fashion. Compared to that, he felt like an idiot for falling prey to that cheap provocation. Taiyou sucked in air, standing up while enduring the pain in his crotch. Hows Aoba look? Shes still in danger, but only in danger. So Im not, too late. With Tusukumo looking at him, he conversed as usual with Hera. His opponent gave him a dubious face, but he didnt pay it any heed. Objective and method. Regaining his composure, Taiyou did not mistake those for something else; what he should prioritize the most was his objectiveto dash to Aoba. Do you know the place? She should be where she was previously. Got it. Whats up whats up, suddenly talking to yourself; are you maybe one of those people whoDD Tsukumo tried to persistently say something, but it no longer entered Taiyous ears. He sliently walked over to Tsukumo. Step step, step step. Like taking a stroll, slowly, he stepped each time in stride. Oh, so you really were interested in what I have to say? Alright, sit down there; this is usually where you should adopt a seiza posture but I dont mind letting you specially sit at ease, my dude. Completely ignoring his practical jokes, he walked toward Tsukumo. Even upon entering the range where he could move his arms to hit him, he did not do so and just kept walking onward. WhoaDD The color of Tsukumos face slightly changed. He leaped back as if taking his distance from the approaching Taiyou. Taiyou still kept closing in their distance. Slowly, and without using any of this momentum. Whoa whoa, youre not taking this lightly enough, mate. He silently continued to close in on him. If he were to dodge then that was fine, and even if he didnt dodge, Taiyou had confidence that he could push one or two people out of the way just by walking normally. So he walked; continued to walk. Your judgement on the spur of the moment is amazing, pal. But thats still pretty shallow, dont you think? It cant be helped, although I didnt really want to use my pinning techniques on anyone other than beautiful mother and daughters. Tsukumo said, this time not backing down and instead taking Taiyous arm. All of a sudden, heaven and earth flipped, and not understanding what had been done to him, he was thrown in an instant, his joints arm-barred. His joints squeezed by Tsukumo let out screams. He had completely been settled in a position where he couldnt move. Got you. What? Taiyou muttered alongside a surprised Tsukumo. Uwooooh The next moment, Taiyou let out a fierce cry, pumping power into his arms. Its useless; youve been completely pinnedDD Tsukumo lost his words mid-sentence. Taiyou had forcibly lifted up his opponent along with his pin. Taiyou rised standing upright as if nothing had happened. Tsukumo, still clinging to his joints, looked from the sidelines like a monkey hanging from a tree. He was dumfounded, and Taiyou did not overlook that. Fly away! He brandished Tsukumo and threw him. The adult mans body flew off like a cannon ball. He flew off not like a parabola, but drawing a straight line. In the twinkle of an eye, his body left the ferry and soared faraway yonder. As expected, Taiyou-chan is amazing. Lets go. He didnt a single glance in Tsukumos direction, nor did he respond to Heras flattery. Taiyou simply muttered and dashed into the cabin expressionless. Chapter 123: The Bond of Parent and Child / Back and Fron t Chapter 122: The Bond of Parent and Child / Astonishing Power Chapter 124: I and Me / Shadow on the New Moon Translator: Reflet Welcome back, Aoba-sama. When she returned to the cabin, Mio gracefully bowed, welcoming her in. From when she was in her parents houseMio, whose attitude hadnt changed one bit since Aoba was a child, had a face that was clearly comparatively gentler than earlier. She could tell. Aoba wasnt stupid; if anything, she had observation power that was above normal. For some reason, Mio??????viewed Taiyou as an enemy, and Aoba was able to tell from the moment that very day. Just by Taiyou being there caused the air to stand on edge, making the atmosphere uncomfortable. She thought of Taiyou who was even now raising his level while being protected by Hera on deck, as well as of what was to come. Aoba wondered if there was some way to restore Taiyou and Mios relationship. Im back. Was Okaa-sama always in the room? Yes; there was some time open, so I took the opportunity to knit. Mio, having said that, had woolen yarn and two needles at her feet, the woolen yarn becoming a calm hue of a knitted fabric. You do knit everyones share every year after all. Are you going to knit the full set this year as well? No, the madams will only get sweaters; Master feels pain again this year, and I must re-knit all of them. Its Okaa-samas handmade clothing, so the pain came sooner for Father since he was always wearing them. I am obliged. Mio faintlyflushed her face in a way that probably only Aoba would have noticed. One father and three mothers. This wasnt your average family organization, but to Aoba, these parents were even now madly in love; almost like newlyweds. Until a bit earlier, she had thought her lifestyle to be nothing noteworthy; just everyday life/completely natural, but as of now her viewpoint had completely changed. Aoba thought she should learn from these parents who were still passionately in love with each other even being middle-aged. Okaa-sama, will you teach me how to knit next time? What has come over you? Mio unthinkingly stopped moving her hands, looking at Aoba with a slightly surprised smile. I also want to do the same things as Okaa-sama. I want the things I knit to be worn by everyone; by Natsuno-kun. Certainly. Mio gave an immediate answer, but Aoba didnt miss the corner of her mouth stiffen up. Okaa-sama. Yes. Okaa-sama, youDD The moment she tried to ask her about Taiyou, the door opened with a clank. Mios face stiffened, so thinking that Taiyou had returned, Aoba held her tongue. However, that wasnt the case. Who might this be? This room has been privately reserved, so Id rather that you departed. Huh? Looking toward the door, two woman stood there. A girl wearing sailor clothing on one side, and a middle-aged woman wearing thick makeup on the other side??were standing there. The girl looked stiff and had an expression on her face that didnt seem welcoming, while the woman had the kind of pale smile that seemed to look down on people. This was not at all favorable, and just like how Aoba felt that way, Mio also immediately stood up, standing in front of her daughter to cover her. Because zis is za right room. You are ze voman named Miyagiaoba? The middle-aged woman opened her mouth, speaking the correct words but with a rhythm and intonation in the way that a foreigner would. You have the wrong person. Mio flatly denied them. Even Aoba got the feeling that it was best to deny them. Zen, ow about zis voman? She said, this time pulling out a snapshot from her chest. It was an outdated performance. Photographed there was Aoba in a school uniform with her eyes looking elsewhere, presumably taken in secret on her way to school. You have the wrong person. I believe that it is a different person that simply has a resemblance. Mio still denied it. The rooms atmosphere immediately froze. Vhat do you sink, Chan Suu? The woman tried to arouse the girls interest. Not answering directly, the girl only nodded. If ze face is ze same zen zat is fine. Hand over ze woman. I will be refusing. Heheheh. The woman laughed coldly, walking toward them casually. Her body stiffening, Aoba clung to Mio. Said Mio glared at her opponent. Having approached a touchable distance, the woman reached out her handDDwhen it happened. Eh? The body that was slightly more plump compared to Mio half-revolved, struck to the ground. The one who did that was Mio, having grabbed hold of her opponents outstretched hand, twisting it and throwing her. Vat vas zat The girl softly murmured something. The power of Aiki. The woman got up muttering. Despite the fact that she had just been thrown, her expression had not changed. The smile that looked down on people making fools out of them was still attached. Aoba felt a very bad premonition when she saw that face. Okaa-sama, Im going to call Natsuno-kun. Aoba-sama. The moment she took out her smartphone, she was stopped by Mio calling her. W-Whats wrong? Okaa-sama? I have been tasked by Master with handling the protection of Aoba-sama, even if I must do it here alone. Okaa-sama Oh, so you ave confidence. As I intend to protect Aoba-sama, I am prepared for anything in every way. Anything? Staring in puzzlement, the woman thereafter looked up and laughed loudly. Looking closely, the girl behind her was also astounded, snickering mixed with sighing. What is so funny? I just sought zat you really are a voman. Are you not also women? Yes, ve are vomen. So As she said that, the woman and girl took out guns at the same time. The girl from a holder under her skirt, and the woman once again from her chest. Ve can do anysing. Mio-san! Hastening into the room, the first thing that jumped into his eyes was the form of a fallen Mio in a pool of blood. Taiyou rushed to her side. Natsu, nosama Are you alright? Somewhat She said, but it was clear that it was on a different level than somewhat. Taiyou immediately took the phone next to the bed, contacting the ships medical room via inner lining. Aoba-sama was Aoba? Yeah, wheres Aoba? She was taken awayright about now, they should still Was Aoba shot too? No, they onlyknocked herunconsious. Having said that, Mio fell unconscious. Mio-san! He called her name, gripping her shoulders. She seemed to only have lost consciousness. Taiyou-chan! What will you do? Hows Aoba look? She seems to still be fine right now. I see. Are you not going to search for her? Hera was shocked to see Taiyou not move. Right. But Aoba-chan has been If she was knocked unconscious and taken away then we cant do anything about it for now. If they intended to they could just shoot this place like they did to Mio-san. Besides, your sense indicates that shes still fine. Right? Thats true, but If I abandon Mio-san here and if something by any chance happens to Mio-san, how would Aoba feel? Shes a precious mother to her, you know? Taiyou said with a harsh, cold voice. But even if shes fine right now, we dont know what will happen after. I really do think that we need to chase after them. Taiyou silently shook his head. Taiyou-chanDD Hera thought to attempt to further convince him, but shut her mouth quickly. Taiyou-chan Its fine, its fine. If something happened to Mio-san then that in itself would become a lifetime wound in Aobas heart. So its fine. Okay Its really fine. He repeated those words frequently, almost like an incantation. His clenched fists became white with his nails dug in, red blood oozing throughout. Chapter 124: I and Me / Shadow on the New Moon Chapter 123: The Bond of Parent and Child / Back and Front Chapter 125: I and Me / Armor of the Heart Translator: Reflet Even in the middle of the party assembly hall with people wearing fine-tailored suits and gorgeous dresses, that place was especially letting off a radiance, gathering the attention of the participants. That was wholly due to the social status of the three men and women facing each other in conversation. Current Prime Minister, Kouda Jinichirou. The third princess of Asias most pro-Japan country, the Phili Kingdom: Leticia?H?Keraaz. And lastly, Juunishimas headmans daughter of the place that was designated as a village based on its administrative district while having a population of a million, Juunishima Youran. All of them were important people among important people, and it wouldnt be difficult to imagine something dreadful happening in the world if a meteorite or the like were to fall here. That was how important these faces were. The three of them were conversing in Japanese without any interpreter. Good gracious, I am relieved that her Highness as well as Director of the New Moon-dono havent changed. Good heavens, Jinichirou-ojisama, we last met three years ago. Do you not think that saying that there has been no change in a maiden of sixteen after three years is rather awful? Leticia said clad in an evening dress, and the kimono-clad Youran sympathized with that. Besides, you say that even though Kouda-sama is the one who hasnt changed; youve held long-term political power since we were carrying our backpacks to grade school. Honestly, within me when I think of the prime minister I cannot imagine anyone else but Kouda-sama. I am of the same opinion. Hahhahha, I lived too long and just decided to settle down in the position. It wouldnt be strange for a punishment to strike me by this point in time. You jest; even though there isnt the smidgen of an omen. Bamboo tubes dont fulfill their function until water accumulates. I take it that Oji-samas bamboo tubes are functioning as always; no doubt things will be tranquil from here on out. I think so too. Hahhahha, what a day this is; I did not think that two goddesses of luck would show up all at once. Oh, youre skilled, Oji-sama. An almost false, surface-level dialogue. But that was the most important thing in this situation. Jinichirou, Leticia, and Youran. The open-book friendship displayed between the leaders meant that things were just that secure. After the party, Youran and Leticia were in the storeroom. A pretty suit room with a nightview on the top floor of the hotel, where the party had begun a moment ago. In its midst, the two of them were sitting down facing each other. Why did you want to speak with me? Oh, do you mean to speak with me in that tone as well? Thou art the one with the strange speech; thou werent like that when we last met, right? I acquired it; does it not fit my position quite well? When I first heard it I felt goosebumps all over; it doesnt fit thou so just quit it. If you stop first then I shall do that very thing. Thou shalt go first. You shall be going first. Thou You Neither side giving in, it became a battle of obstinance. And just when things seemed to be heading in the opposite direction of the party assembly hall to a stormy situation Pff Ahahahaha As if they had conspired together, both of them burst out laughing at once. Evening dress and kimono; the two people who had earlier made a refined atmosphere had shattered said atmosphere at once by their own hand. Man, what are we even doing? Ya got that right; it aint evn like us, furreal. Ahh, I can relax listening to you speak that way. My own long-sleeved kimono???seeing that is what helps me relax. Vainly trying to be knowledgeable about the Japanese culture, I see, you false foreigner you. Cant be elped; were Asias most pro-Japan country and our official languages even Japanese anyhoo. Course wed be knowledgeable bout Japans culture, eh? Yes yes. And, what did you invite me here for? Seems like ya sister was found. The air immediately grew cold; Youran had not anticipated that she would bring up this topic of all things. Dun make such a scary face, eh? How did you know? Thiss somethin portant that can decide the future o my close friend; course Id be concerned. Should I say thank you? I really dun care. More portantly, your little siswha was er name Leticia thought a bit. Right right, Shiro, Shiro, aint it? Its Pochior not even that; its Juunishima Adano. The name decided for her before birth just like mine. Thas a shame, having a father whos obsessed with England. S that some sorta glittering fashionable name nowadays? Dont say that; thought it may seem otherwise I quite like my name. That right? Its fine if thats thcase. Leticia said, softly narrowing her eyes. An wheres dat Shiro? I dont know. Dun lie. Im not lying, I really dont know. Right, but the face yer makin s like ya have everythin figured out. I wont deny that, but I dont know where she is. Wha, ya get er to go underground? I havent done anything. Haah Leticia laughed scornfully. Yer the same as always. I always hated dat useless aspect of yers. Doin everythin on yer own, and once ya decided than yad dash off without a word to anyone. Aint it the same now? That sort of way is better a lot more, when youre in my position. Youve got to understand. Most unfortunately! I dun do anythin like dat; if my subordinates were to do something good then Id let em handle it. Your subordinates must have it hard. Contrary, yer subordinates must ave it rough. How many people dya think yer causing trouble for? You think so? I do. You might be right. Taking a breath, Youran said nodding. You might be right Youran repeated the same words in her heart. That might very well be the case. Whenever something happened, she had a habit of not letting anyone els ehandle it and trying to do something with her power alone. Even for things that should be left to subordinates, she still felt that she should handle. And she didnt just feel that way; she had actually set that in motion. But just like Leticia had said, there must be a lot of people who were inconvenienced as a result. A certain boys face floated in her head. Just like the name, the type of boy who??emitted brightness from himself. Even with the previous affair, she had inconvenienced him. If she had that one time not gone herself, instead sending a trustworthy tight-lipped confidant and had things proceed that way, surely that boy would not have suffered any wounds. Things would have continued more thoroughly and a solution would have been found after a bit of a struggle. Youran was not so foolish that she couldnt comprehend that that was unmistakable. Even so, though she acknowledged the reasoning itself, she couldnt repudiate the actions themselves. Because she couldnt afford to. Wazzup with you; suddenly spacing out. Eh? No its nothing. That right? Well thats fine; all I wanted to say was to rely more on those around ya. Even if things ave been peachy so far dun mean that itll stay that way for yer whole life. Yeah, then allow me to do so from now on. If you really intended to?????then ya just gotta say that youllpositively consider it. Leticia angrily turned her face away. From how long they had been tagging along with each other, she had probably understood that Youran was just glossing over it with her answer. She had angered her; feeling that, Youran searched for follow-up words. That was when the sound of a knock was heard on the door. Knock-knock, knock-knock; four knocks struck rhythmically. Enter. Youran had immediately reverted to herarchaicself. Excuse the disturbance. Entering the room and deeply bowing was a woman with a maid outfit in her mid-twenties. After shooting Leticia a glance, she talked to Youran. My master, a report of imminent danger. Let us hear it. Is that really fine? Im a foreigna, I dun eat Japanese, kay? Leticia attempted humor while insinuating that she wouldnt repeat it to anyone, and Youran also nodded to that, so the maid began her report. A report from the third squadron. Oof About the pursuit; Miki Aoba has been kidnapped by the hands of the Adano sect, the implementation forces leader being Einsteelpierre?Saekusa Tsukumo. When she was kidnapped, Akita Mio who was accompanying her suffered wounds and is currently receiving treatment in a hospital. The desire to ask about the other person came up to her throat, but she resisted it. Afterwards, Natsuno Taiyou disappeared, and a search is currently undergoing. DD Youran stood up with a clatter. Ya Leticia who had been silent knit her brows. The maid was also surprised. Youran who had stood up abruptly was making a face that they had never seen before. The waxing moon floating in the summer night sky, the new moon was slowly being eroded by shade (light). Chapter 125: I and Me / Armor of the Hear t Chapter 124: I and Me / Shadow on the New Moon Chapter 126: I and Me / Director of the New Moon Translator: Reflet Until now there had not been a human whose emotions were this much in disarray. Even her father would interact with her like a stranger. It was the same for those around her; there were some people who used their position and this angered her, but the reason was made clear, so continuing in rage or lingering on the topic wasnt something that she did. So she didnt understand these feelings. She couldnt understand these feelings that she just kept thinking about asleep or awake. She would just always think of that boy. What in the world are these feelings? After standing up, Youran realized her error. The maid Michiyo was there, and so was her dear friend Leticia. It was unmistakably an error to become distraught in front of them. While coughing over the incident, Youran slowly sat back down. What did the pursuit squadron do? My apologies; it was a simple human error. You may punish our wrongdoing as you see fit. The maid Michiyo deeply lowered her head. Of the many maids, Youran had taken a liking to her personality of not making excuses, and there had been numerous events that had made her want to have her by her side. Normally that would be fine, but for some reason this time she was dissatisfied with what had happened. Even so, Youran was Youran. Outstretching her muscles tightly, she said magnanimously. It is fine, I forgive you. More importantly you must began searching; do whatever is necessary to grasp that boys location. Certainly. Leave. Michiyo gracefully bowed, retreating out of the room. What was that just now? What, what is it? The Natsuno boy, is this what it was about? Leticia said, raising a small finger. Having a blond-haired blue-eyed orthodox-schooled princess appearance, this mannerism was too surreal for her. On the other hand, since entering the room, Leticia had fit this atmosphere she was exhibiting quite well. What do you mean this? That hes your lover. LovDDYoure wrong! Youran immediately became red-faced, retorting. She thought that being distrusted in that manner had no basis????? What, Im wrong? But you do seem fairly sweaty. I owe him! W-Wellits no mistake that he saved my life. Heres quite the character for ya. Director of the New Moon-samas benefactor, eh? And? Whaddya mean and? Hes yer lifesaver right? So dont you need to repay that? Likethe repayment of the crane? Im going to get angry. Leticia further messed with her. Whether it be the undignified gestures or the expression of mischief that she was even now displaying. This was not at all like the princess of a country. Youran felt the slightest amount of unpleasantness to her persistence. Dont get so mad; all I did was talk bout the proper procedure of repaying the favor. You have too much ill intent with saying that. Kay, I wont say no more. In exchange ya gotta tell me. What? How he saved your life. Its ya so I imagine it was when ya were sneekin around, but I want to hear more info. Its not really anything important. Although she said that, Youran talked to Leticia about the event of her meeting Taiyou. Normally this would be treated as a top-secret affair, but she opened everything up as this was a place where no one could eavesdrop and it was with someone she could trust. Wow, quite the interesting chap. The type that yer sisters would like. As a person, course. Leticia forestalled, but Youran become sullen in another meaning of the word. Dont say sisters. Why; they born of a different mother? That is true, but Theres like sixty people we got, at least as far as siblings from a different mother are concerned. Thats because your place is a royal family of polygamy. Sorry, counting now there werent more than thirty people. Thats quite the miscount! And even so thats still a lot! The one thing I can brag about it miscounting, ya know? Sort of like saying Hey, I lost a kilogram even though ya only lost 900 grams. Why? Youre really earnest arentcha. I dont really understand but what I do understand is that youve been continuously badmouthing me from earlier. But I see, that boy did go missing and all, so I get why yad be panicked. Im not really panicking. Ya need assistance? Might I lend ya my knight bunch? Its not that important. BesidesDD Besides? Leticia asked back, and Youran hesitated. Because she didnt even know really what she intended to say after besides. So she found a vague reason that wasnt by any means a lie and distorted things. Because itd be a lot of work to pacify the Phili kingdoms knights subordinates for meritorious deeds. Well, that is also true. Sorry fer buttin in. Youran shook her head. She knew very well that Leticia had offered that out of kindness. She could put on different faces for public and private matters, but she had only one personality. Youran had always admired her for that. After Leticia had returned elsewhere, Youran spent time looking down at the scenery. The night scenery had dazzling comparable to the capital. For each of those, in exchange for burning fuel there was performance gained, there was a story, and there was peace. Until now she had never thought much when she had looked down, but for some reason she couldnt relax today. Somewhere in thereI wonder if hes there. She murmured to no one in particular. Touching the glass, a cool feeling spread to the palm of her hand. She felt a delusion that along with her body heat, something was also being sucked out of her heart. She gazed at herself reflected in the glass. There was Juunishima Youran, wearing a long-sleeved kimono; the human who armed her heart with authority. Rustle. Untying her sash silently, the clothing that was the long-sleeved kimono fell upon the rug with plenty of dignity. Discarding even the last garment, Youran became naked in front of the glass. The form she had taken when she was born; the body type that had voluptuous breasts. The graceful form of a young lady was there. After briefly gazing, she combed her hair that wrapped about her like a mantle, arranging twintails at the sides of her head. She looked once more at herself reflected in the glass. Compared to before, her atmosphere was quite different. The satisfied appearance from earlier shifted its image one hundred eighty degrees, and even if she were to pass by someone who knew her she doubted they would recognize her. But now the viewpoint had been thoroughly changed. What reflected in the glass was a girl forcing a jovial expression with her back straightened tensely. From the way she stood, there was something that she couldnt quite hide. When that was identified, by her, even she began to think so. Haah Staring briefly at that appearance, she then breathed a sigh. In the end, Youran still???hadnt been able to stop that. The moment had thoroughly coated her body and wouldnt remove itself. She must think of a more different disguise. She thought, and when she thought to call the maid to change clothes from the long-sleeved kimono DDHyan She suddenly felt like something had caught on to her. She felt like one twintail was being gripped and pulled. She immediately turned around, but no one was in the vast suit room. Of course. It was inconceivable that anyone would enter here without her permission. She wasnt being pulled in the first place. She only felt that she was being tugged at, and when she had calmed down and thought about it, she saw herself standing upright not moving. No one was there and nothing was being done to her. Youran massaged her head; massaged the base of the twintails done into two. It was like the sensation remained there; like it had been revived. The sensation of having that boy fooling around with her unannounced. Seriously, what do you think my body is. Youran said, heading for the opposite end of the room. Quitting the notion of calling the servant to return to her previous appearance, her long twintails swayed as she walked. From the luggage in the corner of the room, there was clothing that Juunishima Youran would never wear: a casual outfit comprised of t-shirt and skirt. Yurikago. Remembering what she had referred to herself as once, Youran put her arms through the sleeves. The aura that could not be hidden remained that way, and she became a beautiful girl of an opposite vector from before. Everything is his fault. I wont rest until I meet him directly and give a complaint or two. Stealthily escaping, Youran breathed out those words resentfully. There was something about her mouth as she become thoroughly smaller, reflected in the window glass further away. There was a smile on her face that she didnt realize was there. Chapter 126: I and Me / Director of the New Moon Chapter 125: I and Me / Armor of the Heart Chapter 127: I and Me / Aura Translator: Reflet In the train that was racing through the night in Juunishima, a disguised Youran slipped into the group of passengers. She had ordered the maid Michiyo to continue the search for Taiyou, telling her to contact upon finding his location. Until that was cleared up, she figured she would first head to the hospital. Look at this. What?New Moon-sama looks even cuter when idle.What is this? Your Japanese is screwed up. She could hear two men of the community conversing. It seemed that????she had been brought up as a topic, so Youran secretively listened in. If she became cute then its not a problem saying she became cute. Whats wrong with saying that she looks cute while idle? Shes New Moon-sama. You realize that you need to use the appropriate words. The heck? So what do I gotta do, refer to her head and butt as sir? IM GOING TO SLAUGHTER YOU! One of the men gave off a threatening voice. I get it, calm down. And what is this? Its a picture of New Moon-sama. Its the one that was taken earlier by the mass media with the prime minister and princess of Phili. Oh, it was on the news. I think it was some sort of conference or whatnot? YeahNew Moon-sama is so cute The man let out an ecstatic voice. I feel like I can do anything if its for New Moon-sama. Anything? So if she tells you to die then youll die? The other man was not being malicious; he simply was questioning him. Of course! If she says Will you fight and die for me? then Ill take a round trip of all the worlds disputed regions. Youre exaggerating. And do you really understand New Moon-sama? I dont think someone like her would say my. She is refined after all. Very true!My causeorMy sakewould probably be more accurate! Sorry, but I dont use either of those. Youran quipped in her head. She was listening to the men gossiping about her like it was an everyday thing. Youran, Juunishimas New Moon Director. A few years ago, she had this title added to her actual name. Bombastically adhering to formalities, this name was the proof of being this islands sovereign. Since then, she had been calledNew Moon-samaby the islands residents. The name of the family that had served the island for generations and the appearance that she had been born with. Thanks to those things, Youran believed that she was looked upon favorably by the islands citizens. She confirmed with the mens conversation that this was the case. Oh, shes just so cute! New Moon-sama, shes totally the new moon. What do you mean by totally the new moon, you mean angel! Dont put New Moon-sama with the likes of an angel! Thats blasphemy! O-Okay, sorry. Ahh, New Moon-samaI wonder if shell have a handshake event. You sure you arent the one whos blaspheming New Moon-sama the most? Exasperated at what his friend said, he said Really now. I just looked it up now, but theres actually a New Moon cram school. Hearing what he said, Youran peeked over her shoulders. Both had their smartphones out, and she could see the big LCD screens displaying websites. Thats right. New Moon-sama isnt just some transcendent beauty. Shes been providing assistance to kids without relatives and the like. While putting the talents of the children to use, she recruits the shining ones as her subordinates. Whoaaa. YeahI also wanna be New Moon-samas subordinateGuess Ill beat my old man to death. Wait until you find a way to return to being a child. The man who was behaving in a violent manner, and the friend who was calmly evading him. Listening for some time, Yourans mind drifted off. Those were conversations that she had heard numerous times up until now, all lacking originality. Even amongst the members of Juunishima, she boasted an immense amount of popularity. If she were to face off against her father, the current head, in a democratic election, she would probably win with an overwhelming vote of 98%. She was that popular. So what exactly could she do to answer to her vast amount of popularity and support? Swaying in the train, Youran continued to think about that. Having arrivated at the hospital, Youran went straight to Akita Mios room, having heard about it previously. Mio was resting on a bed in the two-person room of the general hospital wing. An IV tube was attached to her arm, and the exposed skin peeked out from bandages. Her face was a color of the worst degree, and she wasnt even conscious. Oh, who might you be? DD A voice approached her from behind as she was staring a Mio. Turning around, she saw a woman of about the same age as Mio. With a gentle expression and strong bright clear eyes, this woman was exhibiting a special gentle, refined human aura. From the report about Miki Aobas three mothers, she was able to immediately grasp that this was Atsuko. An acquaintance of Mio-sans? No, Im Natsuno-kuns friend. I heard that he was here earlier. I passed by him as he left the room. Do you know where he went? No clue. Atsuko came to Mios side, peering at her closely to check her condition. As if seeing something reassuring, her face from the side had a clear color of relief paint it, and Youran didnt miss that detail. When I came, he passed by me and went somewhere. Said that he had something to do. Something to do? Yeah. Atsuko nodded, but she seemed to be implicitly saying that she wouldnt explain anything else. Youran was puzzled. From the information provided by Michiyo, the mothers beloved daughter Aoba was abducted, and yet Atsuko didnt seem to be minding that at all. At least that was what Youran thought. She was a bit concerned. Umm, is that person fine? Huh? Hmm, well the doctor said that she wont die, so Im sure she is. I see. Seems like there will be some wounds remaining on her body though. Ummmight I introduce a doctor? I know an plastic surgeon whos skilled at that stuff. Theyre a little weird, but theyre very skilled as healing womens wounds. Thanks, but I dont think that Mio-san would want that. Atsuko made a slightly exasperated expression. Youran wondered why she said such things with such an expression. Wouldnt want that? Yeah, I havent heard it from her, but I sort of get it. When Mio got injured, AobaDDThats my daughers name by the wayDDshe was trying to protect Aoba, I think. I dont think shed want those wounds to be erased. Is that how it is? Mios stubborn, see. A proud color was mixed within Atsukos exasperated smile. Seeing that appearance, Youran????envisioned something in her head. Is that Youran-chan there? Leaving the hospital room, she heard a carefree voice. She initially jumped at her name being called, but without revealing any of that, she turned toward the voice. There stood a 30 centimeter, human-shaped organism with blonde hair floating in the air without wings- a fairy. Youran silently turned aside, heading to the other side of the building. Did you not hear my voice? Wait` The fairy Hera cried out in a loud voice, following suit. She caught up to Youran in an instant, overtaking her in front of her face. Look over here! Ignoring me is a no-no`. Thats weird. Can you no longer see me? Youran continued to ignore her. After finally reaching a place where there were no people around, she turned back to Hera and opened her mouth. Long time no see. Long time no see, Youran-chan. So you really can see me. Im the only one who can see you there, right? If someone saw me conversing with you there then theyll think Im a poor, stupid girl. Oh, that is very true. So why are you here? I was asked by Taiyou-chan. He wanted me to stay here and notify him if anything happened to Aobas mother. Okay, and, where is he? I dont know. I can get to Taiyou-chans side quickly, but I dont know where he is whenever he goes to a new place. You cant show me the way? Im sorry. No, its fine. Then later on, let him know that Im searching for him. You can do that, right? I understand. I will inform him. Hera said, immediately disappearing. It was like she had teleported. If she could teleport then shed probably return soon. Youran assumed that, waiting there briefly, but no matter how much she waited, Hera showed no signs of returning. Whats wrong? Did something happen? She was slightly panicking, and just like that, the phone she was holding rang. The LCD screen displayed a call fromMichiyo, so Youran returned to the stiff version of herself, answering the call. What hast happened? Milady, weve grasped Natsuno Taiyous whereabouts. DDNgh! Chapter 127: I and Me / Aura Chapter 126: I and Me / Director of the New Moon Chapter 128: I and Me / An Unexpected Chain of Events Translator: Reflet Youran took a deep breath, calming herself down. And with the usual attitude, she inquired from Michiyo. Where is he? He is in the multi-tenant building two kilometers ahead northeast from where Milady is. Multi-tenant building? Why there? From what we investigated, that seems to be Tsubaki-samas possession. So thats how it is. Hearing that name, Youran quickly became satisfied. There was a faction within Juunishima that backed Adano Pochi against Youran. Juunishima Tsubaki was one of the people in the center of that, as well as the master of Saekusa Tsukumo who had assaulted Taiyou on the ship. The image of a woman with rich heavy makeup floated in her head. Youran had taken on the name ofDirector of the New Moonand had the number one spot in terms of inheritance rights, but on the other hand, Tsubaki held quite a bit of authority with enough power to resist. In order to further increase that power, she would do things like try to chase Youran out or harass her with trivial things. She already knew this time that the one who attacked Taiyou aboard the ferry was the protg Saekusa Tsukumo, so she understood that Tsubaki was heavily involved. So she was able to immediately grasp why the disappeared Taiyou was in Tsubakis personal building. Thinking briefly, Youran spoke in a low voice. You are familiar with my location, are you not? Yes. Then inform me about the route to get there. Just send it to my device. Understood. She said hanging up, and then after a brief wait, mail from Michiyo arrived. Opening it, there were images and writing that minutely noted the way to the destination. Fast as ever, I see. Youran muttered, returning to her informal way of speaking. There was probably a favorable nuance toward her retainer elsewhere. Removing her eyes from the cell, she surveyed her surroundings once. This was the back of the hospital building with no one else in sight. She had been waiting since earlier, but as usual????she couldnt detect Hera anywhere. Having received the additional information about Taiyou being in Tsubakis building, she thought that something might be happening. Then as there was no point in remaining, Youran made her way out of the hospital. Driving the information of the mail into her head, she headed out to the destination. She wasnt familiar with the land around these parts, but it seemed like everything would go well thanks to Michiyos informative mail. And as she was heading to her destination, the phone rang once again. Wondering what it was this time, she stopped and looked at the screen. Doing so, there was a familiar number there that wasnt registered. She hesitated about whether to answer, but those who knew this number were quite few, so Youran decided to go ahead and answer. Airhead```` Hyaa! All of a sudden, a high-volume yelling voice from the receiver shot her eardrum. It was the kind of voice that made her instinctively separate herself from the phone and cover her ears. It was a voice and manner of speaking that she was used to. It had to be Leticia E Keraaz, who was supposed to have returned to her lodging place soon after parting ways. As she was wondering what in the world this was about, her friend asked again in a loud voice that could be heard even without being next to the receiver. Where are ya? Hey! Youre too loud. Whats up all of a sudden? Im going to sleep soon, okay? Airhead. Leticia repeated the same phrase. Im in yer room right now. Eh? I had stuff to ask ya bout tomorrow and then when I came ya werent there. Where ya loitering around? Y-Youre in my room right now? Sright. And my body double? The lass is at the seat of honor. She was making an irritated face after all. We have the same faces. Shes my body double after all. Hah Hearing her burst out snickering, Youran inclined her head at what she meant byHah. More portantly, I didn ask earlier, but where are ya? Realizing that if she was already in the room there would be no more point in bluffing, Youran decided to admit it. Some minor business. What, ya going on a date? No! Anyway, what do you want? She wasnt going on a date, but it was true that she was going to meet with a man. And if that area was pecked at then things would become abnormally complicated with their conversation, so Youran attempted to avoid that by steering the conversation to Leticias business with her. Its about tomorrows plan. Ya were going to come with me to go to various facilities and give em our condolences, right? I came to discuss that with ya. Condolences? Whats up with that tone. You havent heard? Yeah, cause I left all the scheduling to Michiyo. Youran frowned. She had indeed left the scheduling to Michiyo and had heard nothing at all. She had heard that the schedule tuning was finished, but if she knew that then she would have desisted form doing this. Leticia was visiting Japan as a state guest, and any schedule that involved accompanying her was to be prioritized. Michiyo had said that it would be alright. Twenty-four hours at most Haah? Ya say somethin? No, nothing. Youran shook her head. It seemed like her muttering had transmitted to the other side via the electromagnetic waves. Seems like Ill return by tomorrow, but if by any chance Im not there, go ahead and attend with the body double. That should be fine. Your head messed up? Eh? What do you mean? Youran was taken aback. It was a last resort, but there shouldnt have been a reason to have her be spoken about so disparagingly. No way this lass could substitute for ya. Why not? Up until now shes alwaysDD This lass doesnt have the aura. Aura Youran smiled wryly, wondering what she was getting on about. Ya might wanna get to know yerself a bit more. Its all well and good if ya do things across the tv screen or wave yer hands from far away, but the thing tomorrow is a bit stretchin it for an actor. When giving condolences, youll be doing things like takin peoples hands and saying a thing or two. Thats true, butis it really that bad? Course it is. Your brain tissue lower than miso soup? Having said that strongly, Leticia let a small sigh escape. So ya cant come back right now. She asked to clarify. Youran felt a slight pang of guilt in response to her close friends softened attitude. Yeah, sorry. I dont know if Ill make it in time for tomorrow morning. But Ill try my best to make it in timeDD Dont make promises that ya cant keep. Leticia bluntly cut her off. I get it. At worst Ill just say that you had a sudden illness. Sorry. Sfine. More importantly, yad best prepare yerself, cause Im gonna ask ya a lotta questions. Saying those last words, Leticia ended the call. Remembering the word aura that she had used, Youran giggled, but that smile soon disappeared. MichiyoWhat are you doing? She felt slight dissatisfaction with her retainer about the schedule. Until now throughout all that had happened, she had trusted Michiyo and entrusted her with all the responsibility. But she didnt so much as even tell her about the plans with the state guest. The one to ultimately decided on that was herself, but she couldnt even make judgements if there wasnt any materials to judge. At the very least, she would likely have drawn back tonight if she had known. But there was no point in saying that by this time. Youran organized the objective and the circumstances in her head. The plan was for tomorrow morning, which meant Hurry up and go, and hurry up and come back is all I need to do. She thought, once again walking in the direction of the destination building. She walked comparatively faster than before the phone call. That was natural, as there were not at most 24 hours but rather only a few hours. She advanced through the night streets along the route stored in her head. Before long, she reached the place of destination that Michiyo notified her about. The six floor multi-tenant building on the outskirts of town had its lights on. Looking up at it, she did not immediately enter, instead taking out her compact mirror for some reason. Using it, she checked her appearance. After confirming that there was nothing off about her reflection in the mirror, she took a deep breath and stepped into the building. And the minute she went through the entrance, the shutters behind her fell with a crash. Chapter 128: I and Me / An Unexpected Chain of Events Chapter 127: I and Me / Aura Chapter 129: I and Me / Great Actor Translator: Reflet Looking back with a start, she touched the shutter. It wasnt of the typical light variety that made crashing sounds, but a product that you could tell had a heavy weight preventing it from even budging. It had the outer appearance of a typical shutter, but had the imagery of thick steel plating. In an instant, various thoughts rushed about dizzily in Yourans head. She suddenly took out her cell phone, and just as expected????she confirmed that it was out of range. Ive either been entrapped, or they always do this to intruders. Youran thought that her actions would depend on that. She briefly stood on the spot. She wanted to avoid making any bad moves and instead observe, but she couldnt detect any changes after a minute. With her means of escape cut off, all she could do was progress forward. Regaining her composure, she looked in front of her. This was a passageway that continued from the entryway about twenty meters deep to the back, and the old fluorescent lamps were engendering an indefinable atmosphere. Putting caution to the max level and progressing slowly, there was an old elevator and staircase on either side at the back of the passageway. She definitely couldnt ride on an elevator in this abnormal situation, so Youran turned to the other entrance, and after confirming that the shutters were still closed, she went up the stairs. Eh? She unintentionally let out a voice. Looking from outside, it was a six floor multi-tenant building, but the staircase actually ended at the second floor. Going up to the second floor and out into the passageway, she could see a long passageway stretching straight to the other side. She could see the next staircase indistinctly ahead. And there werent any windows. Immediately, the composition in Yourans head rose up. A huge spiral staircase that took up the entire building. This was made as a countermeasure for attacks, wasnt itwow It was a sight enough to make her unintentionally moan. If the staircase went all the way up to the top, then the people who entered the building would be able to dash all the way up to the top. But with this setup, having to go to the other side of the building every time you climbed up the stairs to reach the next staircase was enough in itself to extend the travelling distance to enable the gaining of time in many ways. It goes without saying that a typical building would not find any need whatsoever to do that, since its inconvenient. But inconvenience would turn the situation around when the time was right. When an outside enemy came, you could buy time. She recognized yet another thing. The area around the elevator seen on the first floor was a complete wall. Whether it didnt stop on the second floor or whether the elevator itself was a dummy, she wasnt sure. But what she was sure of was the shutter at the entrance, the huge spiral staircase, and the mysterious elevator. The three elements combined, she truly felt that the situation had become bad. Well if it isnt a Kazue Yakuman! She said jokingly, but her heart was one with the stagnant air of the building. Her mood had significantly sunk. Despite that, she couldnt just stop here, so she readied herself and advanced even further. Footsteps awfully resounding, she went up the stairs of troublesome making. When she at last reached the highest sixth floor of the building, there was just one lone unrefined door. With no other places to enter before here and with the entrance blocked off, it was as if the door were beckoning and sayingCome, come over here. The door was where one would arrive upon advancing straight through the multi-tenant-like building. She was being lured in, but there was nothing else to do about it. Then, at least. Youran took a breath, outstretching her spine stiffly as she put her hand on the doorknob, entering inside. Good evening. This is the news from the morning. A chair was left in the center of the empty room, and sitting in it was one man, legs spread wide apart. He had his hands folded above his thighs, upper body leaning forward. He was a youth halfway in his twenties, and if he would remain quiet then hed be quite the reasonable man. But Youran knew that if this man were to open his mouth, he would blurt out nothing but bizarre words. Saekusa Tsukumo. Do you got a mother-daughter bowl there? Sorry, but I hate those things. You say that you hate mother-daughter bowls? I misjudged you, New Moon-sama. Tsukumo lashed out with an angry expression. No, she just didnt like those fruitless, meaningless exchanges. From the information gathered, ninety percent of the conversations that Tsukumo had were of that variety, and from meeting him for the first time, she understand in an instant that this was certainly the case. Is that his true self, or he is acting? I wonder which it is She secretly thought, looking at her surroundings in order to seize the initiative with the conversation. Wheres the exit? You know, New Moon-sama, I think your okaa-sama is pretty good too. She doesnt often come out into the open so its a pain searching for pictures and whatnot, but I think that the effort it requires is well worth it. How about I introduce you after you let me out? I heard that person is having difficulty finding eligible men right now. Comparing New Moon-sama and Okaa-samamhmhm. Your Okaa-sama really treasures you, so that could be an idea for making a threat with the arms and legs spread. Afterwards, having them sayDidnt you say you wouldnt lay hands on my daughter?is the best. The finest. Sorry but I didnt really get any of that. This is common knowledge, you know Tsukumo said with exaggerated surprise, making an expression on his face as if to ask why she didnt understand, which Youran simply looked at coldly. Basically, youre saying that your objective is to capture me and have fun with me and that person together. Thats right. Hmm, is that so. Is that so? New Moon-sama says it like its not her problemDD Im glad that Tsubakis right-hand man just so happens to be the kind of man who is obsessed with his own interests. Everything will be considerably easy from here on. Tsukumos face changed color and he closed his mouth. Youran shouted with exultation in her heart. So have you secured that person already? If not then I can contact them Ive established myself to be Tsubaki-samas loyal subordinate. Can you stop fooling around already? I am not fooling around. At the same time, Ive established myself to be a man who likes mother-daughter bowls more than anything. Those two coexist and the former is prioritized, is all. Tsukumo said, laughing depreciatively. A bit of a miss on my partNo, that has to be established as the highest priority. Well anyway, theres nothing I can do about it. So what do you plan to do to me? Do you really want to line us up on the bed? If its possible to implement without orders then Id like to do so. Cause Ive established myself in that manner. So? I dont know that much. Im here, and Ive been ordered to thoroughly capture New Moon-sama, is all. Youre still calling me by that name, I see. Ill have the privilege of treating you courteously until the next order comes. I ask that you be content with that. Knowing that Tsukumo was implicitly telling her not to resist, Youran surveyed her surroundings, perceiving that escape with her own strength was impossible. What will you do until then? Youre not going to seriously continue to be here, right? I will seriously be here. If Im here too long then help will come. The electromagnetic waves from my cell arent transmitting right now, but they can get all sorts of information from knowing that I came near here. Even so, they will not come. Why? Youran furrowed her brow, not being able to understand why he was able to say that with certainty. Tsukumo took out his own smartphone, showing Youran the screen. She didnt immediately understand what his intentions were, but she soon realized that the electromagnetic waves were transmitting through it. With an intense expression, she took out her own cell, and it still had no signal, out of range. She took turns looking at her cell and Tsukumos face. This building isnt jammed in the slightest. What do you mean? What I mean is that New Moon-samas cell is the only thing that became unusable by pinpointing it. Even being explained to, she couldnt immediately understand. She searched through her head for knowledge of potential techniques or methods used for that. That cells contract has been cancelled, you see. I see. Youran was convinced, able to understand that. Certainly, if that were the case, then it would be possible to make only her cell unusable by pinpointing it. She had the initial impression that jamming was being used, which was why it had taken time for her thoughts to reach that point. Even so, nothing has changed. Theyll realize that Ive come here andDD Youran stopped talking with a start. Because the origin of her thoughts had been different, her thought process hadnt only delayed on the situation of the cell. Well, it was unquestionable that the cell was involved in there. By the point that she had heard of the cell she used being halted, she should have suspected something. But Youran hadnt realized; she had not had the slightest idea. Dont tell me Not directly answering Youran with her stiffened face, Tsukumo began a phone call with the smartphone. Not putting it to his ears, he set the speaker to on and a sound came out. The mechanical sounds of connecting rang, and then shortly afterward Hello? She could hear a womans voice from the speaker. A familiar voice that she heard on a daily basis: the womans voice that she had heard just earlier from her cell. Michiyo This was the voice of the one who Youran regarded as a trusted friend; the voice of the maid who had supported her for a long time as her right hand. Chapter 129: I and Me / Great Actor Chapter 128: I and Me / An Unexpected Chain of Events Chapter 130: I and Me / From the Cradle to the Grave Translator: Reflet Whats the meaning of this? The words that came straight out of her mouth displayed her state of mind as it was. She didnt think that she would hear that voice of all things here, and she could hear an extremely calm voice. Serious, but not cornered. At the very least, this was not the voice of a retainer who grasped the current situation of ones master being captured by ones enemy. That was the kind of voice she had heard from Tsukumos smartphone. Various thoughts recurred in her head, and Youran once again responded. Do you understand the situation that I am in? Of course I do. Im viewing your situation over there via video after all. You seem rather composed despite that. Well yeah, thats cause shes doing this of her free will. What do you mean? I like that version of New Moon-sama as well; shes strongly high-minded and refined. She feels like the heroine of the eraDDthe century. I thought I told you I wasnt into that sort of thing. But I like that kind of thing; so much so that I want to reset myself as soon as possible. Michiyo! She roughened her voice, but there was no response from the smartphone speakers. She could hear the faintest respiration, but nothing more. She called her name once again, but expectedly, there was no answer. Youran understood that attempting to press questions wouldnt make her respond. Changing her target, she turned to Tsukumo and asked him. What are your objectives? I cannot comprehend why Juunishima Tsubaki has resorted to these violent actions at this point in time. I hear that its exactly because its this point in time. Doesnt New Moon-sama actually also comprehend the situation? I understand the part about Adanos whereabouts being found, but I cannot comprehend why I need to be captured now. New Moon-sama is unexpectedly pure. What are you getting at? Youran furrowed her brow, somewhat feeling she was being made fun of. At this rate, the next Juunishima head is decidedly New Moon-sama. You do after all hold the nameDirector of the New Moon, and most importantly, your popularity among the islands citizens is exceptional. Even if Tsubaki-sama and Adano-sama paired together, that rank would not sway. Youre thinking that, right New Moon-sama? That is correct. Quit the roundabout manner of speaking. Wed like to have New Moon-sama say with her mouth that shell yield the inheritance rights to Adano-sama. Youre telling me to yield in favor of a more virtuous successor? Cant tell if those words are suitable forDDNah, its New Moon-sama so I guess they are. Yeah, thats right. Tsukumo nodded, and Youran figured that if that were the case then she was satisfied with the answer. It was true that Tsubaki grasped a certain degree of authority in Juunishima, but no matter how she used that power, the chances of her ascending to the head were equal to 0. That was simply related to her lineage. The causes of power struggles were generally classified into two categories. And in Juunishima, the modern anachronism of the nameDirector of the New Moonbeing used was more important than justification. In this case, the ones who could be the next Juunishima head were only Youran and Adano Pochi, born from the current heads legal wife. Those who were not of the main line such as Tsubaki or Sakura, Anna, etc, could not get the chance unless Youran or Adano were to disappear. That was why Tsubaki tried to support Adano. The problem there was that Youran already had her position solidified as the inheritor of the title of Director of the New Moon. If Adano had perhaps been on Juunishima and grew up just like Youran, things may have been different, but even if she revealed herself by this point in time, that rank would not waver. And if someone were to want to erase Youran, it wasnt that simple. Tsubakis objective was to have the discovered Adano inherit the headship, and no matter the procedure, people would appear who associated Adanos return with Yourans disappearance. Youran had the support of island citizens numbering over a million; the majority. Even if an agenda were to be pushed within Juunishima, the island residents would not be satisfied with that. It was to be expected that chaos would continue for a long period of time. In the worst-case scenario, the now-gone Youran would be idolized/deified, remaining deep-rooted within the hearts of people. The charisma gained from reaching an entirely new stage would be too much to even mention in all of history. Youran understood that, and believed that Tsubaki also understood that. So despite being a political opponent, Youran had in a sense believed completely in her safety. Youran had believed that in fact if anything had happened to her then Tsubaki would assure her safety with all her effort. I see; it definitely seems like theres no other option. Sharp as usual, New Moon-sama. Your comprehension will save time. But I have no intention of doing that. So you have no intention of surrendering your authority? I cannot entrust the lives of a million villagers with someone who has no readiness. The one with the real power would be Tsubaki-sama. Even if shes a puppet, if she had the resolve then the worst situation could be avoided. If thats not there then its out of the question. Tsubaki-sama might very well have the resolve, right? Not possible. Eh? Juunishima Tsubaki is a vulgar person with no self-awareness. Shes like a variety of the evil spirits of rivers and mountains, obsessed with greed for hollow authority of the bottom. She has no such thing as resolve. Evil spirits and mountains? Youre evaluating her pretty high. It would do you well to take out a dictionary. Tsukumo stared in puzzlement. Youran ignored him, carrying on the conversation. Anyhow, I have no intention of yielding this seat to Adano. No matter what is done to me. Well, that was also to be expected. So we made preparations. Preparations? Tsubaki said that we have a specialist in brainwashing. That wed take a long time in units of years as we fixed New Moon-samas way of thinking. Yourans face stiffened. She felt the most threatened in this very moment of this day. Thats how it would be between New Moon-sama and Adano-sama????There is groundwork; groundwork for the people around to be convinced, and all that would be left would be to have New Moon-sama say it directly from her mouth. Tsubaki-sama said that there are people prepared who can accomplish that. No matter what you do to me, I will not change my views. She tried saying firmly, but Youran was panicked internally. Brainwashing pros. Those words gave her a big impact. Youran thought of herself as the one who she distrusted the most in this world. Ever-changing, and a hopeless human who accepted too easily the influences of those around her. If it was torture then she could endure it; feelings of revolt would be born within her. But what Tsukumo saidDDThe brainwashing pros that Tsubaki had prepared were probably not that. Using various outlets: occasionally coercion, occasionally placation, they would probably try to begin to change Yourans way of thinking. She had knowledge of those said methods, and she had absolutely no confidence that she could endure them. Milady. Suddenly, Michiyos voice came out from the smartphone speakers. She had totally forgotten, but it seemed that the call had continued on throughout. It would be best for you to surrender. This is not the sort of situation that you can make do of with obstinance. Youran became further cornered. Michiyo was her right hand. Youran had entrusted her with trust as well as indirect authority with small and large things alike. There was the working squadron under Yourans direct control, but in general, she sent them orders via Michiyo. The fact that Michiyo had come to the other side also meant that there would be no people to the rescue. Negative factors continuously piled up. There was only one bright light left for her. Because she valued justification, Tsubaki had chosen a drwan-out war. She had chosen to take time and reform Yourans thoughts. In other words, danger was not imminent. If I can at least hold out here She thought, thinking to initially surrender, but Huh? A catch, eh. Tsukumo said, operating the smartphone giving off electric sounds. He put the receiver straight to his ear. Chan Suu, eh? Hows the course of events? Youran cautioned herself when she heard course of events. She braced herself for something still progressing outside of her knowledge. You got them, eh? Good job. Now listen, you need to treat em carefully; carefully. Emphasizing his words, Tsukumo ended the call. Could Adano have been caught? Youran thought that, butD` Seems that theyve received New Moon-samas Okaa-sama. Eh? My subordinates, Chan Suu and Chan Shaa are escorting her, and youll be taken along later as well, New Moon sama. And thenguhuhuhu. Tsukumo made a bizarre laugh. Hearing that, Youran felt chills race up her spine. She wasnt sure why, but it was really disgusting. Guhuhu, gonna have some mother-daughter bowl, mother-daughter bowl. T-Thats an actThats just a character that youve set yourself as. Youran was violently disturbed. Thats right. Ive set myself to be a person who loves the mother-daughter bowl. And during that time period, its the best thing to me in my value system. Eh Were going to slowly change New Moon-samas way of thinking. Just like the Chan mother and daughter. He made a repulsive smile at her. Youran completely felt her face become pale. Chapter 130: I and Me / From the Cradle to the Grave Chapter 129: I and Me / Great Actor Chapter 131: Shovelers Unmatched / You Will Truly Adjust Translator: Reflet This was a two-fold crisis. Youran as Director of the New Moon and Youran as a female were being targeted at the same time. If it were only one of the two, she could endure it, but if it came down to both of them, she definitely wasnt having it. This was a situation in which both the public and private versions of her; everything was liable to be stolen. Youran was not the type of girl to sit and wait for death, and in this situation she had neither the experience nor the quarreling nature to remain calm. Dodging, she aimed for the door she had come through and broke out into a run. The only thought occupying her mind was that she must run away. Youre no fuuun Instantly, Saekusa Tsukumos smile was right in front of her. His steps had revolved around her in a circle. Her shoulders shivered again. Though his face was in order, it looked to Yourans eyes like a disgusting smile. There are a lot of things that I want to discuss with and tell New Moon-sama, and there are also things I want to ask. I-I have nothing to do with this! I have nothing to talk with you about. Has New Moon-sama eaten parent-child bowl soba before? Its soba with chicken meat and egg-bound soup on top. It was being sold earlier at a major convenience store, but its a commodity that disappears in a ridiculously short time. W-What are you Tsukumo had suddenly spoke up, and his meaningless words further fanned Yourans fear. I really liked that. They were not placed on rice, but soba. Putting the parent-child style in a field thats generally different; reminds me of an attractive mother and daughter dropped suddenly from happy everyday life into debt hell, presented to the yakuza. PreseDD And then, it disappeared from the storefront, so I thought to make it myself and had Chan Suu bake it, but as it was it had no art, and I thought to set things up on a shabby stage of an even newer element. You know, isnt there the type of person who shines when theyre being tormented? So not rice or even noodles; I thought to put them on bread. So what do you think happened afterwards? Thats right; it became a sandwich, and when I coated it with ketchup and margarine and put it on top of the roasted bread it was super delicious. Incidentally, is New Moon-sama still a virgin? W-Why are you asking that question? See, I can emit the white part, but I was thinking of having New Moon-sama emit the red part. Ah, well, maybe Ill have New Moon-samas okaa-sama emit the white part. It wouldnt be half bad to scatter New Moon-samas virginity after she becomes able to lactate. DD She cowered, feeling madness from the man in front of her. Whether that was an act or his true nature was no longer clear. Not only his words, but his pupils were gradually gathering madness and replacing the once-rational person. He had pupils that could not be anything other than that of a madman. DDá Swinging her right arm, she released a backhand. Her wrist was grabbed, and this time she brandished her left hand. But that was grabbed too. Youran was constricted like a vicegrip. Sorry New Moon-sama, I cant afford to be slapped right now. I decided to only be okay with getting slapped for breaking a substitute promise. Please let goDDLet go. Yeah, using those words is also good, New Moon-sama. Gives me shivers. I wonder if New Moon-samas okaa-sama speaks the same way. DDYou little Both her hands grabbed, Youran kicked her legs up. That just met Tsukumos groin area from the front. Tsukumo reeled in agony. Youran took that opportunity to fling her hands to free herself, dashing out from the room. Moving along the windowless corridor, she ran into the staircase. Descending one floor down, she sprinted along another long hallway. Haa, haa, haa Her breath became heavier in the smallest amount of time. She desperately tried to escape, disheveling her long twintails. Fifth floor corridor, staircase. Fourth floor corridor, staircase. Third floor corridor, staircase. The spiral staircase that took up the whole building made not only invasion, but escape difficult as well. Kyaa! Suddenly, she stumbled and fell, the impact causing her to begin to slide along the floor. The twintails became undone, spreading across her shoulders. On all fours, she rose up, furtively looking behind. Had not chased after her, he still hadnt. Gotta run away A strained voice leaked out of her mouth. That was no longer Director of the New Moon or Youran. It was not the noble woman, nor was it the lighthearted girl. It was like a guiltless girl being chased down by a masked man with a chainsaw. Panicking, Youran had nothing on her mind but running. Desperately raising her body up, she again aimed for the staircase and began to run. Second floor corridor, staircase. Having escaped three stages and racing down in one go, she simply focused on running away. Reaching the first floor, as if waiting for her, the thick shutter slowly rose. For a moment, she felt she had seen a light there, and embraced hope. NormallyThe hope that she would never have. Even so, she dashed into it. Like a lemming dashing off a cliff. New Moon Sama DDNgh Startled, she quickly braked. Somehow, Tsukumo had appeared beyond the entrance. Not able to stop, she crashed into her opponent. She rebounded away and fell on her backside. Tsukumo leisurely entered the building. The shutter went down, letting out an electrical gigigi sound. The falling shutter, and the disappearing light. She desperately tried to escape, crawling toward the entrance. Cant let you do thaaat Kyaa! Her hair grabbed, her neck was jerked back. During that time, the shutter completely closed. Despair attacked Youran, and the bit of the outside she had seenDDthe difference between the hope seen and the despair tightened her heart. Lets go back. Okaa-samas going to arrive soon, after all. Tsukumo said, dragging Youran by her hair. The path that she had desperately tried to reach was taken back, and hope became far. Passing through the long corridors and coming out of the decorative elevator, he had her stand before the staircase. Staircase. To Youran now, that looked like a straight path to despair. If they went all the way up here then they would not return again. That seemed like the sickle of hell opening its mouth widely. Let go. Youran softly opened her mouth. Tsukumo reacted to the voice that was squeezed out of the bottom of her stomach. Oh, did you ready yourself, New Moon-sama? Let go. She said the same words with a different tone. As if he were overpowered or had an opinion about that, Tsukumo released her hair that he had been grabbing. Falling to the floor, Youran who had been dragged silently stood up. Looking at the staircase, then the shutter, then at Tsukumo. Roughened hair and a quiet gaze. I cant escape, huh Nah, of course not. I have no intention of letting you. I see, I get it. Ohhh, so that meansDD Indeed, I have readied myself. It seems that there is no point struggling any further. She said, quietly closing her eyes. Behind her eyelids, various scenery came and went. Her life thus far, like a revolving lantern, flowed through there in a moment. Lastly, the form of one boy floated. Seeing that face lastly, Youran opened her eyes. Give me my hairclip. She said quietly, and Tsukumo picked it up handing it to her. She accepted it, slowly tying it back into pretty twintails like some sort of ritual. That hairstyle is also good, New Moon-sama, just likeDD It seemed that Tsukumo was saying something, but it didnt enter her ears. Her eardrums were picking up sound, but her mind did not recognize it. Raising her hands, she fastened the twintails. A smile rose; one of self-depreciation. New Moon-sama? As if realizing something at last, Tsukumo said with a puzzled voice. Amongst the faintly opened teeth of the mouth, the tongue was softly added in. If she would be humiliated like this, then she might as wellDD JustDD Tsukumo frantically tried to halt. He aimed a cold smile at her. Once moreI wonder if you wanted to be pulled tight. Thinking that in the heart, closing their eyes, and putting power into the jaw. You must not! DDngh That moment, her voice dissolving her resolve sounded out. Not heeding any physical obstacles, the fairy had slipped past the wall and appeared. Thats bad; you must not do that sort of thing! You Taiyou-chan! Theyre here! Perplexed at the suddenly appearing fairy, she who had been able to stop Youran went in the direction of the day after next, letting out a loud voice. Dogohhn! The building violently shook, the next moment. Through the floor where Youran and Tsukumo stood, concrete telephone poles had pierced through the wall like spears. Chapter 131: Shovelers Unmatched / You Will Truly Adjus t Chapter 130: I and Me / From the Cradle to the Grave Chapter 132: Shovelers Unmatched / The Fourth Pair Translator: Reflet To Natsuno Taiyou, Juunishima Youran was in a delicate position. Taiyou, who was thinking of making seven brides and walking together through difficulties, had three brides and one candidate as of now. The identical triplets had the unique attribute of acknowledging themselves asone girl, therefore Hayakawa Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane had been oriented toward a harem life before meeting Taiyou. Being an Eternal Little and spending her really long life of eighty years alone, Taiyou accepted her regardless of that, so Azumaya Kohaku decided to offer him her everything, beginning with her chastity. Then there was Miki Aoba , born in a normal household of wives and children and lovers and raised lovingly by her three mothers. These three had currently exchanged feelings with Taiyou and had all recognized themselves as hisbrides. There was one more: a girl currently stopped at the candidate level. The white beautiful swordswoman who exploited her title of the worlds strongest to the fullest. Although her real name was unknown, Taiyou had fallen for Shirokiyami, repeatedly challenging the condition of Bride Acquired by Winning a Fight. Taiyou had clear feelings for these four. Youran was not there. She was not counted as that type of existence in his consciousness. But Youran was able to see the fairy by Taiyous side. She could see the Level Fairy whose form was only visible to the humans who had kissed with him. They had gone as far as to kiss, and yet they did not have that relationship. She was that delicate existence to Taiyou. Traversing the wall that was demolished by the thrown spear-like telephone poles, he took relaxed strides into the area that was closed off until a moment ago. As if he were quite surprised, Tsukumo stood there dumbfounded. Standing in front of Youran, he checked her condition. You alright? Youwhy are you here? That conversation comes later-wait, theres blood coming out of your mouth! Eh? Ohhh, I might have lost it a bit. Because I was just trying to bite off my tongue. What do you mean by just? Isnt that pretty major!? Taiyous voice cracked. Youran looked placid, but this situation seemed to be actually quite dangerous. Whoaaa, that does look painful It is in fact painful. I bit my tongue so thats a given. I got it, so dont speak anymore. Just looking at you makes me feel like my mouth is hurting. Tentatively leaving Youran be, he turned to Tsukumo. Right now there was something more important to him than Youran. So we meet again. Natsuno Taiyou Wheres Aoba? Tell me. He cornered him with a quiet yet forcible manner of speaking. It was evident that the one who had taken Aoba away was this man. To Taiyou, Aoba was who really mattered. That was an accident. Coming back to reality, Tsukumo spoke with a grave face. I didnt mean to do that. Miki Aoba and Akita Mio. I knew that they were mother and daughter, and I didnt have the slightest intention of harming them. Im the one responsible for Akita Mio suffering wounds. Im asking about Aoba. I did try to capture Akita Mio along the way, and thought about abducting the remaining two. Three mothers and their beloved daughter; I thought that Id surely get to enjoy an unprecedented level of mother-daughter bowl. Oh yeah, do you know about the mother-child bowl composed only of chicken meat? I dont have time to tag along with your nonsense. Im asking you where Aoba is. From their exchange on the ferry, Taiyou knew that he mustnt be lured into his pace. Putting aside the three-mother mother-daughter bowl, he was a bit curious about the chicken meat-only parent-child bowl, but he reined his facial expression in, telling himself to not let even that behavior show. Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan, how do you make a parent-child bowl with only chicken meat? Im intrigued so Im going to try and ask. Ignoring the hurried Hera who couldnt read the air, he glared at Tsukumo. A chicken-meat-only parent-child bowl isDD Tsukumo attempting to begin speaking without answering the question. His heart rapidly cooling, Taiyou struck a portion of the wall next to him that was still not smashed. The thick wall made clattering noises as it crumbled. This was not intimidation. Taiyou didnt have the presence of mind to do something as dreary as that. He had become composed??????He lifted up a fragment of the crushed wall that had the surface area of a single bed, aiming at Tsukumo and hurling it. DD Changing his facial expression, Tsukumo desperately evaded. Taiyou picked up yet another fragment, hurling one after the other. Taiyou had learned from the fight aboard the ferry. Saekusa Tsukumo took bizarre steps, making unpredictable movements. Even if he upfront tried to bash him, Taiyou would definitely not have been able to catch him. At the same time, looking from a remote area at those movements, they werent exactly all that fast. It was needless to say that Shirokiyami could create twofold afterimages, and in this case he saw his movements as about as fast as the average adult male. Therefore, he had thought of a surface attack of hurling things with huge surface areas like this. Whether that was effective or not could be determined by observing Tsukumo desperately dodging with a frantic expression. The fragments of wall soon reached depletion, but the wall itself was still there. Taiyou further hit the wall, proceeding to hurl what he demolished. Ohhh, impressive as always, Taiyou-chan. Im at a loss for words. This has got to be rubbish. Youran-chan doesnt like this sort of thing? No, its effective so I think its fine. Im saying this because that mans been dodging in a strange manner since earlier. Was it that weird? Thats not Japanese martial arts. I think that its a variety that emerged from some countrys ritual dance. Which is why I think it looks weird. Right; Youran is also a Japanese person after all. The exchange going on behind Taiyou didnt enter his ears. Tsukumo, who would usually look puzzledly at Taiyou seemingly talking to himself, did not have that leisure. Taiyou devotedly hurled the bigger fragments with Tsukumo panicking and dodging in a desperate attempt to evade. Taiyou hit the wall a third time. This isDD There was an open space beyond the crushed wall, in which various tools were left discarded in disarray. It seemed to be a form of storehouse, and Taiyou found something in there. Oh, is that a shovel? Hera came next to him, talking with a smile. Taiyou cleared off the dust that had gathered on the shovel, lifting it up. This feels really nice in my hands. That was a mere shovel. It was designed with wood with a triangular handle and an iron end; a shovel that you could find amongst the dirt-cheap overflowing shovels at your typical hardware store. But Taiyou unintentionally muttered that, that it felt really nice in his hands. This reminds me of when I met Taiyou-chan. What do you mean? Youran came next to Hera as she said that, asking with a dubious expression. When I met Taiyou-chan he was digging a hole with this; digging holes and filling holes, and then Taiyou-chans level rose and the harem became 65535. I dont really get it, but I guess its an article of your guys memories. Yeahso thats why it feels nice, huh. Taiyou tried swinging the shovel around. Spinning it round and round, his actions were reminiscent of that of a bojutsu master that would appear in movies and the like. Thats amazing Taiyou-chan. You look like the worlds best shoveler. I dont even know if youre complimenting me or disparaging me. Taiyou laughed strainedly. Shoveler is a word of compliment. Is that right. Hera spoke with a full smile. Returning that with a smile, Taiyou began coming closer to Tsukumo with the shovel. For some reason, confidence welled up. Confidence with no grounding that if he at least had this, he could even fight with Tsukumo. What do you plan to do with that? If I do you in with this then on the news they might saywith a bar-like thing, or perhaps maybe theyd saywith a shovel-like thing. What do you think? He said, contorting his mouth into a grin. Taiyou, a fan of bluffing, did not miss his opponents discomposure, soon taking advantage of it. Until now that had ended with a simple bluff, but now it was different. Whirr! He sweeped horizontally with the shovel. Along with the booming sound of the air being torn apart, the shovel tore the wall apart. As if it were cut by a sharp blade, a fresh wound emerged from the wall. Vestiges that one would never associate with the doing of a shovel. The essence of a bluff was falsity, and Taiyous shovel was an intimidation with actual power. Ill ask once more. Where is Aoba? Alright. He approached Tsukumo. Whoa there. If you have something to ask then you cant just kill him. I know. I dont get my objectives and methods confused. Well then thats good. Youran was satisfied. As long as her and Taiyous thinking patterns resembled each other closely, he would back down with the slightest warning. If he intended to just not fess up, then they could just drop a finger or two. Doing so would probably make the other side feel like talking. Thinking that, Taiyou raised the shovel overhead. Chapter 132: Shovelers Unmatched / The Fourth Pair Chapter 131: Shovelers Unmatched / You Will Truly Adjust Chapter 133: Shovelers Unmatched / For Some Reason I Want to Pull Them Tight Translator: Reflet Taiyou-chan! DDNgh! Reacting to Heras voice, he struck down the flying tool that had been headed for Youran. A bladed arrow and pole shuriken collided with the blade of the shovel, scattering sparks throughout the now-ruined multi-tenant building. So there was a reaction, although I didnt think it would even hit. Tsukumo said, and two females showed themselves from behind him. One of them had glamorous proportions while wearing black attire with a hood that covered their face. The other one wore a mini archery hakama with an aqua theme, wearing high knee socks with ribbons attached to them. The female ninja drew another shuriken, and the archer girl paired another arrow with her bow. Chiyo and Chie, I see. Youve done well in coming. Tsukumo gave words of appreciation to the girls without turning around. Obliged. Jeez! I even told you not to play around too much. Its because you dont listen to a gals warning that these sorts of things happen. The female ninja answered in a husky voice, and the archer girl spoke in a reproachful, high-pitched tone. Ive currently set myself to be a guy who likes mother-daughter bowls, and theres the greatest mother-daughter bowl right in front of me. Are you telling me to die? Im telling you that theres a proper time and place for that. You canDD Its impossible! Youran felt goosebumps as Tsukumo cut in. She felt indescribably creeped out that he still insisted on saying these things even under the current circumstances. But that seemed to just be Youran, and as if the two females by Tsukumos side were used to this, Chie was just a bit exasperated. I want to quit, I seriously want to quit. Wait, theres also a pair on this side, so do you want more or something? Resignation. Looking at the newly appeared women, Hera widened her eyes muttering. I see that a thick one has appeared. Like youre one to talk, Taiyou thought swallowing his words. He re-grabbed the shovel and took a step forward. Suddenly, as if triggered by that, flying implements bounded up again. Shurikens curving an orbit from three directions, and bladed arrows flying in like a beam of light. Kikikikiiin! As expected, the flying tools were aiming for Youran instead of Taiyou, and he flung them down. Why are you targeting her? Wasnt your objective to capture her? A womans envyDD I already know that this sort of thing doesnt work on you. Feint. Chiyo and Chie interrupted Tsukumos words. Right after that, the black-clothed Chiyo darted out in front of Tsukumo, crouching poised in front of him to guard. Taiyou cautioned himself in response to the immediate movement. Not as fast as Shirokiyami, but quite the speed. That girl stared at Taiyou, speaking to Tsukumo behind her. Advice. Run, you say? Like Id let you! Making a decision on the spur of the moment, Taiyou brandished his shovel and began closing in. Gakiiin! Kunai and shovel collided, scattering sparks. Numbness raced up Taiyous hand. The glamorous kunoichiDDThe slender, big-breasted Chiyo had power that you couldnt tell from her appearance. ButDD When it comes to power, Im higher! The moment they collided, Taiyou only had his shovel ricochet off, but Chiyo was sent flying, body and all. It was more than he expected, but he didnt think he would lose when it came to hitting his opponent, giving Taiyou confidence and allowing him to further jump in. KIN! Kin! Kiiin! Chiyo halted the shovel that Taiyou had swung with all his might, pushed back each time, and proceeded to retreat while covering Tsukumo. Mom! Kuh Chie moaned from behind. She had tried to fit arrows and provide cover fire, but for whatever reason, the arrowheads had been aimed at Taiyou for some time, not releasing. As expected of Youran-chan. Im enthralled and truly aspire to your decision to not hesitate to use Taiyou-chan as a shield. Dont you think that Id learn after getting assailed three times? He wasnt sure what it was, but he understood by hearing the exchange behind him. It would seem that Youran had moved so as to leave Taiyou in Chies firing range. Ill push past like this. DDNgh! Taiyou raised his gear further. The shovel that he had felt was so comfortable had become even more comfortable in his hands, and his attacks also became harsher. As evidence of that, Chiyo who had initially combated him from the front had begun to be pushed back more and more, not even being able to take attacks and instead barely dodging in the nick of time. Mom! As if she were panicking, Chie unleashed her arrows from the bow successfully. Hyun! Hyun! Hyun! It could be understood with a glance that this was quite the technique, and she let out a third round after a short pause. The pointy tip that possessed bloodshed power aimed straight at the top of Taiyous head, chest, and groin, flying at all his vital spots. Taiyou loved bluffs. He purposefully blocked the arrows with his body. Plunk, plunk plunk. As if they were made of cotton, the moment the arrows hit Taiyous body, they lost their power and fell to the ground. For the arrows that aimed at the top of his head and the like, Taiyou stopped them with his eyeballs, and the bluff seemed to produce quite the effect, as Chie who had released the arrows became pale-faced. No wayI knew that they wouldnt work, but in this fashion Unusual. The young Chie made a pale face at Taiyous performance, whereas Chiyo whose hood covered everything but her eyes let out an even lower husky voice. Taiyou took a step even further as if confirming that he felt the same way. Ive set myself to be the kind of guy who loves mother-daughter bowls. Huh? This time it was Taiyous turn to be surprised. A line that he had already heard countless times today alone, but he didnt think he would hear it here. Taiyou pointed his eyes that had expressions of disbelief and apprehension of a yet-unknown person. What is it at a time like this? He remarked. That instantDD DDNgh! Lightning ran horizontally before his eyes. Hurriedly kicking the ground and leaping back, he raised his shovel and guarded. Spah! Was the sound that he felt transmit from within his body along his arm. Chiyos slender arms passed by in front of his eyes and the kunai had severed the shovels blade from the side. Not even enough time to be surprised, Tsukumo took something out and struck it against the ground. That made sounds and ruptured, and white fumes made the place hazy. It was a smokescreen. Taiyou immediately readied his shovel and retreated further, grabbing hold of Yourans arm. Along with a small scream of kyaa, her body settled in his arms. He swung the sword around with a hum just like that. He swung it around tracklessly in front of his body for protection. In the worst-case scenerio???this was the treatment for preventing follow-up attacks, but as expected, they did not come. When the smoke had cleared up, the Tsukumo faction could no longer be found anywhere in the demolished walls of the multi-tenant building. Not here, huh Jeez, what are you doing? To think that youd fall for that. It was totally obvious that was a line to divert your attention. Im ashamed. He wanted to say a lot of things back, but he thought it was as Youran said. There was no reason for Tsukumo to continue conversing at that point, and he finally understood that it was a clever scheme to divert his concentration. It was like he had lost to someone slapping their hands in front of his face, and he began to feel anything but refreshed. More importantly, are you alright? Hows the inside of your mouth? Mouth? Oh its fine, because it only got cut a bit. Biting off ones tongue isnt that easy in the first place, and if my consciousness were to fade away any more then itd be impossible anyhow. Just show me. Huh? Come on. Taiyou said, holding her jaw and lifting it up. He grabbed ahold of her cheek with the other open hand, opening her mouth. Yeah, this seems to be alright. Not even so much as cutting as it is a bad mouth ulcer. Lets head somewhere later where you can get treatment. Actually, you had some sort of family physician or whatnot, right? Whats wrong? Youran continued to be silent for some reason. Taiyou wondered why she had answered back earlier but not now, he looked at her reddening face and finally realized what he was doing. Gazing at each other from close proximityNo, even before that, the act of grabbing her jaw and lifting it up in and of itself??could not look like anything else. The action taken prior to kissing. No matter where one looked from any direction, it looked like nothing but that. Suddenly, the scenery, the sensation of that day was revived in Taiyous mind. Kiss. In Juunishimas research facility, being forced to kiss Youran by Kohaku. His heart beat fast, and nowDD. DDMmf! The next moment, Youran caught her breath and thrust him away. It wasnt impressive power, but Taiyou staggered back. The feeling of being rejected ran through his head. He felt somewhat apologetic for trying to kiss her like that, but the shock of being rejected by her was even bigger. W-Well. We arent like that after all. Taiyou made that excuse in his heart. That Youran was different than Kotone and the others, so this was to be expected. Taiyous gaze swam, and Youran held her cheeks with both hands, not meeting his eyes. A brief air of awkwardness drifted between the two of them. Youran was the first to snap out of it. Oh yeah, we cant be doing these sorts of things right now. Gotta chase after them. Ah, if thats the case then dont worry. Huh? Youran lowered her fine-shaped eyebrows quizzically at Taiyou keeping his cool. What do you mean by dont worry? Hera isnt here, right? They have her tracking them. Ah. She surveyed the surroundings, noticing that there was no fairy there. I discussed this with her earlier. That if the opponent were to run and I couldnt seem to catch up, Hera would tail them. They cant discover her following them if they cant see her. Taiyou said, grinning. By this point, I bet shes riding on that guy Tsukumos shoulders and crooning. Imagining that sight, Youran burst into laughter with a pffft. Chapter 133: Shovelers Unmatched / For Some Reason I Want to Pull Them Tigh t Chapter 132: Shovelers Unmatched / The Fourth Pair Chapter 134: Shovelers Unmatched / From Within the Flames Translator: Reflet Ill see you off. Huh? I dont have anything I can do until Hera contacts me, so during that time Ill see you off to your house. Youre fine with not waiting here? Oh, have you decided on a meeting place or something? Youran asked a reasonable question. Taiyou smiled and answered. No matter where I am, she catches up to me with teleportation. Ive confirmed that she can return in an instant from a hundred kilometers distance in a straight line. Whoa, thats pretty amazing. I think that your lack of caring is more amazing. Normally I think youd be a bit shocked or grumble This is after I saw that unexplainable creature, so theres no way Id be surprised about something like that. Makes sense. It made sense, but many of times, the creatures known as females didnt quite make sense, Taiyou thought. Youre a fine woman. Wha- Youran became speechless, making a face that questioned what he suddenly said. Ah no, Im just saying that people like you are my type. ThDD Taiyou suddenly began thinking. That come to think of it, lately there had been those types of women increasing around him. Discerning logic, these rational women had begun to increase. Kohaku and Youran had been conspicuous among them, and the Kotone three sisters as well as Aoba were also a similar type. Pochi, who he had met just recently and might enter his family, was close to that as well. Taiyou himself was that type of person, and he thought that those types of people were easier to hang out with on a regular basis. So far as women who were completely the opposite, letting their feelings take priority, he could think of no one other than Mio. Even in that sense, Taiyou truly thought he had been blessed as of late. Now then, where should weHuh, is something wrong? It-Its nothing. Youran for whatever reason reddened her face, averting her eyes. Taiyou questioned what exactly had happened. L-Lets go. Ill say this for your benefit, but Im also in a difficult situation, so prepare yourself if you want to escort me. Youran said, breaking into a brisk walk. Taiyou followed after her, and the two of them exited the multi-tenant building that he had forcefully opened. Then againWhere exactly should we head to? While tagging along with Youran who was muttering to herself, he stared fixedly behind her. Yourans taut, straightened spine, and the two wavering ponytails. Looking at those things, a bizarre emotion rose in Taiyous chest. Hey, do you have a cellDDHyan! Outstretching his hands, he pulled her twintails toward himself. Hey! Ah, sorry. Taiyou hurriedly apologized. For some reason, when he saw those things of hers he wanted to pull them tight. It was the same when they met before, and it was the same now from reuniting after coming to this island. The academy that he was attending had quite a few girls with twintails, and Taiyou had never held those sentiments toward them even once. For some reason he just wanted to only pull on Youran. Youran halted, clutching at the base of her twintails while glaring at Taiyou with a sulky face. Taiyou braced himself for getting slapped for his ill-timed prank. Huh? But Youran said nothing further, turning her heels and resuming her walk. The slap he had awaited hadnt flew at him, and the complaints that he expected to be there were nowhere to be found. If anything, the moment she had turned around, Youran was making a facial expression as if she hadnt seen Taiyou before. What in the world was thisDDWhen Taiyou, interested in her expression, came to, he once again pulledDDthis time, her twintail on the opposite end. Once again, with a start, Youran averted her neck. Come on! Give it a rest! Why do you always always pull on my twintails! UhhI felt like it? You say you felt like it? Im really sorry. For some reason when I look at your twintails I just end up wanting to pull them. What kind of reason is that? Im truly sorry. I wont do it anymore, so Im begging you. Taiyou bowed with his hands together. In that position, he shot an upward glance to check, and perhaps because of him meekly lowering his head, Yourans expression wasnt all that angry. Relieved, he raised his head. Do you do this to other girls too or what? Eh, no I dont, but So you havent? Just to me? Oof It was a tough question to answer. The only one he did that too was Youran, but there was no way he could say something to her likeIm only doing this prank to you. It was the sort of answer that if done clumsily would give him a I hate you. He didnt want to get that, so he had hesitated on how to answer. Well? Uhh Taiyou faltered in response to the interrogating Youran. She was making the kind of face that said Youd better answer, and I wont allow any dodging the question. Taiyou thought it was reasonable for the girl who he had fooled around with time and time again to press him for answers. While he was wavering about how to answer that Whatre yall flirtin about? A Kansai dialect could be heard from the side. Turning around, there was a blonde hair blue eyed beauty standing there who was the epitome of a foreigner. Inside the black-coated limousine, though it was spacious, on the other hand, Taiyou felt uncomfortable. Knees joined and his hands resting on them, it was the kind of reaction that a fan would have meeting a big-time celebrity. The reason was the two girls sitting in the opposite seats. Moreso it was the fault of the blonde beauty sitting beside Youran. Uhhso I didnt really get that just now. I said mnames Leticia H Keraaz. The third princess o the Phili Kingdom. Kingdom? Princess? By the way, this persons a state guest here, so if you screw up then itll be that much of an international affair. Whaaat Well its probably already too late. This guy bringing that thing in here is already an out. Youran was talking about the shovel left on the car mat next to Taiyou. The blade was split in the middle and had lost most of its function as a shovel, but Taiyou had brought that in. It was an important shovel that had helped him to recognize shovels anew; something that he couldnt quite bring himself to discard. But, he thought it was just as Youran had said. It was nothing but rude to drag in an old, destroyed shovel into the state guest, Princess Leticias car. Scool, its important innit? Uh, uhh, well Sure it is, I could tell by looking at yer hand movements. The manner ya used yer hands in carrying it was the manner of treating a naked girl delicately. Why are you acting like youd know, despite being a true virgin? True, Im still a virgin. This still remains n all. Leticia said, brushing her golden shining long hair up and revealing the nape of her neck. Taiyou felt his heart beat as he looked at the white nape, and shortly after, he had found the thing that she doubtless wanted to show him. The back of her neck had a small, rainbow-colored mark. It was a birthmark that was clearly an unnatural color. Seeing that, thirst for knowledge exceeded sexual excitement. What exactly is that? Taiyou inquired politely, being that the person he was speaking to was a princess. Maiden Pearl, one o the secrets transmitted amongst the royal family. They put a sorta rough chemical here and attach it. With this a clean body and rainbow color remain, but if it was a males thing, then that moment it would disappear in a flash. Theres really something like that? I dunno much either. But the royal family has a custom of entering this into them from the time they were born. Big Sis s disappeared on the day after her first night. Wow Well, normally yed needa show em since its the proof of being a maiden.The colors gross so I just hide it likeso. Leticia said, letting her hair down again and hiding the rainbow mark. Youreally are a princess, eh. Thats not really what ya see, is it? Well, me and em are the same race. Leticia said, putting her arms around Yourans shoulders. Youran made a slight disgusted face but did not display any signs of rejection. Even this girl doesnt look like New Moon Director in moments like these. Ahh, thats right. Taiyou nodded, looking between Youran and Leticia. He agreed with Leticias words, though only with????the first half. Youran and Leticia. He could smell the same scent from both of them. You also have a good posture. Posture? I mean your spine. This persons a maniac behind the scenes anyhow. Whoa, thats another queer hobby ya got there. No no, please dont believe that. Its not that, its yourDD Come to think of it Youran cut in as Taiyou began speaking. So why did you come here? Going so far as to slice the flow of events with her voice, Leticia stared grinningly at Youran with a know-it-all look. Chapter 134: Shovelers Unmatched / From Within the Flames Chapter 133: Shovelers Unmatched / For Some Reason I Want to Pull Them Tight Chapter 135: Shovelers Unmatched / Maskless but Driver Translator: Reflet So ya aint satisfied with your close friend comin to save ya? Thats not what I mean. Im not asking the reason; Im asking how this began. Ah Taiyou tensed up at Yourans serious expression. He immediately grasped what kind of conversation it was. What, ya too lovestruck to realize? Eh But he couldnt understand Leticias words. Youran was lovestruck? He tilted his head down. Just answer the question. Right. Though it aint anythin special. There was just somethin I forgot to tell ya and when I called ya once more it didnt go through. So thats why Thats why? Huh, could you at least explain that? Taiyou cut in. For whatever reason, he always ended up using polite language when talking to Leticia. She came off as easygoing with her Kansai dialect, but her fantasy-like blonde hair and blue eyes reminded him of a princesss appearance, which made him do that. Yer a commoner. Eh? Well, I suppose I am. Taiyou made a face as if to ask And what of it? Here, that, could ya gimme it? Yeah. Youran nodded, taking out her own cell phone. This here just looks like a cell, yeah? Cant be helped since it looks like a simple cell, but it uses all imaginable techniques and can transmit anywhere on the globe. Whether it be the cavern of a snowy mountain or the deep part of the sea where no light reaches, its made to transmit through all of that. Well, as long as the main body doesnt break. Hmm, I wonder if it wouldve been able to even transmit to and from space if conditions were met. She sought confirmation from Youran, who gave a small nod. And so for disaster strikin and the like, the batteries also are set with every method out there to be replenished and last longer. Thats amazing. I didnt know they made those sorts of cells. They had em made. One-of-a-kind custom-made. Oh, come to think of it, there wasnt any makers logo on it at all. Right. By the way, I have somethin similar, though it as some unnecessary functions. Leticia said, waving her own cell phone in front of him. These sorts of things r necessary, fer us. Were humans of that sorta world. Were really connected by a hotline, me and er. Hotline? The usual meaning, yeah. Youran said, supplementing. He couldnt initially understand what the usual meaning was. However, he did understand one thing. So its unthinkable that your lines wouldnt connect. Thats rightWelp, although I didnt realize till it was too late n then when I dashed over here it was all over. Leticia shrugged her shoulders in the exaggerated mannerism of a westerner. While looking at that, Taiyou developed another question. So things would progress as expected. But then why did you ask that? Taiyou threw the question point-blank at Youran. If such a thing was really to be expected, then Youran should understand it without having to ask. Well now, I wonder whyyy Youran didnt answer. Leticia instead made a phrase that sounded as if she were playing dumb, putting a mischievous smile on her face. Youran gave her a stern glare; they seemed to have made a meaningful exchange. But even that was just for an instant. When that was over, Leticia erased her smile, gazing at Youran with an earnest face as she spoke. But still, this is your home ground innit? Things that dont normally occur shouldnt occurWhat appened? Michiyo. It was a simple word, and Leticia made an expression as if comprehending everything. Hah, a snake in ones bosom I see. Always the woman to experience things in style. Michiyo Taiyou asked puzzledly, hearing that name for the first time. This gals subordinate, and until yesterday she was the retainer held in high regards. So by a snake in ones bosomdid she seriously betray her? Right. Otherwise I wouldnta said all that. Gave one human too much jurisdiction. Welp, aint nothin helped now. Youran kept her mouth shut as Leticia spoke exasperatingly. It was becoming a rather long-winded conversation, but he was able to somewhat grasp the situation. He glanced out the car window. Hera showed no signs of returning. Taiyou decided to dig a bit deeper into this conversation. So what now? I meant to take you back to your former location, but if thats the case then it might not be a good idea. Yer right. Hey. Leticia called out to the sectioned off drivers seat. A speaker near the ceiling answered her in the form of a low male voice. Change of destination. Lets go ahead and go to the guest houseDD If Yourans place was no good, then Leticia vouched for hersDD Thud! An explosion swayed the car. The black-coated limousine that had been treading on the public road spun around in inertia. Shishido! As if answering her scream, the minute that the car stopped revolving, it took off in a flash. The tranquil driving from earlier had shifted to rough driving. It was a raging speed that lightly exceeded the speed limit of the public road. It was a speed fast enough to beat even the incessant explosive sounds. He looked through the rear window to see what was going on. He could see dense explosive flames rising up from beyond the glass. What in tarnation! Seems like our pursuers are here. What! This cars a diplomatic number. Are they seriously tryin to take the car and all while were ridin? Thinking about it, that way might be more convenient. Aiming only for me would make their objective too clear, but if you also became a sacrifice then their intentions would become vague. Yer way too cheerful bout this! Leticia clicked her tongue. The two girls were having the conversation while holding onto the grip above the window. Taiyou gave a wry smile at that. He didnt really want to ask, but it was just so odd for these two girls to be so valorous as to not let out a single scream even in this situation. This cars armor? Nothing but the minimum bulletproof. We get it full-on and thats it! How about weaponry? Is that what you equip when going to a close friends house to play? Do it from now on! Aight, Ill load it with nuclear stuff! Shortly after the two girls had spoken frivorously Thud thuuud, the grand explosion noises tore through the eardrum. Top and bottom became disoriented for just an instant, and the interior??the entire car revolved sideways. The girls made tense faces, but still did not scream. The car wasnt moving. Looking at the drivers seat, the driver had limply lost consciousness. Youran and Leticia put their hands on the left and right doors, pulling the levers and trying to escape, but either door was squashed and wouldnt open. Explosive sounds could be heard from far away. Looking further, new rocket ammunition was flying toward the car. I at least wanted time to think of a farewell poem. I win. I just had m will updated. The two girls joked with each other. It was in such a lighthearted manner so he wondered if there were some way to achieve that, but looking closely, they both had faces of resignation. The gallant faces unique to humans who had accepted death. Taiyou shivered. These girls were too sportsmanlike. At a time like this, immediately readying themselves. That resignation was scary, fearful. He wanted to smash through that. Leave it to me. He said quietly to the two, whispering. He said with even stronger resignation than them, surprising them. Ill do something about it. He gripped the shovel, ignoring the perplexed and puzzled girls. He stabbed the half-blade shovel through the ceiling. Zugagagaga! Uwooooh! The next moment, Taiyou put all his might into rotating the shovel. The car was split into two from the inside. With Taiyou in the center, the hull had been parted in tears from front to back. Leticias eyes widened at the scene that occurred before her. Not heeding her, Taiyou pushed the split back end of the car and went in the opposite direction. Rocket ammunition flew over at the half-car body and bumped into itDDexploding. H-Hey! No, hes fine. Whaddya mean, not with that kindaDD Hes fine. Youran stopped her friend, her face filled with confidence. She knew about Taiyou??. Still dissatisfied and speechless at the calm Youran, Leticia once again lost her words in another sense the next moment. It was the appearance of Taiyou in the flames, appearing composed, that caught her off guard. Chapter 135: Shovelers Unmatched / Maskless but Driver Chapter 134: Shovelers Unmatched / From Within the Flames Chapter 136: Shovelers Unmatched / Three Nets Translator: Reflet Hell be fine even in that. Seems that way. Emerging from the flames, Taiyou dusted off his hems, answering Yourans words. Without any ash to be wiped off, it was more of a casual action. Youve already somewhat quit being a human, havent you? Coming out of the flames and all that. When alls said and done, I suppose Id be a phoenix? Taiyou said with a silly face, but Youran didnt bite. She wasnt the type to like these sorts of banter. Honestly, its performance is too sharp and is difficult to handle. But in the right hands it has a lot of value. They say that rather than assembling the almighty, its better to dispatch the right people in the right places. You do seem like youd like that. My subordinates are all people who are hard to deal with after all. Youran laughed depreciatively. While Taiyou who had returned from the flames was exchanging that sort of conversation with Youran, Leticia widened her eyes at the sight. Taiyou noticed that, thinking come to think of it thats the natural reaction, secretly giving a bitter smile. Whats wrong? A-Are yathe Terminator or somethin? I have thought that if I had that refined voice then life would be good. Leticia was speechless. The blonde haired blue eyed girl looked strange, not bothering to close her opened mouth. Just a moment ago she had the awe-inspiring expression of one prepared for death, and Taiyou found that gap to be so weird. Theres another one coming. Move. He severed the remaining half of the car into half again, lifting it up. He aimed it at the pursuing rockets flying in and threw it. This time an explosion occurred at a location separated from the three of them, ending with a bomb blast enough to disturb their hair. This is absurd. And what will we do from here on? Lets keep using these. Taiyou said, lightly tapping the remaining one-fourth of the car frame that contained only the front wheels and drivers seat. Whatll you do with that? Im going to do what I did before once more. Go ahead and ride. You mean inside? Yeah. Ride in this condition? Well Im riding. Just like she said, Youran preceded and got in the passenger seat. Having only two tires, the car leaned backward, but she still managed to somehow get in. See, you come quickly too. Can I believe ya? You dont believe your close friend? Yer unfair Leticia gave a light sigh, following Youran into the passenger seat. And with Taiyous instructions, the solid doors were closed, and glances questioning what to do next came from beyond the glass. Youran was the same. She did believe in him, but her eyes showed interest in what he would do. Taiyou grinned, picking up the car body that had been tilting. It was a hunk of metal remains, but to rephrase, there were still tires on both sides, and it was a wheeled vehicle that had stopped working as a machine. Taiyou knew something it resembled very well. He had once used it and it closely resembled something he had used to drive with his brides. Trailer. The only difference was that at that time, he had pulled it, but this time he would instead push it. Uwooooh! Letting out a war cry, Taiyou pushed the car body, kicking the ground with all his might. It was inconvenient having no handle, but it wasnt a big problem to Taiyou as of now. The pushed car began to move, running along the public road. Hey, am I dreamin? Unfortunately, its reality. Because he really is like that. This is the point where yad be surprised, typically. Id be surprised if a baby suddenly grew wings and flew, but after something like that, seeing a baby skip crawling and start walking, I might say Thats impressive and that would be it. But yer talkin bout a baby coming up in the earth. Ya sure this guy aint the son of some great devil king? While the two girls were conversing about that, Taiyou thought to himself as he pushed the car. His skill, long distance nullification, could apparently nullify the explosion fumes caused by the rocket ammunition. He was able to confirm that upon pushing the back part of the car into the rocket ammunition earlier. Also, when he had thrown the one-fourth portion of the car and caused shock waves, his ability had gone into effect, and though it had blown into him, not a single hair on his head or cloth of his cuff had yielded. But, as expected, it did affect other humans. He had certainly seen Yourans twintails and Leticias blonde hair yielding to the shock wave. If its a handgun then I can stop it, but bombs are no good. He muttered while pushing the car. If he was on his own then neither of them would be an issue, but right now he had to protect the two girls. If it was a handgun that fired in a line then he could just move in front of the fire, but if it was an explosion that caused a shock wave face then he could not perfectly defend against it. It came down to either largely avoiding such a situation or shooting it down from a remote location and making it explode. With that as a precondition, he set to imprint ideas into his consciousness regarding their next actions. Hey hey, who exactly are ya? Leticia suddenly asked. A gamer and high school student. Thats it. Taiyou played dumb. The extent in which someone could accept Heras appearance after genuinely seeing her was different for Leticia, who couldnt see/wasnt seeing her, so he felt it was best to play dumb. In what world is there a high school student like that? According to a certain person, its only one in a hundred million. He recalled what Hera had said to him when they met. The conversation at the time was weird, and a smile appeared on his mouth. And, are you still doing that training? Training? Wearing a jacket, discarding it, picking it up and wearing it again. That training. What are you, Jackie-Chan!? Or opening and closing windows. Wasnt it wiping them!? There was that time, yeah. Taiyou smiled, remembering Yourans words that night. Right before they infiltrated the facility, what he did in order to raise his level even if slightly. Take off the jacket, then put it on. Open the window, then close it. Both of those actions were meaningless to regular humans, but for Taiyou they were actions to raise his power experience points. And it also had another meaning. At that point in time it didnt have any kind of meaning, but as of now it was different. DDMemories. Memories with Youran. Memories existing between the two of them and only with them. Silence fell over the mobilizing half-broken limousine. Their eyes met each other, gazing. Taiyou had something he wanted to ask her, something he wanted to say. That was the next objective for coming to this????island, but as of this moment, the order of precedence had been swapped. His eyes were no longer looking at anything but her. And Youran as wellDD Two and one is twoDDTwo and two is fourDDTwo and three is sixDD All of a sudden, Leticia began reciting the multiplication table. It was so abrupt and cryptic. But on the contrary that was a good thing. Taiyou and Youran quickly snapped out of it, and the atmosphere that was developing between the two of them flew off at once. W-What are you saying all of a sudden? Huh? It aint nothing. Id just been skipping out on my studies so Im reviewing, is all. Three and one isDD She said, then beginning the threes. It was certainly something, and it was clear that she was insinuating. But Taiyou as well as Youran couldnt say anything. After all, they had created that atmosphere without discerning the situation. Huh? Ya aint gonna reflect on what ya did? I will not! And there wasnt even anything to reflect on in the first place! Welp, go head and do it slowly later. Im Japanese, but even I can read the air. DDNgh Yourans face turned red, letting out an inaudible groan. She wanted to retort but understood that no matter what she said it would be digging her own grave, so she couldnt say anything. Taiyou was the same. Averting his eyes from Leticia who had started to relax, continuing to push the car silently. The presence of those behind them gradually got further away, and he thought they would be able to completely throw them off at this rate. Stop! DDNgh Reacting to Yourans yell, Taiyou grabbed the car body that he was pushing, stomping his feet into the ground and putting on the brakes. The soles of his shoes had been worn down by the great force, but he somehow managed to stop it. He didnt even need to ask what was wrong. Raising his head, he soon understood the reason for Yourans yell. Ahead of the road, a helicopter was flying. Thats an armed helicopter, isnt it? Jeez, it just never ends. Hey, this is your fault, you know? Because if you hadnt come then you wouldnt have had your life targeted. Is that the way you talk to a close friend who came to save you? Hey you, dump this girl in that cesspool over there. That way this attack will cease. If anythin you should leave this girl here. If they capture her alone then thatll be enough to save the two of us. No no, come on everyone Taiyou made a strained laugh. So whatll we do? Nothing but observing their approach ocourse. There are even people getting off like SWAT or something. Just as Leticia had said, men in special corps outfits were using the rope one by one descending the helicopter. TrueMaybe we should get out of the car. Right. The two of them said, opening the door and getting out of the car. Taiyou stepped forward so as to protect said girls. Taiyou firmly gripped the shovel, and a reliable sensation transmitted. He felt that as long as he had this, he could do anything. Right when he was starting to think of possibly even launching a preemptive strike Its a visit from Maid-chan. Michiyo He could hear the voices of the two girls from behind. Unlike the lighthearted banter from earlier, these were tones with weight to them. As he looked, he certainly did see one maid disembarking from the helicopter. Chapter 136: Shovelers Unmatched / Three Nets Chapter 135: Shovelers Unmatched / Maskless but Driver Chapter 137: Shovelers Unmatched / Tactically Unmatched Translator: Reflet The woman dressed as a maid had made a unique appearance, accompanied by the special unit men. It was such a surreal sight, and Taiyou found himself feeling exhausted. But that was just him, whereas Youran made a grim face and Leticias eyes grew cold. The two girls were on guard. Affected by their demeanor, Taiyou pulled himself together and stepped forward in front of them to cover. Protected by the men, Michiyo slowly drew closer, stopping when she was within conversational distance. It has been a whileOr at least thats what I would say if that much time had passed. The tone of Yourans voice changed. To Taiyou, this was a very irregular way of speaking: the persona ofNew Moon Director What kind of a face was she making right nowHe was curious, but he resisted the urge to look back. Now was the time to concentrate on the enemy in front of him. Said enemyDDMichiyo with her maid outfit, answered with a mysterious face. Yes, it already feels like something of the far past. To the point where everything feels nostalgic. Are ya in the position to be feeling sentimental? Ya even tried to lay hands on me. Even if I were on the road to Hades, I do not think that I would feel lonely if I were with you. If I were with my dear friend. Well aint you nice. My tears are just fallin down. Leticia said with a wide smile. Someone not knowing the circumstances may have been different, but having saved her just earlier, Taiyou heard it as a statement of the utmost irony. My considerate nature was taught to me by my former superior. Well aint that a good superior. Wonder why they????became former? Disagreement between our personalities. Id be more convinced if your musicianship was different. That person was very tone-deaf and was not at the level to where they could discuss musicianship. Come to think of it, thats how it was. Let me hear just one thing. While Leticia and Michiyo were conversing with verbal irony, Youran who had been silently listening opened her mouth. What might that be? Have you sold me out, or have you betrayed me? Huh? Taiyou was the one who had let out a puzzled voice. Leticias words had been clear irony so they were easy to understand. But he couldnt understand what Youran was saying. Sold out, and betrayed. He couldnt understand what differences were between the two. The words themselves, and the intention contained in them. I will kiss your casket. Michiyos answer to that was also something incomprehensible. So thats your answer. Indeed. Alright. He sensed the slightest stirring behind him, and since then Youran had become silent. Taiyou could not comprehend the intent of that exchange, but he got two things out of it. One was the fact that Youran was satisfied with the answer to her question. Even if Taiyou couldnt understand, the intention had clearly transmitted between the two of them. And one more. The fact that the two of them had decisively broken apart. That was clear from the air. Then the first move would win. Taiyou readied the shovel and leaped out. Do in the head. In a straight line, he proceeded to bound forward toward Michiyo, protected by the men. With their current numbers they were at an overwhelming disadvantage. There was the possibility that fighting while protecting Youran and Leticia would push him into a corner and make the situation worse and worse. So he had thought to settle things in one go so that it didnt happen. Do it. With Michiyos order, the men simultaneously dispersed. With Michiyo left in the middle, they made a semicircle formation surrounding Taiyou. Thats crane wing formation. The sensible way to win with numbers. Ignoring the voice from behind, Taiyou cut in regardless. Whatever formation that might be, as long as he held down Michiyo things would work out. Suddenly, the men had simultaneously tossed something at the lunging Taiyou. Nets The words reached the edge of his mouth. Absorbed by the night sky and difficult to see, those things were the sorts of nets used for fishing. But these were no ordinary nets. Sharp blades were attached to the knots, reflecting the sparkling moonlight. These were things made to tangle and then tear apart the captured. The scattered nets approached Taiyou. Unlike bullets or bombs, these were things that he could not render ineffective. Also, there was not enough time to slip through and reach Michiyo. Until now he would briefly retreat, taking his distance and starting over, but. Something like this! A flash of fighting spirit. Readying the shovel up high, he swung it down at once. The half-blade edge tore up the nets, blade and all. Wha- Right after feeling the reaction, Taiyou was perplexed. He felt something entwining right after splitting the nets into two. The sensation of meat being bitten into. He understand upon seeing the stitch appearing on his skin. It was an invisible net made with a thread that could not be seen, twining around his body. The first net was a decoy, and the real deal was the second invisible one. Right now, capture him like this. With Michiyos order, the men with the transparent nets began to whirl around. Accompanying that was the further entangling of the net, constricting his body. Something like this! Feeling around, he thrust his hands onto the invisible stitch, trying to rip it off from side to side. It was made unexpectedly sturdy and at first didnt move an inch, but when he put power into it to the point where his temple bulged blue and he could hear it vibrating. Dragging along the shredded net, he aimed at Michiyo once again and lunged for her. Next. Showing no signs of movement, Michiyo gave another order. The third net appeared, seeking to twine around Taiyou. Different than the second transparent net, and also a bit different from the first one. It was a net that could be seen clearly even in the night sky; a gleaming black luster of material. There were no blades attached. Then at this rate he could break through and ripDD That aint no good! DDNgh! The panicked voice of Leticia came from behind. Taiyou instantly reacted. He threw the shovel with all his might at the already-approaching net in front of him, immediately kicking the ground and leaping back. Taiyous full strength; an attack enough to pierce through even concrete walls like tofu. But the net only stretched a bitit was not pierced through. The faltering shovel clattered on the ground as it fell. Taiyou was perplexed as he watched. Just what is that net? Its a net woven with human hair. Human hairlike hair on the head, huh. Right. With something like that We did not use mere hair, Ill have you know. This is the highest quality product woven from the hair of 49 virgins. That strength far surpasses that of carbon fiber. Michiyo answered with a somewhat boastful voice. Something like that 49 people? Yet another set of odd numbers. This is Juunishima. If it were on the mainland, they would have numbered around 108 people. As usual, he heard an abstruse conversation behind him, but there was no time to be concerned about that. Because Michiyos subordinate men were getting closer, nets readied. Taiyou aimed at the men in the corner. He thought to defeat the people holding the nets if the nets themselves were sturdy, but the men changed positions according to Taiyous movements, bringing the nets to where he was. Quickly slamming on the brakes, this time he headed for the opposite side. But as expected, the men re-threw the nets in a well-practiced encirclement formation. Once again pressing the brakes, this time he took his distance from the menfrom the nets. Squatting, he silently ran through his thoughts. A net that was said to have been woven using the hair of 49 virgins, holding power even stronger than carbon fiber. Judging from the way Michiyo said it, perhaps in there was a charmthe sort of meaning that screwing up would mean an incantation. That level of an item was actually defending against Taiyous attacks like it was nothing. But, was that really something that couldnt be torn? Taiyou hesitated whether to test it or not. The majority of his strength was superior power. In the case of that not working, it would entail nothing else working eitherthat state of thinking could very well occur. If that were to happen then everything would be destroyed, and he had no choice but to break through with brute force to ensure that didnt happen. He was of the opinion that even if he were overdoing it, he should do it. On the other hand, he also thought like this. Conquering the net and breaking through it was nothing but a method. Ultimately his objective was to protect Youran or have her get away completely. It wasnt any good if he mistakenly challenged the net and failed. What ya worried about? He could hear Leticias voice from behind. That isDD Why dont ya just use this thing? Eh? Wondering what she wanted him to use, he turned back, and Leticia was hitting the remaining one-fourth of the car frame. He didnt initially understand, but he understood everything when he saw Youran lowering the beaten-up driver from the drivers seat to the side. I get it! Rushing up to the side of the car body, the two girls opened up a path. Taiyou lifted up the now-unmanned metal cluster, heading toward the men who were surrounding them. UwohRyaaaah! Taiyou aimed at the menDDthrowing the net at them. A gigantic ball ran into the goal net. The net could not be cut. Lacking speed or sharpness, the car frame was unable to cut the net. That gigantic mass dragged along the men with the nets all together. Chapter 137: Shovelers Unmatched / Tactically Unmatched Chapter 136: Shovelers Unmatched / Three Nets Chapter 138: The Girl Known as Juunishima Youran / Evacuation Translator: Reflet The men were being dragged by the powerful mass. In a state not unlike an earphone cord entered into ones pocket, they were bound hand and foot, letting out groans of anguish. The ones who were deeply enfolded tried to escape, but the men on the outside were comparatively able to somehow crawl out in small numbers. They united with the men holding the first and second nets. Natsuno Taiyou calculated momentarily in his head. Objective and method. In this case, he came to the conclusion that a simple and clear method was the closest thing to the objective. Picking up the shovel that had rolled over on the ground, he gently crouched. He took the track-and-field athlete position of a crouching start. Gugugucharging power, and not flexing his muscles????he kicked the ground with only level power. Crunch! The sound of shoes carving through asphalt could be heard. Shortly after, Taiyous body flew like a cannonball. It was not the kind of sprinting until now, and it was bit different from leaping. It was the skilled movement of the superhuman powers of the games that he was so good at. In terms of speed it was approximately one hundred kilometers per hour. He had rushed off at a fierce speed of Mach one-tenth. Michiyos subordinates expectedly could not hold their surprise. They had prepared themselves when Taiyou had entered into his crouching position, and the moment he had leaped out, while astonished, they had instantly wedged themselves into the line of trajectory. The men were equipped with close-range weapons in their hands like knives, batons, and stun rods. To deal with Taiyou they had not prepared a single firearm. The three in the lead swung those weapons with the speed of almost spinal-like reflexes, proceeding to launch an attack. Haaaah! Taiyou swung the shovel with power. The greatest weapon comfortable in his hands, the half-remaining blade let out unique metallic sounds, bisecting their weapons in one sitting. Taiyou didnt know, but the sharp, ear-piercing sound was the special sound of the latest cemented carbide developed by the Juunishima military department. It was of a high cost but was a material of great focus across the world renowned for its high performance, and was a new product professed to beunable to break no matter what. What bisected those weapons wasa shovel that was nonchalantly picked up in the vicinity. The shovel as well as the alloy. Knowing about both of those things, Youran was shocked, far behind him. Taiyous charge didnt end there. With the shovels point, the opponents weapons were destroyed, and with the face, the flesh flew everywhere. It was like slapping someone with a tennis racket. Taiyou had intended to be merciful, but that hardly fulfilled the meaning of holding back. Able to rip an unusually extremely hard and heavy bullet-proof limousine into pieces and fling them away, Taiyou had already surpassed the realm of humanity by a large margin. From his perspective it was nothing more than the output of breaking through shouji paper with wet fingers, but the men who were slapped by the shovel had all vanished, blown away in ten meter units. Having crushed one corner of the formation, he stopped moving briefly and spun around looking at his surroundings. Men with masculine faces and a robust build. Men with impressive equipment and special corps clothing. Looking at them, they all resembled the symbol of power. The sort of group that would bring about the sort of image of advancing anywhere with overwhelming power and overrunning all. However, right now He could tell that the majority of humans there had the look of fear in their eyes. It was clear they were scared of Taiyous power. Withdraw. You cant win against me. Stabbing the shovel through the asphalt ground, he advised surrender. Taiyou liked bluffs, but this time alone was no bluff. It was advice to surrender after having them feel the stark contrast in power. Any more than this is futile. But is that really so? What? She is this islands most important personagethe Juunishima head is in a position that even the various prime ministers should shower respect on. Taiyou was puzzled. What are you trying to say? She who is the VIP among VIPs I am currently in the position to get the jump on herin other words, cause a coup deetat. Oof. Is it conceivable that I would merely come here with this much war potential? Taiyou severely lowered his eyebrows. There was logic to what Michiyo had said. He still wasnt able to comprehend just what kind of a position the head of Juunishima was, but when he thought of it as being the autonomous leader of a million, he could imagine fairly well. Certainly, there was the battle potential of some ten people here, but he thought it was too small to rise in revolt against a human in that position. Yer easy to read. Huh Surprised, he looked behind. Having approached him before he realized it, Youran and Leticia were standing right behind him. What do you mean Im easy to read? If it were a coup detat then sure, this amount of power wouldnt cut it, but this woman is doing something different. Youran spoke in an easy manner, perhaps because she was speaking to Taiyou. Right, this aint political disturbance, its political strife at its best. Political strifeso a power struggle. Yes, Ive been dragged into the confusion of the current house. The confusion of the battle to determine whether Adano or I will be the successor. Adano The girl named Pochi. Just like me, her name of Juunishima was already determined before she was born. Ohh That woman sold me out and went with the other side. I dont really get it, but are you trying to say that whats going on here now isreasonable war potential? Right. Then, the reason why she said stuff like this Buy time, aint nothin else I see Taiyou was relieved. If Youran and Leticia were both affirming that, he thought that it was okay to relax. But. Ya aint got a good head, do ya Huh Suddenly disparaged by Leticia, he looked at her wondering what the matter was. What do you mean? Method and objective Youran said in place of Leticia. Just like Taiyou, she liked that expression. Liking the same expression, and possessing the same thought pattern. Consequently, when she said it like that, he soon understood what she was trying to say. There areother objectives? But what can she do with buying timeDD Thinking that far, he threw a glance at Michiyo. Preserving the classical image of a maid with her outfit, she displayed a stance with her hands together. Her face was blank like a noh mask, and he couldnt tell what she was thinking. But that became his support. DDNgh Whats wrong Coming next to him, Youran peered at him, quizzically inquiring. Right this moment, various things connected in a straight line. There had been more than enough elementsinformation given to him, and yet he hadnt connected them. With Youran and Leticias words, it suddenly caught fire like a fuse. Uwoooh Raising a war cry, he charged forward brandishing his shovel. In order to protect Michiyo, the heavily equipped men stood blocking in front of her one by one. But the difference in power was clear. There was still a remaining war potential of around twenty people, but Taiyou had begun kicking them about in the blink of an eye. Until shortly before he had had enough leisure to hold back by using the face of the shovel, but it had now all changed to an impactful attack. Bangclangslash The shovel made a boisterous dance. The men who had blocked Taiyous way had become a tragic mess. Bones brokenblood spraying everywhere, the public night road began to transform into a lurid scene of carnage. After he had scattered all of the men, he confronted Michiyo in a flash. Not bothering to exchange any dialogue, he closed in on her and gave her a blow to the vital points. Her eyes wide open for an instant, Michiyo thereafter went into a slump as her concsiousness left her. Carrying her on his shoulders, he turned back to the other two. Lets go Go? Where? Wherever. We just need to get out of here Ya finally realizedbut wasnt that a bit hasty? Theres a good reason for that Whazzat Ill explain later. Hey you, can you drive that? Youran asked Leticia, looking at the armed helicopter that Michiyo had arrived with. If its a cessna then I can make somethin of it, but that ones a bit impossible Then we cant get around Yup Just as she said, speed was necessary to quickly escape from here. And right now Taiyou and company did not have such capabilities. The trailer limousine remnant that they had used to get here was in the net and couldnt be uses. Taiyou panicked. What to do, what should they do. Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan, they have Aoba-chan and theyre heading this way DDMm Taiyou caught his breath with a grim face at the nonchalantly speaking Hera who had manifested herself. Chapter 138: The Girl Known as Juunishima Youran / Evacuation Chapter 137: Shovelers Unmatched / Tactically Unmatched Chapter 139: The Girl Known As Juunishima Youran / Score Translator: Reflet It was oft said that there was no meaning in holding a castle down without forces, but on the contrary, the holding down aspectDDvying for time was more fearsome than anything else. That was what Michiyo had done. Right now, Taiyous Achilles heel was Miki Aoba. Taiyous battle and tactical prowess had been proven in actual combat. He could negate every firearm, make a hundred kilogram unit mass into a missile with his arm power, and he had ripped apart enemy encirclements to where there was nothing but uninhabited wilderness with a shovel. He who purely excelled at combat no longer had anything he could do. He himself understood that. So Taiyou had anticipated two possibilities from the time-saving event. One was with stronger power. Shirokiyami, the girl praised as the strongest katana wielder. Possessing the national treasureReverse Heaven, she was the girl who was able to bring about twofold afterimages. Taiyou could not yet win against her. He hadnt even reached her feet. And for whatever reason she seemed unable to disobey the girl whom she called her older sister. If she were to be ordered by her sister to appear before him as an enemy, things would get very messy. After all, he couldnt win even if he tried his hardest. The other oneDDwas even worse of a possibility for Taiyou. Hostages. Raised in a house with three wives exchanging conversation on a regular basis, his bride, Miki Aoba, had fallen into the hands of the enemy. Aoba was someone precious to Taiyou. With her brought forth before his eyes as a hostage, he would no longer be able to act. So of the two possibilities, the latter was more critical for him. He had wanted to pass his imagination off as ridiculous. However, the bad images that he got had become reality. The worst possibility had come to pass, and Taiyous face grew pale. With Aoba brought before him he had no choice but to surrender. No matter how strong his individual armed might was, there was just no meaning. Thats good, with this we can get back Aoba-chan Are they already heading this way In contrast to the happy-go-lucky Hera, Taiyous voice was thick with panic. Yes indeedWhat is the matter Taiyou-chan, youre in such a fluster Hey, so how long exactly will it take them to arrive You too, Youran-chanUmm, in just a little Taiyou and Youran exchanged glances. Go Youran said in a quiet voice, not with high energy or dignity. This was his first time hearing this sort of voice since knowing her. Are you telling me to run by myself Yeah, thats right How could I do something like that, in the first placeDD Do you still not get the situation? Saekusa Tsukumo is using her as a hostage intending to threaten you I know that Then let me ask you, if she were thrust before you as a hostage, whatll you do? What can you do? WellDD Trying to speak, Taiyous mouth flapped open and closed like a goldfish. That was the very cause of his face paling, the source. He could do nothing, in fact he had no choice but to do what his companion said. He wanted to retort to Youran telling him to flee, but when she had said that Taiyou couldnt say another word. See, you cant do anything after all. Thats really fine, all it is is that the other side is skilled at setting their guard Normally he would have probably held her clear explanation in favor, but as of now Taiyou had no such leisure. Rather, he even felt himself wanting to revolt against her for explaining so clearly. But she continued. What do you think needs to be done for the term hostage to lose its meaning? That type of method exists? Unlike Kohaku, Youran disliked meaningless conversational exchanges. Since he understood that about her, he intuitively felt that there was likely some practicality behind these question. It does, a really simple one at that You arent going to seriously tell me to abandon her right No, idiot Youran pursed her lips, making a sulky expression. Taiyou was vexed at his slip. To think that he made her make such an expression in this situation. Theres no point telling you things that you cant do. We dont even have time to be disputing right now. Tell me, what is it? Taiyou said immediately. Detonated by the phrase we dont even have time, he had quit thinking. Putting aside whether or not he could reach the answer by thinking, quickly hearing the answer was unmistakably better than losing time. Objective and method. In this case, this was a situation in which it was best to lower ones head and ask. Just dont let them negotiate Dont let them negotiate Yep. What conditions mean defeat for you? If something were to??happen to her, right Taiyou nodded. Thats absolutely right, what about it???he didnt even want to put that to his mouth. That was just how much he didnt want to think about that worst outcome. What needs to happen for that? The other side recognizes the failure of negotiations and seeks to make an example, right? Well thatstrue, but Yeah, thats obvious. Killing them before using them as a hostage is something an idiot would do There are idiots like dat in dis world, butthere aint any person like dat in Juunishima Exactly So? It didnt seem like hed understand anytime soon, so he bluntly asked back. Yer really dim Leticia cut in with an exasperated expression. Were sayin to git outta here already yknow? Get out of here He understood the minute he said that. He was finally able to understand what Youran and Leticia had been saying. If no negotiations occur, then no ruptures occur either Weve been telling you that. Basically even if they use a hostage for you, its fine as long as they dont notice you Youran said in a bit of an exasperated voice as well. Youll run before negotiations, and its not just you not showing up to the table, its preventing them from even telling you to come Right, slike not being able to accept a lawsuit due to absence Yeah. Usually you wouldnt be able to escape ahead with that timing, but you have yourself a joker, dont you? Joker He asked back, and Youran looked in Heras direction. This girl Yes indeed, I am the joker` Hera answered raising her hand. Ah Thats right. Just use this girl skillfully and run around. At least have that girl confirm the safety of the hostage before meeting Saekusa Tsukumo. This girl cant be seen by them, right Ah, right Thats how it is, so hurry up and go. Ill keep them at bay here Wha- Dont get all surprised, remember that theres no time. Or do you have any other ideas? Something thatll let you take me along too But stillDD Taiyou insisted that even so he couldnt accept that. He didnt consider leaving Youran there to keep the opponent at bay abandoning Aoba, but it was something difficult for him to accept. As he was hesitating, Youran took a sigh and looked instead at her close friend. Letii, I leave it to you Yaya aint gonna die right? If its me aloneif the opponent is Saekusa Tsukumofor the present I should?????be left alive Will you hold? Youran silently answered Leticias question. The two of them gazing at each other, their exchanging glances were equivalent to many words. Yanah, alright The exchange between the true friends ended. Entrusted with a task, Leticia looked in Taiyous direction. Cmon, lets go Wait, are you seriously leaving her? Darn skippy ThatsDD Sorry, but ya see, Im that girls close friend Leticia said, slamming a sword hand into the nape of Taiyous neck. Wha An attack that caught him off guard, a close range attack. His vision revolved. Lastly he could see Yourans smile faintly. Why was she smilingwith that puzzlement as his last recollection, Taiyou went on to let go of his consciousness. Chapter 139: The Girl Known As Juunishima Youran / Score Chapter 138: The Girl Known as Juunishima Youran / Evacuation Chapter 140: The Girl Known As Juunishima Youran / Haku and Tsukumo Translator: Reflet One truck was running along Juunishima at night. In the trunk rode several men and women, and when they stopped at a traffic signal, the driver of the car alongside them looked quizzically at them, but with just one glare from one of the women, the driver, panicking, averted their eyes. Chan Suu, dont bother with small frys Just one man riding in the trunk lightly rebuked the girl. Surrounded by women, Saekusa Tsukumo was sitting cross-legged in an arrogant manner. One girl rested her head on his lap, using it as a pillow. She had a youthful face and was resting curled up like a cat, but even in that state, the fact that she had quite the physique was evident. Tall enough to where if she were to stand up she would probably be around one hundred ninety centimeters. Oi Honoka, hurry up and move, my feet are falling asleep No` The tall girl named Honoka refused in a spoiled tone. She shook her head on his lap, instantly rubbing her cheeks against him like a cat. Dont wanna` dont wanna`I wanna do this for a bit longer` If you dont give it a rest, I vill kill you right ere Chan Suu, who had relented when scolded by Tsukumo, glared at her with open hostility, speaking with the typical foreigners intonation. Not only that, but she also thrust her hand into her bosom, appealing???that she could draw at any time. All of you, please give it a rest Before Tsukumo could open his mouth, a girl operating a tablet computer rebuked them. In contrast to Honoka she was one hundred forty centimeters tall or so with a short height, but her chest area was fine enough to give many a gravure idol a run for their money. The so-called big-breasted loli girls name was Haku. Chan Suu and Honoka who she had spoken to directed their gazes to her simultaneously. Id welcome trash and dregs smashing each other, but please leave it for earlier or later than the operation. Doing that sort of thing, if there would be something to hinder the operationDD Haku said, glaring at the two with a completely changed face. DDIll kill you The moment she said that, Chan Suu as well as Honoka shivered. Chan Suu lowered the hand that was concealed in her bosom, and Honoka also stopped resting on the lap and slowly raised her body. Looking at the two, Haku who had returned her expression to normal looked downward, returning her sight to her tablet. Operating something with accustomed hands, shortly after, the two who had been glared at like a snake or whatever had electronic sounds come from them at the same time. It was the sound of receiving mail, and both of them took out their ringing smartphones, checking them. Mayel? Zis isyour confounded work They looked at Haku quizzically at the same time. I have picked up several outside points where there are no people or any hindrances, so if youre going to do it you might as well duke it out somewhere theres no people. If you do it after the operation then there will be no conflict Chan Suu and Honoka looked at each other with complicated expressions. When you go at it, it would be amazing if one of you could do me a favor and die. Like poison, the person who survives as a result of the fight between trash and dregs should be useful Haku said, grinning. Sweat was languidly flowing from their shoulders as she said that. Oi oi, what are you doing without my permission When the atmosphere had become complicated, Tsukumo cut in with a light manner to shift that. The Absolute One in this place, Saekusa Tsukumo. The two females who realized that he was covering for them embraced him at once. Uwaaan, I was scareeed I wet myself, just a bit Aw`there there, you dont have to worry anymore Tsukumo said, patting their heads. The two women who had been glaring at each other with animosity and intimidation earlier had been charmed by him like cats. There was a girl who had been watching the course of events. Unlike Tsukumo and the rest??????it was a ponytailed girl riding in the trunk. Hans and feet tied up, Miki Aoba was looking at the people in front of her with complicated eyes on a league above Honoka and the others. The signal became green, and the truck began to run. Looking around the perimeter, Tsukumo noticed Aobas gaze. Whats wrong Just what are you guys Do you like mother daughter bowls? Eh Mother daughter bowls man, mother daughter bowls, the kanji symbols are formotheranddaughternot parent and child but mother and daughter. I mean that kind of mother daughter bowl. You see, I love those mother daughter bowls, and Ive set myself to be the man who risks his life for them Tsukumo said, stealing Chan Suus lips and reaching under Honokas clothing to rub her chest thoroughly with his open hand. The sound of glutinous water was heard from their connected mouths, and heavy breathing escaped the child-faced Honokas mouth. Aoba unconsciously averted her eyes from the sudden cheap AV-like scene unfolding before her. Having stopped kissing, Tsukumo spoke to her. Although Id have liked you too, unfortunately your mothers werent all together. If all four of your mothers had come to this island I was ready to request them by all possible means. Ah too bad too bad H-How serious are you? Im serious whenever. Cause Ive set my current self to behave in that fashion. Set, what kind of weird things are youDD Aoba said, but soon held her tongue. Hearing her words, Honoka had stood up abruptly. Only looking at her face she was a child-faced pretty girl, but that height was close to one hundred ninety centimeters. The height that would have no trouble fitting in mens basketball looked down at Aoba. It was like being overlooked from above the heavens. That distance stirred up Aobas fear. Weird thiiings? Eh Right now, were you saying weird things? Th-That waslDD You said it didnt youuu That was, speaking about his word choiceDD An unknown fear assailed Aoba, she had initially tried to vindicate herself, but before she could, Honoka had crouched, pushing her shoulders. Kya- Pinned on the trunk, Aobas head crashed, letting out a scream. Honoka approached her, touching the hands tied behind her back. She grabbed Aobas narrow index fingerDD Ehhh-ee Snap. The carefree voice and the sound of a finger snapping occurred at the same time. A short interval later, Aobas scream pierced the night sky. When Honoka released her hand, Aobas index finger was visibly bent in what was an ordinarily impossible direction. Hmmm, sorta doesnt seem good enough. Think Ill go for another oneee Maybe you could use zis? Chan Suu said, holding out a gun to Honoka. It was a small model that fit snugly in the palm of the hand but it was unmistakably the real deal. Wonder what I should dooo Stop it you two Tsukumo halted them with a quiet voice. Kaaay I understand Haku, treat her Treat this garbage? Even she has mothers, you know Yes yes, I understand. Its always that isnt it While complaining discontentedly, she drew close to Aoba, applying treatment just as she was told. Well of course, a girl who has a mother, basically means that shes a box filled with the possibilities of mother daughter bowl. If we let her live then the chances of becoming my mother daughter bowl increase to fifty percent, and if we killed off one of them then it becomes zero, yknow? Although I think that even if theyre hurt a bit they can still become a mother daughter bowl? You dont get it man, hurting them isnt really the issue. Its just that its best for me to do it. For example hmmlike Chan Suu You mean zis? She said rolling up her clothing. There was a small tattoo labeledTsukumo. Yeah yeah that thing. Attaching it to mother and daughter at the same time in this fashion is definitely good Mother wasSaekusa.Honestly that vould ave been better Whys thaaat? I ear that in zis country zere is a special meaning in receiving a surname Ohhh thats very truuue Its difficult isnt it, all that Not at all Tsukumo exaggeratingly shrugged his shoulders, afterwards turning back to Aoba. Crouching, he peered straight in from the side of Haku who was applying treatment. Its truly a disappointment, that your mothers didnt all come Aoba trembled. The peering Tsukumos eyes were scary. These were the eyes that she had encountered before in her life. Madness. That vocabulary ran through her head. She felt madness, not just from Tsukumo but from everyone here. Fear assaulted Aoba. Natsuno-kun Hoping against hope, Aoba called the boys name in her heart. Chapter 140: The Girl Known As Juunishima Youran / Haku and Tsukumo Chapter 139: The Girl Known As Juunishima Youran / Score Chapter 141: The Girl Known as Juunishima Youran / A Man Worth Protecting Translator: Reflet Wh-What do you plan to do with Relax, we wont harm you any more Eh At least not until we reach where that boy is W-Why Because you are a hostage Haku said from the side. She spoke in a courteous manner but there was faint ill intent and despise oozing out, transmitting. We will use you as a hostage in order to make Natsuno Taiyou listen to us. So until then we are saying that we will not hurt you. Honestly, if it were me then I wouldnt do something like directly take you there Why Aoba fearfully inquired from Haku, who was clearly conveying her malicious intent. If it were me I would only take a portion of you with me Portion That pretty ponytail orperhaps the second joint of your fingers Eek- If we were to take you with us then theres the unfortunate possibility that youd be taken back on the spot, and thats a poor move Haku said, looking at Tsukumo. He had been criticized but was acting like it didnt concern him. Haah, well if this is how its going to be then I will exert all of my effort My bad Please dont only react to that, its too convenient Ill be affectionate to you later, kay I refuse even over my dead body Haku flatly declined. Aoba developed the slightest question about that reply, but her head was still paralyzed with fear so she couldnt process it very well. Suddenly, the tablet that Haku had had rang. It was some sort of calling sound, and Haku operated it, pointing the screen in Tsukumos direction. An image was displayed filling the screen, and projected there was the image of a girl wearing a hakama. It seemed like a videochat function using a tablet. How is it Chie Ive grasped the location of New Moon Director, Ill forward it to Haku Is that right, good job Heeey, I think after all I should come withDD Youre not suited for this occasion, obediently wait Kaaay She seemed a little unsatisfied, but even so she was rebuked by Tsukumo, so Chie backed off. The video chat was severed, and Haku pointed the screen to herself, checking the sent information, and conveyed it to the person driving. On the side, Tsukumo returned his gaze, staring at Chan Suu and Honoka. This time Chie isnt well suited, you guys are the confidantsI leave it to you Yeah, I got iiit Leave it to me The two of them answered. Tsukumo nodded at the two, suddenly taking two small boxes out of his pocket. They were small elegant boxes of velvet manufacturing. First Tsukumo opened one of them with a whack sound. There was a ring inside, a ring emitting a calm glitter. Tsukumo took that ring in his hands, splitting it in two vertically from the center with a whack. The wide breadth ring become two narrow rings. Chan Suu Yes Chan Suu who was called made a meek face and stood before Tsukumo. Tsukumo took her hand, putting one of the two split rings on her finger. He put the remaining one on his own finger. I leave it to you Leave it to me Honoka Yeees The hundred ninety centimeter girl answered standing before Tsukumo. Just like what he did for Chan Suu, he took out a ring from the other box, split it in two, and put each half on her and his fingers. Uwaaah In contrast to Chan Suu with an uncrumbling nihilistic expression, Honoka stared at the ring that had been placed on her ring finger, enraptured. The rings fitted on the two females, and the split ring pieces fitted on Tsukumos fingers. Aoba didnt understand what they were doing and for what purpose they were doing it, but intuitively, she grasped just one thing. Ritual. She didnt understand the meaning or the reasoning, but she comprehended intuitively that it was a variety of ritual. As for the extent of the effectsDD Im counting on you For your sake Honoka and Chan Suu said together, jumping off from either side of the trunk simultaneously. Huuuuh Surprised, Aoba followed them with her eyes. The two who had jumped off each landed, soon disappearing and no longer in sight. She turned back to Tsukumo with a start. He had been looking at Haku. What about directions from above None at all, it would seem that as usual they have left it to us, the decision-making on-site Thankfully At some point we may very well be discarded, I think that it is best that we are at least prepared for that much. Thats not it Its not Yep, not the mistaken at some point we may very well be discarded, but rather at some point we will absolutely be discarded Thats right, that pig was that type of woman after all Haku said, smiling gracefully. Well, I dont really care anyway. Even if I am discarded. At that time I will gain a reason to send that pig without reason to the abattoir, right? Hahaha Tsukumo laughed, a cheerful laugh unlike that of Hakus. H-Heey Hm? What is it Those two right nowcould they be going to where Natsuno-kun is? Its not quite that, but well, it might as well be Haku answered, returning a glance at the same time as if asking And what of it? Heyy, theres still time. Have them stop Have them stop? Yeah, after allif they went to Natsuno-kuns place, those people might get hurt Just as she said, right now sympathy for the two girls was born in her heart. The reason why she could hold such emotions for her enemiesfor Honoka who had mercilessly broken her fingers was clear. It was the rings. The rings that Tsukumo put on their fingers. With the coming of the sortie, doing ritual-like things, and the rings placed on those fingers. The two girls who stared preciously, lovingly at those things. Those expressions had changed to resolution. Aoba had observed that moment from close quarters. The girls who solidified their will to fight for the man they loved. The scene now had no room to be interpreted otherwise. Though their positions may differ, Aoba could understand those feelings. Even she would have thrown herself out there if Taiyou did the same thing to her. The two rings, the symbol connecting the two. If that was put on her finger, she was sure shed be able to do anything. Surely Chan Suu and Honoka held no fear moving straight for Taiyou. But Taiyou was strong. Aoba wasnt sure just how strong he was, and she wasnt at all sure just how much power those two held. But she couldnt imagine the two of them returning unscathed after heading for Taiyou. If anything she thought it more likely that they would make frantic efforts for Tsukumos sake all the while suffering large wounds. Now that she had seen the faces of those girls, it was a scene that she didnt want to see. At least thats what she had said to Tsukumo. Well, they probably will a bit Tsukumo said with a nonchalant face. Eh But why do you care Are youokay with that Putting those rings on means Ah, this Tsukumo put the rings on and took them off. It was such a casual action that it made Aobas eyes open wide. When I do this, theyll work even in the face of death. Has more results than clumsily kisding or hugging them. Woman are mysterious beings No way, so that earlierwas a lie Not really a lie Tsukumo answered with scornful laughter. Ill love you, so work for me. When you return Ill love you even more, so work with all your effort. See, nothing contradictory there right? You put the rings on them with that mentality? What do you take women toDD Aoba was indignant. From her viewpoint what Tsukumo did was something much too difficult to accept. She didnt know the details, but there was no mistake that Tsukumo had several females serving him. Aoba knew that it took amazing resolve to share a man with multiple women. Because she had seen her parents, and most importantly because she had experienced it. Ahead of that was however much ones heart allowed, which she understood, but if that was fakeDD. It was something that Aoba could simply not accept. You! Are you still okay with that? She pressed, facing Haku. Ive currently set myself to be a person who loves mother daughter bowls Tsukumo suddenly said that. Huh So shes outside of my target range Huuuh You could just set yourself to be a filthy sis-con bastard already Haku breathed a deep sigh. Big Brother Huuuuuh Chapter 141: The Girl Known as Juunishima Youran / A Man Worth Protecting Chapter 140: The Girl Known As Juunishima Youran / Haku and Tsukumo Chapter 142: The Girl Known As Juunishima Youran / Revenge Translator: Reflet B-Brother and sister? Yes, and what of it? Do you intend to say that we dont resemble each other or something, we are in fact through and through siblings born from the same womb. Although Ive exceedingly accepted that Y-Youve accepted it Yes, of course I havent though, I cant accept that the mother daughter bowl shrunk to one set Like I said, just hurry up and reset your personality Resetting my personality isnt that simple. First it must be done on the sixteenth night when a shadow approaches the new moonDD Yeah yeah, thank you for the made-up story Haku nonchalantly dealt with her brother. Aobas eyes were wide open watching the exchange between the siblings. Though she was captured, the females who had showed up with Tsukumo were all mother and daughter pairs. Honoka and Chan Suu who had left now were that way too, and she had witnessed that Chie who had contacted them from the tablet also had a mother named Chiyo who had a kunoichi outfit. So although she had not actually seen them, Aoba anologically reasoned that Haku as well was entered in Tsukumos so-called mother daughter bowl. However, that was not the case. She was Tsukumos younger sister. The young man in his latter twenties, and the high school girlno, she looked more like a child-faced big-breasted middle school girl. These two were quite separated in age for siblings. In any case big brother, was it alright to only have those two go? Is there a problem Tsukumo returned with a nonchalant face. I believe that Natsuno Taiyou is a man who we cannot quite underestimate. At first I thought that he was an ordinary high schooler, but that does not seem to be the case. He has a physique that bullets do not work on and superhuman strength, and theres also his quick-wittedness. There are probably only a handful of Japanese people who could win against that boy in close combat. Honestly, the load is too much for food scraps to go up against a tardigrade, I think Right, I think so too Then why did you have them go? Because those two succeeded in the previous mission. What are you talking about Sure punishment or reward, if they succeed then a reward, if they fail then a punishment, those are the conditions butI honestly think that theyre cuter when punished rather than rewarded, the mothers included Are you saying that because you want to tease them in bed, you intentionally sent them somewhere to fail? Thats right I see, then I understand. But if by any chance those two get done in by Natsuno Taiyou then what will you do? So youre worried about them Worried? Yes, I am worried Hoh Tsukumos face had a look of extreme disbelief. He did not think that Haku was truly concerned for their safety, showing on his face. Aoba was the same, and what she had gathered from knowing their sibling relationship a moment ago, Hakus personality didnt convince her that she was the type of girl to think that way. They are ingredients that can be eaten raw, and yet you go out of your way to roast them and then cook them too much and burn them. That is what I am worried about Ohh, that kind of worry Tsukumo accepted that, whereas Aoba was unable to understand very well. Itll be alright, cause that boy has a poor endgame Is that so Yeah thats right, he has power but feels like he doesnt really understand its use. In addition, he hesitates to attack humans in the flesh. Usually if you had that much power you could surely quickly turn a limited human into a lump of flesh, but that guy doesnt have it in him. The power that he has and the way he uses it are too unbalanced Thats really true, thought Aoba secretly. Whether one would be convinced with the explanation about Taiyous power and utilization or not would depend on knowing about Heras existence. Aoba knew, which was why she was convinced. Tsukumo didnt know, which was why he had logically judged it as odd. Welp, I dunno what would happen if he did have it in him, but even if that were the caseDDChan Suu and Honoka would probably both noncommittally do what they could and then turn tail and flee I see, I am satisfied then Later Id noncommittally bind them up and harass their mothers, thats all The mothers as well Ive set myself to be a man who loves mother daughter bowls, what would I do if I didnt harass both sets? Because of their own mistakes their mothers are dragged in as wellI shiver just thinking of it You really are a pervert Is that right Yes, I am relieved that you are the same as everand it seems that we have a call A transmission appeared in the tablet, and Haku pressed the receiver button, reporting to Tsukumo. This is TardigradesHello Ummm, its over. Captured You got captured of all things? Haku furrowed her eyebrows. It was a sortie with failure in mind, but she expressed her displeasure at this outcome. However, the outcome become even more of an unexpected outcome. Nooo. We captured her, new moon-samaa Huh Huh Huh The stupid voices reverbated continuously in the trunk. The light truck stopped, and Tsukumo and Haku hopped off. Before them were an unhurt Honoka and Chan Suu, as well as the figure of a restrained Youran. Haku briskly walked over, halting in front of Youran. Juunishima New Moon Saekusa Momo DontDDngh Please do not refer to me by that name You are the third person to call me that The quarreling conversation between Youran and Haku, to an onlookersuch as Aoba who was captured in the trunk, it was unclear what meaning there was in that, but she could tell clearly that they did not get along. Haku Big brother You first But Understood This was another exchange that Aoba could not understand. Rebuked by Tsukumo, Haku reluctantly stepped back. She moved aside, replaced by Tsukumo standing before Youran. Are you alone, New Moon-sama I am That boywhere is Natsuno Taiyou I know not Of course you would, you were with him just a moment ago after all I know not, since I entrusted that boy to Princess Leticia. Though we have had a long relationship, not even I can read her movements I see, as expected What do you mean as expected Haku questioned Tsukumo. There isnt any way to answer if you dont know. She entrusted him to a trustworthy but unpredictable partner, so no matter how much we ask her she cant answer. Using us as an exampleHaku, it would be like you leaving it all to Honoka and having me escape Talking about mee I see Honoka was taken aback whereas Haku nodded heavily. As expected of New Moon-sama, thinking up to two, no three steps ahead, such marvelous direction But Big Brother, regardless, we have secured New Moons person. Let us now take her to where her motherDD No, thatll be postponed Huh Haku was taken aback. What is the matter Big Brother, you said that once we capture New Moon and send her to her mother you would destroy their pride as women and their personalities, did you not Yeah, that was my original intention. But Ive changed my mind You have changed your mindwhat do you mean Haku was shocked. Tsukumo was staring not at said younger sister, but at Youran, standing firmly. Juunishima New Moon Director Youran. Before I had set myself as the current me I was your fan To tell you the truth, there was no need to wrap your okaa-sama in this situation, but I intented to wrap her up in this with sophism, if circumstances permitted it Doubtless, I did feel roundaboutness The aforementioned you appeared before me as your opponent with hardened resolve, choosing the path of being captured yourself. All to help that boy escape What of it What Im saying is that Ive become interested in that boy whom you resolved yourself to help escape. Honestly, in this moment, more so than your great self Haku was surprised, hearing Tsukumos words from the side. Is that really it It very much so is, yes? You know, the moment a woman realizes shes been cheated on, rather than the man she more strongly thinks about exacting revenge upon her female opponent, right? I am a woman of high upbringing, I cannot comprehend such emotions Surely you jest No I do notDD You do so Tsukumo cut into the middle of Yourans words. After all, you even anticipated me thinking this way when you got captured, right? Youran closed her mouth. Twintails wavering in the night wind, her face was like that of an unreadable noh mask. Tsukumo smiled at said girl abruptly. Its no problem, Ill go along with it for you. New Moon-sama did after all substitute for him, and it is also a fact that Natsuno Taiyou is that much important of a person to you. It is also factual that I have as a resultgone so far as to develop a strong interest in that boy. So Ill go along with your intentions. Tsukumo said, changing his expression. A cold-hearted expression unlike him. Although I believe that I will be taking the fourth step ahead this time around Chapter 142: The Girl Known As Juunishima Youran / Revenge Chapter 141: The Girl Known as Juunishima Youran / A Man Worth Protecting Chapter 143: The Girl Known As Juunishima Youran / The Unfortunate Girl Translator: Reflet Haku With a cool-headed expression, Tsukumo called his sisters name. New Moon-sama is a guest now, guide her with the utmost care Big Brother? Do you seriously intend to change the plan Yeah, thats right But if you do thatDD Ive already decided it. Until New Moon-samas sweetheartDDNatsuno Taiyou comes do not lay a finger on her, got it Emphasizing the wordsweetheart, Tsukumo spoke full of cynicism. Haku didnt answer, and Tsukumo looked her puzzled. Wheres your answer Big Brother, if we do that then that hag will not accept it. After all, we were entrusted with this mission with Big Brothers??thing included Just nonchalantly gloss over that part I cannot fool her! That hagDD This isnt like you, Saekusa Momo Do not call me by that name! The intensity that she had directed toward Tsukumo was now directed toward Youran. Haku had reacted more strongly toward Yourans name for her than countering her older brother. It seemed that name held quite a bit of meaning. The face glaring at Youran was dreadful, but Youran was not fazed in the slightest. She spoke to Haku in a composed manner. Is your brother not absolute to you? If it were for the sake of your big brother you could dieDDI thought that that conversation had entered my ears at one point butit seems that I was wrong Speaking like you know me! Even I do not want to say such a thing, however! If I dont say it then Big Brothers position! His personal security! I see, so you are one of those who oppose orders if it benefits their master. A faithful dog indeed Please do not make a fool of me! I meant to compliment you, you realize? It is quite commendable to have a loyal retainer who does not mind admonition. As long as you are by his side Saekusa Tsukumo will undoubtedly be able to expect greater progress. It is enough to make even an enemy such as I jealous Youran side, smiling in a sarcastic manner. May you continue to support him in that mannerDDyour whole life, as a devoted subordinate That moment, she felt she could hear the sound of something snapping. New Moonnn Haku was enraged. Losing her temper, she took out a revolver from under her clothing, unsuitable for her small frame, pressing it to Yourans forehead. Daaan Without hesitation, the trigger was pulled. Smoke was billowing out of the muzzleDDthe bullet had skimmed past Yourans side. She had not missed on purpose, nor had Youran dodged. The moment that Haku had moved, almost as if predicting the outcome, Tsukumo had suddenly cut between the two, brushing away Hakus slender hand. With that the aim had missed, and the bullet flew into the day after tomorrow. Big Brother Haku In contrast to the enraged Haku, Tsukumo was calm to the max. I told you, that, New Moon-sama is a guest But Big Brother! This girl called meDD Youre playing into her hands too much, Haku. Look, New Moon-sama is snickering Eh Haku looked blankly at Youran. Tsukumo had said that, but Youran hadnt broken her poker face. Although she did seem like she may have had a slight elated expression, she was straight expressionless. What do you mean? Heey Haku, why are you calling yourself Haku Thats From hyaku to haku why did you take off theһone from the head? To have the same name as me??????????was that the only objective? You are incorrect! That is not the case. IDD Heey Haku, we dont have that kind of fragile relationship right? We dont have to be defeated by this kind of provocation, yeah? Tsukumo said, and Haku opened her eyes wide, taken aback. That were siblings, that were master and servantthat were companions. You cant define our relationship with terms like that, right? Am I wrong? Tsukumo said, and Haku looked downward, putting a hand to her abdomen. At that moment, the fury had dissipated from her face. Im sorry, Big Brother Nah, its all good Tsukumo patted her head, then turned to Youran. New Moon-sama, please do not tease her too much. Revenge and such is unbecoming of you You think so Indeed, you should be more aloof. Something like revenge is fitting forDD Tsukumo said, twisting the corner of his mouth into a grin. DDVulgar people such as I The moment he said that, he put his hands on her collar, lowering it in one go. Yourans clothing let out ripping sounds as it was torn apart. From the front of her neck to above her navel, her bare skin was exposed to the open air. Hold onDD Aoba to the side got angry, but, she was quickly pressed down by Honoka and Chan Suu. Do not move This is the good paaart Kuh Aoba groaned, she could not move an inch pressed down by these two. She was indignant at Tsukumos sudden riot, but she could do nothing but watch. Meanwhile, clothing torn and her undergarments exposed, Youran did not move a single eyebrow, staring back at Tsukumo composedly. Tsukumo was astonished at that reaction. Impressive as always New Moon-sama, it seems that this is nothing to you What are you trying to accomplish Did I not say revenge? Something such as this, will not so much as become revenge. I will not feel shame from someone of your level Indeed, indeed, of course that would be the case. Because I am no longer amanto New Moon-sama. You were unaware several hours ago, and by this point, no longer, right You are no doubt correct, with me as an opponent. However, what about that boy? Even if he sees you in that?appearance, I wonder if you will be able to remain so comosed, hm You speak of fruitless endeavors Youran slightly scowled. Did I not say that this is revenge Tsukumo laughed scornfully. Revenge is in itself a fruitless endeavor Although I was half joking. I certainly have some profit from this What do you mean I mean this Tsukumo said, further ripping apart Yourans clothing. He stripped that which had become cloth scraps from her, tossing them to Haku. Here ya go Big Brother? Wh-What is this Deliver that to Tsubaki-sama, tell her that everythings going according to plan Ah Haku made a surprised expression. Tsukumo had thought up in his own way a countermeasure from what she had said earlier. Revenge, and countermeasure. Both of those were actions for Hakus sake. Im so jealouuus Give up The two of them exchanged a brief conversation while holding down Aoba. B-But will the hag be satisfied with this? Just with these scraps Very true Tsukumo held his jaw, a pensive look on his face. Just as Haku had said, Juunishima might not be satisfied with just some torn clothing. Briefly thinking, he then looked at Youran. New Moon-sama, I believe I would like to borrow something What is that The thing that is attached to your thumb Silent, Youran lifted her right hand, looking at the thing attached to her thumb. That thing attached to the base of her thumb was a leather belt in the shape of a ring. New Moon-sama regularly wears that. In your everyday life, a real ring, and when you are sneaking around, a leather belt. That very thing is constantly attached to New Moon-samas right hand thumb. That is correct, yes? It is Tsubasa-sama must also understand the meaning of New Moon-samas right hand thumb ring. And it is a given that she would also understand the meaning of said thing being snatched awaynormally In other words, if I put that in with the other thing as a set, she should for the time being be satisfied Youre stalling forDD Indeed, I would like your cooperation Very well Youran gave a curt response, separating the belt-shaped ring from her thumb and handing it to Tsukumo. I thank you for your cooperation Haku Understood, please leave the hag to me In exchange for my cooperating, I would like you to listen to one request of mine as well If I am able Id like you to leave that girl here by my side until that boy comes Youran had said, pointing to Aoba. Chapter 143: The Girl Known As Juunishima Youran / The Unfortunate Girl Chapter 142: The Girl Known As Juunishima Youran / Revenge Chapter 144: The Girl Known As Juunishima Youran / Fool Translator: Reflet The truck began entering an area where people were relatively scarce. The interval between street light and street light became longer, and even the roads pavement began becoming dubious. It wasnt even good enough of a ride to call it that, and yet the vibrations got worse and the people riding in it were all affected. Youran and Aoba sitting next to her frowned each time the car body leaped, but Tsukumo and company didnt have much of a reaction, perhaps quite used to this. I will make sure to get preparations ready, Big Brother I leave it to you. Ohh and also, prepare a personal missile Personal missile? That one with the guidance equipment attached? Not the Guerilla or anti-group ones, the personal missile thats aimed at the lot whove quit being human What are you saying Big Brother, what do you plan to do with such an expensive thing? Fire at him It is not like you are using it for interior design, I understand that. What I am asking is wht that is necessary Ive been saying it constantly since earlier, that Ive become interested in what kind of man the boy named Natsuno Taiyou is whom New Moon-sama has taken a liking to. Its clear that things like bullets or rockets wont work, but I was thinking that if not that then what about personal missiles Only for that reason, you say? Yeah Tsukumo said, looking at Youran in a slightly removed location and grinning. These are goods powerful enough to force that Shirokiyamito earnestly deal with them, so I wonder how that boy would fare No matter how you look at it, this is overkill Haku sighed with an exasperated face. There is going to be a large deficit How haaard you have it, Haku-chan I have already given up, I decided to think of everything that happens until this affair is dealt with as something thatcant be helped Reeeally, you have it reeeally difficult Haku likes the spicy stuff, so she iz already full What are you implying While Tsukumo and company were exchanging a carefree conversation, Youran and Aoba were chatting facing each other. You arethat Juunishima-san Uhh You know about me Yeah, I heard about you from Kohaku-san Kohaku-san eh, is she well? Yeah, too energetic if anything. Especially when she has strange conversations with Natsuno-kun It was the same when I last met her Youran giggled. Youran sat with her knees together, shoulders taut. Every time the car body leaped, her slender twintails also leaped at the same time. Unlike Aoba, who was scaredfearful, even after the ropes binding her hands had been undone, Youran, despite being in the midst of the enemy camp, showed no sign of caring. She seems to like that sort of thing, so I would often notice her going on and on happily about incomprehensible things. Like what shes talking about, how the conversation got there, you just cant understand it at all, right Yeah, when you realize. You feel like Huh, did I miss something? Right? She as well as you are the type of people who like to play dodgeball with words, not catchball. And Im just not good with that Youre not good with that Aoba asked back gazing in amazement. But earlier About to speak, she looked in Tsukumos direction. He just so happened to also be looking that way, and their eyes met so she averted them. Its a little different from that sort of thing Huhhhis that right Aoba didnt quite get it, but she left it at that. She stared at Youran. Whats wrong? Youre staring at me UmmI have something that Id like to ask What UhhJuunishima-san Oh, just call me Youran, or New Moon Now that you mention it, what do you mean by New Moon? I thought I heard that your name was Juunishima Youran If you Google it youll see it on Wikibut we dont have our smartphones with us so I guess its impossible. Hmm, explaining these details will take a while, you know Im sorry No, its fine. This island was long ago called New Moon Island New Moon Island Yes, New Moon Island. Long ago to the point where its up there with fairy tales, legends, and the like. This island apparently had a day once a month of high tide, and whenever that day came the entire island would sink Eh? This entire island, no wayDD Well its a fairy tale, so the world view is erratic Ah, right Mhm. And that day in which the island was submerged was the same day of the month as the new moon, so this island was called New Moon Island. Dont ask if it became that way with the full moon, because I dont know either Ah, okay As a relic of that fairy tale, the distinguished people of this island have been carrying the title of Director of the New Moon. Many years, or rather generationally. So Im the one who inherited it Uh-huh Aoba made an expression that reflected her not quite getting it. Seeing that reaction, she thought to end the story there. If she continued talking she would also have to explain the derivation ofJuunishima. Putting aside the interested parties, she couldnt purposely tell those without interest, so Youran thought to change topics. Come to think of it, you had something you wanted to ask me? Ah, yes. Umm Despite being the one to bring up that topic in the first place, Aoba faltered. She was fidgeting, as if she were finding something difficult to say. Youran waited. A little while later, Aoba boldly broke the ice. Have they been pulled already? Huh Yourans face stared blankly, as if to ask What are you saying out of the blue? What are you talking about Uhh, ummyou know Aoba hesitated. H-Have they already beenpulled by Taiyou Yeah The subject finally came out, and Youran undersrand what she was talking about. She understand when she had heard who. She didnt need to be told what. She took her twintails into her hands. They were two twintails tied from her temporal region, rustling. And then she looked at Aoba. She saw the straight ponytail tied from the upper part of the back of her head. Is your hair also pulled regularly No Aoba shook her head. Not even once Really? But thats a ponytail. Ah, so that means you dont always have that hairstyle No, Im normally like this Seriously Youran frowned. You normally have that hairstyle, and yet he doesnt pull it? Yeah You are his bride, right Eh Aoba was so surprised that she widened her eyes, soon after timidly nodding. Y-Yeah Im going to ask straight away, are you close? That is Can you tell me Youran pressed her with a much too earnest face. Slightly overwhelmed, Aoba nodded a bit bashfully. YeahIthink so Really now Ah, but not that close, ummDD That guyI guess he dislikes me after all Huh See, he just pulls my twintails. Every time we meet, aaalways. That was definitely malicious Is thatactually malicious But thats gotta be it, youre his bride, and youre close enough to be favored. But despite having an easy-to-pull ponytail out all the time, you havent had it pulled even once. Right Y-Yeah Then him pulling mine is because hes just doing it to spite me right Hmm, I dont know about that Its plain and simple. Ahhh gosh! I shouldnt have covered for him What is it No, Juunishima-san, its just that you dont seem to be regretting it Well of course, after all I decided that Id do it. I cant regret that. I dont regret it, it just irritates me Th-Then Hm If you got into the same situation again, what would Juunishima-san do? Like earlier? Id protect him, of course Even if you think that Natsuno-kun is spiteful????????, from now on? That is that, and this is this Huhhh Honestly! Pulling a girls hair just to be mean, what a jerk Watching the indignant Youran, Aoba wonderedif that really was the case. I think, rather than being a jerk, he was messing with you Eh You also one of those dodgeball folks Ah, not that Do you really not know Aoba was surprised by the clever-looking girls reaction. That jerk, next time we meet Im just gonna let it down Youre seriously going to do that Of course I am! Cause I know its done out of spite! Im gonna make sure it never gets pulled again I think, that you look better keeping the twintails Aoba thought a bit????then said that to her. Chapter 144: The Girl Known As Juunishima Youran / Fool Chapter 143: The Girl Known As Juunishima Youran / The Unfortunate Girl Chapter 145: The Princess of Phili / Challenge Translator: Reflet Well you are hisbrideafter all Youran thought a bit, pursing her lips and speaking. Even from the viewpoint of the same sexDDAoba thought her peevish expression was adorable enough to be just a bit envious. On the other hand, she didnt understand what Youran was trying to say. W-What do you mean That guy is spitefullyDDgleefully pulling my twintails. And youre his bride, so you cooperate with him. So that he can pull it again when we meet. Isnt that right Aoba became unintentionally exasperated. I dont think thats, the case Then, what is it Aoba thought about it briefly, then spoke after a moment. Juunishima-san wants to deal damage to Natsuno-kun, right? If he wants to do so, thenyoure saying that you want to just stop him from pulling your hair in the first place Yes, to prevent him from his pleasureDDthats my measure to reach my objective of not letting him pull it Then I think this is how it is. Natsuno really wants to pull the twintails in front of him, but maybe if he cant pull them no matter what, itll greatly damage him. Right there yet unpullable. He can see them but cant touch them. I think thats where the bulk of the damage is Oooh Eyes wide open, she slapped her hands togetger. Aoba was comparatively similar. Youran in her girly mode would occasionally change her facial expressions: an even more sentimental girl. Oh, that way does seem like it would deal him damage Yeah, thats what I think. So Im thinking that it might be better for Juunishima-san to not lose the twintails. Although Juunishima-san will probably have it hard like that I see I see, hmhm Clasping her own jaw, Youran repeatedly nodded. With a content demeanor, it would seem that she would likely be keeping her twintails fastened when next meeting Taiyou. Aoba was secretly relieved. I wonderwhat this person is Aoba privately tilted her head. The girl who was almost in front of her was the girl who had been dealing with Tsukumo earlier, in a dignified manner to boot. She was unmistakably the same human, and yet she felt like the opposite in every way, as if she had multiple personalities. What kind of human might she be Aoba had forced her way to this island because she had wanted to meet her. The public reason was that one of her mothers, Mio, had come from that island and would be coming along to guide Taiyou, so Aoba was coming along as well. Taiyou was satisfied with that reason, but Kohaku had sent her off with the kind of smile that sees through everything. Aoba had come along by hearing about Youran from Taiyou. She had decidedly mixed feelings, but if she were to abbreviate them to the max they would end up being in the jealousy category. She had heard before that Taiyou pulled Yourans twintails mischievously each time they met, so she had gone to the length of dangling her own ponytail in front of Taiyou, and yet Taiyou hadnt pulled it. He didnt even try to. Just why hadnt Taiyou pulled them? She had secretly asked the three Hayakawa sisters, their hair in braids. If they were braids, closely resembling twintailsshe had asked them that, but they had answered that they hadnt had theirs pulled either. Just what was the issue, why had Taiyou only pulled Yourans? Kohaku seemed to understand everything, but she wouldnt tell her even when asked. That was why she had forced her way along to the island. Because she had wanted to meet this girl named Juunishima YouranDDshe was interested in her and Taiyous relationship. Actually meeting her, Aoba understood?????various things. At the same time, a new question had emerged. Ultimately, what kind of person was she? That was a question formed after actually meeting her. The truck ran a bit more, arriving at a building that seemed to be the destination. It was a one-story the size of a gym, surrounded by farmland. It was a construction unfamiliar to Aoba, with a garage actually made inside the building. The truck was parked inside the garage, and after the shutter had lowered, Youran and Aoba were taken along. The two of them were led into a room in the far back. Now then, stay here briefly, New Moon-sama Right Youran nodded, answering in the New Moon Director mode instead of what she had used with Aoba. That was the slightest resistance of revenge. Youran was intentionally doing that, and Tsukumo also knew that. The two of them quietly staring at each other, Tsukumo was the first to remove his gaze. A faint smile on his face, he exited the room, locking the door with a click. There wasnt even any need to so courteously lock the door Huh Aoba stared blankly at Youran. She decided to explain to her. I mean look, there isnt a doorknob or anything attached to this door, right AhYoure right Aoba looked at the door with a start. What looked like a door had nothing resembling so much as a handle from the interior. Other than a small window near the bottom, there was not a single place attached for grabbing. I wonder how they usually open this You dont need to open it. Its just like a penitentiary, made to not be opened from the inside Like a penitentiary Right, dont you see the small window below the door? Thats for eating and the like, deposit and withdrawal. This room was made to confine people Isthat right Welp, thats obvious though. If we were instead put into a regular room Id actually consider it a trap. Cause that his objective is to keep me ???captured until that guy comes. So in that sense this isnt a torture room but a confinement room Th-That makes sense Now, I wonder how well be able to escape Eh, were escaping Probably quite surprised, Aoba unconsciously raised her voice, opening her eyes wide to the point where the eyelids seemed like they might tear. She had been listening to the exchange between Youran and Tsukumo, so she hadnt so much as thought that shed suddenly say something like this. That was what her expression and reaction basically said. Well of course B-Butthen why did you remain and get caught by that Saekusa person? Objective and method Youran said with an earnest face. My objective was to buy time for that guy and Leti to escape. So this just happened to be the method to achieve that. And this has been fairly successful for vying for time, wouldnt you say? R-Right So far its gone well with staying over there and getting captured, but there just isnt any reason to stay here, for me. Besides, even at this time Tsubakis faction is chasing Kohaku-san and the others. If I dont go back then I wont be able to issue any orders. If Michiyo hadnt betrayed me then I probably could have made some decisions on the spot While saying that, Youran walked around the room. In the dull room, she was doing things like touching and tapping the walls. If I dont go back right now the situation cant be helped. Leti might do something about it, but this country probably wont be able to freely move While explaining to Aoba, she continued thinking about ways to escape. She glanced at Aoba. Just thinking of escape, Aoba would unmistakably become a hindrance. According to Yourans info, Miki Aoba was born in a unique household, which gave her a unique thought process, but power-wise she was a girl with nothing of special mention. Even amongst those also under Taiyou, for inhuman traits Hera went without saying, Kohaku had intellect that made her someone good for accompaniment, and the three sisters even had some sort of telepathy that could be used as a trump card when it came down to it. Adano could even be useful in the worst case as a human pillar. However, only this Aoba was a girl who could not become any means of escape for this objective. She had actually been looking at her to figure out what to do with her. Juunishima-san Yeah, what If its me youre worrying about, please dont, if you can escape by yourself then please do What are you saying The so-called hindrance of a girl had said something unexpected. At first her heart had skipped a beat thinking her thoughts had been read, but Youran decided then to ask back without showing a shred of trembling. Right now, I feel like I understand the reason why Taiyou-kun pulls Juunishima-sans twintails Huh You resemble each other, Natsuno-kun and Juunishima-san. Especially when you say objective and method as a catchphrase. So I think thats probanly the foundation of why Taiyou wants to pull your twintails Sorry, could you explain in a way thats easier to understand? I wont be telling you that Aoba grinned. Anyhow, thats how I figured it out. If I were to think from Natsuno-kuns viewpoint, Juunishima-san would think I was a hindrance to escaping So youre telling me to leave you because hed say that? That I do not know, whatever Natsuno-kun would do. What I do know is only that Natsuno-kun would fret over this. Whether to take me with him, or to not go Got it And then I tried thinking from Natsuno-kuns viewpoint aboutobjective and method You tried Yes, earlierwhat Juunishima-san said. In order to rescue Kohaku and the others, that we should get out of here as soon as possible. If we have that as our objective, I really think that Juunishima-san should go ahead alone I see Youran stared at Aoba. For no particular reason, she recalled when she had first met Michiyo. She had thought Michiyo to be a trusted retainer, someone who she didnt mind entrusting with the authority of the Juunishima chief of a million. Yeah, I get what youre trying to say Youran nodded, and even in that moment, Aobas expression did not falter. Thats why she made a decision. Lets escape together While being born as someone with authority, Juunishima Youran had another treacherous face. Together with logical, she could also be obstinate. That was the girl named Juunishima Youran. That there girls a fool Leticia said above the sea. Chapter 145: The Princess of Phili / Challenge Chapter 144: The Girl Known As Juunishima Youran / Fool Chapter 146: The Princess of Phili / Cursed Blood Translator: Reflet Mm Taiyou-chan! Have you come back to us Taiyou-chan! Do you know who I am One (һ) plus (+) one (һ) equals (=) a rice paddy field () Shut, upDont shout near my ears Oh, so you can hear me! Taiyou-chan! My Taiyou-chan Speaking like you own me or something Getting up, he held down the back of his head, which was throbbing in pain. His thoughts were all over the place, but he could still tell that there was a noisy fairy squawking near his ears. Im glad And what even happened to me Seems ya came to DDmm He gained full control of his senses upon hearing the unusual Kansai dialect. Getting up with a start and surveying his surroundings, the door opened, and the blonde-haired blue-eyed girl came entering the room along with two guards. With the same appearance as earlier, she sat in a removed location from where Taiyou had been sleeping, and the two black-clothed guards were waiting behind her with relaxed postures. Despite being in a room, they were still wearing sunglasses and he couldnt tell where they were looking, so Taiyou felt keen pressure. How ya doin Horribly, thanks to you He instantly remembered what had happened just prior. As he was arguing back and forth with Youran, he had been hit in the neck by her with a striking hand. Then he had lost consciousness, waking to find himself here. He glanced outside the window. It would seem that night had not yet turned to day, as the sky was still dark. But unlike earlier, he had been carried away not to another outside location, but inside. Seems like yer gonna be fine. Welp, not like my thin arms could do much inniway For thin arms, you made quite the punch, wouldnt you say Its a maidens etiquette In what world is there a maiden who chops a sword hand into someones neck In the world of high society Leticia said, making a bitter smile unbecoming of her magnificent appearance. Humans like me mostly have that sorta thing in them, ya know Though were also taught to give up whenever we cant finish a sneak attack in one blow In that sense ancient Japan is logical. Ya know, didnt women of the past slip daggers between kimono and bosom? Those are used for resistance, and also for suicide when all else fails. Our taijutsu is the same as that Wanna know why I know that much? See, our countryDDthe Phili kingdom is the most pro-Japanese country. They like Japan too much and a mere few have Japanese blood a few generations back. Heck, even my middle nameDD Taiyou was completely silent as he glared at Leticia, strongly insisting implicitly that he did not intend to tag along with her banter. As if that had transmitted, Leticia deeply sighed, slightly lowering her tone and changing the topic. Dun glare at me like that, it was unintentional to hit ya down Why did you do such a thing She had finally responded, so Taiyou cut to the chase. Cuz were best friends Best friends Didnt ya think it weird? That gurl wanted ya to escape and I gladly cooperated. No matter how ya look at it thats what appened. But if anything I was likeYa sureand confirmed, ya know Then, what was the reason for accepting that from her at the end? Yer sayin dats a bad thing I want to know the reason After a brief interval, Leticia answered. Folks like us, see, we hardly ever get to have our free will granted. We get wrapped up in a lotta things more than the average person and our own will is constantly put on the backburner So youre saying that youll grant your wishes when you get tge chance And I might add that its if theres someone who can grant it Leticias smile became paler. In dat situation, I was probably the only person in the world whoda left er there. Opposite is also true Thats also, because youre best friends Yup Alright. Then let me ask one last thing Wut Where was she taken Taiyou stared straight at Leticia, asking as if pressing her. His gaze that was mostly a glare seemed to be sayingYoure best friends so you know right. It should become clear to ya soon And telling me about it would violate your best friend code Till the prerequisites are clear I aint gonna tell ya Is it Aoba Yup Leticia nodded. I dunno the specifics, but till that aint cleared, you movin is gonna have the opposite effect Losing his words, Taiyou bit his lower lip. Just like Leticia had said, Youran had remained at that place and had Taiyou escape was because they had Aoba, and there was nothing that could be done until that was resolved. Im gonna ask ya summat Without hesitation, Leticia began asking Taiyou in a no-nonsense manner. What What was your joker that girl mentioned DDm Taiyou caught his breath. Hera was near him, but he didnt dare look there. He simply gazed at Leticia, asking back. Why do you ask We needa grasp da situation. Ya din actually think Id leave the girl there didja? Were besties, me an that girl. If ya had to ask how close, enough to abandon each other when it comes down to it So earlier Cant just leave her like that if shes my one and only bestie right She wanted that earlier, so I granted it. Now its my turn. Plus she aint said dun come for her You Anyhoo, I wanna know what the joker of yours that she said was Taiyou hesitated. How should he begin??????he hesitated in that regard. Could it be some sorta spirit Huh Why do you think that Taiyous heart skipped a beat. At dat time, when she talked bout that joker, yer conversation was super weird. Sorta like one or two more people were thereor like ya were talking to someone via phone, that sorta way Ah Ya dun realize it eh, well whatevs. Also Also Is there something else? Taiyou furrowed his brow. Right after ya woke up ye was talkin to someone werent ya. Right before I came into the room. I thought this room could be used fer transmissions so I jammed it but since ye was still talkin I thought it was probably some sorta ghost or whatnot He couldnt even make a guttural sound. Once the origin was made that clear, Taiyou could no longer talk it off. Taiyou-chan Hera may have the same thinking, or maybe she had read Taiyous thoughts. She had first spoken after Leticia had entered the room. Taiyou let out words of comfort to her. Youre not in the wrong. You quieted down when she entered the room. Just means that she was one step ahead this time Plus the situation was just right. If we werent in this situation then I doubt shed a let out such a simple hint Dont just participate in the conversation like its something normal, I might actually think you can see her Taiyou smiled bitterly. But aint she there Yeah, but she isnt a spirit or whatever, she says shes a fairy I am a fairy` Which means she can be seen Yeah Can I see her too You can How so As opposed to the taciturn Taiyou, Leticia thrust in with curiosity. Whaa Taiyou-chan, you do not need to fret, yesAfter all, Youran-chan can??see her True Understanding precisely what Hera was saying, Taiyou took a deep breath, facing Leticia once again. In order to see her, you have to kiss me Really now Let me add that Ive already done so with Youran I see Leticia sighed, leaning back further into the chair she was sitting in. Thats fatal Chapter 146: The Princess of Phili / Cursed Blood Chapter 145: The Princess of Phili / Challenge Chapter 147: The Princess of Phili / Probably Frustrating Translator: Reflet Fatal Taiyou didnt understand Leticias words. The way she said it was weird, plus the phrase fatal was rather exaggerated, he thought. However, it would be incorrect to say that he understood nothing. Leticia had asked what she could do to see Hera. What can I do was a phrase that could also imply actually taking action after learning the answer. Taiyou had answered saying a kiss with him. She was a blooming lady, not to mention a princess of a kingdom. He wanted to convince himself that the term fatal was an exaggeration, but he could understand why shed sigh about that. Any other methods I dunno, are there He threw the question Leticia asked right at Hera. Copulation is fine` Im gonna hit you What, she say summat Nothing of actual substance Whatll that be Leaning forward, Leticia began staring straight at him. It was like she was implicitly saying to go ahead and tell her anyway. He hesitated to give it straight, but he could feel that she wasnt going to back down until he said it, so Taiyou decided to just tell her. That I could make love with you Making love as in having sex Yeah, although she said copulation or whatever. I get that its what lies ahead of a kiss butits still an answer without substance Taiyou was ready for Leticia to get mad, but Leticia answered in an unexpected way. I seeif we did that Hm Leticia was looking down, holding her jaw with a pensive expression. Taiyou was befuddled by her reaction. This was a reaction that was unexpectedly unexpected, far diagonally up and away from what he had imagined. When it came to kissing she disapproved, but when it came to sex she seemed more considerate. This was the stark opposite of how a blooming girl would react. Anything else Is there PettiDD Seems not Cutting off Hera and her unnecessary response, he answered Leticia. Hera didnt like that but she silenced herself. That right Leticia said, further in thought. From Taiyous standpoint there was no need to kiss Leticia as there was no need for her to see Hera. Of course, as Youran had said, if he were to use Hera as his joker and have Leticia see her as well to converse then that would be great, but it wasnt particularly bad even if she couldnt. So initially he had nonchalantly conversed with her to give her enough understanding. But Taiyou was intrigued by her peculiar reaction. A reaction full of contradictions that was too unusual for a girl her age. He was curious as to what reasoning was attached there. What have you been hesitating about? Im wonderin how far I needa go for her sake I sort of get that. What I mean iswhy is a kiss fatal? They say a kiss is no good fer my body cuz of my cursed blood Cursed blood Taiyou parroted in a monotone pronunciation. Hera was saying That is kind of cool from the side but it didnt reach his ears. The heck is that, eighth-graderwell it seems like youre not going that route huh Looking at her earnest face, he understood that she was not???suffering anything from puberty. Know bout my old man Nah Taiyou shook his head. She was the princess of the Phili kingdom so Taiyou assumed that her father must be the king. The king of a kingdom must be a fairly famous person, but for Taiyou who had heard of the country for the first time, he had no knowledge whatsoever. Your fatherthe king did something bad Da worst of da worst, hes da perpetrator who passed dis annoying physique along to me Annoying physique Hahh, it aint summat I would say but if it were dat gurl shed probably sayobjective and methodor what have ya Yeah, shed probably say that How bout I check with ya just n case. How much can ya do wit dat trump card Shes essentially the same as the spirits you mentioned. She can go through walls and can become my eye in areas that I cant see. And well, she can alsoconnect How bout ya show some evidence I will go see how things look outside` Before Taiyou could answer, Hera spoke and flew out the window. She exited the room momentarily, soon returning. Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan, we are above the ocean. It is some sort of amazingly extravagant passenger ship OceanExtravagant passenger ship Surprised by Heras report, he looked at Leticia. I see, aint no lieseems dat way Why at the ocean Cuz we needa. If it were Japanese territory we wouldnt even be able to properly defend ourselves, plus if we screw up itll be a diplomatic issue. I am a state guest after all, gotta have a decent amount o forethought. So we got on a ship and came out to public waters By the way, I did not see land anywhere She says she couldnt see land. We really are in the middle of the ocean huh Right After sighing, Leticia made a resolute expression. Cant be helped. Hey With only her neck aimed at the two waiting wearing black clothing, she spoke to them in a commanding tone. Ya guys can go out. Dont enter even if ya hear screamin or whatnot Yes maam Briefly responding, the black-clothed guards undid their relax postures and went on leaving the room. He understood the purpose of removing people from the vicinity, but Taiyou didnt quite get what she meant by screaming. What are you going to do Were gonna kiss, not like deres any other way to see da fairy Thats true butIts not like we absolutely have to do it Wed best do it to make double sure Thatstrue. But is it really fine Can ya promise just one thing Promise Yep Nodding, Leticia therafter averted her eyes. What happens heredun tell anyone. What Ive donewhat state Im in What state youre in He thought it was over-the-top, but he shut his mouth upon seeing her appearance. She was making such a deep expression that Taiyou could no longer think it to be exaggerated. He was forced to understand that there must be something, some reason for her to hesitate to perform a kiss. Alright Thank ye much Then, wait a moment As Leticia puzzedly said Eh?, Taiyou looked back at Hera. What is wrong Taiyou-chan The small fairy tilted her head asking back, and Taiyou firmly gripped her body in a falcon grip, beginning to walk briskly toward the window. What what what is wrong Taiyou-chan, what do you plan to do with me Stay out for a bit Whaat, but thats borDD Hera tried to say something, but Taiyou ignored her and opened the window. Everything outside the window was ocean as far as the eye could see. As there was no light in the deep at night, there were stars that completely outmatched what could be seen from the city overhead. There Taiyou swungDD Uoooryaaaa He threw Hera with all his strength. Becoming not a parabola but a straight line orbit, Hera became a star and flew off afar in the sky. Shutting the window, he returned to Leticia. Now its fine She gonna return Even she knows how to read the air. Although shes normally a pain in the ass Kay Taiyou and Leticia stared at each other through the silence. Looking closely She was a breathtakingly beautiful girl. Whether it was because of her blonde hair and blue eyes making her look precisely like a princess, she reflected more dazzlingly in his eyes than any girl hed met before. He would now be kissing said girlDDRegistering that anew, his chest suddenly began pounding. Thenlets do it Putting hands on his shoulders, Leticia silently nodded, lifting up her face, and softly closed her eyes. Taiyou felt drawn by these charming, bewitching lips as he drew closer. DDsmooch. Lip and lip overlapped. Soft like a marshmallow, hot like magma. These areher lips He developed a type of excitement toward the direct entwining of chest and groin. He had no intention of making a comparisonDDit would be rude to compare this to any of his brides. But although he felt that way, he still ended up comparing them. And he thought about it. An amazing, sugary kiss. That it was the best kiss he had ever experienced in his life. MoreDD With emotions emerging in his chest, he powerfully grasped her shoulders. Just like thisDD MoreDD Thinking thatDD ngh Suddenly, Taiyou opened his eyes wide, face painted with bewilderment. Amazingly enough, they had done a surface-level kiss, but Leticia was the one who had stuck her tongue through their lips. Their tongues were being aggressivelyDDno, offensively intertwined. Taiyou was shocked, but he would become even more shocked. When he saw Leticias face in front of him. The face of someone caught in a fever, of someone whose reasoning had flown away. The face of a female who had nothing in her head but seeking malesa primal face. Was this what she meant by state? Was this the source of her indecision? Thinking those thoughts, the next moment. DDThud. Taiyou fell pushed down to the floor. Chapter 147: The Princess of Phili / Probably Frustrating Chapter 146: The Princess of Phili / Cursed Blood Chapter 148: The Princess of Phili / Some Sort of Dream Translator: Reflet Hera continued steadily rising straight up into the starry sky. The speed she was going at was enough to potentially break through the atmosphere and ride along a satellites orbit. Wow, he totally did it, as expected of Taiyou-chan, its amazing that he kissed even with an actual princess Still soaring from Taiyous throw, she sensed what was happening from afar: that the amount of girls who could see herDDthose who had kissed Taiyouһhad increased by one. Kotone, Suzune, Kazane. Kohaku and Youran. Aoba, and then Pochi. Following them, the girls who could see her had increased by one. It went without saying that she was excited about the girls able to hold a conversation with her had increased by one, as she enjoyed chit-chatting, but she also felt a more pure joy differing from that. Natsuno Taiyou. The boy who was raising his level in real life, wielding a shovel and assembling seven brides. Hera boasted him as her master. She was in adoration of his growth/achievements, which were directly connected to her joy. She felt like thanking the unknown god who had birthed her next to him. So she was now extremely delighted. Purified joy filled her small chest. She felt like announcing her feelings to all the humans of the world. Thats right, I need to notify Kohaku-tan and the others too Hera remembered the ones who she most wanted to share the news with. To better deliver that joy, she finally put the emergency brakes on her powerful rising speed, rearranging her stance midair. Once she had suddenly arrived at the stratosphere, she took in Kohaku and companys location again, flying off in that direction. Changing course with the orbit of an acute angle, she rapidly descended for the Japanese archipelago. She descended with even more power than when she had ascended. Not long afterward, she began to see her destination. It was a trailer with the size of a bus connected to a towing bus, parked in open land at a normal pier. The Running One-Room, possessing a rustic exterior while hiding extraordinary livability within. Hera powerfully flew into the motor home that Kohaku and the others were doubtlessly riding. Beyond the walls she had slipped through was a living area, and Kohaku was there by herself. A youthful-looking elderly woman. She was in a camisole of high exposure, revealing her undeveloped limbs of one hundred thirty centimeters, leaning by herself toward a glass illuminated by the warm-colored lighting. Her lightly flushed cherry blossom-colored skin was emitting a glamorous sort of smell, and if Taiyou were here this appearance probably would have been enough to instantly kill his reasoning. Kohaku-tan So its ye. What are ye doing at this time? Is it just you Kohaku-tan, what happened to everyone The date is different here, theyre already asleep Ohhh nooo Screaming in a joking manner, Hera flew to the bedroom area, confirming that Kotone, the other two sisters, and Pochi were sleeping, breathing peacefully. Afterward, returning with slight dejection, she landed softly on top of the table in front of Kohaku. What has ailed ye, coming here at this time. Is Husband well Yes indeed, I actually have a report concerning Taiyou-chan Hohh Kohakus eyes glinted. She looked at Hera with an immensely curious face. Has something happened? Did he meet with some sort of lass Yes indeed. As expected of Kohaku-tan, understanding so quickly Oho Actually, there is now one more person who can see me Hohh, yet another quick turn of events. So what type of lass is she UmmPhili? Shes the princess of that country Princess Leticia eh Kohaku replied almost immediately, slightly startling Hera. That person. Kohaku-tan knows that person I have not actually met her. But someone as prominent as that I have learned about one-sidedly from the other side of the cathode-ray tube What is a cathode-ray tube Yer lacking in the strangest ways. I saw her on television, in the news and whatnot I see, she is a princess after all That she is. One of the princesses in the Phili kingdom, perpendicular to the equator and the most pro-Japan country. I have heard that she is able ter speak Japanese like a native, but be it true? She said, looking to Hera for confirmation. Yes indeed, she spoke normally. She said things like aint and now look here Closely reminds me of a certain singer Kohaku giggled. Be as it may, ta get a princess ta capitulate on the first day o parting, I must say that much is ta be expected o Husband Yes indeed As expected of my Taiyou-chan So ye came ter let me know that, eh Not quite. He said that he did not want me to watch him kissing Her Majesty, and then Taiyou-chan chased me out Hoh? That is a waste Why is that Hera tilted her small head in puzzlement. While Kohakus face was amused, it also seemed to show actual disappointment. The kiss of the Phili royal family is amazing, though it be but a rumor Its amazing I know not about Princess Leticia, but her father, the current Phili kings kiss is really something else Just how amazing is it He was a virgin till he had kissed a thousand people Wooow, that is amazing I see that ye do not hide yer admiration, well whatever Tilting the glass, Kohaku poured an amber-colored liquid into her stomach. So its the princess of Phili, is it Kohaku mumbled, deep in thought. Hera looked at her quizzically. What is the matter Ahh, it be not very important butI was just thinking that the lasses he be making his own be gradually increasing, ye see That does seem to be the case I was wondering just how far we could go. While thats happening While that is happening In the end we may very well be forced ter fight fer the seats of the seven people, thats just wot I was thinking Kohaku said, although her face was quite amused. Well I will be returning to where Taiyou is Wait a sec Kohaku stopped Hera, who was about to make a teleport over to where Taiyou was. What is the matter Right now, we be purposefully avoiding contact with Taiyou, aye? Yes, that is the case Puzzled, she leaned her whole body toward Kohaku. We are avoiding contact between Kohaku-tan as well as Taiyou-chan so that Pochi-chan does not get captured Aye, fearing the danger o the possibility o some sort o information leaking out via telepathic contact, that was what we decided What about it That decision, I be liking it if ye change it a mite In what way We be avoiding contact ordinarily, and in exchange can ye show yer face ere every 12 hours or 24 hours? Should be fine if yer the one ta travel ere to contact us, eh? That would certainly be impossible for normal humans to detect Slightly thinking, Hera asked back. But then would you not be considered in contact? I cannot be captured by any enemy nor discovered, but is it not a bit bad to be communicating in the first place? It very well possibly be bad, but our first decision might very well be meaningless You still wish to proceed I think it be good. I not be forcing yeHmm, how about on the condition o Husband giving his permission? I understand, I will inquire from Taiyou-chan Please do Kohaku said, lightly bowing. In this unusual situation, Hera decided to first convey this to Taiyou and look to his decision. She could only sense the whereabouts of the women he had kissed, but she could teleport as well to where Taiyou was. Parting ways with Kohaku, Hera teleported to where Taiyou was with the ease of respirating. Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan I have something to discuss with youDDwait what has happened Taiyou-chan Returning instantly to the ferrys cabin where Taiyou was, Hera was perplexed at the sight in front of her completely out of the blue. Taiyou was pushed down by Leticia, and like a beast, as if she had gone insane, she was kissing him all over. What has happened Taiyou-chan, why are you being reverse-raped If Taiyou had any remaining power he likely would have retorted. For once Hera had actually said something that wasnt wrong, but he would have probably retorted. But he did not, as he could not. Pushed down by Leticia, Taiyou was convulsing. Chapter 148: The Princess of Phili / Some Sort of Dream Chapter 147: The Princess of Phili / Probably Frustrating Chapter 149: The Princess of Phili / New Type Translator: Reflet It was a nostalgia much like returning to ones hometown. The surroundings were glistening as if wrapped in light. There was a pretty river flowing in front he had never seen before, and beyond the river were leafless trees, shining with light and standing still. He found a familiar face beneath a tree. Smiling at her, Taiyou moved toward the riverbank. So thats where you were, I was searching for you The shovel on the other side of the river was beckoning him. The upper portion was chipped off, but its beauty had not changed in the slightest. Of course, as the beauty of a shovel would surely not diminish with something of that level. She was ceaselessly beckoning Taiyou, with the kind of bashful face that lovers made. Telling him Come quickly, come to my side. Dont rush me, Im coming to you now Returning her smile, he motioned to ford the river, stepping into the water. He wanted to get to her side as quickly as possible so that he could caress her handle, kiss the cross section of her cut blade. He wanted to say thank you and get cozy. Suddenly, the shovel made a sad face. Whats wrong, why are you suddenly making such a face This was a face he had never seen before. A painful, sad face that was unbecoming of her. That face isnt like you After all, she was a shovel. Shovels must not make such faces. Just like how sauce doesnt go with eggs sunny side up, sad faces dont go with shovels either. Thinking that, Taiyou made to quickly dash to her side. Huh? I musnt cross the river But if I dont cross then I cant very well go to where you are, now can I While he was puzzling over what she was saying, that person appeared next to her. He put a hand on her shoulder, truly trying to suggest that they were close. She did not reject him. Though she was still making a sad face, she accepted his advances willingly. No way that couldDDNo way something that ridiculous wasDD Wait, do you mean to tell me that hes there now so you no longer need me? That guyyou guysDD Shovels and scoopers are different races Wah He alertly straightened up. There was no longer any sign of the river, the female shovel, or the paramour scooper. Wheream I His head unable to keep up, he furtively surveyed his surroundings. His eyes met with Heras worried gaze in an unfamiliar room. Are you all right, Taiyou-chan? Y-Yeah Can you understand me? How much is 256256 Not even a normal person could calculate that in their head Taiyou shouted. Calculating three-digit numbers and beyond was an art impossible to utilize even when his head was in its best condition. How terrible, Taiyou-chan could not even say 65536 You must go to a hospital as soon as possible OhhYou mean FFFF+1 As Hera panicked, Taiyou understood by those words. It wasnt mental arithmetic. These were numbers that he should know very well. Its okay, I understand. My head is fine Are you sure Yeah Taiyou nodded, and Hera gave a sigh of relief seeing that. Seeing her do that, he recalled the events from before losing consciousness. A sugary-tasting hell. Blissfulness spreading from the lips, and anguish rising from the inability to breath. It was happy, but painful. He wanted to continue, but he could not. He thought that out of the two vying for control, happiness slightly had the upper hand. Taiyou thought that the most amazing way to die in this world might very well be suffocation from kissing. His kiss with her was just that rough and amazing. While relishing the happy feeling filling his chest, he surveyed his surroundings. He searched for her. In the corner of the room, he found Leticia huddling against the wall. Was she embarrassed, or frightened? After seeing herstate of being, Taiyou thought either one was possible. Whichever it was, Taiyou thought it might be good to cushion the impact. Hera Yes indeed Could you greet her Ohhh, right you are, I had still not done that It seemed that the small fairys worries had been swept away by her exchange with Taiyou. Just as she had been told, in high spirits, she flew to Leticia. She maneuvered in front of the girl facing the wall. Ah Pleased to meet you, I am Hera Yerthe joker Yes indeed! Yes indeed to the max T-To the max It is nothing`. Which reminds me, congratulations on your kiss with Taiyou-chan Oo At a loss for words, her body trembled. Farther away, Taiyou reflexively gave a bittersweet smile at her reaction. It was no doubt the kiss that had caused this. The moment they had kissed, she had pushed Taiyou down as if changing her personality. Taiyou was interested to know how she became tgat way. Have youexperienced this sort of thing before Huh Surprised, Leticia peered backwards over her shoulders. I mean, you knew this would happen His interest had been altered. At first he hadnt seen it as anything other than something that he might want to ask her. But the moment she had answered, it had transformed into different emotions within Taiyou. His chest felt queasy, the kind of feeling that made you want to vent your anger no matter what. Jealousy. She might have experienced it alreadya kiss with another male. When he thought that, Taiyou felt overwhelmed with jealousy. That was an emotion he had almost never experienced until now. Even if he knew of it, this was a feeling he had not experienced. Taiyou had more than he could bear. If that were indeed the caseDD T-That aint true Flustered, Leticia denied it with all her might. Ah aint nevah kissed. This was mah first Itsreally your first Y-Yup Oh, really Taiyou was visibly relieved, and Hera who was watching grinned. Leticia averted herself with a red face. First time kissing, the first kiss. Taiyou, having participated in the kiss, was so happy that he forgot to remain composed, and at the same time, the thing that had been jealousy reverted back to curiosity. Regaining his composure, he asked her about that. Then why did you knowthat youd get into that state Thats becausemah sistas, mah sistas all experienced it Ah, you did say that you had older sisters huh Yup I see, so thats how it is Sorryfor becomin like this Resignining herself, Leticia slowly stood up, turning to Taiyou. Didnt think Id knock ya out Dont worry about it, I dont hold it against you Ahm reallysorry After saying it once more, Leticia took a deep breath, reigning in her facial expression. Somehow understanding that she was the same type as Youran who could switch character, Taiyou held her in high regard. Said girl was staring straight at the now-visible Hera. This is the joker dat gurl was talkin bout eh Yeah The heck is this Referring to me as this is mean, Letii-chan Hera protested with both hands held out. If that is what you think then I must show Letii-chan my grandeur Grandeur Yes indeed, now Taiyou-chan please move over there If its a lunge for my groin area Ill be counter attacking with my shovel, kay He reproachfully glared at Hera. She gazed in wonderment, thereafter dropping her shoulders. I am indeed powerless Did you seriously plan to do that And theres got to be more to your grandeur than that There ismore to it Chapter 149: The Princess of Phili / New Type Chapter 148: The Princess of Phili / Some Sort of Dream Chapter 150: The Princess of Phili / Before the Counterattack Translator: Reflet Whats amazing about her She said so meekly that it could have been on purposeUnlike Hera who made a gag face, Leticia asked him with such sincerity. Wanting to bring Hera into the equation for rescuing her best friend Youran, her earnestness was not to be underestimated. Taiyou thought he had best give an earnest answer. Fundamentally, she cant be seen by anyone other than us, nor can she be touched When you say anyone other than us you meanyou and, umm As if the crucial word were stuck in her throat, Leticia faltered. A hint of scarlet appeared on her graceful white face. Taiyou thought that her mannerism of shying her eyes away was cute. Yeah, only those Ive done it with He thought that, but kept it to himself. While pretending to not notice, he firmly nodded and answered. We can see her and touch her butwait what Could anyone other than me touch her Remembering that he had indeed never heard that, asking Hera. They can` Hera flew straight to where Leticia was, landing on her shoulders like a small bird. The wings on her back shut closed, and she was no longer floating in the air but riding completely on Leticias shoulders. Its true, ah really can Yes indeed, because you became able to touch me`. Although you can touch but not attack. Because Taiyou is the only one in this world who can kill me That right Apparently. AlsoRight, she can detect your location, and can warp to where I am from anywhere, that much I can say So, a spy She said in a clear tone after making a pensive face. Thinking she was referring to the most advantageous way to make use of her ability, Taiyou agreed. Yeah, thats right Thats absurd, a spy that cant be seen or stopped aint even fair. Ah can really get it when she called her yer joker. If she can warp too then ya can even use er as a communication method to make interception impossible. Well aint dat something Uuu Suddenly, for whatever reason Hera who was riding on her shoulders began shaking. When Taiyou was wondering what the matter was, Hera rapidly flew to Leticias face, chewing it. Leticia fretted as if being bitten by a pet. Hera let out an exaggeratingly emotional voice. Letii-chan-sama Chan-sama Might I, may I call you Master What kind of nationality are you The only one who recognized me is Letii-chan Hey hey, youre saying I havent? Taiyou-chan treats me slovenly, hell punch me, throw me, strip me, ogle me, you name it Dont say such scandalous things! And the latter part is completely fabricated Yahad that sort of taste, eh Thats a false accusation I like proper normal girls Taiyou desperately protested. But but, Taiyou-chans loli ratio is currently two-thirds, right If we estimate for later itll be three-fourths, you know So you did have those tastes after all Leticia looked coldly at Taiyou. Like I said, false accusations! Kohaku is an Eternal Little, Kazane is my classmate, and even Shirokiyami has good style, dammit So you did not deny that one Huh Taiyou looked blankly. He wondered what she meant by saying not deny. Well, I dun really care whether yer a lolicon, pedophile, trash digger, or whatever Like I said, false accusations Ya know where dat gurls location is Ignoring the retorting Taiyou, Leticia turned and spoke to Hera. Uhh, do you mean Yourans location Right I do know Right nowah, she is together with Aoba-chan Theyre together Taiyou was astonished. Yes indeed. It seems that Aoba is bothered, but Youran-chan is sort ofhmm, enjoyingit Dat gurls probably plottin summat Leticia said with a sigh. Could ya jump to where dat gurl is real quick? Ah wat ya to give er a word That is fine`what should I tell her Dun move, wait right dere That is all you wish to say Hera was puzzled. Ya wanna see da cool side of yer master, dont ya? Rather dan her escaping by her own strength, innit be better if I were da one to come n gallantly rescue her? I see what you are saying Well den, I leave it to ya Yes indeed, I shall be back Hera said, slipping through the wall and flying outside. After watching her leave, Leticia took a brief sigh. Now ah can have a more serious conversation wit ya DD Then you purposefully had Hera go Yeah Shocked, for an instant, Taiyou thought she felt like an old acquaintance. However, that was but for an instant. Dis aint da time to be verbally attackin lolicons For the last time, Im not a freaking lolicon Taiyou retorted with more force than earlier. He was about to have to bear the cross that no man must bear, so this was the natural reaction. Men who do a few deeds here n dere look more developed, bein a lolicon aint a bad way to go Im saying thats not it Anyhoo, lets talk bout dat gurl You mean Youran Clearing his name was also important, but right now Youran and Aoba along with her were more important, so Taiyou had no choice but to back down. Yup. Dat gurls a fool Fool Shes a gurl who rushes to move on her own if left alone. Even now shes probably tryin to escape with her own power You sure In all probability, yeah. The Aoba gurls in trouble innit? Shell prolly be manipulated into that gurls way of doin things Makes sense Dat gurls a fool, I wonder if she ever does anything that aint stupid from time n time again Leticia repeated the same word fool. Exasperation was mixed in abundantly in her tone. What do you mean Ya know dat gurls hobby Hobby Yes hobby, shes a shinobi. Shi-No-Bi. Changing outfits n exploring towns and dis earth n whatnot is her hobby Leticia said full of sarcasm Shes in a position where she aint able to do dat, yet her disposition forces her to do everything by herself that she wants to do Yeah, it was the same when we first met Nodding, Taiyou recounted his chance meeting with her. While being a noble personage, she had still plunged herself into enemy territory. Innit? Dat gurls a fool. I bet shes thinking even now dat girls n da like who cant escape with deir own power are outta fashion Have you known her for a while Whats dis all of a sudden? Welpwe known each other since before we were born Like in a previous life Dis aint occult talk, I mean politics Politics He asked back tilting his head, wondering what she meant. It was summat dat my dad n dat gurls old man decided. If da next child born is da opposite sex den lets marry em off- the usual That seriously happens? Sure does, dats why ah said we been knowin each other since birth. Although da only reason why were still taggin along wit eachotha is cuz we get along You must be close In our own way yeah So from your standpoint, she wouldnt think that sort of thingis for her It aint Leticia said plainly. Its like Zhuge Liang steppin out into da front lines, in dat gurls case. She could just be honest with herself n employ people Yui Shousetsu? Choukoudou. Pretty good for yer age And pretty good for you considering youre a foreigner Cool if ah ask ya summat too Yeah Ya kissed wit dat gurl didnt ya Yeah Unlike earlier, Leticia had this time without hesitation put the word kiss to her mouth. What sort of difference was between the two? What caused this change in her mental state? He was curious, but he decided to go ahead and answer directly, until Ya in love wit her He could not immediately answer that next question. Chapter 150: The Princess of Phili / Before the Counterattack Chapter 149: The Princess of Phili / New Type Chapter 151: The Princess of Phili / The Kiss Princess Translator: Reflet Leticias eyes were earnest, but he couldnt feel any sticky emotions. The emotions that he had read from there were different from the passion he had felt shortly before kissing her: a faint, gentle feeling of affection. So Taiyou answered seriously. Im not sure Ya say ya aint sure Yeah, Im not sure. I do like her as a person, and I probably even respect her. But when you ask me if I like her or not Yad say ya dunno Right Leticia fell completely silent. She seemed to be making some sort of frown. Whats up I just thought if it were ya If it were me Aint nothin Leticia silently shook her head. Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan Hera warped back at that time. Seeing that, Leticia muttered to herself So she really can warp. Whats happened to make you so flustered? Did you not find her No! I can find Taiyou-chans important people even if theyre spirited away. No, I am saying that Youran is trying to escape by herself Ah thought so It was just as you said What will you do Please stop her, its too dangerous I did stop her, I stopped her together with Aoba-chan, butDD Well dat gurl is stubborn on top of bein a fool She said, breathing a sober sigh of Haah What should we do Could ya leap over dere again Give her a word from me Yes indeed, what should I tell her Lolipop Loli Hera quizzically tilted her head, speaking with a straight face as she stared at Leticia. Just tell er dat, dat gurl would git it I understand Nodding vigorously, she once again slipped through the wall and flew off. And this time Its an inside thing between me n dat gurl. Guess ya could call it a trump card If you say that then shell listen to you Right onAint ya gonna ask why I get that its a method that you can use so thats fine I see You see Inclining his head, Taiyou repeated the same words. She was a foreigner so he thought that she had messed up on her word choice, but it seemed that wasnt the case. Because Leticias expression was the face of a humans unique feeling of satisfaction. Taiyou didnt pursue it. Just like he had said earlier, this was not the time to be doing that. Let me hear something else. Conveying those words to herhow much would that halt her movement? I can stop her from bein a fool, dat much ah promise. But dat gurl also aint no fool, shed move with her own decision if things got dangerous A fool yet not a fool. Taiyou was about to chuckle, but the corner of his mouth didnt move. Then, I guess its best to think shell wait until we do something Das right Butif Aoba is together with her thenI cannot properly move Briefly cutting himself off, he stared straight at Leticia, afterward breaking the ice with resolution. Between Aoba and her, I prioritize Aoba Course, dats also what she wants, dun worry bout it Sorry So ya wanna go Yeah Nodding, Taiyou stared straight at Leticia. Taiyou was not the kind of man who could wait for the results in a safe place. If he were in dangerous territory he would jump in, gaining the results for himself if necessary. He had managed to raise his level to the max in all the games he had once played, but he had not once had someone do it for him or done any sort of automatic level up. He had always raised each level by his own hand. If Aoba hadnt been taken hostage, he would no doubt have taken his shovel in hand and plunged right into the middle of the enemy encampment as soon as possible. Let her go Eh Ya said let her go too didnt ya Taiyou was astonished at her proposal. B-But do you think Youran will Leave it to me She said, clapping her hands together. When she did so the door was opened, and the two black-clothed males who had been guarding at the time when he had woken up entered. You called for us? The men inquired in fluent Japanese. Assemble da troops, were gonna invade Are you certainif Leticia moves the wrong way we fear that this may become a diplomatic issue If dat gurl gits er ands back on authority den itll be alright Understood Also, prepare an extra garment of yer clothes.sometin dat fits this boys size She said, pointing to Taiyou. My size Very well While Taiyou thought it strange, the two subordinates bowed without hesitation. Once Leticia had exuded the atmosphere that orders were over, the black-clothed men retreated wordlessly. What do you mean The reason why dat gurl let ya escape was basically to not let da enemy realize dat she interacted wit ya Oh, so if I become your subordinate and collaborate Right, it aint gonna be Natsuno Taiyou and Miki Aoba, its gonna be bout Juunishima Youran and Leticia H Keraaz. As long as dis composition is here then yer bride shouldnt be used But then you and her willDD Dats our problem, n besides, there aint no jurisdiction Tsukumo has for killin us. Plus he needs New Moon Director to abdicate, n if he kills us its gonna be a diplomatic issue I-I see What ya gotta remember are two things. Not letting yer identity git found out n gittin yer bride in one fell swoop, dats it Thats it? Sounds fairly difficult though He said, but Taiyous tone had become quite carefree. Which was becauseDD It became clear to ya dinnit Sure did Ill ask just in case, yer bride is da priority innit? Moreso den dat gurl Yeah Taiyou nodded plainly, but Leticia asked him once again confirming. So ya really can endure it if by any chance dat gurl seems like she might git shot Yeah He slightly hesitated, but at last Taiyou clearly nodded. Aoba, rather than Youran. Taiyou once again made distinct his priorities. Good then You really are a princess eh The two of them both changed for heading out to where Youran was. Leticia changed into a resplendent princess outfit. She was already a beautiful blonde-haired blue-eyed girl, but she shifted to that of a princess adorning herself in a noble atmosphere. Course, whaddya think ah am? A performance from a foreign country with an odd Kansai dialect Why ya say dat Leticia quipped. Her tone and wrist snap were perfect, but her princess atmosphere was too strong and irregular. It dunresemble ya too well Cause Ive never worn this type of clothing before Taiyou smiled bitterly. He was wearing the clothing that Leticia had prepared for her subordinates. It was an outfit with black clothing and sunglasses in addition to swept-back hair. Image changed entirely, Taiyou had achieved a transformation that was so different than normal that even those acquainted with Natsuno Taiyou wouldnt recognize him, but on the other hand he was full of discomfort at the unfitting outfit. Well, it aint bad Yeah Yer like a greenhorn who received the honor of becoming my subordinate, so in dat meanin it aint bad Alright Ahm gonna actually put ya in dat position, should be easy for ya to move when the time is right Got it AfterwardsDD Ill protect you until then Eh Leticia was surprised. Chapter 151: The Princess of Phili / The Kiss Princess Chapter 150: The Princess of Phili / Before the Counterattack Chapter 152: A Mysterious Might / Body Double Translator: Reflet What do you mean byDDngh Grabbing ahold of Leticias shoulders, who was trying to say something, he pulled her to him and covered her mouth with a kiss. Opening her eyes wide, she squirmed with a mumbling voice, but as expected, she could not win against Taiyous power. She desperately resisted, struggling as if to say I wont let you do as you please with my heart or even my body. However, she could not get away. Taiyou would not let go of her. At lengthDDshe switched. He could feel the touch of her chest. This was a strength unlike earlier. Sensing that she had finally changed, he relaxed his power, letting her push him down as she saw fit. Pushed down onto the soft rug, he was now being straddled. Fu`ha` Leticias breathing intensified. Taiyous eyes clearly saw it. The girls beautiful sapphire eyes were bloodshot. Her eyes that had become filled with that reminded him of the red light emitted by a demonic moon. Taiyou thought she was like a devilish girl. Fleshy lips were pressed onto his, and his tongue invaded through her mouth. With just a kissJust by mouth and tongue connecting he felt like hed lose consciousness. Its definitelydifferent Moreso than any kiss hed done thus farDDpleasure greater than connecting with her body attacked him. This was the same earlier. He was suddenly overcome by her transforming resistance. A rough and alluring kiss. But he thought it was different, very different. And at this rate it would be the same outcome as earlier. To prevent that, Taiyou bolstered himselfDDpushing down Leticias tongue. Mm A slight expression of astonishment appeared in her intoxicated eyes. Not heeding that, he gently pecked at her lips. He could hear a voice of entreaty. A voice without words that was full of suffocation and seduction. A voice telling him to do more, much more. He anticipated that if he were to respond, he would doubtlessly gain a pleasure that elevated even the times he had made love with the three sisters or Kohaku or the others. His heart moved fretfully in response to that. Thats, no good But he did not answer, he must not answer. He had gone so far as to kiss her going with the flow of the momentPreparing himself for what came afterward would lose its meaning. Overcoming the allure of entwining their tongues, he ended it with a simple, sweet kiss. Releasing his tongue, he continued pecking. Occasionally he would stick his tongue in between their lips, pecking her lips. Nhhaa Carnal breathing escaped her mouth, and when he was wondering what that breathing meantDD Ah A voice evaporated from Taiyous mouth. Leticia, who had been trying to entwine their tongues, had switched to pecking their lips just like Taiyou. Leticia responded to Taiyous lure. A slow kiss. If he were to put it in words it would probably be called that. It was a loose, sweet, suffocating kiss. They each began sharing their hot starch syrup. It was that kind of kiss. Smooch, smooch A reserved liquidy sound reverberated between the two. With the room enveloped in silence, it was a sound heard from deep within the body. After a moment, Leticia slowly deattached herself. I dunno Huh Surprised by such a clear-willed voice, he looked up at the straddling girl. The eyes beyond the blonde, dragonlike hair spilling from her shouldersblue eyes that reminded him of the quiet ocean were staring his way. I dunnothis kinda kiss Thatsprobably to be expected Wrong Leticia denied in a decisive, unmoving voice. Ah dun mean dat. Its true dat yer mah first partner, but I dun mean dat. Ahm Philian royalty. Ah always been lookin at mah dad, mum, n big sistas kissin. Dey did nun but dat kinda kiss, all o dem He didnt have to ask her what kind of kiss she meant. Taiyou wordlessly stared back at her. Dis kinda kissAh knew bout it but Ah din know. Ah thought Ah musn do such a thing Everyone does that kind of kiss? Right, Ah din know datdat was summat bad Its not bad This time Taiyou was the one who firmly spoke. He spoke in the kind of tone that a teacher would to a child when instructing them. Huh Theres no way that kind of kiss is bad. Even I do that sort of kiss with Kotone and Suzune and Kazane, as well as Kohaku-san. We do the kind of kiss that makes your face go pale and logic flies out the window Yado Yeah, we do He nodded clearly as if affirming her. T-Then why ya do such a thing? Ya din do it ta tell me dat its bad It wouldnt be a mistake to say that it wasnt good enough leaving it as is. I wasnt kissing you to prove that it was a bad thing Leticia inclined her head. She stared at him with forlorn eyes. Its a problem of timing, order Order Yes. Maybe itd be best to illustrate your kiss as the main dish of a full course Seems like yer prejudiced ta me If so then I apologize But Ah git what yer sayin. In ordernot leanin toward any one kiss and givin everythin a fair chance right I think so. ActuallyDD NghDD He pulled her face and put his lips to hers. Going between the surprised girls lips, he thrust in his tongue and initiated a thick kiss: the main dish. Leticia was shocked in amazement, but soon accepted Taiyous kiss, closing her eyes. They kissed violently and roughly. After a bit, their lips separated, leaving behind a trail of silver. What yadoin Dont you think we should start in order?????? Ya speak like a yakuza The blonde-haired blue-eyed princess resentfully spoke in her Kansai dialect. But that tone still seemed like it was agreeing with his opinion on all counts. So ya wanted ta show me dat Plus I wanted to know Know what The kiss with you was spectacular. That kiss earlier was sweet like rising to heaven as I was one-sidedly overwhelmed.On the other hand, I know that if I make the proper preparations before reaching there then it becomes so much better. I wanted to knowhow much better it would feel if we did it properly Yer selfish Also, one more thing What I wanted to say that I want to protect you Say what You intend to be quite reckless right Why ya think dat The color on Leticias face changed. The sweet air that had been there earlier had blown off without a trace, replacing it with the kind of air reminiscent of a cats hair standing rigidly on end. I get it, it should have been fine to pick any old location, yet taking me all the way out to sea and taking shelter, youre trying to go back. I understand it requires a lot of resolve without having to think about it I heard that youre the princess of a whole country, a state guest. Said princess took her subordinates along entering Japanese territory with the resolve to have a fight depending on the situation. Thats fine, cause your relationship with Youran is well-known. But youre even ready to take all the responsibility on yourself if something occurs, arent you Dats ma duty When a boy sees a girl taking all the responsibility on herself, he does tend to get more and more stubborn Troublesome, boys are Lay the blame on me if things get badalthough you probably wont listen even if I say that Yup, not happenin Leticia firmly nodded. Responsibilitys only ta be taken by da one in da position ta take it. If ya push responsibility on someone who cant take it then ya aint gonna be thought as nun but a lizards cut-off tail. Aint no meanin in dat Basically, no matter how hard I try, I cant take on your responsibility, youre saying Ahm da third princess of da Phili kingdom, Leticia H Keraaz. Mah responsibility is mahn alone Saying that, Leticia was radiating a solemnity reminiscent of Youran. This was the strength and solemnity unique to humand who are well aware of their position and duty. This was something he had half expected, which was why Taiyou had kissed her and had the conversation progress this far. He spoke to Leticia. Then, what can be done to ensure that you never have to undertake such responsibility Ya sane I understand that its enough of a major undertaking for you to use the word sane The two of them stared at each other briefly. Taiyou sprawled on the floor and Leticia on top of him as she stared at him. The two of them briefly stared at each other. Eye and eye gazing into one another, this exchange was enough to equal many words. Got it, denDDguess we should check da victory conditions Said girls tone was joking, but her eyes were serious. Above all, she very much so resembled the girl named Youran. Chapter 152: A Mysterious Might / Body Double Chapter 151: The Princess of Phili / The Kiss Princess Chapter 153: Mysterious Might / The Lost Hand Translator: Reflet First Miki AobaI assume youll be rescuing her Is that really okay? Not starting with Youran Taiyou was puzzled at the modest preferential order from Leticias presented victory conditions. The outfit of black clothing and sunglasses was unbalanced with his childish, youthful face, but if he were to knit his brows and create a shady expression then he fit it pretty well. Leticia responded to said boy with an awe-inspiring expression. Ah saw yer power in that previous escape sequence of ahs, and though Ah dunno its limits, yer considerably strongah than mah subordinates dat Ahv takn with me. Stronger den all of dem combined, Ah honestly think Makes sense So wed best make it so dat ya can fight without reserve But wont the process of saving Aoba expose Youran to danger Dat fool cant be killed, at least da people at da scene like Saekusa Tsukumo shouldn have dat much authority Shouldnt, huh Taiyou felt slight discomfort at that bad enunciation. There aint no absolute in dis world. But it also aint too far gone from common sense. I think theyre treatin her as someone who they must capture at all costs. If dat fool aint livin then it should be really bad for em (I see, those conditions existed) thought Taiyou to himself satisfied, and then- Ah What, whats wrong Body double Body double That fools body double, she has a body double that greatly resembles her Taiyou stared blankly, giving a wry smile at this fantastic anachronistic vocabulary. If she did thatIf she were in that appearance her survival might very well become an essential condition Theyre that similar Yup Leticia said, taking out a touch cell phone able to transpond to anywhere on the earth. Operating it, she showed Taiyou a picture displayed. Oi oi Taiyou was exasperated. In the picture were Leticia and Youran. The blonde-haired blue-eyed princess was initiating a pro-wrestling move on the attractive girl wearing a white undershirt. Also known as the suspended ceiling hold, this was a great move to the joints. It was Leticia and Youran, but from the flow of the conversation, it seemed to be not Youran herself but the body double. But no matter how he looked she looked like no one but Youran, if you were to omit the expression begging for forgiveness that wasnt like her. Her face looked no different from Juunishima Youran herself. This isnt the actual person Nope, shes that fools body double I see, well theres no way you would actually do this toDD If it were the real deal Ah wouldnt hold back and instead come at er with mah all This isnt your all Butthis is bad Its bad Yeah, if this body double were there, that fool absolutely cannot be killed will instead become in all probability cannot be killed Its quite low, but youre saying that a risk has been born Yup Taiyou, Youran, and probably Leticia. Those kinds of people can be thought of in terms of 100% and 0%, as well as the third category of other percentages. Basically absolutely will not occur, absolutely will occur, and possibility of occurring. With 100% nothing would happen even if things went wrong, but with 99% there would be a possibility of something happening if things went wrong. Just before Leticia had said there would absolutely be nothing occurring, but remembering the existence of the body double, the possibility was born albeit small. Taiyou fretted over what to do about that. If that body double child were not there, then Yourans chances of getting killed would be nil At least not within three days Leticia said decisively. He didnt know what the evidence was, but if she could declare that much then he could believe that it was fine. Then, it might be roundabout, but lets secure that body double girl Yup Leticia said, clapping her hands. Right away, the door to the room opened soundlessly as the black-clothed men entered the room. Change of plan, were gonna head to the hotel first Understood Has the special squad been formed yet Without a hitch Alright Leticia nodded, and the men reverently bowed, thereafter departing the room. Special squad Yup, they assembled togetha a group of the same physique as ya. Yad stand out instead if ya were thrown into the midst of those big men Yeah Thinking back on those black clothes from earlier, he agreed. Right now he was sporting as well black clothing and sunglasses, but his appearance was still that of a medium-built high schooler. On the other hand, the black clothing from earlier was very much so for muscular bodies, and doubtlessly Leticias subordinates were just about all that type. They say that a forest is needed to hide a tree, but if there were even one lanky green bamboo in the forest then it would stand out in another sense. In order to prevent that, this was a special squad formation composed of people with the same appearance as Taiyou. Sorry for making you do all this I dun mind, those peeps move separately anyhoo Okay Leticia and Youran as well as an unreliable black-clothed squadron had surged into a room on the highest floor of the hotel. Inside the suite room was one girl, looking at the intruders with a fearful face. Yeah, this certainly isnt the actual person Taiyou mumbled for whatever reason. The girl in front of him wearing the white undershirt was Juunishima Youran herself at first glance, but her fearful expression was something Taiyou knew Youran would never make. Though he couldnt understand via photo, Taiyou grasped it upon actually meeting her. P-P-Princess, wh-wh-what has happened? If its N-N-New Moon-sama then she is stillDD Ah gotcha. Anyhoo, were gonna have ya come with us Huh? B-B-But, I-I-IDD Sorry, aint got no time ta explain. Oi When Leticia gave a jerk of the chin, one of the black-clothed people stepped out, lifting up Yourans body double from the bed she was on. Hyan! Wh-Wh-What are you doing Lets git The party turned back. However, upon exiting the room, a different party came running. Mm Groaning, Taiyou hid his emotions within his black clothing. Because in the enemy party, he had found a familiar face. Tch, I vas too late YerChan Shaa, huh Your Ighness Leticia What ya come for I could ask you ze same, Your Ighness. Vat reason do you ave for coming ere The princess and middle-aged woman faced off against each other from either side of the room. It felt like a joke seeing the two foreigners speaking to each other in Japanese, but Taiyou did not feel like laughing. Holding his breath, he observed their exchange. Me n that fool are close, Ah thought to throw a sudden pajama party, see Sneaking visits have been out of fashion Seems like a portion of Juunishimas still undergoing abduction marriages Zat is banned by zis countrys law Too bad, Ah aint one of this countrys peeps, and Ah can smooth things ova ta a certain degree with diplomatic immunity Vat a coincidence, I am also a foreigner so I am not informed of zis countrys laws The crime of inflictin bodily injury is NG in most countried The superficial conversation continued. During that time, the air began getting more and more strained. Both parties had not moved even a step since the beginning of their encounter, but the invisible fuse was turning to ash with tremendous force. Hand over zat girl Aint happenin Zen, I need only to take er by force Attack unit, forward To both womens signals, the subordinates from either side clashed. Taiyou moved so as to not attract attention, moving by Leticias side so as to cover her. In order to prevent his identity from being revealed, in advance arrangements, he would not heed any of Leticias orders unless his name were called directly, only focusing on protection. Taiyou observed the progress of the battle. If it were only the task of scattering Chan Shaas subordinates then he would have thought it to be simple. If he charged in and released his power then they would doubtlessly fall without a hitch. But then he would be exposed, so he couldnt. Especially if he were to be spotted by his opponents leader, someone directly supervising things under Saekusa Tsukumo, one of the people seen by Tsukumo as a mother of the mother-daughter bowl. If his opponent were to discover that Natsuno Taiyou were there then Aoba would be used as a hostage. Putting aside close quarters, he couldnt risk danger from a remote location. Thankfully, it seemed something would become of it even if Taiyou didnt participate. In the battle between subordinates Leticias side was at an advantage. Her subordinates were overwhelming Chan Shaas subordinates, securing an escape route. Princess Yeah One of the subordinates yelled, and Leticia replied. Eye signalling to both the subordinate carrying Yourans body double and Taiyou, she began progressing along the cleared path. The awe-inspiring appearance of a monarch. In contrast to that, the pushed-back Chan Shaa was making a vexing expression. It seemed things would be alright for now. Taiyou thought so at that time. Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan Of all things, Hera, who had been left where Youran was, manifested her appearance. Manifesting via warping as per usual, Taiyou almost raised a shocked voice. Fiercely resisting the urge, himself accompanied by Leticia stared at the small fairy. He implicitly asked her what was wrong. Youran-chan and Aoba-chan were abducted! Taiyou stared blankly. He couldnt immediately understand what she was saying. Werent they already abducted? Doubt rushed across his mind. Chapter 153: Mysterious Might / The Lost Hand Chapter 152: A Mysterious Might / Body Double Chapter 154: Mysterious Might / Electrification Translator: Reflet In contrast to the bewildered Taiyou, Leticias reaction was truly quick. Taking out her cell phone and putting it to her ears in the form of taking a call??asking Hera. What ya want Youran-chan and Aoba-chan have been abducted! Abducted? Aint they already been? No, they were abducted. Uhh, they were abducted again from the place they were abducted to Again Leticia was puzzled, Taiyou included. The two of them stared at each other, exchanging gazes. What was going on. They both read said question from both of their eyes. He didnt get what was happening in the slightest, but, the solution to that came from the other side. The air about Chan Shaa had clearly changed. Alertly looking at Leticia, she carefully took her cell out and got into a call. It is me Hera Something must be up. Thinking that, Taiyou called out to Hera in a low, whispering voice. In response, Hera who had no need to hold back her voice answered normally. What is it Go listen to what theyre talking about Understood Hera abruptly flew off, putting her ears to the receiver that Chan Shaa was holding, almost clinging to it. It was a surreal sight. With both sides having some ten people in a strained atmosphere, seeing her clinging to the cell was a very coquettish sight. She recited word for word what she had heard. Its meDDThats the voice of that Tsukumo person Yer breakin rules aint know no limits Leticia murmured with cold eyes. The only ones who could see Hera here were Taiyou and Leticia. Taiyou was used to the small fairys existence so he didnt think much of it, but upon seeing the so-called joker performing for the first time, Leticias eyes had a dumbfounded look. Taiyou felt the same. In his eyes it was like seeing a movie where the viewers could hear everything. It was further spurred on by the fact that none of the nearby people, especially Chan Shaa hadnt noticed. Indifferent to those two harboring mixed feelings, Hera began faithfully carrying out her orders. Vat is it Is New Moon-samas body double there Ve are currently at var War, you say Ve ver outmanuevered by the maddened kiss girl. Ve are currently taking er back So you were outmaneuvered after all. But you need no longer worry about that. First off you should withdraw and return to me. Well gather and rally our stance for the time being Vhy If you give me more time I vill be able to properly capture zi body double The situation has changed. Rather than the double, a higher priority target has been found that we need to pursue Taken aback, Taiyou and Leticia stared at each other. A target with a higher priority than Yourans body double. To the man known as Saekusa Tsukumo, those sorts of targets were decidedly limited this time around. In other words, it was regarding Youran. From what he had heard from Hera, Youran and Aoba had been abducted by someone. They still didnt know who had done it, but just one thing was made clear. The fact that it was a third force contending with Tsukumo as well. As he thought that frowning, his eyes met once again with Leticias. The foreign princess nodded. He understood from that mannerism that she was thinking the same thing. Tsukumo and companys conversation continued further. Vat do you mean by zis? After you return here Ill tell ya. First you gotta return, kay All right If something happens then Ill have Chan Suu follow pursuit kay I understand Quietly nodding, Chan Shaa ended the call. Finishing her duty, Hera returned, riding on Leticias shoulder. Not knowing that the full story had been leaked, Chan Shaa opened her mouth with a cool expression. Kept you vaiting Not at all Taiyou was here impersonating one of Leticias subordinates, so she spoke in his stead. I vill ask again, vill you hand over zat girl Huh Taiyou unintentionally let out a voice. He looked at Hera. His eyes expressed his confusion as to why this contradicted the conversation he had just heard. That action drew Chan Shaas attention. Youit cant be With a start, Chan Shaa gazed in wonderment. Even if she wouldnt notice when he was in the crowd, if she were to look closely given the opportunity, then that wasnt the case at all. To her, being that the boy named Natsuno Taiyou was the center person of this affair, information beginning with his appearance was hammered into her. They had matched. Damn it Taiyou cursed, and Chan Shaa took out her cell and redialed. Stop her, dont let er git in contact In response to Leticias orders, her subordinates headed for Chan Shaa all at once. They intended to attack her, but of course, their opponents subordinates would not allow that. With offense and defense switched out, the two sides clashed. Tch Smacking his lips once, Taiyou brought into his hand a specialized weapon he had brought hiding with him. The shovel let out a roar, charging toward the enemy group. A shovel Natsuno Taiyou Fortify the center, hell try breaking through by himself Chan Shaas subordinates spoke all at once, standing in Taiyous way. He did not feel too bad as a man about his strength being soclearly identified, but this was the worst timing. Taiyou swung the shovel with all his strength and mowed down the enemy black uniforms. Tsukumo? It is me, that youth we discussed is herDD Opening up a hole in the enemy wall and reaching Chan Shaa in a straight line, he swung the shovel and blew her away. The slender middle-aged woman crashed into the wall with her shoulders, losing consciousness and falling limp on the floor. He could hear a voice coming from the cell slipping out of her hand. He couldnt hear it well without Hera translating. Leticia approached that cell, abruptly raising her footDDand going on to smash it. Snap. The sound of plastic and glass breaking was heard, and the voice via electromagnetic waves could no longer be heard. With Taiyou joining the fight the power balance was broken, and Chan Shaas subordinates had all been knocked down. Confirming that the last one had been defeated, Leticia gave orders to her subordinates. Were gittin outta here, just take that gurl and go Yes maam Her subordinates panickedly began moving. Taiyou spoke to Leticia with a grave face. Weve been found out bythe other side eh Yup. The only savin graces that the other side aint got no cards. That there Aoba girls also been seized right Yes indeed Next time we make contact theyll be able ta use their card Huh But right now Aoba isnt over there right? They aint know that we dunno nothin innit Saying that, she glanced briefly at Chan. Ahl try interrogatin her lata, but ah dun think this womans gonna talk anyhoo, plus the otha side must be countin on that In other words, well come at them with a bluff, youre saying Right Then, no probDD During that time well be contrivin a plan ta take er back innit, and once we git er back, and this time shell be brought before ya as a hostage. Cuz the other sides registered their contact wit Natsuno Taiyou I see Well take along this gurl fer now. Ah pray that she has as much a value as yer own gurl Taiyou closed his mouth. In an unthinkable manner, he had unintentionally allowed the unexpected event of his presence being discovered by Tsukumo; that he had made contact. That had made Yourans life-risking action of helping him escape completely lose its meaning. Taiyou cursed his own carelessness. If it hadnt been for him reacting there Hera To the side as he was self-examining himself, Leticia called out to Hera. What is it? Can ya fly ta where that fool is right now? I can go, yes Then please pursue em. Find out where theyre headed to n let us know please I indeed understand Not bothering to check with Taiyou, Hera nodded instantly. And we can move as we please on this end o things innit Yes indeed, I can return in an instant no matter where Taiyou-chan is Gotcha. Then I leave it to ya Yes indeed Hera said, leaving the place. Then I guess we betta go Yeah, seems so Taiyou was thoroughly relaxed. He had calmed down after doing a round. Natsuno Taiyou was the type of youth who would calm down further than necessary every time something went down. He understood what was to be done ahead, all with abnormally cooled-down thinking. First there was the need to find Aoba and companysecure her more quickly than Tsukumo. Thankfully, they had on their side a joker. If Hera found them, they should be able to take hold of the situation before Tsukumo. Leticia was to take along Yourans body double, exit the hotel, and begin migration. In order to be ready whenever, she moved while waiting for Hera. However. No matter how long it took, Hera did not return. Chapter 154: Mysterious Might / Electrification Chapter 153: Mysterious Might / The Lost Hand Chapter 155 A Strange Power / No Holds Barred Translator: Reflet Taiyou and the others were inside of a car. This was a car with bulletproof specifications that could protect against rocket ammunitionwithin reason, and Taiyou and the others were riding in it. Being a car for important people, it was surrounded on all sides by Leticias subordinates, under protection. The motorcade was stopped at the shoulder of the road. The engine was in ignition, so it was able to take off within a moments notice. But wowYou and Youran really are??two peas in a pod Taiyou was riding with them, looking at Yourans body double and letting out a voice of admiration. The girl with the white singlet in front of him resembled Youran so much so that he couldnt tell the difference even from close quarters. It was enough to where if someone were to say they were twins, he would fully believe it, but if he were asked if he could tell the difference between them there at the same time, Taiyou would probably say that he could. After all. A-Are you an acquaintance of New Moon-sama? Well, something like that While she did have the same face, her manner of speaking was entirely different. Perhaps she was nervous, or maybe she was normally this way. At any rate, she was speaking in a way that resembled but couldnt come close to Youran. Furthermore, to Taiyou, her difference with Youran did not end there. The backis definitely different Taiyou thought. From his standpoint, that was a definitive difference. For example, even if she didnt open her mouth, that straight posture that Youran visibly hadhe couldnt find a trace of the air of that careless appearance she herself had mentioned. What was in front of him was not an awe-inspiring atmosphere, but a normal girl clad with a normal atmosphere. Come to think of it I still havent heard. Whats your name? Y-Y-Yes! I-I-I-I am J-J-Juurokuya Juurokuya? Inclining his head, Taiyou tried converting the kanji inside his head. Written as sixteen night? Y-Y, Yes! And you dont read it as Izayoi I-I-I am Juurokuya! Oh, is that right He wondered why that was for a moment, but Taiyou gave up on the idea of deeply pursuing that. Many of the names of this islands inhabitants were separated from his common sense. This was already evident by looking at the islands name; surely read as Sugoroku but instead called Juuni. In comparison to said Juunishima, writing it as Izayoi but having it read as Juurokuya would enter the category of being totally understandable. So this is your real name? Y-Y-Yes! I received this name from N-N-New Moon-sama herself From her?Could it be, that one thing where the lord christens the retainer Y, Yes! I received the name Juurokuya in the sense that I am theShadow of the New Moon Really Taiyou couldnt quite understand what shadow of the new moon meant, but he did manage to comprehend that it was a name with a proper origin. That Juurokuya had been leaving her hands on her knees, extremely terrified. As he was questioning why she was so nervous, she was the one who ended up telling him the reason. U-U-Umm Yeah A-A-A-Are you also a state guest here After looking blankly at her for a moment in response, repeatingState guest, he began smiling at her. No no, Im Natsuno Taiyou, a full-fledged Japanese person and a simple high-schooler. Im a person furthest from the likes of a state guest T-T-Thenare you a friend of the princesss WellI guess Leaving aside whether they would be in the friends category, at the very least they were probably more than acquaintances, answered Taiyousecretly recalling the sensation of her lips. Wha-Wha-Wha He had answered without much thought, but Juurokuya was clearly panicking. She exaggeratingly backed off in the fairly expansive car with a Zuzazaza sound. S-S-Sorry, I-I-I have been so rude Rude Y-Y-Y-Yes, going so far as to talk to an honored friend of the princess (Although I was the one who talked to you) thought Taiyou, but he didnt say it. Because as soon as she said that Juurokuya lowered her head like that of a small animal, and he felt it was charming and adorable to watch. P-P-Please forgive me Okay, in exchange for my forgiveness please answer one question Taiyou said with a grin. He had after all thought that dealing with this kind of person in this manner would make things progress snoothly. Rather than watering it down with an awe-inspiring I forgive you, things would move quicker if he were to ask her to do this and that in exchange for his forgiveness. And just as he had thought, Juurokuya who had been given an opportunity for recompensation stuck fast to it. A-A-A-Anything you ask You are Yourans body double, yeah? Can you normally fool anyone with that speech of yours I-I-I-I can act Act Ahh, acting as in impersonating her T-T-Thats right Can you show me that U-U-Understood Juurokuya said, opening her mouth again after clearing her throat. My name is Juunishima New Moon Director Youran. I thank you for saving me Wow, thats just like her Taiyou raised his voice. For a moment, not only Juurokuyas appearance, but her way of speaking had even become like Yourans. She was undoubtedly used often as a substitute for Youran in formal situations. Juurokuyas manner of speaking was that of Yourans. But while he felt she resembled her, Taiyou also thought (She only resembles her though). Juurokuyas speech patterns, voice, expressions and the like were perfect, and even if this were an official place exposed to public attention the body double would doubtlessly perform well more than enough. But, Taiyou knew. The fact that while speaking in a girly tone, having her twintails fastened, and emitting a cheerful atmosphere, the girl named Youran was always a girl who was upright. That was something even she herself was not aware of; a habit engraved into her body: the proof that one was of high upbringing. Right to the core, this was a feature filled to the brim with her identity. I want to meet her Looking at Juurokuya, Taiyou suddenly thought that. He wanted to meet Youran. Not with a body double that only resembled her, but with the real girl. It wasnt like he would do anything about it. Of course his objective of rescue from here out had still not changed. But even more than that. Taiyou just wanted to see her. Thinking that, he slipped his gaze to the side, looking at Leticia sitting on the opposite end. Yourans best friend, the cooperative worker for saving her. Thinking to go ahead and progress in the conversation, he looked at her. She had been silent ever since they had got in the car together. The beautiful blonde-haired blue-eyed girl was staring forward. So Leticia, what do we do from here out? He called out to her, but he got no reply. He tried calling her name once again in case she hadnt heard, but there wasnt even the slightest reaction, let alone an answer. Mm Taiyou suddenly realized that something was up with her. Leticia was no actually looking forward. Her gaze was certainly aimed straight forward, but it did not seem that she was actually looking at anything. Her eyes were unfocused, spacing out. Whats wrong Leaning forward, Taiyou peeked into her face. She wouldnt react even if he called out to her, so he tried doing things like waving his hands in front of her face or lightly shaking her shoulders, but there was absolutely no answer. It was like a toy whose battery had run out. Letii Juurokuya had also realized that. Still speaking like Youran, she likewise peeked into Leticias face. Leticia did not react. Puzzled, Taiyou and Juurokuya looked at each other. Have you known her for a while too? Reasonably, yes Does she ever space out like this? Its my first time seeing this. Letii is also the type to keep up her surface appearanceDDtwofold, see So youre saying this wouldnt happen Right, at least not in front of people Juuroku declared, coupled with her speech pattern. Taiyou felt like this was becoming more and more of a deep enigma. Suddenly, something came up in his head. Dont tell me While thinking it was ridiculous, the thing floating in his head gradually began to change. From something unclear to something close to conviction. Taiyou swallowed his saliva, peering into her face from below. Strengthening his resolve, he kissed her. Chapter 155 sA Strange Power / No Holds Barred” Chapter 154: Mysterious Might / Electrification Chapter 156 A Strange Power / Breaking through with a Stolen Motorcycle Translator: Ranzan It wasnt a deep kiss, just a starter that he gave hera quick peck. Whoaaaahes kissing the princess! He could hear the rattled voice of Juurokuya behind him. It wasnt as rattled as when she imitated Youran, but it was still pretty flusteredTaiyou simply ignored her. As the kiss continued, the sucking lips of the princess had a lemon taste. Even though it wasnt the first, there was a sweetly-sourness to it. It was a hot kiss that struck the mind, strong even though it lacked fierceness. Taiyou thought her kiss was different from all the others. He continued the kiss for five minutes, and finally, the light seemed to return to Leticias eyes. Nph Even though she had been at his mercy she had seemed like she began to moan, so Taiyou finallyseparated himself from her hot and soft lips. As he did, she immediately raised her voice in protest. What are ya doin all the sudden? All the sudden? It was five minutes long! What does that mean? Leticia was surprised. She looked around, saw Juurokuya riding along, and asked. Is he bein honest? Y, yeah! Y, y, you were kissing him for a while! that so? Leticia finally understood. She didnt protest or even get angry, but just hung her head with a sigh. Though the truth was she was kissed while she was unconscious, it seemed that she still understood what had occured. I hesitate to ask butdo you understand what happened? I have some idea. Some idea? Cursed blood. She blurted out that strange magic-y phrase. In the real world, there would be a question whether words like that would ever be used. Even though she used those words, she held her true feelings inside. She wasnt putting on airs, but her tone showed that she knew what had happened. That reminds me, you said something like that before the first kiss as well. Yeah, the blood flowin inside me makes that happen. My sis has the same thing happen to her. I hafta do that from time to time, its like it recharges my dead batteries or somethin Recharge with a kissis that what you mean? Leticia nodded slightly. Yeah, but Im not really into itits onlyitd suck to not be able to help that idiot. Well, it makes me really happy though, I get to kiss you again. Whaa? Leticias face turned bright red and her silent mouth fell agape. Even in the shadowy car one could tell her naturally milky-white skin had turned red. What? What are you sayin? Ah, you talk just like Juurokuya Dont compare me to her! Wha? Juurokuya was shocked at Leticias strong refusal. As Taiyou looked back and forth at the two, he noticed Leticia firmly shut her mouth. He was surprised that Leticias kiss had captivated him completely. Just a kiss, a meeting between two pairs of lips. A light kiss that a family overseas might give each other in greeting. However, it was that kiss had shaken Taiyous heart completely. The feeling was like getting a glimpse of the complexities of light and shadowslike after one falls madly in love. Taiyou didnt dare think of what that might mean to him. Again?! Are you gonna try to kiss me again?! If you dont, your batteries will go dead, right? WellI guess they will. Listen, this isnt fair so Ill tell you honestly. Wha? I could care less about the recharge, I just want to kiss you more. Whaaat the Leticia was without words. She had already blushed red as she could from what he previously said, as Juurokuya became even more flustered and swooned. It was just as he said. Princess of Phili Kingdom, Leticia H Kellaz. The princess of a respected kingdom with history and traditions, a maiden that had come to this land as a guest of the state. The most untouchable of all maidens, almost like a rose planted on top of Everest. To this girl Taiyou had told her straight that he would kiss her and continue kissing her if he had the chance. Until this journey is over, if you end up like you just were, I intend on kissing you. Even without my consent? Yes. Taiyou said so clearly. Even so, his heart was far from calm. The kiss, and his statement that hed continue doing it without stopping, had surprised him as well. He understood that at once. The kiss with Leticia was wonderfultelling her straight in away that blew away all embarrassment and rulesit was sure proof of how wonderful it was. Thats why he told her, but he had not prepared for her rejecting him. He noticed that she had no intention of fleeing from him. (Wellat least until the end.) After making that decision, he changed the conversation. So, changing the subject, what should we do from here? I think I have an joker card. He said just what he needed to, as Leticias formerly beet-red face suddenly changed back as she answered him. And youre plannin to use it well? The joker Taiyou placed his chin in his hands in thought. In the back of his mind was an older woman the shape of one of the mothers and daughters that served Saegusa Tsukumo. If Im going to use it well, I need to know what the situation over there is like. She aint come back yet. Leticia was talking about Hera. Something happened to her, I guess. Maybe she got attacked? That wouldnt happen. Taiyou clearly answered, but in his heart he was a bit worried, thinking Maybe. He lined up the proof in his mind why she couldnt have been attacked. The only ones that can see Hera are me and the girls that Ive kissed, no one else can harm her. Are ya sure? Shirokiyami. Its impossible even for her. Aint no way. It was rare for Leticia to speak so seriously, she was so surprised that her voice almost cracked in excitement. Taiyou remembered that Shirokiyami had once planned on attacking Hera, and he told Leticia about it. Taiyou and the sisters, after Shirokiyami had spoken about the sisters being able to see Hera, had slashed quickly in the direction where all the sisters were looking. She hadnt sensed her, but with the people that were there had taken a quick guess before she slashed. And that slash, as an attack didnt even touch Hera. It simply slipped right through the air she was in. Even though shes the strongest swordsman Leticia whispered to herself. (Yeah, she is famous for it, that girl) Taiyou thought about it, and nodded to himself. Well, then, somethin had to have happened to her. Leticia stressed the word somethin. Taiyou agreed with a nod. Can we call her to us? No. Can we go to where she is? No. Yer just fulla nos today. Since it was just as she said, Taiyou didnt get angry. Now they had to figure out their situation, and in that thought they were of one accord. All Im good for is fighting. I have power, speed, but teleportation items dont work with me. Ive see how strong and fast ya are, but teleportation itemshow dont they work? Well, maybe they dont. Taiyou prefaced what he said. Long distance attacksin a game sense, no long range attacks work on me. Guns, arrows, rockets, missiles, everything. Do you have a gun? Wait a sec. Leticia ordered the black clothed soldier beside her, and he gave her a gun. Now go ahead and shoot me. Really? Seeing is believing. Leticia nodded and silently without a pause shot Taiyou. The shot echoed inside the wagon, and the passed out Juurokuya jolted up in a leap. While thinking Leticia had some guts to shoot so quick, the bullet fell from Taiyous forehead and plopped, rolling in his hand. And thats pretty much it. Its breakin the laws of physics. Its a lot easier to understand by seeing it. Everythins like that, and only you have that power? Yeah. I see. Leticia nodded, and they began to sort out their affairs. Theres one hostage, soldiers everywhere, an unspecified but unusable human weapon. Thats everythin we got. A human weapon, huh, well maybe thats a good thing. Its bad we lost our joker card. Yeah. We didnt exactly lose it, Taiyou thought. The current problem was that Hera was separated from them and now there was no ability to control. Currently it was the same as if they lost something. We should find out how much value the hostage is. No problem there. What? What does that mean? Taiyou thought as he looked at Leticia. Your highness. I know. Leticia had a short conversation with her soldier. Taiyou was surprised, almost as if Shirokiyami had done it, as he watched the girls. Outside the window he could see their figures. There were those he had seen before, and those he hadnt. Young and old as well. But there was one thing that connected them all. All of them were women. They were all there because of Saegusa Tsukumo. Thats good. Leticia smiled. We only send them hostages they want so theyll send us the best they have. Taiyou smiled in relief. Chapter 156 sA Strange Power / Breaking through with a Stolen Motorcycle” Chapter 155 A Strange Power / No Holds Barred Chapter 157 A Strange Power / The Broken Motorcycle Translator: Ranzan So, what now? Leticia paused in answering the question, and just looked out the window. A small force of only five people. Chan Su battling above the boat. The ninja Chiyo and archer Chie who fought when they saved Youran from the building. A young girl over 6 feet tall he had never seen before, and a woman in a kimono that couldnt hide two bulging, shapely breasts. If you added Chan Sha, who Taiyous group captured, it would be the complete three parties of the women. Anyway, all the chiefs were together, was the thought that entered Taiyous mind. Taiyou wondered about it. It was cloudy and unimaginable. He looked at Leticia as he felt his consciousness burn. Let me do it. really? No, wait. Why? Huh? There was no time for surprise. Leticias face suddenly drew close, and kissed Taiyou. It was an instant kiss that didnt last a second. Why? Go do it and come back. Ill be waitin for ya. There were no other words said, as Leticia turned her eyes to the five outside. The cloudiness seemed to clear a bit. When I get back, well kiss again. Youre gonna die. Ill break their battle flag for them. Leticia simply smiled and glanced at him, and Taiyou got out of the car. Right after, Leticias soldiers dashed out of cars closeby and surrounded her and Juurokuyas car to protect it. Leticia lowered the power window behind her protection, and watched her opponent from there. The girl in the kimono approached to speak with Taiyou. Her graceful figure was that of an ageless Japanese beauty. This is the first time Ive met you, Taiyou Natsuno. My name is Miyako Hagiwara. Nice to meet you. Taiyou somehow found her being politie with a rude intention, and frowned at her. She paid no attention to his reaction, and simply continued. This is my daughter Honoka Nice to meet youuuu. The long-bodied girl had a sluggish way of speaking. He felt that she, unlike her mother, was the type that thought of nothing and simply said whatever. Over here is Chan Su, there is Chiyo and Chie. Youve met them before though. The three girls who knew Taiyou silently glared at him. Chan Su, who had captured the mother especially gave of the feeling of being an enemy. I didnt know your name though. He had heard Saegusa Tsukumo called her once, but Taiyou didnt remember so he asked. So, what business do you have with me? Would you exchange holes with us? what? Taiyou looked at them in puzzlement. He doubted what he had heard. What did you just say? I humbly apologize, maybe meat pit is a better expression. If youre the type with a plug this might cause problems so why dont we just quit the pleasantries and make the exchange. Its not that I dont want to, and yes I do have a plug. And since I used the word hole, I usually say the word folds, after all, it isnt just kissing that makes us men and women, but the way we fold into one another. I dont think Im going to get along with you. He didnt have much strength to answer. The reason why was Taiyou was carefully taking one, twothree steps backwards. The extremely candid way that Miyako was speaking to him and the beautiful Japanese woman standing before him scared him into believing he would be ambushed. What do you think, a hole and a plug cant work together to get this exchange done? What are you talking about? Chan Sha can be the plug, and put two holes in you if you like, in several different meanings. What are you talking about? And what different meanings? My ears! Bam! A dry sound reverberated. The quietly joking Miyako was slapped upside the head simultaneously by Chan Su and Chie. Miyako tried to hold back tears, but it was impossible for her to do so. So lets get to the exchange. Aoba Miki for my mother. How? Chie, Chan Su, and Chiyo all stood and said this. Unlike Miyoko, who runs her mouth speaking unintelligible things, this was a clear and straight order. Taiyou turned around and made eye contact with Leticia. CA bluff. From the information they got before their joker card Hera disappeared, they knew that Youran, Aoba, and the group of Tsukumos were separated from them. They didnt know where they were, but they werent in the hands of Tsukumo Taiyou knew this, and at the same time, the Tsukumo didnt know that he knew it. Really, the joker He ignored Leticias whispered words, and instead asked the girls in front of him. Youre saying that you captured Aoba? Yeah. Your proof? Honoka Suuuure! Honoka took out her smartphone, and showed a picture on the display. There was a picture of Aobaeasy to distinguish, with her hands bound. There was no doubt that if one saw Aoba like that without any other information, they would be shocked, but he already knew they had captured her, but they didnt have her now, so Taiyou didnt think much of it. Chie didnt know this and simply continued. Now, you understand we have the girl. Just relax, we werent able to get the girl and her mother together so for them to be the holes As soon as Miyako said that, this time Chiyo responded. Cavities Yes, I see. Ill be quiet then. Taiyou was puzzled by the unintelligible conversation, but the threatened Miyako changed from her fast talking ways to shutting her mouth tight like a clam. What about exchanging her and Chan Sha? Shes just as valuable to us as Chan Sha is to Tsukumo, so its not a bad exchange. The exchange wouldnt be bad, if it could actually happen. What does that mean? Do all of you really have Aoba hostage? The picture. Chiyo said this in a low voice, and instantly took out her smartphone again. When was that taken, exactly? What are you trying to say? Let me hear Aobas voice. Why, do you want that? I want to make sure that Aoba is safe. I just heard a case where criminals murdered a hostage a month ago, but hid it and still got the ransom money. Theres no proof that the same thing hasnt happened to Aoba. The hole is still alive so it has value. Killing a hostage before we use it in an exchange, theres no way wed do something stupid like that. Even if I believe you, its only a picture. Since youre showing me that tiny pic on a smartphone I cant even tell if you plastered her face on someone elses body. Taiyou strongly said this since he knew more than they did. Were the ones with the hostage! If you can do anything to her, go ahead! While Taiyou was arguing with these girls, he was beginning to get angry. He could feel the rage that he was repressing inside of him begin to flare up again. They had not only captured Aoba, but now they hid that they didnt have her and were trying to exchange nothing for something C he was furious. In fact, he had been bottling this anger up over and over since he reached this island. Miho was injured. Aoba was captured. Youran was exchanged. Hera disappeared. There were too many things that went wrong, and the frustration had been building. There was a battle from time to time, but even then he had to repress himself and wasnt able to fight with all of his power. Now, Taiyou felt his stress completely filled to the brim. He looked over his shoulder. Leticia was protected by her soldiers. He looked ahead of him. On the side of the Saegusa Tsukumo, there were the women that acted like they had Aoba hostage. There was no anxiety except for the tiger at the gate before him. In other words, from the time that Taiyou arrived at this island, in this instant he was going to release all the power he had without reserve. The anger percolating inside of him was about to transform into violence. Looking around silently he found a place separated from everything and slowing going there waited. He found a white motorcycle, a piece of steel weighing several hundred pounds and lifted it in preparation. Wwait a second! Counter it! DIE! No Whaa? The five girls reacted to Taiyous sudden movements. Chan Su, whose mother he had captured, and the two mothers reacted quickly, while the two daughters went from looking lost to getting prepared for battle. Aggggghhh! Taiyou lowly growled out all the rage he had for the women. Chapter 157 sA Strange Power / The Broken Motorcycle” Chapter 156 A Strange Power / Breaking through with a Stolen Motorcycle Chapter 158 A Strange Power / Mask, the Third Translator: Ranzan Ugh Looks like ya woke up. Wha? Juurokuya heard Leticias words and awoke with a jolt to look at her, but she couldnt quite see the blond princess well. Her face seemed like a copy drawn by a close friend, like the air around her had withered in a way. Im s,s,s,s, sorry! To faint in f,f,f,f,f, front of my princess Dont worry bout it. B,b,b,b,b, but Instead, start actin like that idiot out there. Ahyesseems like hes causing problems. Juurokuya was lost at first, but changed her tone after hearing Leticias request. It was a very respectful tone, but her manner didnt change as she silently sighed to herself. Well, it aint exactly a problem. Thats fine then What are you looking athm. He really is a funny kinda guy. He picked up a motorcycle and is swinging it around?! Juurokuya followed Leticias line of vision. The scene she saw was enough to shock, and her composed manner suddenly crumbled. Outside the opened power window, he could see the scene through the line of Leticias black-garbed soldiers. There Taiyou had lifted a motorcycle and was easily swinging it around. His strength and mass far exceeded a normal youth as he swing and confronted them effortlessly. He attacked the women directly. Nooooooo way. Tone. is this some kind of trick? What is? someone parked the thing there. I mean, its hard to suddenly believe this is happening. Im used to him doin stuff like this. Used to it? Leticia nodded with a Yeahand watched Taiyou continue his battle. Taihyo had grabbed the seat and handlebars firmly, and now was swinging the motorcycle level with the ground. Four of the five women had backed off considerably, while the ninja Chie simply bounded over the swing, while the ninja prepared to strike with her kunai. A flash of cold light. The end of a sharp kunai scratched the end of Taiyous nose. Waaaaarrrgh! Taiyou was taken aback, but swung the motorbike at Chiyo vertically. Thwomp! The sound of a large weapon slapping against flesh echoed, and Chiyo was blown into the sky like a firework. Too slow! One of the four that had stepped back, Miyako spun and attempted to attack Taiyous back. She used the special weapon she always had prepared as she attacked his side with the end of a dull-shining fan. Splisssh! Red blood danced in the air. How about this then?! Clunk! With power enough to shake the earth he slammed the motorbike into the earth, and several pieces broke off. As the motion of the motorbike stopped, he again swung it level at her and threw it. Agh! Just before it hit Miyako, it seemed that she parried to the side fast enough, but the huge weapon instead slammed into her left lower side. In addition to her attempt at springing away, the motorcycles force blew her to the side. Miyako! Ugh! Chie groaned loudly. Chiyo recovered from the hit with three flips fit for a gymnast and landed, but then was hit by Miyako bouncing from the hit and both rolled to a stop. They both somehow stood and came to their senses, and saw Taiyou glaring at them. This is a scene unthinkable! For him to be hiding such power! Even though hes talented, I think Shirokiyami is stronger. The Snow-white Death-Goddess? Yeah. Perhaps so, but I havent had the chance to see her yet. What you cant see, you cant experience. I see. Satisfied by that remark, Leticia stuck her chin out a bit. A human that has more speed than humans, a human that can swing a weapon with more power than human. If it was enough to shock others, then it was evident that he had more power than her. Taiyou was burning with strength before their eyes. He stopped the attacks of the jumping girls, and beat them with the motorcycle before they could run away. He style was taking damage and then beating them up when he was attacked. He hits em back with 10, no 100 timesno, more than 1000 times the strength. Leticia whispered this in awe. She couldnt believe her eyes. He was cut in the side, and then beat her back with a motorcycle weighing over several hundred pounds. He was stabbed in the back, and then beat her back with a motorcycle weighing over several hundred pounds. They attempted to choke him, and then beat her back with a motorcycle weighing over several hundred pounds. Simply put it was a clear-cut fight, and it clearly wasnt one where you used wits. Taiyou absorbed attacks, so his clothes were shredded and he was covered in blood. However, the women had taken far more damage than him. After he tossed the motorcycle as an attack, its size was broken to about half what it was before. As it was trashed, the women were trashed more and more as well. Chiyo and Miyako had been the advance fighters that attacked at close quarters, but were now on their knees while the other three were panting and injured as well. The scene seemed as if Taiyou had gone too far in attacking them. Dreadful, when fighting women, you should be a little gentler with them. Its the opposite, those are mistresses of Saegusa Tsukumo, right? Its a mistake tryin to be nice to women willin to risk all for their guy. Do you think thats true? Dont ya understand? Hmph, theres no way to understand itdo you think the soldiers understand that? I wonder. Leticia gave an ambivalent answer, and changed the subject. Well, this guy hasnt thought this far. What does that mean? In order to save the girl he likes, He hasta hurt a bunch of other girls. Thats about it. Girl he likes? Y,y,y,y,you mean Youran? She didnt act this time, but just returned to her normal tone. No, not thatwell. Huh? Nah, nothin Leticia kept quiet about what she was going to say. She could feel what Taiyou must have felt holding Youran, but at this time, probably, Leticia had taken a step towards him falling for her as well. That may happen first, however, it hasnt happened yet. Thats fine though. The problem is how Youran will feel. Leticia had come along out of curiosity, wondering if it was real, but she couldnt determine. (That girls dumb, after all) It may have been that she gave over herself for a guy she didnt like, Leticia thought that it definitely was possible. She could see that the women were even more beaten up now. Honoka was spread out on the ground, while Chie, who wasnt used to the close-quarters battle, let her powerless arms hang by her side. Miyako had blood flowing from her forehead, and even under her black ninja clothes you could see Chiyos knees shaking. On the other side, Taiyous bike continued to break down, and now all that was left was a third of itjust handlebars and a front wheel. The damage the motorcycle took was the same at the women around him. Even though they were continually beaten up, not one of them had lost the will to fight. On the other hand, Taiyou was the same. It seemed he was even more willing to fight than when he started. From looking at his face, especially his eyes and mouth, one might think Taiyou looked like a reasonable and well-mannered youth, but now he looked overwhelmed with violence. Not good. What do you mean? Juurokuya heard Leticias whisper and asked what she meant, but there was no answer. Leticia began to feel that she misjudged Taiyou for what he really was. She didnt know much about him, but when talking about Youran, she thought that their agreement on what their purpose was and methods to do it made them seem close. Also, the fact that she thought it would be okay to send him out to fight, it turned out not to be okay at all. (He could have killed me with his strength. He could have fooled me, cuz they say A guy with warm lips has a warm heart.) Leticia curse her father in her heart. Why she was thinking about this, the battle was continuing to its conclusion. The five women were being knocked down and slumping, until all of them couldnt standthere was no way for them to fight. Even so, the fighting spirit never left their eyes. Taiyou and Leticia met eyes. Eyes with blood flowing around them C Leticia felt a chill. How many of ya can fight? She asked her soldiers, and the leader replied. Around 20 men. Im gonna be fine, just stop that man. As you wish. As Leticia ordered, everyone but the smallest guard remained, as the soldiers went out to face Taiyou. His blood-stained eyes turned to her. They were eyes that made Leticia shudder. Waaaaait. The person calling out for everyone to stop appeared. White hair and skin with a black dress, a slim girlbut with professional wrestling mask over her face. need me to call an ambulance? Taiyou changed suddenly to a look of amazement at this girl. Chapter 158 sA Strange Power / Mask, the Third” Chapter 157 A Strange Power / The Broken Motorcycle Chapter 159 Intermission / Unaware Translator: Ranzan what are you doing? Nothing worth intro-ducing myself for. I havent asked that anyway, its pretty obvious from how you talk. With the girls unique speaking while pausing, there was no doubt who it was. Youre wr-ong. She cleared her throat. Im not intro-ducing myselfI have noname. Im starting to feel deja vu talking to you like this. He was half shouting at her. He remembered that he had the exact same conversation the first time he met her. Let me just ask though, did someone teach you to look like that? Ofcourse. heh! What do you mean, the girl twitched her head aside as if to say. Taiyou spit out a laugh at her without thinking. Like a girlway too much like a girl. Shirokiyami, the strongest swordsman, the beautiful girl who had attacked the seven wives of Taiyou. While Taiyou was conversing with the girl, Leticias men were moving forward and eventually tied up all the beaten women of Saegusa Tsukumo. Looking back, he asked the girl more. I mean, what is that? That colorful mask of yours that may or may not match your code name. You should have picked white (shiro) and black (yami). My nameisnt Shirokiyami What? My namemy name You said at first you dont have one. Dont worry, you dont have to think one up. Maskthe Third.(a play off Lupin the Third) The famous thief?! Let me just tell youthis cute girl is sca-ry Youre getting it mixed up. Ill cutyou! Run! The cutest girl in the world is here! Run! What a gratifying conversation these two were having. He knew why this girl had come out with a mask on, and after talking to her he seemed more at ease. It was a short moment, but so much already hadnt gone rightnothing was differentso this casual talk with this girl had the calmness of being at home again. He wanted it too feel even calmer, but he had to check something first. I seeI could care less about your name. But could you tell me the reason that youve come here? Your wifeI haveher. I knew it. What is she talkin about?! Leticia stuck her head out the window. So ya know who this girl is? Dont you know her? Sure! Shirokiyami, White-snow death goddess. The strongest swordsman, pretty famous as a human weapon for her tactics. Tactics? Dont you mean technique? Yeah. HuhI guess I get it. Someone like Taiyou that thinks of purpose and means as different things means that he thinks of strategy and technique also as different. A strategic human weapon. It would be too much of an exaggeration for some to say that about one person, especially about a young beautiful maiden, which Taiyou thought was strange. He thought it was strange because he had actually fought her before. Well, this seems like fate. But, the wife youre holding, is it Aoba? Mask the Third nodded slightly. That idiot! Youran Juunishima?! Shes in my hands as of the lastnew moon. Now thats a cool way of saying it! Ya had a mysterious strengthright? Whats yer purpose? The reason ya carried her off? Leticia had the tone of demanding an answer. Taiyou and this girl had an unknown incident before he came to this island, and she was worried at how familiar they were. Answer me! Leticia shouted, but Taiyou raised a hand to quiet her. What the? If its Youran youre worried about, shes okay. I can assure you. what does that mean? Leticia toned down, but began staring now at Taiyou. Taiyou ignored her and asked Shirano, Mask the Third. I have a thought for you. Gul-p. Dont say youre gulping. I can assure her life and fi-delity. Thanks. He already knew that she was okay, but he wanted to make sure that she wasnt his enemy. No, if she was there to fight him, theres no reason she would have arrived wearing a mask. Even though it was obvious who she was, because she was concealing who she was it was proof she was not hostile to Taiyou and the others. If you thought about the reason why she didnt fight before, it was clear. She was the one that stole Youran and Aoba from Saegusa Tsukumo. With this is mind, Taiyou could finally relax. He lifted his head up, and breathed out all the air in his lungs in relief. Well. Once that was over he faced Leticia and looked straight at her. Why ya doin that? I want to borrow something from you. Borrow somethin? Yeah, just any of the cars you have. You gonna kill her? Yeah, I will. Okay, take whatever ya like. Thanks. Taiyou said that and walked toward one car parked among many there. Leticias soldiers looked at him strangely, but after a wink from Leticia, all the soldiers moved away from the car he was standing near. Taiyou stood in front of the car and faced Mask the Third. It takes me back, having to fight you again. Its niceto m-eet you. Oh, thats right, this is the first time we met. He smirked and laughed. It made him snicker to see a little girl like this act so stubbornly. Okay, let me ask you one more thing. If I beat you, will the girl Shirokiyami be mine? Iguess? Though she tilted her head and inflected the answer as a question, Taiyou took the answer as the affirmative. Okay then. Taiyou nodded, bent, and gripped the bumper of the car. He put power into his stance, and picked up the car in the air. Whoa!That much power with wounds all over?!Hes a demona monster!! Leticias soldiers mumbled among themselves. Waitwaitwaitwait! Leticia lifted out her hand to stop them. Taiyou quickly put down the car. The car landed with a thud on the asphalt and shook the earth. What is it? What was all that ya said? Now? About her bein your girl? Well, um, I just did I guess. He had said it more as a comment, so hearing Leticia yell at him seemed to shut him up. But saying nothing about itwell, thats even more embarrassing, so he spoke again. Because of her promise, Im going to fight herand if I win, shell become a bride of mine. Whaaaaa? Leticia was again lost for words. Taiyou felt even more embarrassed, and tried to explain himself further. I know its a bit brash, but, it seems theres no other way. I mean I have to fight her, fight, and beat this girl sometime! He lifted his fist up and stuck it out, signalling his decision. He looked back at the enemy he was to face. Even with the mask on, he knew it was her and his heart began to pound. SoooLeticia? Let me borrow the car, he motioned looking back at Leticia, who for some reason was now bent and shaking while holding her shoulders. What is it? Something wrong? Yer wrong. Wha? Yatake something from me so ya can get at that girl. Wha? Well, yeah, to beat her. I mean, as a person. What? He asked again to hear what she meant by the second comment, while Leticia lifted her face again. Her shoulders were still shaking, and her face was red in an expression that wasnt shyness. Leticia? Ya need to take a rest. Wha? Taiyou was surprised. Leticias beet-red face was covered with a strange smile. A strange, unnatural smile that for some reason, made him feel some kind of pressure. No, Im not done yet. Yer injured, ya cant push yerself too far. But Take C a C rest. Um He couldnt describe and had never felt that pressure before. It was pressure from a different vector that Shirokiyamis murderous intent. He wondered why, just like Leticias smile, that her sudden smile had appeared upon her beautiful face. He felt like a frog that was being stared down in a serpents smile. You Hmph! He tried to protest, then in the next instant. Gaaaahhhhgh! Taiyou was struck strongly in the stomach with a fist. It was a bodyblow that seemed to arc his stomach inwards. His consciousness seemed to fade, and he tried to suppress this, but even so his mind seemed to be fading out into whiteness. The bodyblow, in addition to the damage he had already taken, brought him to the edge of his awareness. His mind spun, and he fell to the ground. Whatthe Relax and calm yer head. Whatdid you hmph! Heehe-ee. Hey ya! With the laughin mouth! Whats with that face?! I have a mas-k onso you dontknow. I can see it even with yer mask on! Whoaaaaa, Iiiiiive seen something really crazy! Did you see that?Yeah, that was a stronger punch than I could have done!Women are scaaaaary! The tumult finally started to settle. Among his fading consciousness, he realized this was the first time he had passed out because of her, as Taiyou remembered her sword attack on him the previous time. (Her martial arts dont match her soft lips) With most of Taiyous worries resolved, he still thought about those lips as he finally lost consciousness. Chapter 159 「Intermission / Unaware」 Chapter 158 A Strange Power / Mask, the Third Chapter 160 Intermission / Settling Things Translator: Ranzan Where isthis? He opened his eyes to an isolated, box-shaped fluorescent light on the ceiling. Surrounding that were white-painted walls with little adornment, different from a castle and more like an older apartment building that he had no record of ever seeing before. It was almost like that line from EvangelionIve never seen this ceiling before. He could hear a girls voice beside him. A jovial happiness with words that one had to make jokes about. He found the owner of the voice after turning his head to look in her direction. His eyes faced hers, and it was the body of a fairy that he finally found. Hera Yes, desu. Youre the only one for me, desu. When did you get back? He awoke his body from the bed he had been lain down. He still had vertigo a bit, but it wasnt so bad that he couldnt get up. You came here yesterday, desu. Yesterday? Yes, desu. Everyone went back home while you slept, desu. how long have I been sleeping? A whole day or so, desu. really. Taiyou opened his eyes wide after hearing this. He looked at hims body again, and he had on hospital gowns and not the black clothing of Leticias soldiers before he had fallen unconscious. After seeing all the bandages and gauze on his body, when he moved he could feel the pain return to his body. He understood that the damage he had taken required a whole day of sleep. After hearing about your fighting, Taiyou, I think you shouldnt get into overwhelming fights like that, desu. Like fights that require you use Super Armor to be worn, desu. I think so too, and its something I need, and after reaching level 5 I wasnt able to select Super Armor. Do you know when it will be available again? I know buteven if it becomes available, you wont choose it again, right? Why? Because youd want a different skill, desu. I see. Taiyou nodded and understood. He was a typical power character with talent in real leveling. If he were to select Super Armor, it would actually make him too powerful, so he knew by leveling everything to the max would allow him to get various other skills to pass the game fully. His invincibility against ranged weapons now, and its ability to stop all flying attacks against him was still no match for Super Armor. Even so, leveling up without it is way more fun. Because of all the stuff that happened lately, my levelling was stopped, so I have to level up soon. Yes, desu. I will help you, desu. Yeah, please. While Taiyou was talking, the door opened a crack. He say the double-ponytailed face of Aoba peek inside. Aoba! Natsuno-kun! She lifted her face to see what he looked like now, but as soon as she saw Taiyou awake, she flung open the door and came into the room. She ran small steps up to him and faced him. So youre okay? What about you, Natsuno-kun? Are you okay? Yeah, as much as you see here. As he said that, he hoisted himself up from his prone position and lifted the gurney he was on above his head. The bed was so heavy it seemed like a gimmick to him, but he was still able to lift it up quickly. Whoa! You dont have to go that far. Put it down, down! Aoba was in a tizzy. Taiyou started to put the bed down in front of the worried girl. After he put it down as she said, she relaxed and embraced him. Natsuno-kun?! Im glad youreokay. Y, yeah And, sorry. I wasnt able to save you. Even though I had to do it myself, it seems that others did the job for me. Natsuno-kun Im really sorryI promise, Ill get stronger, and if the same thing just happens to occur again, Ill be the one to save you myself. He embraced Aoba strongly. She could feel his emotions and wrapped her arms around his back as well. A brief silence, a content calm. Right after that, Aoba spoke again quietly. Jeez, this isnt like you Natsuno-kun. Why? I just said this isnt like you, Natsuno-kun. As she said that, she had her face buried in his chest so he couldnt see her expression, but her tone seemed relieved. Isnt like the normal me? Yeah. Because you always talk about purposes and means. If someone completed your purpose of saving me, who did itand what means they used dont make a difference to you. Uhwell Taiyou couldnt force out the words. It was just as Aoba said, that his personality would allow any means to achieve his own purpose. Because he didnt think of that, but his wife Aoba did, Aoba couldnt give and excuse for why it happened either. But, Im happy. What? Because I can feel that you were thinking of me as so importantIm happy. Aoba Natsuno-kun He pushed her shoulders back so he could separate her face from his chest and see her again. Then he quickly gave the close-eyed Aobas lips a kiss. Natsuno-kun Aoba After the kiss, they locked eyes again, and like magnets drew together a second time. Kinda early to be doing this! Whoa! Once moreas he leaned in again for a tongue-entwining kiss, he heard an vulgar-toned voice interrupt from the direction of the door. With her back to the frame of the door, a girl with twin ponytails sood there starting. Youran! Ah, sorry. I forgot to knock. She said this she stood in the door as if to say knocking was pointless anyway. The door being opened revealed a now very animated Taiyou and Aoba, who pushed him away. Taiyou cleared his throat, and asked Youran, Youre okay too? Of course, who do you think I am? A cute girl. Wha?! Youran was speechless, and her face blushed. She lifted her back from the door frame and faced Taiyou with a surprised face. W,w,w,w, what do you mean by that?! Ah, you sound just like Juurokuya! Or she sounds like me! Well, I wonderI think your way of speaking sounds more like hers though. As if! I dont even stutter like her! The only reason I did is because I came across such a strange sight! Its not a strange sight. Taiyous face became serious and looked straight at Youran. She took on an ignorant look and her slight body gulped down a breath. W, what does that mean? It means, please never do something like that again. If a cute girl like you ever sacrifices herself like that, its so harsh that its like allowing yourself to be strangled to death because I cant help you. You were just talking about the differences of purpose and means, right? It was right for me to use those means for the purpose to be completed, right? The purposewasnt different from what my principle was. Save Aoba, and not let you get into trouble was what my purpose was. Me too? You too. Youran was a bit shaken as Taiyou nodded clearly. IIm not saying something stupid! I, its good you just woke up, now since you can talk you can go and see everyone! Ah, youre right. Natsuno-kun, can you walk? Are you okay, Taiyou-chan? The two girls both smiled at him, and attempted to help him out of the bed, but were stopped. Then he followed Youran through the room. As he followed Youran, he suddenly got turned on. While he was walking beside Aoba, he hurried up and followed Youran. Yipes! He pulled down both of her ponytails. You pulled them again! Youran stopped and turned around in protest. She had a tear in her eye. I saw you and had to do it. HAD TO? Sorry, sorry. You said the same thing before! Really? Dont say really? Whatever, just get in front of me! But, I dont know where I amand where I should go. Just lead me on. Youre just telling me that so you can pull my hair again! But doing that If youre not going to do it, then promise me! Youran shouted up at Taiyous leering eyes. Just then Aoba tried to break into the conversation. Natsuno-kun, Ill show you around. Youre fine with that Youran? I dont really care either way. Youran squinted in disgust. Please, then. After Taiyou said that, Aoba replaced Youran in front and led him around. As if the hair was happily dancing itself, it seemed to spin in the wind as the ponytail bounced left and right as she walked. After asking Aoba if it was okay to follow, Taiyou walked next to her and looked while he pondered over a worrisome memory in his mind. Um, Natsuno-kun Yes? Her voice seemed to break into his thoughts. She looked at him, stopped, and nervously gazed at him. Im supposed to be walking in front of you. Yeah, youre right. II put my hair in a ponytail today. Yeah, it looks cute today. The thing that keeps it in place is cute too. It really matches your name. Even though he complimented her naturally, for some reason she returned a complex expression. She seemed to begin walking again with a forlorn expression. Taiyou wondered what had happened. Taiyou-chan Its not just me either For some reason, Youran gave him a blank expression which caused him to tap her head in a frenzy, causing her to explode in anger again. Chapter 160 Intermission / Settling Things Chapter 159 Intermission / Unaware Chapter 161 - Intermission / The Girl that Fell for Translator: Ranzan Taiyou changed and the two girls continued showing him around. Outside of the window in the hallway was a broad horizon, and the sun shone onto a blue sea. Above the ocean a sunit made Taiyou think of Leticia. Does this happen to be Leticias boat? It seemed like staying on the island was inconvenient, so for now, yes. Youran answered his question, as she walked along beside Taiyou and watched his hands just so she could make sure he wouldnt pull her hair again. So were still on the ocean. You didnt notice? It was the same before, were on the water, but nothing rocks. Well, a big ship like this doesnt rock. Even so, somehow when you imagine Leticia, you get the image of the ocean, right? Youre right. Leticia always loved the ocean since she was young, and she was born on a ship, at least she said so. That so? They always use this boat to come when they visit us. Were different though, like when we visit Japan, we always use an airplane. So you always use the sky then. Maybe the name is Shingetsunokami or something with the moon in it? No, not at all. Its only because an airplane is the fastest way to get from place to place. Youran said with a blank voice and a stare. Taiyou considered the means and agreed. So, maybe you have your own jet then? Sure. Whaaaaat?! Aoba, walking in front of them, suddenly screamed. Youre saying you have your own JET?! Well, the secret is that in Juunishimavillage has its own jet, so its not ours but a government plane, actually. Ah, I see. WowI bet the inside is like a room and all, right? Just before they got to the island, Aoba go to see a trailer-style camping car of hers called the Running One-room. Aoba probably imagined it looked like that. Yeah, I guess so. You can board your own family and just relax inside, right? Yup. Aobas eyes shimmered at the thought, while Youran answered her with a strained smile. When I was a child, though, I couldnt ride around with my father in the same vehicle. Why is that? Political reasons. You have to prevent the number one and number two from dying in the same accident. Just like the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor have to go to different counties in different planes. Really Aoba nodded as if she understood. Taiyou, on the other hand, silently stood surprised. He realized that Youran was in a supreme positionhe felt that she was on a much higher place from where he stood. And though an airplane was a way to move riders from one place to another in the fastest way possible, it was a vehicle with the possibility to create a huge accident with one small mistake. Opposed to a car or ship in which survivability was high in the event of any accident, when an airplane has an accident, everyone will probably end up dead. Thats why, in order to lower the chance of an accident all planes have two pilot just in case the other becomes necessary. In order to prevent both pilots getting food poisoning at the same time during a flight, different foods are ordered to be delivered from different suppliers to eat. This is why all passengers also are able to choose from two different meals during a flight. Also, at the same time, the leader and secondary leader of most countries move around in different vehicles as a rule. One famous example is Air Force One and Air Force Two. Juunishima Shingetsunokami Youran. That meant that she was on the same level as leaders like that. It sounds so lonely, usually its sad to not be able to ride with your family, desu. Hera suddenly appeared with those words, a sullen appearance and drooped shoulders. She sadly nodded as she flew around in an interesting pattern. I dont care, I really dont see my father as family. Hes just a separate person with the same blood. A separate person with the same blood Yourans words spilled out of her tongue. To Taiyou it seemed that she was just resaying Yourans thoughts, but Hera was thinking over the depth of what was said. Youran-chan, Youran-chan, I want you to take us all in the airplane of yours, desu. Everyone? Taiyou-cahn and his wives, desu. I dont mindwhy? Its something I saw on TV, desu. When you kiss in the low pressure up high in the sky, Ive heard that it feels very good. Because Taiyou loves kissing so much, I wanted him to be able to do that, desu. Hmmph. Youran opened her eyes wide as if she wanted to give Taiyou a piece of her mind. No, no, nofirst of all, theres nothing you can do about the air pressure. Its a closed system. No, you can. What? When you get on a plane, your ears pop, right? Thats because the pressure decreases. Oh, is that what that is? Taiyou had never ridden a plane, but he understood the logic. Understanding the logic, next he imagined it. (Kissing above the skies) Taiyous heart thumped at the thought. If he could actually do it WellIll think about it. Thank you, desu. After that conversation, they all arrived at the front of a door. Aoba knocked on the front of the door, and Hera floated through it without waiting for a reply from inside. Please come in, desu. Youre telling us? Its okay, come on in. Taiyou had just responded to Hera when they head Leticia respond from behind the door, so Aoba opened it and the three entered. Taiyou looked around the inside of the room. Leticia, and Maskthe Third? Taiyou voiced the still unfamiliar name. Only the blonde-haired princess was in the room itself, but outside, standing on the verandas handrail sat the white-skinned girl. She was barely moving and was facing the sea. Though he was used to seeing her long white hair flowing in the motions of the wind, he still wasnt used to seeing the wrestling mask that covered the rest of her head. Taiyou slowly entered the middle of the room pretending to ignore her, and sat himself in a sofa facing Leticia. Aoba and Youran both walked up and sat beside him. Taiyou, Aoba, Youran, Leticia. With Hera, there were five people meeting together. Is yer body okay? Yeah, fine. By the way thanks for bringing me here. No biggie. Ya just looked like ya needed a fresh restart. Leticia said this, and called Hera over to her shoulder, which Hera sat on. Just to check, all of yall can see this little shrimp on my shoulder, right? Im not a shrimp, desu. Hera protested cutely, and Aoba, Youran, and Taiyou nodded in agreement. Taiyou suddenly remembered something and turned to Youran and Leticia. Youran understaood what was about to happen and simply acted nonchalantly. Dont worry about it. I knew that something like this would be necessary. Leticia was made able to see Hera she had kissed Taiyou and wondered how her friends would view it. She thought about this and looked at Youran, who seemed needlessly anxious. I see. Maybe, its better for you Letty? I wonderits not like something drastic is gonna come of it. You see her? I do. As Leticia answered, Youran nodded in understanding. She had come to know her as a friend after knowing her a long time, and Youran knew this about Leticia. On the other hand, Aoba didnt know about this, but after Taiyou explained she presently came to understand the situation. Well, lets get things settled now. Everything I need to take care of and everything you all need to take care of, lets get it all settled. Yeah, please. First, lets start with the origin of the finding of Anoda. Anoda? Aoba was confused. The girl that you call Pochi. Her real nameor original name is Anoda Juunishima, a younger sister of a different mother. I see I dont want to her be angry about it, so its okay to call her Pochi, right? Sure, in exchange Ill call her Anoda myselfI knew about it from long ago. Since we found Anoda, my political enemythough theyre relativeshave invited her and are bringing her here. Thats why I came here to this island. Pochi is Kohaku-sansis attached to the same Kohaku who has the same Eternal Little as my mother. Somehow, she couldnt live with Kohaku and is coming here. She was attacked on a ship coming to this island. And, the mother Shes okay, Aoba. We took her to the hospital, and she wasnt completely uninjured, but there was no threat to her life. Thats good After that, we fought with Saegusa Tsukumo, who carried that girl off. We were both captured for a bit, but now since were here, we actually stole away all of their main attack force. And thats pretty much it for now. Leticia summed it up, while Taiyou nodded. But, well However, he was surprised at the next statement. That Saegusa Tsukumo is riding in this ship. What? Taiyou looked puzzled at the unexpected development. Chapter 161 – Intermission / The Girl that Fell for… Chapter 160 Intermission / Settling Things Chapter 162 - Intermission / The Man who Reset Himself Translator: Ranzan Hes on the shipyou mean hes riding now?! Yup. Leticia answered with a disaffected face. As she looked at everyone elses surprise, except for Youran similarly having a nonchalant look, Aoba seemed to have an expression of not deep concern, while Hera looked bothered by something. Is he captured? No, he came here on his own. Hes waitin in the other room, albeit patiently. Came on his ownwhy? Hes sayin he wants the women back. Women? The six women we captured, he says he wants them back. and he got on this ship for that? Yeah, pretty much. I was surprised he found this place though. Youran talked banally. Even though she should have felt betrayed by what Saegusa did, she seemed to not have a negative tone to her voice. Instead it was more empty, more than usual. Well, his younger sister is the one that did it. Momo Saegusa, everyone despises her. If you dont call her Haku, she gets really angry, right? Ah, yeah. Thats how she reacted. Aoba had turned towards the sea and nodded quickly. Taiyou and Leticia dont understand, what had happened to the two when they were captured. Is she stupid? Yeah, she isits hard to tell if thats in a good way. I see. That typeI dont exactly hate. Im still on the fence. Right? Huh, huh? Youran and Leticias hard to understand conversation. Aoba was lost watching them. Even though she should have understood, she seemed lost at the understood communication going on between Leticia and Youran, even though she should have known it. Next to her, Taiyou also was lost. Not only was he ignorant of their story, but he couldnt even follow along. Leticia then looked at Taiyou and continued. Well, now. I guess we should leave it ta him. What? Can I decide this? Leticia shook her head and Taiyou was even more lost. kay. Those six women are the ones you got yourself, so Im leavin them all to you. Is that okay? Taiyou looked at Leticia and Youran, and they looked over him to confirm this. Its no big deal for me. Me too, Ill leave it all to him. got it. There was a bit of hesitation, and then Taiyou stood up. If thats what youre talking about, where are they? I know, Ill show you. Hera flew over and landed on Taiyous shoulder. Ill wait right here. Yeah, if we girls go then its just going to make the conversation more difficult, so well stay here. Well, Ill stay here too then. Leticia, Youran, and Aoba all sat on the couch, saying that they wouldnt go. Because Taiyou thought that was good, he had no objections. For some reason he looked out the window. ShirokiyamiorMask the Third was sitting so motionlessly it would be no surprise if she was a statue. Though there was a glass between them, her sharp ears had to have been listening into the conversation.Taiyou accepted her lack of movement as just her way. Well, lets goI think its been a while since weve done something together, Hera. Oh, youre right, desu. I mean, it seems like we dont spend any time together, in fact. It seems right after I met you, I then met Kotone and the rest. Heh heh heh What is it? Why is your face red? Becausebecause Hera looked a little excited, as she raised her clenched hands up and down in front of her chest. This is a love date with Taiyou-chan, desu. Hera was so excited, she flew up to Taiyous cheek and gave it a short kiss. Stop that! It tickles! Stop being mean, Taiyou, its cruel to tell a girl that it tickles when she kisses you, desu! I wonder if you can call it a kissits more like puppy love. Well, what about this? With that, she kissed him on the lips. A lip to lip kiss, but Taiyou felt that it was almost lke a family pet licking someones face in a way. Thunk, clunk, wha-fwoom! The girls there reacted to this with anger. Both Youran and Aoba stood up and glared, while the girl out the window stretched her muscles with murderous intent. Dont look at me with that scary face! Dont take out that sword! Dont look like youll kill me! Taiyou addressed them all. The reaction of the two girls in the room was noticeable, but outside, the reaction of the sword-girl seated on the railing was a bit too much. I mean, why did you even react? Even though Hera didnt see it, thought Taiyou. But somehow, as he thought Why did Mask the Third move?, she turned her head a bit and resheathed her sword. Then she said to him, Come on, bud, are you having THAT TYPE of relationship with HER? Natsuno-kunwhen did you Its not like that! Youre getting it all wrong! This makes you look like a lolitalover. The window opened, and he could hear Masks strange pronunciation. Another baseless rumor! Taiyou reacted strongly at the same cross he always had to bear. After saying that, the girl in white closed the window again. But that looks pretty Lolita-complex to me! Its not Lolita Kohaku and the youngest of the three sisters Ugg Taiyou was lost for words. He was weak about those things. Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan, Im okay with you having a Lolita-complex! Take this! Taiyou slapped his laid-back companion Hera on the head in protest. What are you doing, Taiyou-chan? Just shut up, youre making this worse for me. Well, I dont care if you have a Lolita complex at all. Even though its kind of yucky, it doesnt hurt anyone. Im telling you, Im not! Not only a Lolita complex, but in addition, he likes the whole mother/daughter thing too. Right, Letty? I aint got any complaint. Letty? Even though it was Leticias words that seemed to echo Yourans when she heard it, Youran didnt have any nuance when she said it, Aoba noticed as she sat beside the two. Leticia was very calm and composed. Though she used some extreme Kansai-dialect from time to time, she still seemed to very much have the higher tastes of a princess. Even when Hera kissed Taiyou, she had nary a response. She was calm about it completely. What? WhatI mean After being directly questioned by Leticia, Youran had no response. She didnt know what to say even though she wanted to say something, was her expression. A strange atmosphere surrounded them as Hera flew in front of Leticia and then looked up at her. Letty-chan, Letty-chan. Yeah? Letty? What arent you complaining? Hera was always unable to read the fine print in a conversation. Its not that I aint got a complaint, I just dont have any reason. Are you sure? Yup. But if you had to choose Leticia elegantly turned to Taiyou and laughed. I cant get away from this fella anyway. Thunk, clunk, wha-fwoom! All the girls reacted strongly again. I cant justig-nore that. Mask the Third opened the window and climbed in the room. What didthat m-ean? Dont just but into our conversation! You have a bunch of doubts about all of us anyway! So can you see her? Or not? I cantsee. She shook her head. But it seems likea protec-ting spirit, or a Jo-Jos Adventure standor a mind-spiritor All are wrong! And whats the last one?! But I can feel shesthere. Everyone islooking theretoo. She pointed at where Hera was flying. Just as before, all those seated were gazing at where Hera was together. You really are something Yami-chan, desu. Is that what you mean by cant get away? Lettydoes this mean Come on, lets go, Hera! Taiyou and Hera went dashing out the door. Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan, I just noticed something. What? Outside the room, Hera appeared after Taiyou had just shut the door. The idol correctionit increased! what? Just after that, because of her, his status worries were everywhere. After correcting his skill his status increased, and suddenly was enough for four people. Chapter 162 – Intermission / The Man who Reset Himself Chapter 161 - Intermission / The Girl that Fell for Chapter 163 - Intermission / The Prince and Princess Translator: Ranzan Really, well, Hera Taiyou walked along the hallway Hera was guiding him. He called the fairy back as if he had suddenly remembered something. Hera turned around to him, and while flying asked him. What is it? You can talk in front of people now. What? Is that okay now? Yeah. Its true you cant be seen or touched by anyone other than us, but people who can sense you can still sense you not matter what. Just like what happened. You mean Yami-chan. you have to call her something different when she has that mask on. I know, desu. Ill call her Mask, desu. He wondered about that name, but the girl herself asked to be called Mask the Third, so, whatever. There are people that can sense were looking at you. Honestly, even if you dont talk, when youre near us we cant stop from looking over at you. I guess its a curse to be this beautiful, desu. Hera put her hand on her cheek and rubbed it approvingly. Taiyou ignored her. Im telling you that you dont have to shut up. I can fool people by saying Im talking on my cell phone or something, but you cant fool someone that knows whats happening. I understand, desu. Thats why you can talk in front of people normally now. I cant respond to you though. Okay, desu! Thank you, desu. To be honest, it was hard being silent, desu. I bet. He nodded, and made a strained smile at her. He thought it must have been stressful for him to make her be silent to protect a positive, carefree girl like her. The rule at first was that he was the only one that could see her, but now the amount of people that could see her and converse with her had increased. Kotone and sisters, Kohaku, Aoba, Pochi, Youran, and Leticia. Since it increased this much, he might as well just let her do as she wanted.(Either way, people that cant see, just cant.) After thinking that, he continued being shown around the ship by Hera. After walking a bit, she showed him a room where two black-dressed guards were standing. This is the room, desu. He nodded as a response to Hera, who had now begun to talk freely, and walked in the room slowly. At first the two soldiers were crouched but still looked like a strict guard, making it seem like they could suddenly prepare to defend the place at the drop of the hat. However, even though the black soldiers put off that air, as soon as they say Taiyou, they looked shaken. Their strong poses crumbled, they stepped back, and put on a forlorn face. Is Saegusa Tsukumo inside? Yyes sir! Hes waiting patiently! When Taiyou asked, the soldiers hastily made an attempt to answer correctly. Their voices seemed to crack, and Taiyou confusedly thought, What happened to them? Leticia asked me to come here, can I go inside? S, sure! Please, go in! The men opened the door, faster than necessary, and stood stock still in a salute as Taiyou passed. He entered the next room with Hera, and the door began to shut. That guys scary! I never thought that wed see that motorbike demon come here! Hey, stupid! Hes going to hear us! The two whispering guards met eyes as they quickly shut the door completely. (Motorbike demon?) Taiyou didnt know why the two guards looked so fearful, but he didnt have time to ponder it for long. Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan! Hera called his name while she pulled on his sleeve. He forgot his thoughts and looked around the room, saw some furnishings, and the man inside. The room was an ordinary guest room. There were two single beds against the wall, with a low table and sofa in the middle of the room. Also, it seemed that there was a bathroom attached across from the table. It wasnt elaborate, but it was a bright room that was well-cleaned. Except for the two soldiers outside and their strict demeanor, it seemed just a regular room. There was a man and woman standing inside. On one side was the unchanged, youthful Saegusa Tsukumo, but his appearance was completely different; he had a deep seriousness to his face. On the other side was the noticeably younger, short, yet clothes-stretching busty girl, who Taiyou never met before. Who is this, Taiyou seemed to ask with his gaze, as Tsukumo first started to speak. This is Haku, my sister. Nice to meet you. The curvaceous girl, introduced as Haku, bowed with a quick nod of the head. Tsukumos completely changed demeanor and Hakus subtle malicious look were unexpected expressions and tones of voice for Taiyou. Taiyou was a bit lost at this atmosphere that was different from his expectations. Hera yanked at Taiyous sleeve and pointed at the sofa, so Taiyou snapped out of the apprehension and sat. The low table sat between them and the seated Tsukumo and Haku. Why are you here? Wheres the queen? And Shingetsu Juunishimawhere is she? Why did you come here? Wheres Shingetsu Juunishima and the queen? Haku questioned them aggressively. I was told by them to come here, this time, and they left everything to me. To you?! Hakus eyes seemed to ask why. Its obvious, Taiyou thought, I was told to, so I came here, but it he didnt completely understand why he was put in charge of negotiations. What are those two thinking? Perhaps theyre planning on running away from their responsibility? Haku mumbled to herself while the crease between her eyebrows deepened. I dont think thats why. How could you know? various reasons. Taiyou thought out piece by piece and answered. The correction of Idol began, and though he had many thoughts, none seemed totally provable. Anyway, you two have been left to me. looks like the tables are turned. Tsukumo opened his mouth with a sigh. What? Well, maybe not. I was able to capture your girl, but someone else got her before I could use her. Nothing compared to you showing up here after confirming that she was out of my hands. Taiyou said nothing. He didnt have to acknowledge that he had knew because of his joker card, Hera. So, you havent come here to talk about that. I see. Lets talk candidly. I want Chan Sha, Chiyo, Miyako and the rest of those six women back. I see. Taiyou nodded with the request he had expected. Ill hear whatever conditions you have, Im prepared to do anything. Wait, did he just say anything? Hera unawaredly reacted to the statement, while Taiyou asked Tsukumo again. Anything? Anything. Tsukumo parroted Taiyous words. While Tsukumo had a straight face and calm demeanor, Hakus face beside him seemed to be strained. In this release of hostages, Tsukumo had said Anything. Situations without worries are harder to resolve than one that have them. Anything, really? He asked just to make sure. Tsukumo answered Taiyou without any change in his face or voice. Right nowIm set to be a maniac for mother and daughter mixes. Taiyou frowned a bit. It was a thing Taiyou had heard many times, however, this time it was in ernest and emotional. After Tsukumo said this, his expression descended into a weird silence. Since youre set to be like that, you dont have the choice to abandon those women to me. Whatever happensIll have to give them back sometime. Thats my duty. So youre ready to make a deal!? Yes. Do you think you can give them all at once? Thats impossible. I dont have any fighting power left now. There are some soldiers here, but only that. I wouldnt be able to defeat you if I had to fight all of you at once. Because he said only, he knew that he understood Tsukumos fighting power. Because Tsukumo had shown his power enough for Taiyou to say only, that meant he completely understood Tsukumos strongest fighting power. That why he told Tsukumo that he was willing to make a deal. You cant call for reinforcements? I can see that even if I did, they would be denied. So thats why youll make a deal, because you have no other choice? Of COURSE! Haku shouted this out. If thats the case, theres no way he could present a danger to you, brother! Tsukumo remained calm while his sister Haku was in minor hysterics. youre alike. What is? Hera turned her head as Taiyou whispered this. Taiyou didnt answer, but looked at Tsukumo. I see. Taiyou said. After that, Haku breathed out and flexed. She probably felt as if she was a prisoner to whatever decision Taiyou made. Ill give you those women back. Conditions? None. Taiyou gave an immediate answer. what the? Tsukumo stared in bewilderment. It was the first time in that room that his poker face had broken. Chapter 163 – Intermission / The Prince and Princess Chapter 162 - Intermission / The Man who Reset Himself Chapter 164: Intermission / Theres Still, Something Different Translator: Ranzan Taiyou stood aboard the deck of a motorboat making a road of foam across the ocean.Among the eight on the boat, only one was looking at him.Saegusa Tsukumo. The only other man there, the leader of the game was looking at Taiyou. Taiyou and Tsukumo. These two men and their silent gaze at each other that described as much as a long conversation didnt seem to have any real meaning. Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan, are you really okay with this? Hera asked from beside him. What? Letting them go without any conditions? Its fine, even without conditions. I dont have a grudge against them, and He stopped and swallowed what he was about to say. And, what? and, if I give conditions to a hostage release, that makes me the bad guy, right? He had swallowed what he really was to say, and the replacement was differentjust a foolish dramatic line. Someone like Youran wouldnt have let that slide, but the cheerful Hera just accepted his words plainly. I understand, desu. Since youre the protagonist, it wouldnt match you, desu. A protagonist like that would have the fate of finally dying in front of his girl, desu. You really brought out a detailed example. What the hell is a protagonist, anyway? Hera laughed with a fuh fuh fuh, from her nose while her small chest stuck out. Youre my protagonist, desu. You really love to say stuff like that. Taiyou went Whap, and slapped the back of the grinning Hera. She bounced off the deck of the ship and flew up again, holding her head and saying Owwww It was a stronger tap than usual. He didnt show it, but Taiyou was starting to lose his patience. Tsukumo was slipping farther and farther away, to the size of a grain of riceTaiyou had some complex feelings about him as he had done things Taiyou couldnt do. He imbibed those feelings, turned on his heel and walked. Hera flew beside him and tapped his hand. What is it? I remembered there was a message from Kohaku for you, desu. From Kohaku? You saw her? Yes, I was told to see her so I see her daily, and yesterday and today I saw her while you were asleep. I see. So whats the message? Kohaku, as leader of a family, seemed a little strange to be using Hera to send her messages around. After hearing Taiyou ask, Hera coughed and cleared her throat, and spoke, After three days of separation, my body burns Could you go back to where Kohaku is right now? Taiyou quickly cut off the unnecessary announcement. Hera took no offense at being interrupted and simply asked, Right now? No problem, but whats the reason, desu? Find out where Kohakus location is, we might need to know it. Will we? Should I not know the reason why? Conditions have changed, they probably need to know what happened. I understand, desu. And when you make sure, you dont need to tell anyone else, not even me. If only you know than nothing will happen to others like torture or anything. Just keep everything in your mind until the moment we need it. I understand, desu. wait. After being ordered, she was about to fly off to Kohaku, but Hera was stopped just before she did so. Whoawhat is it, Taiyou-chan? Taiyou stood in silence. He looked out onto the sea, and watched the ships trail of foam extend to the horizon. After watching for a moment, he turned back to Hera. Actually, tell me too. Where Kohaku is. You want me to tell you? Yeah, please. Okay, desu. With the innocent response of a child, she now flew away and disappeared. Taiyou watched her as she flew away, and then looking back to the trail of foam on the sea, began walking. I need more power behind me, after all. Taiyou left the deck for the inside of the ship. He talked to himself silently about when Hera finally returned, that he would have to continue leveling up. While he did so, he made sure he could sense the abilities he already had attained. The present level and ability values, and also his skills. He was quite strong compared to the fact he was only a high school student a few months ago, but it was still not enough for the events occuring now, he thought. The local battlesif he fought directly with others, he was nearly invincible. Even if it was dozens of people or even a few strong fighters, he could still push them back. However, since Youran and Aoba were captured, he couldnt use his power as much as he wanted frequently. He remembered Shirokiyami, and if he had that kind of power, it wouldnt matter if his enemy had taken hostages or not. Honestly, he didnt know how Shirokiyami did it, but she had saved Youran and Aoba on her own. If you get to Level Max, thats how strong you are, I guess. He remembered what Hera had told him. He thought that he had to get to the maximum level himself. Hm? Fwip, the numbers of his skills changed in front of him. The surprised Taiyou stopped. The Image change value had changed. At first it was 50%, or four people, but now it had reduced to one person. There was the image, the image when the three sisters had been separated. He ground his teeth, and began running. He returned to the way he used to go out on deck. As soon as he turned the corner, Kyaaaa! He heard a scream, followed by a small thud. He had been hit after turning the cornerby Youran running from the opposite direct. Taiyou put out his arms and held her. Are you okay? IIm okay. He separated from her, and she seemed okay. Her face war red, and she turned her eyes away from him. Are you hurt somewhere? m okay! Oh yeah! Letty! Yeah! As she told Taiyou, he remembered. Where is she? What do you mean Yeah?! Youran was confused for a bit, wondering why he was concerned with Leticia already. But that was just for an instant. Over here. She quickly reversed direction and ran. She led him along, until he was brought to a room different than the others. It was filled with elegant decorations, so Taiyou assumed it was Leticias. There were two women there. Leticia was asleep on her canopied bed, while Aoba sat on the edge of it, watching her with a worried face. Natsuno-kun! Aoba said and nodded to him, and then went back to being beside Leticia. Aoba looked on Leticias face from the opposite side. Her eyes were opened, but her face was blank. Her pupils unfocused, she just stared up at the ceiling. It seemed her batteries were out as usual. Leticia fell down suddenly! And she called out to you right before she fainted! Aoba and Youran explained over each other. so it was you. He looked down at Leticia as he whispered this to himself. What does that mean? No, nothing. Im going to cure her, though. You will? Then hurry up and do it! Youran seemed at her wits end as she begged Taiyou. He glanced at her quickly, and then brought his face close to Leticia. Then he kissed her. Wha?! He could feel the two girls behind her suddenly being lost for words, but he still kept the kiss going. Uhmph. The result was quick, as after a moment, Leticia returned to her normal state. What was that?! C Both Aoba and Youran pleaded to Taiyou. Taiyou explained to them what had happened. Leticia, by being kissed, was a necessary thing C almost like recharging a battery. The two girls response was the exact opposite of what Taiyou expected. I see! You see? You knew about this? Well, I didnt know that this would happen, but I knew that if you kissed Leticia something would happen. It happened to her father, after all. Father? What happened to him? Something really crazy happened to him. Filly Kingdom has the legend that even as a virgin boy, he was kissed by over a thousand girls. Whaaaaaa?! Aoba was shocked. Taiyou had heard the story from Leticia, so he was relatively unsurprised. So thats the Cursed Blood that you were talking about. Yer right I see. What? You depressed now? Not really, only I was thinking that this was because of the Image revision. Image? Yeahit was four people. Youran had no idea what he was saying, though Aoba did. It seemed the opposite of the usual. Youran asked, what do you mean? Its complicated, but Ill tell you. Okay. Taiyou nodded, and again began telling Youran and Leticia about the image. They understood the summary of what he was saying as they both used the words victory conditions naturally, and understood him. I see, so yer the fourth one, is what ya mean. It seems to be that way. Leticia understood. Youran stood without a word, and walked to the door. He could feel some discomfort from her. Youran? What is it? She stood there, but didnt turn. What Taiyou was lost at what to ask in return, as she begane walking again, and left the room. What happened? Well, I dont know? That dumb girl. At Taiyous question, Aoba returned a complicated smile, and Leticia breathed out an extended sigh. Chapter 164: Intermission / There’s Still, Something Differen t Chapter 163 - Intermission / The Prince and Princess Chapter 165: Intermission / Dragonlike Like a Dragon Translator: Reflet He didnt get the reason, but he couldnt leave her be after she had rushed out like that, so Taiyou began going to the door so as to be able to chase after her. As he did so, Leticia stopped him with a Heeey. Ya pursuin that fool Yeah Whatcha gonna do chasin after her I dont know, but Im just going to go ahead and get going Go ahead, eh. If thats the case, lemme give ya a piece of advice Taiyou turned his whole body facing Leticia, staring at her. He didnt understand at all why Youran had ran off, so he was not opposed at all to receiving advice from her best friend. Its best ta not think ya can reach a resolution What do you mean Even if ya try ta chase afta her tryin ta resolve things, thingsll just git worse. Ah dun mind if ya go, but ya best not think bout resolving things I really cant Taiyou was baffled. He was full of the desire to pursue her and resolve things. His personality in the first place was why he liked to move, research causes, and then solve problems. That was why thinking that way, he had sought to chase after Youran, but Leticia had told him not to resolve the situation. If he couldnt clear things up, then was there even any point in going? He couldnt help but think that. As if seeing through that, Leticia added further. As far as going thats a good idea Really Yeah, I think so too Even you Aoba He furrowed his brow. The meaning was unclear, but Aoba and Leticia were both saying the same thing. Taiyou felt as if he were the only one out of the loop. Because theres meaning in going In going Just go, Natsuno-kunyou want to right (Well thats)Taiyou was about to say, but instead shook his head. I got it, Ill be back Hey pipsqueak, wheres that fool right now Do not call me a pipsqueak Hera protested for the sake of protesting. If it is Youran-chan then she went that way Over there, right Nodding, Taiyou dashed out of the room along with Hera. He sprinted along the inside of the ship with Heras guidance. Its over here GotchaWhoa Taiyou hurriedly stepped on the brakes. Once he had turned the corner as Hera had told him it had become a dead end. Taiyou took turns comparing the wall and Hera. You sure its here? Yes indeed, it is indeed this direction Direction There is no mistake about it being this wayI had not known that a wall was in a place like this Youre like a navigator that ignores the trail and guides people off into the wilderness, you know Thats rightTaiyou-chan, break down the wall here Haaah The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Come now, you must do it like a broom head hunters No no, that might be effective but its someones shipDD I will ask her if it is okay to break it Hera whirled around and made to return along the path they had come. Hold it there Calling out like an entertainer, he grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, restraining her. Mgh You dont have to ask her, because that loses us time in the first place. Well instead take a detour, so youll just constantly be telling me the direction shes in, okay Huuuh, but it is more like Taiyou-chan to break through the wall, is it not Well that might very well be the caseTaiyou admitted as he thought about the way he had been doing things recently. Actually, Ive already been doing things that waySince meeting Kohaku-san and whatnot While remembering that, he spoke firmly again to Hera. Anyhow, this time we can do without Understood Hera nodded with her usual happy-go-lucky tone. Taiyou turned on his heels, searching for a detour route. Turning several corners, he descended and ascended stairways. During that time, Hera constantly had Yourans coordinates. Cutting across the cabins, once they had come out on the opposite side they found Youran. Youran, who was at the stern, was standing still before the handrails, looking out at sea. She looked the same from behind as always since he had met her, her posture straight and dignified. That posture exemplified her very lifestyle. Youran stood staring before the scenery of the surface of the ocean, reflecting glittering light. It was a sight enough to rival a work-of-art painting. Taiyou was unconsciously taken in by that. Taiyou-chan Ah Taiyou came to himself with Heras puzzled voice, which caused Youran to notice and turn his way. What do you want Youran fixedly stared at him with only her head turned back. It was clear in her eyes that she was in a bad mood. But, even with that expression, her posture did not change. Taiyou harbored a mental state somewhere between relieved and mixed feelings. UmmDD The moment he opened his mouth thinking to do something about that unhappy expression, Aoba and Leticias advice ran through his head. It was best to not think of resolving the situation. The two of them spoke about as much as each other. He didnt understand why, but doubtless there was a cause. It was painful, but he decided to follow that, swallowing the words that had come up to his throat. Th-The ocean sure is pretty isnt it What Nah, I was just saying that the ocean really is pretty. Blue and all. I wonder why its blue, that ocean It is because of refraction Thats the sky! And youre not even correct! Then it is the mice Thats wrong too ThenDDIts because it wants to be blue You really do like saying those sorts of things huh! In more than one meaning You guysdid you seriously come all this way to do a skit Youran said in an exasperated expression. Her fixated eyes grew even more severe. No, thats not the case, but Yourans cold eyes turned back to the sea. Taiyou had unexpectedly run out of words. Glaring at Hera, she gave an unashamed smile with a teehee. Silence drifted over them. Wind abruptly blew over them, caressing their bodies and causing Yourans twintails to flutter. Seeing that, Taiyou wordlessly approached her from behind, extending his handsDDand pulled her twintails. She gave a shriek. Hey! What are you doing Ah, I didnt mean to That again? Just what do you think a girls hair is Her tone becoming sharper, her face became more severe. Sorry sorry Ugh She said as if spitting, and Youran slipped by Taiyous side. It seemed that she was returning inside the ship since she couldnt be together with him. As said girl was passing him, Taiyou pulled her twintails again. What the hell Halted, she objected with teary eyes. Sorry sorry You think you can just evade the issue by saying sorry. Why the heck are you pulling them Cause youre leaving, and I felt I had to keep you from doing that Then there should be plenty of other ways That might be true but Taiyou smiled bitterly. Its just that, I may have said it before, but whenever I see those things of yours I just always want to pull them. I dont know why Like I care! And shouldnt you be pulling your brides in the first place if you want to do that Bride? You mean Aoba? Yes, she even has an easy-to-pull ponytail Hmmm Taiyou folded his arms, inclining his head. I just cant get in the mood to do that to her Then why dont you just pull hers Heras Now then Taiyou-chan, please go ahead Hera made simple twintails with her hands. He briefly gazed at Hera doing that. Somethings different He said. Indifferent to his disappointment, Hera grinned, letting down her hair without paying it any heed. What exactly is different I really do wonder what is I get it, Ill have a short-cut the next chance I get so that you dont pull it anymore Dont do it Hearing that she would have a short-cut, Taiyou let out a loud voice immediately. Chapter 165: Intermission / Dragonlike Like a Dragon Chapter 164: Intermission / Theres Still, Something Different Chapter 166: Intermission / The Girl''s Fight - Phili Edition Translator: Reflet Wh-What are you doing letting out such a loud voice Youran said, flustered. She appeared to be shaken by Taiyous unusual reaction. Cause short cutting means that youll cut your hair right. That long hair Well yeaDD Thats no good Taiyou cut her off once again with a loud voice. The first time she was surprised, but Youran adjusted to it enough for the second time. Regaining her composure, she objected to Taiyou with a glare. But thats up to me. You dont have the right to criticize me Youre seriously going to cut it no matter what Ill cut it, Ill show you me cutting it The two of them glared at one another, neither yielding. Youre goingto showhim you cutting it, eh Heras murmur didnt so much as reach their ears. Alright, if you insist on cutting it thenDDDo it after you defeat me Whaaat Now come at me Ooo, looking cool, Taiyou-chan Hera clapped with her eyes wide open. As before, that line didnt reach their ears. Are you stupidWhy should I have to do all that just to cut my own hair No use arguing I didnt need questions or answers in the first place They said glaring at each other. It was concerning her so of course Youran, and Taiyou as well, had no intention of yielding. In his mind, when he thought of Youran it was with twintails, along with an image of long hair hed take millions of measures to keep intact. Just like a space emperor dancing around shooting beams from right to left, the idea of her doing a short-cut birthed both discomfort and interest. Youran was beautiful, or at least to Taiyou. That little bit of interest was something unnecessary. That was how they went about glaring at each other. As if raising tension to a ridiculous level had bore fruit, Taiyou won in their fight of stubborness, Youran being the one to break. She breathed a sigh. Haah, okay I get it. I wont cut it, sheesh Really Taiyous eyes sparkled. Seeing that reaction of his, Youran was pulled in another sense of the word compared to earlier. But that soon shifted to exasperation and resignation. Really. Just go ahead and pull them as much as you want Is it actually okay Ive already given up. I cant stop you after all. However She glared sharply at Taiyou. No more suddenly doing it. You have ridiculous strength so when you suddenly do it my neck hurts. Mess up and itll be torn off Right, it would be bad after all if your hair came off. They do say that hair is a womans lifeline Not that! Im talking about my freaking neck Oh, you meant that Geez Then, can I pull them right now Immediately Yourans voice cracked. She seemed to not believe what she was hearing. Haah, do what you want then After a sigh, she averted her face. Turning back to the ocean, she fully exposed her back to Taiyou. Th-Then Perhaps because of what had happened earlier, Taiyou timidly touched her twintails, grabbing both, and gently pulled on them. Rather than pulling them, his handwork was that of admiration. Handiwork like that of someone handling a just-born infant, treating something fragile. Nn A voice leaked out of Yourans mouth. S-Sorry. Was it too strong The contrary, go a bit stronger Huh, I can really go stronger That would be better than the last one yeah Youran said. Looking closely, the bases of her ears had become red. Thinking that he had instead angered her by being too weak, he adjusted his power, pulling on them once again. Being straightforward for the third time. Her neck didnt moveHe pulled with a strength that was neither too strong nor too weak. Enveloped by the sound of the waves, Taiyou pulled both strands of twintails, and Youran let him do as he pleased. A bizarre space, yet an atmosphere that wasnt half bad. Taiyou did that to her, enough to forget about that time. Heyyy Youran suddenly opened her mouth. This was unusual for herIt was a graceful tone unlike that of Youran or New Moon Director. The question of what had happened to her was soon cleared. So youre going to make Letii your bride It was the kind of tone for the sake of ones friend. Understanding that, Taiyou faced her question with earnestness. Why did you just stop talking? Youre not going to seriously tell me you dont intend to take responsibility, right Ahh no, I was just hesitating about which way I should answer Which way You should have been there He gave a preface, bringing up a topic out of the blue. There Yes, the time when you infiltrated the research institute to steal data, those were the words that I said to Kohaku-san when she was next to you Ah Thinking a bit, she then gave a start. She had indeed remembered that time. Henceforth, whenever I increase my womenmy brides, Id like to do so with the consensus of everyone. Thats what I said to Kohaku, and I had her wait there for the time being You certainlydid say that Those feelings have still not changed. With Aoba there were circumstances and it ended up being a bit different, but even from now onNo, always from now on, Im thinking to maintain that principle So if it were only up to my feelings then I could actually say Ill take responsibility, but I dont know what the three sisters Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane as well as Kohaku-san; what all of them would say, as theyre not here. In that sense I cant give an immediate answer. Which is why Ive stopped talking I see, so you were trying to protect that Still with her back to him, Yourans voice became even softer. Her reaction was due to her understanding that that he was at the very least not irresponsibly thinking about her best friend that way. Taiyou took it as that, so as a matter of course, even though she immediately grew silent after that together with him, the environment wasnt unpleasant in the slightest. She was at the very least content, and would not be jumping to any conclusions anytime soon. With that, the air had become peaceful. In that atmosphere, Taiyou continued to touch the twintails, and she continued to allow that. While tugging on her twintails, he continued to stare at her from behind. Even at a time like this, her posture was straight like she had swallowed a pole. Taiyou confirmed once again that he liked that. Heyyy What What can I do for you Whaaat Looking over her shoulders, her eyes were askingThe heck are you saying. I came to this island for Pochisor as you call her, Adashinos sake. The objective was to make it so that she could live a life under Kohaku-sans care. But I was wrapped up in various things, did various things, and now here I am Yes, there really was a lot But if I think carefully about it, your problem is more serious. I mean, I still dont have the full picture butEver since I was awake a lot has happenedI dont know everything, but I can at least tell that your problem is more severe. What can I do for you in a situation like that Youre talking about lending me your aid Frankly speaking Why Various things rushed about the back of Taiyous head. The girls who werent here. The man he had just seen off. And the girl in front of him. I might just like looking at you from behind It was a phrase like a confession, but Youran listened carefull to his words without losing her composure. I pointed it out the first time I met you, your backDDYour pin-like straightened-out spine, I like the posture you make with that. It became this way because you were at that place, right Yeah If thats the case, I want to do something for the sake of that Youll go through peril Something like that isnt even worth mentioning The image of that man went across the back of his mind. Are you being serious when you say that Yeah Taiyou clearly nodded. When he did so, Youran nodded as well, softly brushing away Taiyous hands. Her twintails slipped through the palms of his hands. Right after, she had undone her hair. Spreading out, the long hair enveloped her entire body. The atmosphere had changed. Shortly afterward, she spoke with her back facing him. My name is Juunishima New Moon Director Youran She said. I thank you for your support While still noble, the air that had shifted had left a tinge of softness, which was something he had never felt before. Chapter 166: Intermission / The Girl’s Fight – Phili Edition Chapter 165: Intermission / Dragonlike Like a Dragon Chapter 167: Intermission / Rom-Com is Short for Romance Comes Translator: Reflet Once he had returned to the room together with Youran, who had redone her twintails, the stormy atmosphere filling the area shocked him. Aoba and Leticia were on opposite sides of the room, not letting their eyes meet. What the heck happened Hera-chan! When Taiyou called out, she fiercely rushed over upon seeing the fairy that had come back with him. The happy-go-lucky Hera was surprised by the sheer force, turning over midair. Wh-What is it Natsuno-kunsidolcan it cancel its effects on a target Idols target You mean to make someone no longer be one of Taiyou-chans brides? Yes! I want you to repel her Still not facing Leticia, Aoba spoke pointing at her. Aoba Letii, what exactly happened Taiyou turned to Aoba, and Youran turned to Leticia, aiming quizzical glances. They should indeed have been getting along fairly well until now. Ah aint gonna change ma view, cuz ah dun think that ahm wrong You are wrong! That way of thinking is as mistaken as the kind of answer that appears on idiotic talent quiz shows That is quite awful` Hera said thoughtlessly. Meanwhile, Taiyou was confronted by discomfort. He wasnt sure about Leticia, but he had seen this reaction of Aobas before. Soon after he had gotten deeply involved with her, he was often criticized about his relationship with the three sisters or she criticized her parents, and those sorts of traits resembled the current Aoba to a T. Once she had gotten to the stage of seeing things that way, she was quite stubborn. What in the world happened? And what do you even mean by opinion Natsuno-kun Y-Yes Natsuno-kun is going to make up to seven brides right Y-Yeah Strictly speaking, with converse revision of image he wouldnt be able to make any more brides than seven, but he purposely chose to not point it out. Is there an order for those seven brides that you attach Order Inclining his head, he wondered what she meant by mentioning order. He recalled the contents of the conversation Kotone and the others had with Kohaku. You mean the order in which they become my brides? No! Legal wife, concubine, first wife, second wife, etc, that sort Ahh, that sort of thing Taiyou nodded in affirmation, satisfied, almost immediately replying afterward. Come to think of it, Kotone and the others seem like they want to have an order attached to them, but not an order involved with ranking, just something like attendance numbers. I personally have no intention whatsoever of doing that Right! Were good with that Emphasizing, Aoba drew closer. He was relieved at her using the term we to mean ones house, but right now was not the time to think of it. That really whatcha want Because further away, Leticia had voiced her differing opinion. If ya dun firmly assign a hierarchy when yer surrounded by gurls itll become a messy situation. Ya needa at the very least assign one lawful wife, then make the others concubines r mistresses n the like Whyd you go so far as to bring that up Didja fergit? What situation that there fools got erself in. Lawful wife and concubine, the womens children with the inheritance rights ended up causin a disturbance in the household Oh This n thats all because they din properly determine the rankin order amongst the wives. Mah houses the same, mah fool of a father treated all o them wives equally so even now these trivial wars been ever-ceasin Uhhbasically from your, your and Yourans experience, youre saying that its best to differentiate Yup. Ah aint sayin ta do that to me, just sayin that yad best make one person yer legal wife That makes sense That is bad, Natsuno-kun Were all going to become Natsuno-kuns brides. Dont decide on some strange order. Impartial to all Th-That makes sense He looked at Aoba, then looked at Leticia. Coming this far, he finally understood both of their points. Basically, both of them recognized that Taiyou had himself a harem, and one was for equality for all, whereas the other one was instead for making a hierarchy. I totally thought that you would say something likeYou shouldnt have seven bridesDD Obviously not Dun be stupid He was curtly refused by both of them. Taiyou nearly fell backwards in surprise. Everyone loves you, Natsuno-kun Duncha have any dependability as a man With them getting angry at him like a stereo, Taiyou finally began wavering. His wandering gaze was caught by Youran. Th-They got angry at me Arent you the popular one It would be an understatement to say that her eyes were full of exasperation. No no, I dont think thats a result of being popular orDD By the way, Im close to Letiis opinion, albeit a bit different I dont care about the opinion of some outsider Yeah yeah Youran lifted her hands up, shrugging her shoulders as if throwing in the towel. Natsuno-kun Which do you think is better Whatcha think U-Uhh Taiyou was at a complete loss. He understood both of their points, and knowing their background, he couldnt just decide something like that. Aoba was born in a household with three mothers. Not being told who among the three had birthed her, she was raised in equal circumstances in a sense of the word. She had at first hated it, but having now made up with her parents, she thought that it was best that the girls be on equal footing with one another. Meanwhile, Leticia affirmed that the current strife was occurring because her and her best friends household hadnt been able to create any clear disparities. It was especially true for Youran. Sakura and those like her who were the children of concubines were all siblings of a different mother, and yet they didnt so much as come into the picture this time. If Pochis mother were in the same sort of position then the events this time around shouldnt have happened. Which was why he could logically understand what Leticia was saying. Umm Seeking aid, he further wandered his gaze around. He already knew that Youran wouldnt work. She was a third party, but her ideology was that of Aoba and Leticias. If he couldnt depend on her, there was only one more person remaining. Gazing at the small fairy floating in the air, he said in a small voiceSave me please. Hera hit her chest with a thud, making eye contact that told him to leave it to her. She then spoke to Aoba. Aoba-chan, and Letii-chan Whatcha want Whats up I am thinking this: Aoba-chan and Letii-chan are Taiyou-chans brides, right. If that is the case then I really believe that there is something wrong with brides fighting in front of their husband and inconveniencing him Th-Thats Wellyou do have a point With one word of Heras, their fight began to quell its flames. Taiyou was relieved. He had not had this much gratitude toward Hera until now. If things were going this way then the fighting would stop, he thought. It was at that moment. So all you have to do is do it somewhere Taiyou-chan isnt looking What Taiyou doubted his own ears. He looked at Hera with an expression questioning what she was saying. It is a no-no to inconvenience Taiyou-chan for not making a decision. So you two should settle your fight somewhere Taiyou is not watching, and report only the conclusion to Taiyou-chan. That is common sense That so So its sort of like having the subordinates work to have the higher-ups sanction them Indeed Pushing up her hands along with a phrase that was liable to make every side angry, she answered thoughtlessly. Accepting that, Aoba and Leticia looked at one another. Taiyou couldnt believe what was about to happen. Alright, Ill go along with it Dont go along with it N ya dun make such a teary face And you! Where did you get those gloves from Leticia slapped on gloves, and Aoba belligerently glared back. This was quite the outcome, as well as tension. Thoroughly overwhelmed, Taiyou lost grip of the timing needed to stop them, and he ended up letting them go. Phew, all is settled It is not all settled Taiyou flat-topped Hera. He retorted strongly, not playing along, and the small fairy bounded after being struck to the floor. How will we proceed with the duel? Japan-style or Phili-style. As per the compassion of a warrior, ahll let ya choose (Youre not a warrior, youre a princess.) He didnt have enough willpower to quip that. What is Phili-style like Aoba asked, and Leticia whispered into her ear. The two of them readily whispered into one anothers ear without heeding protection, so were they perhaps not actually all that hateful of one another at the core? Taiyou thought at that moment. Th-Thatll be fine For some reason Aoba reddened her face and nodded. Oh boy, thats how its going now huh Youran said along with a sigh. Then Ill be waiting outside, okay. Call me when its over Outside? Over Taiyou was perplexed at Youran. But then next moment, he would go into further bewildermentDDbecoming shocked enough to die. Mm Leticia pursed her lips, thrusting them out. N-Natsuno-kun Aoba was for some reason pinching her skirt, lifting it up to the point where her underwear could almost be seen. Chapter 167: Intermission / Rom-Com is Short for sRomance Comes” Chapter 166: Intermission / The Girl''s Fight - Phili Edition I Became a Living Cheat Chapter 168 - Intermission / Aoba Translator: Reflet Taiyou was baffled inside of the room. He looked in turn at the two who were enticing him. Leticia and Aoba. Two people who were completely different despite seeming to resemble each other. Leticia was a blonde, long-haired, blue-eyed foreign princess. A touch of elegance was overflowing from her entire body. This was a girl who had naturally succumbed to the desire to serve him. Due to her having Western blood flowing in her, Taiyou felt a fresh glamor that he had never felt before from her long, slender limbs. Aoba was a lighthearted girl with a trademark straight ponytail with a hair clip she had attached her name to, vitality pouring out from her orderly set of facial features. A childhood friend from his neighborhood, she ranked about fourth place at school out of the attractive girls, and to Taiyou, she was a close, down-to-earth, beautiful girl. Both of those two were coming to seduce Taiyou at the same time as if competing. Taiyou was befuddled at the sudden turn of events. Awawawawah, we had better quickly lay out a futon for this Why are you laying out a futon Hera unnaturally panicked, and Taiyou quipped in response to that. Because because a futon, it is necessary Youre derailed the conversation too much! Something like that isnt necessary right now After that we will need a vase and a camellia, since beauty of form is important We dont need that either Taiyou flat-topped Hera. With a thrusting strike, Hera floated back up before being struck into the ground. That is no good, Taiyou-chan, they say tis good to have a shelter against every storm. It will be too late once it gets to that point And Ill do my best to ensure it doesnt get to that point UmmNatsuno-kun Are wenot good enough Hearing Aoba and Leticias voices, he turned back. Taiyou caught his breath with an ulp. Because they were looking up at him, not to mention with slightly teary-eyes. Taiyou regretted leaving the girls be. Him and Hera had become a two-person comedy act. A futon or a camellia or anythings fine, just get things ready please Hmm, I shall indeed do it later Just hurry up and do it He grabbed Hera and threw her with all his strength at the door. Ahhhhh I am indeed passing the barrier of the speed of sound```` Hera clamored. He wasnt sure about the barrier of the speed of sound, but she had slipped through an actual wall and was thrown outside of the room. Once the hindrance had gone, Taiyou once again faced the two of them. The two were still a bit teary-faced. Taiyou softly wiped their eyelids with the ball of his finger. Aoba smiled broadly, and Leticias cheeks flushed. Even their reactions were contrasting. That connected to the difference between the way they began moving. Aoba moved first. Indifferent to Leticia letting out a cry of Ah-, she leaped into Taiyous arms. So, Natsuno-kun She whispered to him in a gentle tone, with the voice of when a man and a woman are close together. Could youkiss me Her eyes moist, a bit moved to tears, Aoba appealed to him. Taiyou was startled. One of the prominent attractive girls at the school, as well as the girl whom he thought of as his bride. Pestered by said girl, Taiyou wasnt so withered or perceptive that his heart couldnt move. He silently gripped Aobas shoulders, bringing their faces closer. Aoba closed her eyes, waiting for it. But as if saying she would not allow it, Leticia got in the way. Kyaa Aobas neck had bent backwards with strength fierce enough to where it seemed as if one could hear the sound of her falling back. Leticia had grabbed hold of her ponytail and pulled it tight. Hey, what are you doing Sorry, guess ma hands slipped What kind of way of slipping is that!Uuuand I didnt even get to have mine pulled by Natsuno-kun even once Dont say that as if you were never hit by your dad Taiyou gave a wry smile. During that time, Leticia came in smoothly between Taiyou and Aoba. She did come in between them, but said nothing. Taiyou was puzzled, anticipating she would say something. Leticia Wondering what might be up, he peered closer. There he saw her vacant face with unfocused eyes. Dont tell me Taiyou caught his breath. It had not taken long for her face to become its battery-deprived version. Seeming as if she were awake but not awake, seeming as if she were watching but not actually watching. Leticia appeared as if she were a doll or if her soul had escaped her. Thinking he had definitely better not leave her like this, he cked upchin to kiss her. Kyaa Leticia suddenly raised a voice. It was almost the first time hearing her scream. Surprised, Taiyou removed his hand from her chin and took some distance. Once he did, he noticed Aoba rubbing her chest thoroughly. Whatcha doin Shut up I cant believe that youd try to trick Taiyou with such underhanded means Dun say bad things like trick, ahm just invitin him Invite him properly with a frontal attack Ohh, it was an act He was relieved that Leticia was really and truly not in a flat battery state. If she had been woken up now despite him having just given her a replenishing kiss, it was to the point where he was worried about her life from here onward. AhnWaiGive the rubbing a resDDmm Her chest rubbed thoroughly, Leticia gasped. Captivating breathing and a dizzy face. Seeing that, Taiyou felt the pounding flow of blood in the lower half of his body. Somewhat bending forward, he hid it with a cough. Aoba, please separate from her He said the exact opposite of how he actually felt. While a bit disapproving, Aoba moved away from Leticia. Taiyou looked at Aoba and Leticia in turn. What have you two been doing since earlier? Sort of seems likelike youre competing to kiss me, but why is that? That is Uhh The two exchanged looks, faltering as if it were difficult to say. Taiyou followed up. A kiss is fine, really. I want to kiss you guys too after all. If anything, Id be the one willing to kneel and beg you to let me. Although I only have one set of lips, so itd have to be in order Me firstAhm first The two voices overlapped. He clearly understood. The girls were fighting over who he would do it with first. So they were competing to see who would be first, huh He remembered the duel that Hera had set into action. And while using this and that kind of trick, the fact that they didnt come push Taiyou down seemed to mean that they were fighting over who would first be kissed by Taiyou. Which means this is the procedure of the Phili-style duel Geez, its because you do weird things that Natsuno-kun became all sullen Just ma fault? Ya were hoggin him all ta yerself I did a frontal attack, I even made sure to ask him to kiss me N I conquered im. Ah gave im a nonverbal sign to kiss me No tricking Ya used yer female weapons, cryin them fake tears I really did cry; when I thought that I wouldnt be chosen here by Taiyou and a strange order would come about between us I got sad The two of them complained about each other. You lie despite the fact that you only wanted to have it done to you midway Th-Thats not true Aoba was faltering for whatever reason. Lies! Your face earlier was that of a female wanting nothing but a kiss Well youre no different! You pretended to be spacing out but once Natsuno-kun brought his face closer, I didnt miss that okay B-Based on what evidence This Aoba thrust out her smartphone, the screen reflecting Leticias face. When did ya! N hey, ah dun think ah heard that there sound of the shutter Its on silent mode Sneak photography! Its a violation of human rights The two of them made a fuss with each other. Pfft Taiyou burst into laughter. The situation was just so funny that he couldnt help it. Surprised by his reaction, the two of them looked back. Taiyou put his hands on their shoulders at the same time. Aoba and Leticia. He thought about which one he should kiss first. I Became a Living Cheat Chapter 168 – Intermission / Aoba Chapter 167: Intermission / Rom-Com is Short for Romance Comes Chapter 169 - Aoba / A Normal Date Translator: Ranzan The two gazed at each other. Their emotions surged out. Without thinking, Taiyou did what he felt like doing. Ah Nf He leaned into her and pushed her with his kiss. His heart raced. He sucked at her lips. Aobas back was pushed back. Taiyou reached around and held it. Their lower half was bent together. Natsuno-kunnn Her eyes were soft and she let out a sweet voice. They kissed again. Do itagain Aoba begged him, and they kissed for the third time. Taiyou was getting more and more turned on, as he dropped Aoba to the bed. AobaAoba He called her name over and over and kissed her. It was a wild and restless kiss, so much that it seemed they might be separated by all the movement, but they stayed connected. Natusno-kunI love youlove you I do too, Aoba! You are Among this almost limitless expression of sensations, Aoba kept pleading for more. They both woke up beside each other. Taiyou had his arm under her as a pillow, and he could tell her face was buried in his chest. They were still wearing clothes, as they hadnt crossed the line. Even so, they both had experienced sensations that matched having done so. Its soquiet. Yeah, its quiet on the sea, you cant even hear the waves. This boat really is something. Even a huge family could all fit on a boat like this with space left over. Kohakus camping car was awesome, even with its wheels. Natsuno-kun, would you like to take your whole family on a trip in something like that sometime? Like, borrow one that you can only take your family on. My whole family. Yeah, Kotone, Suzune, Kazane, Kohaku, and me Aoba counted them off on her fingers. Taiyou felt so grateful for a girl like Aoba, his face naturally spread out into a large smile. She had meant the seven women that were with Taiyou, and all their children. Knowing that she had meant this made Taiyou feel superbly relaxed. Yeah, order something like a pull-along trailer the size of a tennis court. You could make a small house on it, but it might be so heavy that you cant pull it. I would figure out someway to, with more. The words suddenly came to an end. Um, Natsuno-kun? Yeah? Ium The atmosphere between them suddenly changed. He didnt know why, but she suddenly crumbled into a sobbing voice. Whatwhat happened? Taiyou was shaken. IIm scared. Scared. As if a switch was flipped, Aoba clung to Taiyous chest and began to cry loudly. After she had finished, she sniffed loudly and tried to hide her eyes in Taiyous chest. Sorry, all the sudden No, Im sorry, I really should have notice. Of coursesince you came to this island youve only seen danger. YeahI was attacked with my motherthey took me away, and got in troubleand when you came to save me, you were hurt so bad you passed out Sorry If he protested, it would be bad, so he just nodded. He wondered for a second why Aoba had come along with him, but decided not to ponder it. For now, he just wanted to know how she felt. Well, Im going to get stronger. Taiyou said this, and tried his best to give a tough smile. If I dont, Ill never be able to pull that trailer. Hey, I wonder if I can load the Taiyou Castle on it and pull it. I saw it on TV before, that theres a country where you can just drop a building on a trailer and move it around. He tried to wipe away the stuffy air between them, and Aoba understood this. Whenever he did, he tried to make jokes, and stupid conversation. I saw something else like that too. Because there are counties that dont have to make foundations because there are no typhoons or earthquakes, you can just drop a house off anywhere you want. They you should pull one wherever you want, Natsuno-kun. We could go all over Japanno, the world together. I see! It sounds nice to take your family everywhere in a house theyre used to. Then, lets do it. IIll help you with your leveling up. Okay, Im ready to go then! Ill do my best to take my whole family on a trip! Yeah! You can do it! The tense feeling between them gone was replaced with a foolish, but fun feeling. The feeling that they should stay in bed was lifted, and the both sat up, with Aoba leaving the bed first. Wait, where did Leticia go? Hm? Yeah, shes not around. The two looked around the room. Leticia had left them and the room some time ago. Maybe she knew to leave us alone? Lets look for her. Aoba got up first, with Taiyou quickly getting ready, and Aoba left the room looking for Leticia. Panthuffwe found you. Aoba entered the room out of breath, and sunk to her knees. The room she entered was so big, it didnt seem it could fit the ship. There was a long table in the middle of the room, and there were gorgeous furnishings all around. It was the place that banquets were served for guests, or parties were held. Leticia was far in the back, as she opened a door in the wall. She showed a surprised face when she turned and noticed them. After she saw Aoba was there, there was a small flash from the back of her hand. Aoba noticed that something small she had was flashing. In the time of less than a breath, they quickly approached Leticia. What are you doing here, I mean, why did you leave so suddenly? Who cares, right? This is my ship. I can go wherever I wanna. Im asking why you left so suddenly, though. Aoba said this in a pouting voice. Leticia pushed her lips together. Even though she had the outward appearance of a princess, she seemed to be losing her composure in a cute way, a cuteness that made her seem more accessible. Aoba silently wished that Taiyou had accompanied her. She took a deep breath, and spoke to Leticia, Lets go back, Taiyous looking for you too. No thanks. No, its not right, because Natsuno-kun Whatever, Im not thinkin much about him anyway. Leticia said this with a sullen look, attempting to hide her discomfort with dismissive words. Aoba understood this already. Youshouldnt lie about that. It aint a lie. Im the princess of Filly Kingdom, aint I? Im really elite, right? Guys like Taiyou are a dime a dozen to me. Well, Taiyous already decided on who his seventh wife is going to be. Leticia was clearly flustered. Aoba took another deep breath, and Leticia said, Whaa? Why are you tellin me that all the sudden? Shirokiyamishes wearing a mask now, but hes decided to make her his seventh wife. And maybe now, he really likes her more than the rest of us, I think. So what? But, even though he likes her more than the rest of us, he wont become the image correction. Do you know why? I have no idea. Leticia frowned back at Aoba. Aoba giggled with a smile. Because maybe, Natsuno-kun doesnt count the girls he likes, but instead Aoba left her words unfinished. Instead? Leticia looked back with questioning eyes. But Aoba said no more. You know already, her face said. Leticia breathed out a sigh, and was about to object. She said nothing, and just stuck out her lips like a goldfish. The word, instead, ended without any explanation. Taiyou didnt count the girls he liked, instead, he counted the girls that liked him as a skill he had earned. Leticia had proof of it that exceeded what all the others knew. She wanted to object, but couldnt. Thathats just gotta be a bug in the game. Leticia continued to be obstinate, as Aoba breathed deeply again. After all, you are the princess of Phili Kingdom. Aoba stopped talking politely to Leticia, and her words seemed to be a challenge to Leticia. Why ya talkin like that all the sudden? The people of Phili Kingdom being good at kissing is a rumor, right? I looked it up. Knowing that, I wonder what good at really means. Aoba put her hands to her lips after saying that. I guess its wrong, being a useless girl that just empties out without being kissed, right? I guess it really is something, though. What the hell?! Leticia was furious. Well, I mean it does mean your kisses are something, right? That pattern of you passing out every time you dont get a kiss. It seems a little strange that you have to use that excuse, being such a great princess and all. What the?! Leticia was even more enraged. Dont mock me, when Im awake I can kiss him all I want!! I see, then, show me its true, tomorrow. What? Why tomorrow? Because Natsuno-kun is satisfied with my kisses today, so he doesnt want anyone elses kisses anymore. Thats a lie! Dont push yourself too much, you can prove it all tomorrow. Grrrrr! Leticia stomped her foot on the floor, very much unlike a princess. What a weird person, Aoba thought, enjoying the whole exchange so much she almost forgot what her future purpose in this was. Finally, Taiyou arrived. You two are herewhat are you doing, all the sudden? Leticia jumped on Taiyou. He was completely unprepared for her to jump on him, and fell down on his butt after losing balance. Kiss me! Ya gotta kiss me now! AhokayI canmpph. Leticia slammed her lips onto his. She kissed him before he could say anything. After making sure, Aoba left so that she wouldnt be a nuisance. Chapter 169 – Aoba / A Normal Date I Became a Living Cheat Chapter 168 - Intermission / Aoba Chapter 170 - Aoba / Future Plans Translator: Ranzan In this turn of Aoba winning the survey, Im going to try to make her more Aoba-ish. (Weird Japanese). Taiyou and Aoba stood on the edge of the pier, as the two stood shoulder to shoulder gazing at the ocean. As their gaze followed the blue horizon faded into the distance, they also saw Leticias cruiser ship. On the deck of the boat, the owner of it was probably standing and watching them, but she was so small there was no way to confirm it with their eyes. I wonder if shes going to be okay Aoba whispered as she squinted at the far away Leticia. Shes fine. Taiyou said this clearly, with a nod that seemed to confirm something. Shes a strong girl. She even seems a lot stronger than me in a way. Anything they do or that happens to them, theyll be able to make it through, no matter what. YeahI guess youre right What is ithas something got you worried? Yes, Leticia-sanIm worried that sometime in the middle of things her batteries will run out again. yeah. Even at this distance, whether or not Leticias batteries ran out could be checked at any time by his image correction, however, though he could check didnt been that there was a way he could help her. He continued in order to quell the fears Aoba had for her, which were the same as his. Even with all that, shell be fine. She even said there are other ways to cure her of it if necessary. Shemaybeshes in an environment where no they can help her, even if she doesnt want it. Hm? Yeah, I guess youre right. Aoba gave a response that seemed strange in the light of what had happened already. Taiyou tilted his head and nodded a bit. Filly Kingdom. Having many millions of citizens, it was a proper kingdom with many alliances. Leticia was the third future queen of that kingdom. As Aoba had said, it wasnt hard to imagine they could find a man to cure Leticia, even if she didnt want him to. Taiyous tilted head was because of what Aoba had said about Leticia. I guess shes not used to making requests. Yeah, not at all. Shes only used to making commands. Aoba turned and looked straight at Taiyou. She didnt try to look cute as she looked up at him, but simply gazed at his eyes. It was such a strong gaze, Taiyou almost took a step back. What is it? Nothing. Aoba turned her head. We still have a ways to go, itll be fine. What? What are you saying? Nothing, lets go Natsuno-kun. She cleared her mind, turned, and began walking. Taiyou stumbled to follow her, and now walking beside, asked what he was thinking about. Hey, Aoba. Are you really happy, that you came along? Yes. But, what happened was really dangerous, right? At the least, I was responsible for all this fighting. After getting here it was just me going crazyI mean, figuratively. He remembered Youran and Leticia, and their huge roles in it all, but now they were all physically safe. He wondered what would have happened if Aoba had stayed behind. Its fine. Because I hadnt seen you do anything cool until we got here. Yeah, I guess youre right. Taiyou stayed silent, but it was just as she had said, and he was about to sigh at all the lame things he had done before they got here. So, you want to see me do something cool? He felt sorry for what had happened, but Aoba didnt seemed bothered by it all, rather, the opposite. She seemed to plead with him through her upturned eyes. She turned her neck a bit, and her ponytail shook from left to right. (So cute its breaking the rules.) He had to hear whatever she was pleading with such an overwhelmingly cute look like that. However, she wouldnt leave him alone with just that. Well, I wanted to be with you, Natsuno-kun. Just, alone, we two together. She said this with a blush and turned-away eyes. Areyou being honest? He answered with a crack in his voice. A second attack, no, rather she was kicking him when he was down with that cuteness. After he asked her, she amped up the cuteness to the maximum. Taiyou was getting really turned on. Aoba lifted her face to him, and now started acting foolishly. When I thought that, I heard God tell me Now youve got to sweep Leticia out of the picture! What does that mean, God told you? Taiyou smiled with a grimace. I dont knowhe wanted more violence? What the hell does that mean?! They both left the pier to go into the city. Maybe because it was summer vacation, the streets were filled with people. There were the locals, but there were also many foreigners from Western countries with stern faces that were clearly not locals. I wonder if this is a tourist spot? Looking out onto the hustle and bustle, Taiyou twisted his neck in wonder. Ah! What is it? He followed Aobas gaze and saw countless covered rickshaws parked there. As something that is at many tourist areas, it was vehicle that was pretty much useless except as a fun diversion. All of these two-person rickshaws were lined up, as couples boarded one by one, with the runner finally spiriting them off on a tour. That looks like fun. You want to ride? No, Im fine. Aoba slowly shook her head. However, she did look a little envious at the other couples riding away, so Taiyou definitely wanted to fulfill whatever wish she might have. He searched for a reason in his mind, and then told her. Its fine, its just a ride. We have time to go wherever you want, and No. She shook her head again, and then once again looked up at him with those eyes. I want to ride you, Natsuno-kun. Wha? Cant I? She put her hands together in a cute and earnest plea. She looked so cute, so cute, but, after hearing what she actually asked, Taiyou thought he may have misunderstood her. Ride me Oh, you mean you want me to push the rickshaw? Yeah! wont you? No, I cantI mean its impossible. Use your common sense, is what he wanted to day, but Aoba had already run off to a rickshaw runner, and was now talking with him. The young runner was first surprised, but because she asked him so fervently, he seemed interested in the proposal and finally nodded. She walked back in her small, usual gait. He said we could borrow it as long as we paid for two to ride. Are you kidding? Taiyou grimaced, but then thought it might not be such a bad thing after all. He calmed a bit, and then told Aoba, If you would likethen please ride, my princess. If hes going to do this, he might as well play the part, he thought. He tried his best to imagine what role a runner might act like, and like a servant lifted her hand and then her into the rickshaw. Once she was one, he took the place of a runner. This thing is heavy! Then show me what a man you are. Finally, the real runner shouted Do your best! at him, and gave him a thumbs up. He put his hands on the bar of the rickshaw. All of the tourists around him seemed to focus on him. Rickshaw Number One, departs! Go! Go! At that sign, he began to push the rickshaw along in a run. He could hear the runner yell, Yeah!at him. He must have thought it impressive for a guy that looked like a high schooler like Taiyou to easily push the rickshaw. Everyone around him shouted as well. The tourists around him took pictures on their smartphones of him, and some applauded him as well. Some of the foreigners shouted Bravo! While others whistled at him. He had become a spectacle, and for some reason, he felt happy about it. For some reason, he felt he should show off for them too. The large wheels, and Aoba sitting up high. He wanted to show this important girl of his to everyone around him. He ran his rickshaw along the road faster than even the pro rickshaw runners did, as Aobas ponytail flapped in the wind. They watched him as he ran along, while Taiyou pushed the rickshaw quickly with only one finger as a performance for the crowds. He passed groups of other rickshaws, completing the route in a very short time, and returning to the place he began. The middle-aged rickshaw runner that had loaned his to him said, That was flippin fast!in a surprised voice. A tourists rickshaw. A high schooler that should have been a sightseer was pulling one along, so everyone was focused on him. As they all gazed upon the rickshaw, Aoba extended a hand to disembark. Thank you. She said her thanks as she descended to the street and kissed Taiyous cheek. There was a larger cheer for him than when he had started. It was a cheer for Taiyou, who had run her around town without shedding even one drop of sweat. Was it fun? Yeah! It was bit embarrassing for everyone to look at me, but because you were pulling me, it made me feel quite proud. You really are amazing, Taiyou. I was impressed too. I was thinkingEveryone worship at my cute Aoba!I guess. What do you mean, worship?! Like, give praise. They joked on about it as they left the rickshaw. Just to digress, someone after attempted to get a rickshaw and drive a girl around just like Taiyou had, but he became so tired at the weight he had to quit halfway through, although Taiyou didnt know that this had happened. Chapter 170 – Aoba / Future Plans Chapter 169 - Aoba / A Normal Date Chapter 171 - Aoba / Writing her Character is like Breathing Translator: Reflet Woooow, it was so much fun! Thanks, Natsuno-kun. Aobas face shone in satisfaction. Its my pleasure. But, its just the same thing we did before though. He remembered their time in the trailer car when they went to the hot springs. The rickshaw was a pulled car as well, so in a sense they were the same. For Taiyou the same thing happened, but it was completely different for Aoba. Its totally different, hee hee hee. She laughed happily, as she passed by him with a smiling face. He didnt think shed be so happy about a little thing like that. If that makes you this happy well do it againis the word he let stay in his mouth when they finished with the rickshaw. While she was so happy, she put her arm around his and held it close. As she was clenching her arm around his, he could feel shapely breast push into him through his clothes. It was such a strong sensation it made him huff quickly through his nose. Taiyou had a lecherous look on his face, and Aoba stuck to him whether she sensed it or not. They walked and mixed in with the other tourists staying just like that. Hey, Natsuno-kun, this is kind of like a date. No, it is a date. Yeah, it is. Taiyou nodded, and suddenly remembered something. That reminds me, weve never been on a date until now. Never? As Aoba clasped onto his arm, she looked up at Taiyou with a surprised face. Yeah, a long time agowe did, but since we met Kotone, Kohaku and the rest we really havent had a date. Just everything keeps happening to us, and we never had a time to. But, Akiha said that she went on a date with you, right? Your friends lovely magician, huh? He remembered her while wearing a strained smile. Aobas best friend Akiha Aoyama, that strange girl that every chance she got would call everything Awesome! Of course he never dated her, but he did remember that she often demanded that she did. That was more of a chance affaira coincidence. It wasnt even close to a date. Is that so? Ah, didnt you play a game though? Natsuno-kun, youve always been a real video game lover. A game? Oh, thaaaaat. He remembered playing the first widespread love-match cellphone game. Its true that some people saw that as kind of a date, but compared to the date happening now it seemed more like a strange elementary-school kind of date. On the other hand, he responded to her question with an immediate no. I never played that game. I love RPGs, and I only play games where you can level up like crazy. I wont play any game that doesnt have a lot of stat values. Youre rightwell, then this is the first date. Yup. After he nodded, he suddenly felt excited. The first date. As they walked excited and with hearts pounding, he realized that this first date was this one with Aoba. There were the four daughters, and though there was probably more that regular and extended kisses, knowing that this was a first date made his heart pound. They came up to an intersection, and stopped at the red light. When they stopped Aoba stuck even closer to him. He could clearly feel his arm seem to squeeze deep into Aobas firm breast. His heart now seemed to pound like crazy now. Oh, thats cute. Aoba remarked in a high voice about a Western family in front of her. The husband and wife stood together, and the wife was carrying a small baby in her arms. The baby peered over the wifes shoulder and was a brown-eyed child, who was innocently smiling in Aobas direction. Peeka-boo! Peeka-boo! Aoba played peeka-boo with the baby. The baby giggled and laughed gleefully. The mother noticed and turned around, looked at Taiyou and Aoba, and said to her baby, Konnichiwa!for the baby to repeat. The baby heard it and screamed, Chiwa!] And after saying that somewhat close response, went back to giggling on his own. Oooooh. Aoba clung to Taiyous arm once again, squinted her eyes and made a long sigh. So cute! She said. Yeah, really cute. Taiyou did think the kid was cute, although maybe not as much as Aoba. While they were waiting for the stop light, and as they crossed the street to the other side, Aoba kept the babys attention. Babies are so nice. Yeah, they are. Aoba said no more, just squeezed his arm into her chest again. Even though nothing was said, something affected her heart more than a lot of discussion. Not only was she clinging to him with her arms, but even her fingers gripped him. Theres no way her feelings werent felt by Taiyou. (A baby) Taiyou pondered this all inside his heart. She imagined something that calmed her, made her smile, and just seemed to make her happy. Natsuno-kun Her voice brought Taiyou back to reality. He looked over at her. It had been fun, or maybe absent-mindedly playful the way she had thought about babies, but now for some reason she was staring right at Taiyou. She still clung to his arm, but somehow she seemed to be sulking. Thats no good. What? Us having a child is no good. Its different than Kohakuno, different from Pochi too. different from Pochi, its no good to have a relationship with someones daughter. no, no, no, no. Because Aobas imagination was getting away from her, it took Taiyou quite a bit of time to understand what she was getting at. Taiyou thought about having children with the other women. Aoba understood what everything would entail, and so her imagination now went to what would happen the day after tomorrow. She thought that Taiyou might try something with her own daughter. Of course I wouldnt, thats my own daughter. Really? No way. After Taiyou clearly denied that, he suddenly thought of something. (If you set yourself to like daughters, I wonder if its possible?) He thought of the guy that wasnt here with them any more. If you like mother/daughter combos, what would happen to a daughter of a mother anyway? His thoughts developed and became perverse. In his mind, the most screwed up family tree possible developed. Ah, Im thinking of weird crap again. Aoba was still staring at him, and pouted at him again. No, no, thats wrong. Let me tell you what I meant. But Taiyou already started a counterattack. Theres something wrong about you looking at me like that, because if you think Im thinking about that, youll make me angry! Making your face pout like that But I Aobas eyes watered as if to say he had hit her in a place that hurt. Taiyous argument was the correct one, because in the conversation about whether a daughter should fall into the clutches of his mothers lover, Aobas reaction was way too mild. Aoba was a bit lost after being called out, and she blushed and found it hard to talk. I know its wrong, butif you insisted Natsuno-kun Dont say that to me! That girl tooId give everything to you, Taiyou. Im saying, dont start talking like Kohaku! Nobecause wed be a real mother/daughter combos sowed be better. What do you mean youd be better? What does that mean?! in a womans battle? You answered in a questioning voice? Since you started this conversation about mothers, now youre wrapping yourself up with all the other mothers! That messed up family tree filled his mind again. Thats not true! Aoba answered immediately, excited and in a loud voice. Well, I mean not reallyI mean, I dont know why ones wrong and another isnt She said, and arced her head a bit. (This conversation is not going in the right direction.) He thought he could hear a voice telling him not to pursue this any further. Taiyou realized it was time to stop with this conversation, and grabbed Aoba and drew him to himself. They held hands and he caressed her palm with his thumb. No words were spoken, but their emotions mingled. Even though she was wordless, she snuggled into him until it seemed ticklish. They walked along like that for a while. Taiyou was calm and smiling, Aoba had Taiyous arm buried in her chest, the two together, walking. They were in their own world, quite different from the one outside them. What a bunch of show-off lovebirds! Theyre the reason for global warming! I hope your dong falls off, you non-NEET! Suddenly, a group of three guys with smouldering anger in their eyes shouted at the couple. Hackneyed SJW lines, and reactions. Thats why Taiyou wasnt angry at them. Taiyou used to be a human like them, so he knew how they all felt. They told you to die, right? Well, for my dong to drop and die, well, if my dong dropped off I would die pretty quick. Dong drop off? What? Oh, yeah, you dont know that stuff. He thought about it and understood. Aoba was the type not versed in Internet slang, and unlike the three sisters and Kohaku was still a virgin. No relationships meant no experience. So she wouldnt know what dong they were talking about. After thinking about that, Taiyou suddenly became quite angry. Well, it means He whispered into Aobas ear. He informed her of exactly what it meant, and in the dirtiest way possible. He then enjoyed the reaction of the innocent, blushing girl at point-blank range. Chapter 171 – Aoba / Writing her Character is like Breathing Chapter 170 - Aoba / Future Plans Chapter 172 Aoba / A Duck with Chives on its Back or A Golden Opportunity Translator: Ranzan Hey! While he was enjoying Aobas cute reaction, he heard a threatening voice raised at him again. Voices clearly shouting in his direction. When he looked up, it was those three thug-looking guys again. Their three hairstyles from right to left were punch-perm, angle-shaved, and shaved head in a strange variation. Their shirts were opened wide to reveal their chests, and the shaved-head guy had a colorful face tattooed into his chest. (a rabbit that awakes to a wave of murderous intent?) Taiyou looked at them in puzzlement, as a bunch of non-existent cliches were spoken at him. After examining these guys, there was no doubt that one had a tattoos but they werent dragons or demons, but just a white rabbit. Even though the scene was one of them having a tattoo, it was impossible to wonder why the hell he had gotten a rabbit. What are ya lookin at?! Huh?! You messin with us? Zuzooooraaah! You guys are the ones that called me out Taiyou couldnt help laughing at the overly-typical threatening words of these generic thugs. He fell silent and let them keep talking. You got some guts talkin to us like that! You two gettin all kissykissykissykissykissykissykissy on our turf! Zuzooooraaah! this is Kabuki-cho, right? Kabuki-cho? Aoba, who was in his arms, asked them in a confused tone. Taiyou smiled. In many ways it was a name that most wouldnt mention, but because weve already referenced Ryu ga Gotoku once, it was an obvious reference even if Aoba didnt get it. (I wonder if Kohaku is okay) He suddenly remembered Kohaku, and looked up in the sky with nostalgia. He had been away from her for days, and if he didnt count the day he was unconscious, it was more like one day even though it felt like two months had passed. It took him back thinking about their conversations, and how much he missed her. Thats what he thought about. You a-hole! Where are you lookin?! Are you ignorin us?! Zuzooooraaah! They kept blustering at him, as the rabbit shaved-head guy grabbed Taiyou by the collar. Aoba squealed at the sudden violence, while the tourists surrounding them suddenly gathering decided to back away. Taihou just looked at his enemy. The people symbolic of violence that occured in this country, those who show off who they are without any hesitation, working even though the government attempts to ignore their existence. The men, symbolic of violence. A few months ago, like Aoba, he would have been shaking at them silently, scared. Sorry, I didnt mean to ignore you. I was just thinking of my wife. Thinkin of your wife?! Thinkin? Aint that girl your wife? Zuzooooraaah! She is, but I have three others that arent here. I was thinking about one of them. The thugs opened their angry eyes wide at what Taiyou said. A blue vein expanded on one of their foreheads, pulsing so strongly that it seemed the blood vessel might burst. Natsuno-kun Taiyou held the girl shaking from the threatening looks of the thugs on his left side, while stepping out on his right to defend her. In one motion, he then gave Aoba a light peck on the lips. She was surprised, as the thugs silently looked at Taiyous move. Taiyou then turned to face them, with glaring eyes and a icy demeanor. My girl is scared, so Im afraid youll have to excuse us. After all youve shown offaint no way were lettin you go! The angle-shaved guy took out a weapon. It shined, a dark gray bladeit was a curved flip-out knife. He heard a scream, probably from one of the rubberneckers standing around them. The angle-shaved one pulled back the knife and then stabbed it out at Taiyou. Taiyou calmly watched it stab out and then grabbed the wrist of the arm with the knife. Then, he squeezed it with all his might. OwwwOWWWWWAAAAAAGHHHH! The angle-shaved guy screamed and dropped the knife. He drew the thug in by his wrist, and then delivered a side-kick to the thugs stomach. The thug bent in two and was blown away by the kick. The angle-shaved thug landed and got back up, and returned limping. The shaved-head and punch-perm thugs made eye contact, and they all three attacked him at once. When the three attacked, Taiyou handled them all while holding Aoba. He knocked down another knife, hit with a body blow, and grabbed a kick with his other arm and swung the kicker around to beat the others with. The three thugs that flew in at him were beaten back in less than 10 seconds. After they were beaten, Taiyou simply went back to his old stance. He held Aoba in his left arm, while putting his right side out in case of attack. The passers-by and their screams transformed into cheers. The elegant fight of a man holding his girl, a man easily defeating three others, and had easily avoided their attacks. The scene was one of everyone cheering him on. And in addition Natsuno-kunwow! Aoba clung to Taiyou again and sunk her face into his chest. Not because she was scared, but impressed because he had defended her; she clenched on to her with her whole heart and body. Her affection for him was at the top limit. While he held on to her, he faced the thugs again. Satisfaction, and a secondary small feeling of darkness. In the midst of that and with a feeling of pride, Taiyou had a strong calmness like usual. Wewe got it! Just let us go! The other two were unconscious, but the shaved-head thug earnestly asked for his life. He could see the mans open collar and the white rabbit, which was now painted red with his own blood. Taiyou saw this, and said lightly, As soon as I get to this island, everyones been messing with me. Wha? Just a lot of stuff, really, a lot. So I decided one thing. As he said that, he faced the shaved-head thug with an ambiguous smile. Not to give mercy to anyone who threatens my wife No, we were just You guys had some baaaad timing. His cold smile appeared with a thrust of a furious kick. Naaaaa The shaven-head thugs cries for mercy died in the sound of a body being crushed. Even after leaving the area, Taiyou still clutched onto Aoba. Well, where now? We still have a lot of time, and no ones contacted us. Ah! Would you like to get some bread or something? They have eat-in bakeries, and you can smell the butter all around here Natsuno-kun. While she cut off his words, she stepped back from his arms and turned to look him straight in the eyes. What does this look mean? He wondered. She looked like should could be either laughing or crying. She also looked like she was also angry or scared. How should he be looking back at her? At least he knew it was an expression hed never seen. What is it? Natsuno-kun, you really were cool back there. Really? Well, I guess I was, fighting and winning, it all seemed pretty cool like some protagonist in some kind of manga volume. If I had a weapon, I bet it would have been even cooler, huh? The praises Taiyou sang of himself werent real or anything, though. Yeah, it is cool. Aoba calmly smiled, while Taiyou joked around about Aoba taking his coolness so seriously. He jokingly asked himself, Why so serious? Then he remembered that she didnt know any internet slang, so Taiyou felt a little embarrassed about thinking such a thing. I really am happy that I came with you. I was thinking that before too. Rreally? Yeahhey Natsuno-kun? Hm? She silently squared herself towards him and looked up. Would she say yes to him? Or no to him? Both were a possibility. He let his anger take hold and unleashed violence, and she knew it was his background to do such things. Either was possibleand he really didnt want to see either. Thats why she faced him. Either way, he was going to be strong and respond to her. Dont leave me alone today. No matter how many enemies, no matter how dangerous, I want to be protected by your arms, Natsuno-kun. Oh, yeahI was expecting to, though She didnt say yes or no, but pleaded. Hoped, pleaded, and again, returned to his arms. Taiyou was happy that she had come from the bottom of his heart. Aoba. Hm? Inside his arms, the girl looked calmly up at him. When we get backlets have sex. Out of overwhelming affection, the words just spilled out of Taiyou as he wanted to say them. Chapter 172 Aoba / ‘A Duck with Chives on its Back’ or ‘A Golden Opportunity’ Chapter 171 - Aoba / Writing her Character is like Breathing Chapter 173 Aoba / The Life of a Happy Couple Translator: Ranzan The sun went down in the west and the night spread across the sky. Just as after he had beaten the three thugs, Taiyou walked the evening shopping area with Aoba wrapped in his left arm. They began walking away from the tourists milling about the center of Juunishima, off into an area with little tourists or cars. The crowds decreased more and more, and the cars eventually disappeared from sight. Occasionally a bus drove by, but there were hardly anyone riding inside. It was clear that they had walked to an open place that most citizens were unfamiliar with. Take a left at the next light. Aoba was clinging to him while looking at her smartphone, and telling Taiyou which way to go. Just then, an email had arrived from Youran. It only had an address, and nothing else was written on the email. It was an email that might have been auto-deleted as spam if she hadnt been careful. Of course, Taiyou didnt do that. He understood everything more than enough, and he knew his own role in everything better than anyone else. Thats why he made no mistake in walking, and followed the smartphone application that Aoba was telling him right to the location it indicated. Finally, they had arrived. Maybe because it was the nighttime. They had arrived at an endlessly huge, white wall that surrounded a massive mansion. Just looking at the area surrounding the building gave the impression that this was nearly a palace. The Daimyo MansioninSeikaen-machi that Taiyou had previously attempted to board was huge, but this was multiples larger, a massive building. Even those far away could see its massive wooden gate, giving off a strange air with two large gas lamps on both sides. You could find this place even without an address. Yeah, something this big and they could just tell you Go straight in any direction and youll find it. No way to get lost either Hey, how many Tokyo Domes do you think fit in here? At least 100 of them, I guess? The size of the mansion itself surrounded them in awe. If you were to take out one thing to compare it to for a Japanese personthe two approached it like it were a massive pearl. They stood before a gate that stood like a towering wall, as Aoba took out her smartphone, and pushed the first number on her redial screen. The phone rang and finally connected. Are you here? They heard Yourans voice. It wasnt the mood of Shingetsunokami, because the freshness and closeness of her tone. Yeah, were here. Did we really even need an address? This is such a freaking huge building. Well, I guess. I dont know about you guys, but there are geniuses in this world that get lost on straight roads. I always go the shortest way, so I never get lost. Because you just break down walls? I do. Even so, what is this place, I heard it was a mansion, but this is more of a castle than a mansion. Thats the image we wanted. That girls father was a maniac about the Warring States period, and at the beginning of it, he loved the Tenshukaku type of castle they built, so this is made using that concept. His hobby, huh? He looks like he really liked this type. I like it too, even though he was always against what his daughter wanted. I see. Taiyou nodded, and it was a deep nod of understanding. Youran hated the conversation to get off topic. When he thought back to the first time he met her, he thought she used to talk quite friendly. On the other hand, now he would have to say that she was withdrawn and waiting for the other party to make the move now. So, you want me to say something now. Yeah, just go in there and cause a ruckus. You can kill everyone if you want. Youre exaggerating. You can exaggerate as much as you want, its what you always try to do. The only time I exaggerate is when someone touches my girl and feels some imperial-level wrath. Well, whats bothering you the most now? That your girls keep running away and get captured as hostages? yeah. He nodded and squeezed Aoba closer to him. Aoba drew closer, and clutched on to him in response. Then, you should let those planning on grabbing this girl know that its dangerous, that youll protect her before they can do it. Yeah. Then get with it. If you dont take this seriously, then Leticia will be in danger next. Youran tried to motivate him, and he could hear her emotions interlaced with her usual tone of voice. Because she was worried about best friend Leticia, Taiyou knew what Youran was getting at. Is Leticia there? What a bother. He could hear Youran become puzzled over the phone and then take on a pouting voice. She was smart. He could tell by the way she talk to him. Everyone knew that Youran and Leticia were both close friends. The normally never talked with reservations, they were always friendly, and they both worried about each other though they never showed it. Even though they had different attitudes, for some reason it never showed in their words. Taiyou thought this all was mysterious. Thats why when Taiyou tried to confirm Leticias presence in a roundabout way, Youran got angry. Youran and Leticia. There was still something between them that Taiyou didnt know about, so he definitely wanted to know what it was better. Either way, just get it done right. You have the chance to redeem yourself. Redeem myself. He whispered and turned to Aoba. He held her after he had beaten the thugs, and he wanted to show her the good side of himself. He had only shown her the lame parts of himself since they arrived at this island, he felt strongly. Yeah, Ill show you. Please do. Sure. He said so and hung up. He remembered what Youran had said, and cringed a bit. Hard and yet easy to understand. What happened to her? Aoba turned her head up to him from under his arm. It seems the conversation leaked out and she heard everything Youran said. Something will happen, it seemed an easy thing to do, it may be nothing. Its not nothing, but, maybe youre right. She put Youran aside for now and talked only about what was right ahead. They took deep breaths and stood at the gate again. What now? Instead of a written challenge we just bust in. Can you? It looks like a huge gate. Sure. Taiyou nodded. It was a very large and thick gate, and the wood material used looked like it was very difficult to break. (So then what?) Aoba was beside him, and while he was protecting her, he wanted to show her something. Before the real show, he wanted to show her him breaking one or two of the doors in the gate first. Watch this. Sure. He lightly balled his hand in a fist, and pulled back his arm. He built his power and let loose a punch. Creaaaak, came the sound as the gate opened up. Whaa? Taiyou was shocked, as a meaningless sound of surprise leaked from his mouth. It opened, huh? Yyeah. Someone had predicted that punch, and now since there was no place to use it, it seemed like he felt bad for trying in the first place. However, this didnt last long. Ah. Huh? The two both unconsciously remarked about the huge scene that unfolded before them. Over 100 men were lined up. It was a collection of warriors with no end to their lust for fighting and violence. Aoba clenched on to Taiyou. Taiyou laughed. A golden opportunity. Taiyou saw what was before him as one. Chapter 173 Aoba / The Life of a Happy Couple Chapter 172 Aoba / A Duck with Chives on its Back or A Golden Opportunity Chapter 174 - Aoba / Spartan T Translator: Ranzan It was a strange silence. Before them were large stone tiles that led up to the main building and on both sides were small bonfires blazing. The Castle that Youran had mentioned, was a place associated since long ago with warriors. And all these warriors were lined up on the sizes. Looking like an army or something, it was a rough line of men. Even though there were more than 100 men standing, there was not one sign of movement. But the scene wasnt one of complete stillness. It wasnt a physical sensation, but one could sense there were sounds of things moving. It was a sudden sensation, one that occurred almost immediately in the presence of a large mass humans. The will to fight, violence, and these mens hostility. The feeling they gave off was enough to feel like it was piercing your skin. Silence, yet not still. Those are the sensations that Taiyou felt. Suddenly, he could feel Aobas grip harden on his left side. Her thin grip around his arm seemed to jolt, and it seemed filled with anxiety. Taiyou, however, was unaware and ready to go. (Im a mean guy I guess.) He laughed at himself quietly. He was used to things like this, so Aobas reaction seemed so cute because she was unprepared, while he also was now preparing to give her a real show. Taiyou still couldnt get rid of his fastidiousness strange at his age. He was happy that his love was startledhe wanted to feel her anxiousness. He spoke to Aoba as he looked out on them. Lotta guys here. Yeahso many. As Aoba answered in a small voice. She was trying to hide her fear, but was still unable to. 100no 200 or so. Natsuno-kunwill we beokay? Nope, not okay. Whaaaat?! If I beat all these guys up, its going to look like hell here. Wha? Its going to be scary. Could you close your eyes, Aoba? She thought he was joking and was momentarily surprised. No, Ill watch. She shook her head, and Taiyou could see a slight smile on her mouth. I want to see you act cool again. Okay, then Ill show you. It wasnt the conversation they had expected, but Aoba maxed out his fighting spirit with one phrase. He could expect that someone he loved was watching him. It was what roused this youth to fight like nothing else could. An extreme power not understood by physics that was the power of real leveling. Until now it had been impossible, however, he could feel that all the muscles in his body were powered to the maximum amount. While he still held on to Aoba, he broke into the line of men. The men sprung to action against him in lines and groups of men, but the front all ended up in a semicircle against Taiyou. Using his strong arm, he countered the first fighter that lunged at him from the side. The warrior slammed into the ground on his side. Missed. Wha? Aoba looked worried. Well, he didnt miss the ground. He dodged the next fighters punch, dove near to his chest, grabbed his collar and threw him right through the line of other soldiers. I should have used him to beat them back! Just like a boxer, he was surrounded by fighter after fighter and knocked them down. Whoaaa. He heard Aobas emotional voice, as Taiyous energy got higher and higher. He never stopped moving his feet. Until now he was stopped in one place, standing and awaiting those attacking him and countering them when he could as strategy. Now he began to move around, attacking and dropping the enemy in order. Taiyou clinging to Aoba, a man and woman. A happy couple breaking through a huge group of trudging soldiers. As Taiyous energy grew and grew, the numbers of defeated soldiers on the ground increased. Natsuno-kun! Behind you! Wha! A enemy sprung at him from behind. He swung a sword from above his head, which Taiyou blocked with a blunt weapon, snatched his sword away, and hit him in the head with it. Kyaaa! He heard Aoba scream. An enemy came at him from the left. Aaaarrggg! Dont stand on my left! Aoba changed her standing position as Taiyou delivered a painful punch to the face of the attacker. His face changed in and explosion of teeth. Instead of being blown away, he simply sank, defeated to the ground. One more, then one more, were thrown to the ground which had accumulated an endless stack of men. Taiyous fist was covered with fresh blood, as the number of new sacrifices increased one by one. Emotionfear There was a pandemic that grew among the fighting army. Hehes a monster! As nearly 100 men had fallen, someone screamed aloud. Just then, the dam broke in their fighting emotions, and suddenly changed into fear. We cant win against him! Are you puttin your life on the line for her!? Waaagh! There were screams everywhere, and many began to flee. All of the approaching enemy forces had now turned to run in fear. Ahah! He could hear a voice below. The was a man who had fallen down with fear in his eyes. His teeth were chattering in terror and he shook in horror. Hmph! Taiyou, without mercy, kicked the side of his head with his right foot like he would a ball. The soldier spewed out bloody vomit. A merciless kill. After seeing that, the numbers fleeing increased. The matter was decided. He stopped to take a breath and allow some enemies to run. Aoba, its better if you dont look. No, Im watching. Really? Well, Im your wife, right? Whether that was an answer or not, she still drew closer to him as she said it. There wasnt a trace of that nervousness or fear she had just before and after the beginning of the fight. And there was something even more different. Taiyou thought he understoodbetter now. (I think so now.) He didnt know if what he felt now was correct, but he thought at least it seemed that way. Asv he thought so, he powerfully held Aoba to him. After that, he attacked those remaining. As they scattered in every direction, he attacked them from behind wherever he could. One after one, the defenseless men dropped. So this is all of them. Taiyous legs stopped moving, and he looked around. The fire around his illuminated a hellish scene of blood and bodies. In the middle of that was the calm Taiyou and Aoba, who he drew close to him. Dripdrip. Blood dripped from his fist while he was bathed in spurting blood, as he looked like a Titan that was holding a princess in his arms. Three of them ran inside. You counted them? Im your wife, right, Natsuno-kun? So, is this the new line of yours? Im the least noteworthy of all your wives up to now, so I have to do something. No, no, all the others just think that about you. Kotone and her sisters use telepathy, Kohaku is an old woman in a young ones body, and Shirokiyami is the worlds best swordfighter. Its not that theyre more noteworthy; they just stick out more. But I think I should stand out more, develop myself. Really? I think your character is developed more than enough. You think? Father, MotherMamaMother He imitated Aobas tone. Kyaaa, stop that! Please! You call out to your parents when youre scared, but its crazy you have four parents. Theres no one like you with all those parents like you have. Wha? Wha? They spoke as if they were on a cheerful date, as they walked along the stone tiles. The atmosphere returned to silence, as they could hear groaning all around, but as both of them really went listening to it they were fine. There was one thing that still seemed a bit off between them. Why did you sayWha?just then? Becausebeing this age and still calling out to your parents is embarrassing I thought. So thats it? Taiyou responded loudly. What about you having four parents to call to? Well, I have four of them. Aoba simply said the truth. They all love me. Youre right. Oh. What now? I was just thinking, from now, my kids are going to have it hard. In the same way, theyll have a big family to call out to. Yeah. His eyes opened wide as Aoba skillfully tapped at him while she held on. She spoke as if she were in a play. SorrrrrryFatherMotherMamaMotherMotherMommaMumzumumMazza! Thats not someones mother, but something else! Taiyou responded. After calling out seven different people, Aobas mouth closed. Even if she tried, she couldnt force out any more. Sorry, I cant think of any more. I cant think of more than nine. Why did you give up there? Dont give up! Why are you getting so passionate about that? Well, you have 20 people you consider asbrothersin this world, so you still have a while to go! Whaaaa? Thats a lot. He thought it was great he could think up these things without Kohaku or Hera here. As they joked around, they walked up to the building before them. They could feel something, as one man flew out at them. I told you Taiyou spun half around, and faced the new enemy directly. Dont come at me from the left hand side! Crack, crick, cronk! The sound of bone and flesh being destroyed, as the enemy let up a small, fierce cry. Then he grabbed the body and tossed it like trash, and turned to the building. Before the two again enemies were standing. They had come from inside, a small groups. There was one figure that they recognized. Long time no see. I never thought Id see you here. Anna Juunishima. Whether this was the second stage or not was yet to be determined, as there stood Anna and her underlings. Chapter 174 – Aoba / Spartan T Chapter 173 Aoba / The Life of a Happy Couple Chapter 175 - Aoba / Boys and Girls Translator: Ranzan Anna Juunishima wore a black no-sleeve shirt with hot pants and high-heel sandals. There were sunglasses hanging over her chest, and one bracelets on each arm. She was slim and tall, and she wore clothes that fit her feminine, fierce demeanor. Behind her were three young men. They all looked out with sour expressions, one of them was in front of the other two, the driver of the car they were in. Youwhy are you here? Taiyou said in a surprised look and voice at these unknown characters. Why am I not allowed to be here? This is Juunishima, after all! This here is my headquarters, so theres going to be one or two of us here, at least. I thought you were pursuing Pochi here. He said with a light comment, and answered her with a frowning brow. I did, but I wasnt able to capture her. I heard you had arrived on this island and was thinking that a monster like you would never come, but now times out without me even getting close to her. Really, well, Kohaku fled away well too. This pisses me off, seeing you relaxed about it. Well, thanks to you Ive been messing up, so they called me here to deal with you. Youve been told to defeat me? Anna didnt answer, but an icy smile spread on her face. Taiyou laughed at himself at the stupid thing was hearing after he caused all this carnage, but the fact that this girl appeared here meant she was his enemy. Natsuno-kun Aoba worrily called his name, as she turned her clinging eyes towards him. It seemed that the trust and calm that she had previously had been pulled away. It was to be expected, because before Anna and her group had attacked Natsunos group on a trip, and she had been injured. Even though it wasnt a big deal, it was certain one would feel worried in front of someone that previously injured you. Taiyou put power into the arm that held her, as if to tell her Itll be okay. Okay Aoba nodded, and buried herself under his arm. He could feel Annas presence, and the fear of Aoba from her experiences with Anna. He felt strongly that he had to protect her. Let that girl go, shes going to get mixed up in this. Anna said provocatively, as Taiyou became enraged. He strongly regretted not being able to protect her the last time she was attacked by Annathere was something like trauma left in Aoba. There was no reason to leave her just because Anna told him, no, in fact he would stay with her because Anna told him. No. Such a conceited attitude, are you really okay with that? I think any REAL man would want to make sure his girl is safe. Yeah, me too. Then do it. I already did. Anna scowled at him. She took a sudden breath at Taiyous quick response, as her expression of surprise turned into a sour expression. His strange agreement with her had frustrated her. What the reason for her frustration waswas something Taiyou declined to ponder about. (No reason to think about it now.) There was only one thing for him to do now, show Aoba that he had the power to keep her from being touched, that was it. There was nothing to think about but that. Well, too bad then. Anna said with a sigh. Big sis, are you really going to do this? The driver of the car asked. He earnestly asked her, as if he seemed a bit lost. Yeah. But Just shut up. Anna said, and the other three were quiet. He ignored the standing Anna, and looked at the three young guys, matching their gazes and taking a step ahead. Taiyou glared at them, took out his weapon, and placed it on his back. Taiyous power, knowing that he was invulnerable to ranged attacks meant that he prepared for a close one. Here goes. As soon as the others heard Annas call to attack, they all went forward to attack Taiyou. Taiyou took a step back. He didnt face straight forward, but pulled his body back and hid Aoba behind him. After putting his right side out as his furthermost point, he gazed carefully at an approaching blade and dodged the tip. He went to counterattack as the attack went by, but where he was about to step in was stashed at from the other side. Left and right, his vision scattered to the front. The guys combinations were a barrage seeking to hem him in. He took a step back. They followed up with another attack, as he ran back over the stone tiles with Aoba in arm. Ug. He tripped on the edge of one tile and lost his balance. Then one weapon scratched the edge of his nose, and he almost was unable to avoid it, while the end of his nose split open in a trail of new blood. Natsuno-kun! Im fine! Its a scratch! Well give you a fatal blow! Now, die! Roaaaah! They saw their chance as they dove in for a new attack. The three all attacked them with their weapons at once. Cold flashes of light chased both Taiyou and Aoba. Dont mess with meeeee!! Suddenly, the air was filled with the sound of roaring yells. They both attacked as Taiyou shot out his right arm. The two swords scratched his cheeks, while the last sword was caught by his arm. Wha? As he held onto the blade of the sword, he put power into bending it. The sword was bent until the guy holding it let go. Taiyou ignored the pain in his hand and spun the sword around as his own, and swung it. Then, he stabbed out at the fellows that had attacked him. Ah! At that moment, Taiyous movements stopped. His arm was spun around somehow from the back. When he looked, somehow Anna had gotten behind him and had grabbed Aoba and spun her and Taiyou as she pulled Taiyous arms behind his back. With Annas power she could only pretend she was powerful in that instant. However, as it was a surprise move, he didnt understand what had happened and was slow to defend. Now get him! Raoooohhhh! At Annas command, the other guys came charging at Taiyou. He didnt think that Anna would sacrifice herself to make that attack. Huffpant Taiyou was nearly out of breath, and it wasnt that his breath was hoarse, but he had also taken quite a bit of damage. I never thoughtanyone would make a move like that on me Annas strategyhe was taken aback by her unexpected strategy of self sacrifice. He thought it was an impossible move for her to do, he had been struck in the side of the head, and was stabbed in the shoulder by a sword. All of Annas troops now were knocked out. In Taiyous counterattack, the three guys were face-up on the ground, while Anna was holding a broken rib and spitting up blood. It was a dirty win for Taiyou, but he had taken some damage as well. Natsuno-kun, are you okay? Im fineand you? Okay? Yeahtotally Is that so? Taiyou nodded, and walked towards Anna. Were passing through. Go ahead, you can see we cant stop you. yeah. He breathed deeply, as Taiyou spurred on his damaged body and passed by Anna on the side with Aoba next to him. As he passed, Anna called out to him. Waityoure not going to kill me off? Purpose and meanstheres no reason for me to. You dont hate me? Aoba is untouched. So that was the result? Results are important. Anna suddenly fell quiet as Taiyou and Aoba walked in through the door. Where next? Um, the email says climb the stairs to the second floor. And from there? Go in the door thats decorated the most tacky. This one. As Aoba led him with her smartphone in one hand, he followed, and they progressed to the center of the building. Ugh He became dizzy. His arms fell behind his back as he stood, and Aoba came out from under him. Natsuno-kun, are you really okay? Dont worry, its no big deal. Do we go left next? Or right? Um, right. Okay! They turned right as Aoba said. Taiyous feet stopped as the corridor opened up. There stood the next group of enemies waiting. SaegusaTsukumo. In the back of his mind, he had expected this after meeting Anna, but it seemed that he had brought the three daughter/mother pairs with him to fight as well. Chapter 175 – Aoba / Boys and Girls Chapter 174 - Aoba / Spartan T Chapter 176: Aoba / Cant let you do that Translator: Ranzan So you are here, then. Just the face I expected. This was the next stage I thought, wasnt surprised at all. Taiyou said this, smiled, and drew back his shoulders. A huge army by the gates, and Anna who then came out from inside. That wasnt all, as next was an even stronger foe. One could say that this is was the most expected outcome, that Saegusa Tsukumo would appear here with all of his own. There was no surprise as this was the so-called promise that awaited him. His body, however, was another story. He had taken more than a scratch from Anna and the others and their fearless attack against him. The side of his head throbbed and the palm of his right hand pulsated hotly. It wasnt a huge amount of damage, but he wasnt in perfect condition. On the other hand, Saegusa and his group were all there, opposing him. Saegusa was at the top with his sister Haku. The mother/daughter combo of Chan Sha and Chan Su were there, speaking their broken Japanese. There also were the strange-Japanese-speaking black-clothed mother Chiyo and her archer daughter Chie. In addition stood Miyako, in a kimono, and her daughter, the beautiful Honoka, who was taller than Taiyou. Eight people altogether, who had suddenly appeared around Saegusa like a sudden mother/daughter comic troupe. (Well, time to get ready.) He put power into his left arm without thinking. Yesterday (at least in his consciousness) he had fought and defeated the five women starting with Chan Su. But now Chan Sha and Saegusa were added in the mix. At full strength he could win; he wouldnt even lose against all seven. But, that is obviousif he could use both arms. Taiyou wasnt confident that he could win against all seven with Aoba in one arm in this condition. He couldnt lose also. After this, he had to win strongly with all of his powerhe needed to keep winning completely. That was his goal. (The waymay involve having to be quite bloody with this group) Taiyou thought so. If he aimed to scare the group, he would have to visually injure them heavily to scare them away. Taiyou prepared himself for this. But, there was something opposing this decision as well. Aoba was accompanying him on his side. Her ponytailed face looked up at him from under his arm with a worried expression. Natsuno-kun, maybe I should leave It was just like her to sense the danger in this situation, as she clung to him and asked for his response. No, stay there. He interrupted her with a quick response. Leave it all to me, just relax. But Youre fine. I remembered what Kohaku has promised me. What? Kohaku? Why that name, now? Her eyes widened. W, what promise? To not love you all equally, that promise. What? Now Aoba was really surprised. She had a face that said, what is this man in front of me saying? Not to love you all equally, and in exchange for each time Im with you, to love the person Im with the most. That promise. Well Now, I love you the most, now, more than Kotone, Suzune, Kazane, more than Kohaku. Thats why Ill protect you, no matter what happens. So just relax. Tthats it? To say that Aoba was surprised was correct, his reasoning made sense in a way that it didnt make any sense. Yeah! But! Just that is Well, let me add one thing. He closed Aobas lips with his index finger. He smiled, and then said, love always wins in the end. For a second, the air around them seemed to stop. Everyone except Taiyou was lost as to what was going on. Not just Aoba, but all of the enemies with Saegusa were completely dumbfounded. The words he spoke were a piercing declaration. But, even though it was a bit goofy of a line, it went much further than he expected. After her surprised, her face was covered in a blush, and she seemed almost enraptured. She said nothing and buried her face in Taiyous chest. As he hugged her into his chest after telling her of his decision, he turned to face Saegusa. Some nice words there, bud. I just said the obvious. No Japanese man say that to me! Chan Sha said, as Saegusa pursed his tips and turned to her. It was a line that sounded very foreign. Well, either way Ive kind of determined what type of guy you are from those words. Really? Im digressing, but Im the type thatLoves mothers and daughters together. Ive set myself to be like that. What are you trying to say? He had heard that line many times. Setting your own personality, words that seemed to resonate with humor. Tsukumo repeated that question. What did he mean, as he tilted his head. Haku. What, brother? Chan Su, Chiyo and Chie, Miyako and Honoka. He called all the womens names. He only left the foreigner mothers name out when calling out all the others. Strip Chan Sha. A sudden order from Saegusa. All of the three mother/daughter pairs looked lost, while Haku quickly walked behind Chan Sha and bound her arms behind her back. The others hesitated and then helped to restrain Chan Sha. What, what you doing? Dont take off my clothes! It was so sudden that Chan Sha looked at Saegusa with a fearful expression. Ignoring her fear, the women began removing her clothes piece by piece. This is the punishment you get for interrupting two mens conversation. is this okay, brother? We were told to protect this place. I love mother and daughter combos, so what happens when this happens in front of some beautiful mothers and daughters? You really are a monster. Tsukumo said this seriously, but Hakus tone was completely in jest. Tsukumo connected eyes with Taiyou. It was in an instant, but Taiyou now understood everything. lets go. Wait. Whaaaaat? Aoba said. While holding onto Aobas shoulder, Taiyou walked her past Saegusa Tsukumo. Prepare yourself, Chan Sha, your body is going to be taught never to make a nuisance of yourself again! Brother, what about Chan Su? All of them. Chiyo, Honoka, Chie, Chan Su, everyone strip. SighWell, Im going to waste my time somewhere else, brother. As he heard the intense, desperate sounds behind him begin to rise, Taiyou and Aoba left the room. Natsuno-kun, what was that? Well, it was what it was. Was what it waswhat does that mean? After they progressed far enough so they couldnt hear the sounds of the others, Aoba had asked him this with a face full of puzzlement. Perhaps it was a question about why they both passed by so easily. Taiyou had only a short conversation with him, so this probably wasnt what Aoba was really asking, however. In a phrase, Theyre reaping what they sowed. Sowed? Um, they were captured by me and I let them go without conditions. Thats what they sowed. Oh Is that what happened? Aoba thought. Seeing Aoba confused like this made Taiyou think of Saegusa. Somehow, that youthful will to not lose out to another filled his head. I have to punish you too sometime. Wha? PPunish me? What do you mean? He pushed Aoba against a wall and put his hand up against the wall in a slight show of dominance. NNatsuno-kun?! It was kind of cool to see two guys understand each other without words, I guess. Explaining everything to you right now would be kind of lame. It was like explaining a joke when someone didnt get the punchline. Sopunishment. As Taiyou said this, Aoba clenched her lips together in a pleading face. Chapter 176: Aoba / Can’t let you do tha t Chapter 175 - Aoba / Boys and Girls Chapter 177:Aoba / Make Yourself Comfortable to the Maaax! Translator: Reflet Moving close to the wall, the two of them sat down. Leaning against Taiyou, she skillfully applied treatment to his right hand. Like a typical girl her age, she used a clean handkerchief and began performing hemostasis. While gazing at Aoba cheerfully giving treatment, Taiyou became slightly relieved. He was relieved that he didnt have to fight with Tsukumos faction. Im glad that you didnt have to fight Aoba mentioned as she was giving him treatment. Taiyou caught his breath at this timing, as if his heart were being peered into. Yeah Yeah, I can say this now: I slightly thought that I didnt want to let Natsuno-kun fight those people I wouldnt lose though He tried purposefully declaring it in that manner. Yeah, I believe you. But thats not what I mean She continued, her gaze falling on the opening of the wound she was treating. Wasnt I captured Yeah That time, I was watching the exchange between those people. And then Iended up feeling intimacy. Of course there were also scary moments. A little different from my household, but in the same way as my house, those people resembled my parents That makes sense Taiyou nodded, satisfied. What Aoba was talking about was undoubtedly the relationship in which there is one male and multiple females, generally known as a harem. She was born and raised in that very kind of household. At one point in time in her rebellious phase she had revolted against that form of family, but as of now she herself was trying to construct that very household. That was how accustomed she was to that kind of thing. He wasnt sure how serious Tsukumo was aboutsetting himself, but Aoba had likely empathized with their clear harem relationship. Right, if we had so much as fought, that could have physically broken their relationship. To smithereens. In that sense it very well might have been best to not fight You have such confidence, Natsuno-kun Could it be thatyou want me to say the same thing again? Taiyou lifted up the corner of his mouth, directing a malicious smile at Aoba. Just earlierprecisely because this was right after he had whispered to her in front of the enemy, Aoba quickly understood what his words implied. For a moment, her face became bright red. That was unbelievably cute. Taiyou moved his face closer, about to whisper even more into her ears. If you want me to say itThen Id better hear you Uuu While gazing at the girl who looked like an octopus being boiled, he refined the words in his heart. If she were to beg him then he intended to whisper with all of his might, more syrupy, melting her down all the way to her bone marrow. Briefly moaning, Aoba then lifted up her face. The face gazing at Taiyou was filled with more resolve than he had imagined. So do you want me to sayDD Natsuno-kun Wh-Whats up? Aoba spoke with such force that it overwhelmed him, even though he thought he was playing the sadist. P-Pull Pull Pull my hair Aoba displayed a do-or-die spirit, as if she were jumping into the deep end. Uhh, when you say pull your hairyou mean this ponytail Yeah Why againDD Taiyou tilted his head, puzzled, but abandoned the idea of pursuing it any further. The dependability of a man was found in answering to his brides courage. Alright DD The moment he nodded, Aobas face burst into a smile. Her smile like a large flower in bloom was enough to confirm that she desired it from the bottom of her heart. (If you want it that much), Taiyou thought as he reached a hand out to pull on her ponytail. Ta-Ta daTaiyou-chans fairy has splendidly made her visit! Indeed Hera appeared before Taiyou out of nowhere. Her manifestation via warp as she continued to flap her butterfly-like wings was sudden as usual, and the timing couldnt have been worse. Exasperated, Taiyou glared at her with narrowed eyes. You are just Hmm? What is wrong, Taiyou-chan? Your face is a bit different from usual Thats because you suddenly came out here Ooo, does Taiyou-chan really like me that much? I am happy about those feelings, but I hope you know that I cant give you anything after B due to my size Its not like that And what are you even talking about!? Uhh, I was talking about how Taiyou-chans face is grinning a lot Huh Surprised, Taiyou tried tapping his face with the hand that had been treated by Aoba. I was grinning Yes indeed; even now you are grinning slightly DD His eyes meeting with Aobas, her eyes sprang away. With the look he had seen before she averted her eyes as well as the color of her skin he had seen afterwards, this was implicitly orating that Heras identification was correct. In his exchange with her, he had unconsciously been grinning. That made him embarassed to the max. D-Dont say such weird things He hit Hera. A quip in the effort to hide his embarassment. Not crashing into the ground or even the wall, she flew back with a smile on her face. You are a strange one, arent you Taiyou-chan Im not weird at all. More importantly, why did you come over here He asked her in a slightly more brusque tone than usual. It went well over there, so there is no longer any need for me. So I indeed have returned to where Taiyou-chan is I see Yes indeed! Taiyou-chan is my harbor` Seriously, why do you enjoy saying those sorts of clumsy phrases UhhPerhaps I have eighth-grader syndrome It hasnt even been three months since you were born That is true, but in human years I would be about fourteen years old, I will have you know Whats with that dog/cat calculation method. Thats gotta be a lie Those who believe shall be saved` An incoherent conversation as usual. Doing that for a while, after he had cleared away all his embarassment, Taiyou asked Hera once again. And how did it go well I havent so much as what you did, so could you explain Uhh, I do think that it would be faster if we looked on the internet Internet Yes indeed. It should already be on the news News You mean this, dont you Aoba said, taking out her smartphone and presenting it, as if she had quickly searched it up. What was reflected on the screen was a layout he was all too familiar with. This was the screen of a news article on the largest company site that people searched up. Two girls were depicted next to each other in the picture on the article. Youran andPochi The inflection of Taiyous voice turned inside-out. He had not anticipated that he would so much as see these two together in a photograph. This isnt a composite photograph, right UhhThe next head of Juunishima, JuunishimaNew Moon DirectorYouranDD Pointing the front of the screen at Taiyou, she began reading out the passage of the article while peering at it from the side. If it were a person who didnt know the details, it was a small news article that they could care less about. They would think that some next head of a village attended a party with his actual younger sister, was told things for the future, and the younger sister left a supporting comment for the elder sister. The picture in the article backed that up, and the two girls dressed up in dresses were smiling intimately, which was after all what was shown in the photo. This was information that would undoubtedly begin to be buried in the electronic sea within an hour. So theymet up He asked Hera. Yes indeed. They did not take any pictures, but Kohaku-tan as well as Kotone-chan and all the others are there I see. But why would they do this kind of thing? Ummwhat was it again You gotta be kidding me He yelled at Hera slightly inclining her head. Thats supposed to be the important part. Did you not hear anything? I have heard, but I did not quite understand, you see Seriously But Yuri-chan as well as Kohaku-tan both said it will go well after this. Uhhpolitically While feeling nostalgia at the name he had once called Youran, Taiyou tightly furrowed his brow. He didnt need anyone to tell him at this point in time to understand that this was a political settlement. They had already agreed in the first place that he would be in charge of the fighting scenes and that Youran and the others would be in charge of the political settlement. They had split into two groups in order to advance that forward simultaneously. It was good that it had went well, but Taiyou felt that he still wanted to know the particulars. Ah- Whats up Aoba Once I updated it, a new article Let me seeAh- Peering in, Taiyou let out the same voice of shock as Aoba. The newly updated article was even shorter than the previous, simple without any pictures. But it was something that held larger meaning to them. It is this it is this, it is that Yuri-chan has become Pochi-chans legal guardian Hera said with her usual carefree tone. (So this is what its come to), Taiyou snorted with laughter. Chapter 177:Aoba / Make Yourself Comfortable to the Maaax! Chapter 176: Aoba / Cant let you do that Chapter 178: Aoba / Blood and Soul Translator: Reflet I see, that does make sense What are you talking about Her body still next to him, Aoba looked up. From her tilting her head, it was clear that she wasnt keeping up. He explained to said girl in a whispering tone. First, the reason why Pochi even almost got taken away is because there are people who want to use Pochi to oppose Youran. Although they were born of different mothers, they are legitimate sisters, so she has the background of equal rights. If it were a household dispute between sisters, either one could have a decent excuse. But the story is different if a guardian and ward come into the picture Uhh, so not a fight between sisters, but something along the lines of rebellion against the parents Thats rightDDThanks for skillfully wrapping it up in one sentence Giving her a smooch on the forehead, he continued further. Just as you say, it would be fine if the younger sister were disputing with the elder over the headship, but it wont make sense to do that to ones guardian. Provoking antipathy too much would definitely make their reputation worse. In this case Pochi was the one who did it, and once she was on the other side it counted as rebellion, so of course the people allied would significantly decrease Yes indeed! Kohaku-tan said thatIn the present or the past, politics be in the end somethin fought with numbers The means of gathering numbers changes from age to age, but the objective itself hasnt changed at all from long ago, after all Taiyou laughed derisively. And its also a natural state of things. The older sister who already has societal power taking the position of protecting her younger sister who knows nothing is an architype thats easy to accept. Although if it were the reverse then this wouldnt go I see. Wait. But if thats the case then wouldnt that mean you dont have to fight here anymore, Natsuno-kun It would certainly stop being a must condition, yeah Taiyou said, picking up his chin deep in thought. Absorbed in thought, he wondered if there were any sort of ulterior motives mixed in with what he hadnt been informed of. But even when he thought about it he wasnt sure, so he abandoned it. No, Kohaku-san is linked with this situation. So I only have to continue at this pace Yeah, thats right Taiyou and Aoba nodded at each other. They both trusted Kohaku. Now then, I guess wed better do our part as well Taiyou nodded, reaffirming his determination. Standing aroundDDYeah, youre right Aoba also pulled on her chin in the same manner, afterward leaning more on Taiyou than before. What was there was not a sweet air, but firm resolution. And I can just take it easy in your arms, right Natsuno-kun? I can???DDmake myself comfortable with all my might, right Thats right. If thatll help rouse your spirit then I can even set it to be in the middle of a date Seriously Dont act like that guy After Taiyou and Aoba had messed around for a bit, they nodded at each other. With that as a signal, Taiyou rose up embracing her, advancing further in along with Hera. On the way, they had encountered enemies several times more. They were all small forces of three to five, and there wasnt a single leader-like person among them. Each time, Taiyou swung his fists and mowed down all of them, and Aoba purposefully exchanged everyday conversation likeWhats for breakfast tomorrow. On the path that Taiyou and company were advancing along, with the clattering sounds the enemies made as they fell down, they were like a trail of breadcrumbs. That was how they reached the innermost part of the estate. The most splendid door they had seen was in front of them. It was a door with a superabundance of decoration, five meters tall and three meters wide. (It must be here), Taiyou thought, signalling with his eyes to Hera and counting on her for scouting. Hera briefly passed through the wall entering the interior, then soon came out and saidThey are here. Nodding, Taiyou kicked the door that was possibly some hundred kilograms, forcibly wrenching it open. The room was of a making in which the back was spread out. There were several one-person sofas and side tables, and they were all lined up like the katakana character. In the center, sitting in the seat where the socially highest person likely sat was one middle-aged woman. She was a plump woman easily passing fourty; a woman who had thick enough makeup on to where it was evident from further away. So youre Tsubaki Juunishima Taiyou intentionally addressed her as the name Youran had told him without using any suffixes. Tsubaki twisted her face at that behavior. Wait, why have you come this far? Just what are the people outside doing? I defeated them all You did what I knocked em all down, that is to say, all those who stood in my way before I reached here. Youll be the last. Any last words Wait a second Natsuno-kun, theres blood on you As if to say this was her turn, Aoba said that, wiping his face with a handkerchief. Okay, I got all of it Thanks. Now thenDD After fitting in a little play, he once again faced Tsubaki. You saideveryone Thats right And you think that youll get away with doing these kinds of things Lets completely turn around those words. Do ya really think youll get away with doing those kinds of things Having your subordinates come and attack my family and take them away You did this kind of conduct because of something like that? Youll regret this Something like that, eh Taiyou repeated Tsubakis words. The depths of his chest were discomposed. The objective he had come this far with was to show off his power and instill fear in his opponent. As a means to that end, he tried to play the part of the person who pitilessly, mercilessly displayed violence. That was an act, and the boy known as Taiyou had almost no grounding in that area. He was not the type of human who could display tyranny without a reason. However, now was different. They had assailed Kotone and the others, assailed Kohaku, and taken Aoba away. All of those things were the instructions of the woman before him, and on top of that she had straight up called themsomething like that. Imperial wrath. That was more than enough to earnestly evoke his scarce but certainly existent brutal nature deep within him. Understood, how about I do this Tsubaki sighed, continuing thereafter. I will pay you consolation money, lets see, how does ten million sound Do you understand how much of an amount that is? Even a student like you should be able to comprehend that around your age I will have it prepared for you right now. I will say nothing bad, it will be in your own best interest to immediately return taking it with you In my best interest He repeated the same words in a flat tone. Still embracing Aoba, he quickly took a step forward. Yes indeed, it is in your best interest. Leaving aside Adashino, it is not like I have no guilty feelings about wrapping the other people into this That right Then, with thatDD Pfft Taiyou slowly crouched, putting his hand to the high quality carpet. He the firmly grabbed hold of it, immediately after pulling his arm up with all his might. The carpet was peeled from the floor. Tsubaki, who had been standing beyond that point, fell over backward. Fallen on her backside, she then glared at him. What are you doing Tsubaki started yelling at him. Paying it no heed, Taiyou briskly went to the lined up sofas, this time lifting up one in one hand, throwing it at Tsubaki without any hesitation whatsoever. Kyaa The some ten kilogram sofa brushed past Tsubakis side, crashing into the wall behind her and making a crack. It missed, huh Speaking coldly, he once again lifted up a sofa and threw it. It missed, and he threw yet another sofa. Holding her head cowering, Tsubaki began shivering. Ignoring that, Taiyou began throwing sofa after sofa. Boom Clatter clatterDDBoom The sofas that had changed into gigantic cannonballs of pure mass crashed one after the other, and the wall behind Tsubaki made noises and crumbled. Out of ammo, huh The one side in the shape of the katakana characterhad gone, so Taiyou turned on his heels and headed to the opposite side. W-Wait just a minute As if it were because she had enough time to take a breather, Tsubaki raised her voice, stopping Taiyou. Halting, he glared at her with cold eyes. I understand, so how about this. Twenty million, double theDDKyaa Not letting her say the rest, he began throwing another sofa. Colliding with the sofas that he had thrown earlier, they ruptured along with a rumbling sound. The wood pieces that had split into pieces flew around. Wait just a minute, h-how about this. Not money, but landDD Dont speak anymore Slowly making his way toward her, Taiyou grabbed the still-fallen Tsubaki by the collar, lifting her up. Both of her feet left the ground as Tsubaki kicked and struggled. She seemed to be in pain having her neck constricted. Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan, no killing her Natsuno-kun, what should we do about this Unlike the admonishing Hera, all Aoba did was conduct herself so as to carry out her role. That phrase that had the premise of doing something made the already-blue face of the constricted Tsubaki grow even bluer. What do you want to do He said in a gentle tone facing Aoba. He intimidated Tsubaki, while he spoke to Aoba in a whispering manner. That gap frightened Tsubaki even further. For the time being, Ill threaten her to death Taiyou thought, beginning to move toward the wall while gripping Tsubaki. Taiyou-chan DDmph At almost the same time that chills raced up his spine, Hera had screamed. He got away from Tsubaki, hurriedly leaping back. In a hairs breadth, the place where he had been was ripped apart by a silver flash of light. Chapter 178: Aoba / Blood and Soul Chapter 177:Aoba / Make Yourself Comfortable to the Maaax! Chapter 179: Aoba / The Life-Sucking Magic Sword Translator: Reflet He leaped back embracing Aoba. He felt bloodlust, as well as the slashing attack that brushed against the tip of his nose. To think that there would be a strong opponent waiting here That made him think about Shirokiyami for whatever reason, and Taiyou braced himself. But, looking again at the sight that was there of his opponent was a total anticlimax. There was a small girl reminiscent of an elementary schooler. Her long hair in braids, she was wearing a light green hospital gown. Her looks were in order, but she was thin in an unhealthy way, with an outward appearance pale enough to hospitalize her. That girl who had entered the room unawares was holding something unsuitable in her left hand. It was a blade of the appearance of being a hybrid of a knife and a kitchen knife, its blade about twenty centimeters long. Carrying that blade, she aimed her gaze at Taiyou. Is shereally an enemy Taiyou was bewildered. After all, the girl before him was trembling, acting like a small animal. Unable to feel a shred of the bloodlust that had pierced his skin with a tingling earlier, if she hadnt been holding an edged tool then he would have been tempted to treat her gently like a lost child. H-Hey Natsuno-kun Whats up That knifeis it my imagination or is it sort of pounding Huh He squinted his eyes again at the sharp object the girl was holding that Aoba had pointed out. Just as she had said, with one look it was clear that this metal-hued thing was pulsating with a red tint. Thump! ThumpDD It was a red light thin enough to where looking carefully wouldnt help anything, but enough to feel ominous at first glance. The disparity between that and the trembling girl made him feel even moreso that way. Just what isthat knife Natsuno-kunIm a little, scared Itll be alright, cause Im here While calming the frightened Aoba down, he formally spoke to the girl. Who exactlyare you ImI amUwaaaah The girl tried answering the query, but couldnt make any decent words. Holding her dagger, she held her head and screamed. What the heck is wrong Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaah As she was screaming she swung the redly-glowing dagger, rushing to attack Taiyou. Uwah He nimbly dodged the point of the slash. As opposed to her scream that was enough to make ones hair stand on endDDlike a disaster film, the girls attack was haphazard. It was like a spoiled child swinging around a plastic bat; that sort of haphazard attack. So that expectedly did not hit, and while it was striking in vain, Taiyou continued to dodge. On the other hand, he hesitated to counterattack. Though he was being slashed at by an ominous blade, the person doing it was a very young girl, and on top of that, there seemed to be more to her than that. He really couldnt just mow her down with his strong arm and then call it a day. You seem to be in a pinch, Taiyou-chan Yeah What will you do then? Would it not be a good idea to give her a good sock in the stomach and knock her over already No, thats a little Taiyou hesitated at Heras proposal. In a sense, he was the most perplexed as of this instance. The fact that he was unable to become calm, normally speaking with Hera despite the fact that he was in front of other people also brought on that clue. Then it would be best to confiscate that knife, as it would be dangerous with that thing being swung around Good point Taiyou nodded, regaining his composure and facing the girl. Heras proposal was as of now the safest action, so he thought it would be best to do so. Staring blankly at the trackless orbit of the dagger being swung around, he firmly caught hold of her thin arm. Aaahooaaaaah The girl raged while letting out a groaning voice. H-Hey, dont be so rough Taiyou panicked. There was the difference in physique with the girl, as well as the power he had gained from levelling up. Normally he would be able to easily hold down this girlish child, but he was unfortunately embracing Aoba in his left hand at the moment, and on top of that, his opponent was thrashing around like a spoiled brat. Along with the fact that he could not simply give it his all against her, he unintentionally let go of her hand as she kicked and struggled. There was a flash of red light. Ah- Immediately following, a small scream excaped Aobas mouth. The kicking and struggling girl had cut Taiyous fingertip with her dagger. It was a thin wound like a thread, as if being cut by paper. It was a literal graze; a graze that would normally be of no consequence. DDngh However, Taiyou reacted violently. Catching his breath, he strongly thrust her away with a bang. Drawing back afterwards, he took a knee while still embracing Aoba. Natsuno-kun What in the heckis this Large drops of cold sweat emerged on his forehead. Natsuno-kun, the color of your faceDD He was surprised, perplexed to the point where Aobas murmuring didnt enter his ears. He blankly stared at his cut, shaking fingertip. Blood was not coming out. It was sliced open, and yet blood was not coming out. Taiyou-chan Are you all right Natsuno-kun I am Recovering from the momentary panic, he nodded back at the concerned Aoba and Hera. Breathing deeply, he looked at the girl. The girl was cowering. Her knees on the ground, she was gripping her dagger tightly with both hands. That dagger was emitting light more red than earlier, pounding greatly. Have I beensucked That word just came into his head. He didnt know what did it, but he felt intuitively that he wassucked. Ohhh-ho-ho-ho-ho That was when Tsubaki cut in with loud laughter. It seems that it has indeed gone well Gone well That is correct, you feel at this moment that your soul was sucked from, right Soul He parroted back what she said in a monotone voice. These words were not used in everyday conversation, so he hadnt immediately grasped it. However, that was also but for an instant. The expression soul was sucked was extremely close to what he had felt. What do you mean Even so there were many things he did not understand, so he went ahead and pressed Tsubaki. Thats exactly what that katana is. Its something that sucks the blood and soul out of the humans it cuts, converting it into the wielders power It sounds suspiciously like a magic sword Hera muttered. The human sucked from becomes weak, and the owner who absorbed from them becomes strong. Its an efficient weapon in which the plus and minus of power relationships soon reverse. If this is mass producedheheheh That is also a head to decorate ones memorable first campaign. Now then, do it quickly, you Tsubaki ordered the girl. But the girl did not move, instead breathing heavily and groaning. Natsuno-kunThat girls body I know, its getting red Taiyou nodded. He had also realized what she had. Dagger gripped tightly and cowering, a portion of the girls skin that was exposed from the hospital gown was also reddened and pounding. That was not a red that human skin could normally change to. It was a vivid red. It was the kind of red that one could even refer to as crimson. If one were to see that form of her pulsating, it was clear that it was no simple phenomenon. Sort oflooks like it is going to explode Or ratherrupture Taiyou muttered. He couldnt help but imagine a balloon. Hmm, it would seem that this child wont last much longer either. Well, there are plenty of replacements so its really quite fine What are you talking about, what do you mean last, what do you mean replacement As much as he could consciously manage, Taiyous tone became stern and he glared at Tsubaki. It is just as I have said, do you not understand Dont tell meDDif you continue at this rate I will ask for a replacement Are you serious Uwaaaaaaah Losing his temper, Taiyou once again lunged forcefully for Tsubaki. As if reacting to that, still gripping her dagger tightly, the girl looked up and screamed. She then got up, heading for Taiyou with shuffling, zombie-like footwork. Kuh Clenching his fist, he made an L-shape leg stance, poised for battle. Taiyou-kun- That was when Aoba clung to him tightlyaiming eyes at him hanging on. Save that girl Yeah, of course He nodded, heading for the girl as well as Tsubaki. Ill definitely save her He said as if declaring a matter that was settled. Chapter 179: Aoba / The Life-Sucking Magic Sword Chapter 178: Aoba / Blood and Soul Chapter 180: Aoba / The Woman only Taiyou can kill Translator: Reflet HaahHaah She seems quite out of control Hera whispered, speaking a bit like it wasnt her problem. Taiyou agreed with that completely. The girl in front of them, while staggering, somehow got up readying her dagger in her drooping hands. While letting out white heavy breathing from her mouth, she painfully made it move up and down. To them, that appearance was the very definition of arampage. It is like that one thing where you go mad under the moon at night (Although the enemy is the new moon) thought Taiyou, swallowing his words. There wasnt anyone here who liked wordplay, and more importantly this was just not the time for that. First offlets stop her Yeah- Taiyou and Aoba nodded at each other, and the next instant, the girl came flying at them. It was a bound from kicking off the ground, with a force unimaginable from a young, one hundred thirty centimeter body. Uwaaaaaah There were three rounds of flashes. This was a slash with a flash superior to the one a moment ago. It increased the blood and soul (power) that the dagger had sucked from him. Too slow However, Taiyou was exuding composure. Shifting his head into battle mode, still embracing Aoba, he dodged the blade that made groaning hyun hyun sounds. The girls attack had certainly increased its speed and agileness, but was not as fast as Taiyou who had discarded perplexion and hesitation. Taiyou had enough leisure to firmly see everything and dodge the flying successive slashes. Uwaaaaaah Along with a conspicuous cry, she plunged forward to attack, rising against him. As it was a large swing, the weak spots were also large. Taiyou dodged it with an L-shaped stance, dropping a karate chop on her wrist. He tried to drop it on her dagger, but that did not happen. GahDDAaaaah The girl twisted her face at the pain. While screaming, she came swinging with her dagger, shaking him off. He leaped back, dodging it. Damn it The girl twisted her face at the pain. While enduring the pain in his chest of seeing her like that, he dodged an attack once more, slamming down a karate chop. A strengthened chopbut with very much decreased power than usual. She did not counterattack. The struck girl cowered on the spot. Her braids dangled on the floor, and cold sweat emerged on her redly thumping nape. Gripping the dagger tightly and not letting go, her wrist swelled up and dangled languidly. Natsuno-kun, the knife! I know If he could at least take away the daggerDDTaiyou and Aobas perception was not mistaken. The life-sucking dagger was the very thing that was maddening her and making her a current threat. Which was why he tried to steal it, tried to take it away. DDBut WhaDD The light drew near. When Taiyou had tried to confiscate the dagger, the girl had swung the dagger sweeping sideways at him. Reacting immediately, he leaped far back. DD Afterward, the girls scream echoed. A hoarseDDvoice that wasnt even a voice. That was because the scream that was enough to perturb Taiyous chest had spurred on the swelling wrist, forcing her to swing the dagger. Thats awful DDngh Aoba groaned, and Taiyou grinded his teeth. Taiyou-chan, you must hurry and take the knife from her I know, but tearing it from her while shes clenching it that tightly is Her hands becoming whiteDDif she does it too hard then her fingers seem like they might break If its going to be like thisDD (First comes Tsubaki), he thought, turning in her direction. What are you grumbling aboutProtect me Scolded at by Tsubaki, as if it were part of a mechanism, the girl that had been moaning immediately faced Taiyou, lunging for him. With the force of putting herself on the line, she swung the dagger at Taiyou. He dodged, leaping back further. Damn it Taiyou cursed. Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan, I have a good idea Good idea Yes indeed Hera said, flying over and whispering into his ears. Interesting Taiyous eyes glinted. Herasgood ideaseemed idiotic at first, but he thought it to be extremely effective. At least to Taiyou as of now. Looking at the girl, he reaffirmed the situation. It was a quite possible-to-implement plan. Returning his gaze from the girl to Aoba, he spoke apologetically. Sorry, Aoba Its fine, dont worry about it Aoba said, smiling sweetly. He started to feel supported. Alright He regained his composure and faced the girl. That instant, the girl threw herself at him as if launching a preemptive strike. All of a sudden, she had brandished the sword that she had transferred to a reverse grip, releasing it. Approaching right in front of himһa line of lightDDؤҊOơĤ򤫤魯 He vice-gripped her hand, from above the hand holding the dagger. Uuuuu The girl wriggled as she moaned. But the difference in power between both of them was distinct, and she couldnt shake her captured hand free from Taiyou. Taiyou-chan I know Answering to Heras voice, he swapped their bodies quickly while gripping the girl, embracing her under his right armthe opposite side of Aoba. Still gribbing her arm, this time he was able to nimbly swing the dagger with his own will. It was a movement reminiscent of a helping hands comedy performance. He felt resisting power coming from the girls arm, but before Taiyous power it was a power that may as well be nonexistent. Alright, if we proceed like this Turning Tsubakis direction, he swiftly went to her. Wh-What exactly is that Tsubaki was astonished. As expected of you, Taiyou-chan. That is nice power Uuu```` The girl floundered. Taiyou secretively smoothed down his chest at that. She was struggling, but as long as he was gripping her, the great pain from earlier was nowhere to be found. Even like this he could probably defeat Tsubaki, and after defeating her, he would try and think of the next procedure with the girl bound. Thinking that, he went to Tsubaki. D-Dont come over here Despite her heavy makeup, Tsubakis face become clearly pale. I wont hold back against you Proclaiming ruthlessly to said woman, she suffered a punch to the abdomen. Scattering around filthy spit, Tsubaki fainted, then collapsing on the ground. Tsubaki-sama Almost simultaneously, he heard a voice from the entrance. It was a mans voice, and when he looked, he saw three of the men he remembered from earlier hastening closer. For a moment, he was preoccupied. Uuu The rioting girl slipped out of Taiyous arms when his guard dropped. Shes going to come He reflexively covered Aoba, immediately preparing himself. However, despite having slipped out of her restraints, she did not come his way. She went not to Taiyou, but leaped upon the men who had rushed over. Oh crap By the time they had understood and yelled out, everything had ended. The girl cut down the nearly-defenseless men one by one with her dagger. Splashes of blood danced, and the men fell. Uwaaaaaaaaah Yet another scream, and yet another red light. The red light and throbbing expanded to the point of exploding. And finally, so did the consciousness of the increasingly-weakened girl. The swaying eyes that looked his way were no longer focused. She had gotten to where it was hazy. The smell of death. That was what he began to feel from her. Would the human life that she had sucked surpass the girls bodys capacity, or would the expanded power eat the girl herself? He wasnt sure, but it was obvious from looking that if he left her be, she would head straight to destruction. Natsuno-kun I know Along with a yell, he flew out at her. He was no longer in the situation where he could hold back, so even by force, the wound would end up effectively being shallow if he were to knock her out. Thinking that, he had firmly clenched his fists, hardening his resolve, but Ah, you must run At a turn of events, the girl had not come his way, but had instead rushed out from the door that the men had entered from. I wonder whats come over her DDIt cant be Panicking, Taiyou likewise rushed out of the room chasing after the girl. The distance that had opened but for a moments perplexion did not diminish even when he chased after her with all his might. The girl had already acquired speed on Taiyous level. Chasing after her, Taiyou had a bad premonition. No, it was close to confirmation by this point. The reason why the girl had not come to him, but had rushed outside. At length, he began to see it. The path he had gone through; the breadcrumb guidepost. The men who had been knocked out by Taiyou were successively waking up. They were now prey. They were nothing more than prey for the life-sucking magic sword. The girl increased her speed further, proceeding to leap at the men. The number of men had surpassed ten in an instant. The result was a tragedy of blood and wind. What was there was the worst possible outcome. He dashedDDhe could not catch up. KuhDD Natsuno-kun Aoba screamed in his arms. Their eyes met. UseDD Chapter 180: Aoba / The Woman only Taiyou can kill Chapter 179: Aoba / The Life-Sucking Magic Sword Chapter 181: Aoba / The Woman that Taiyou Cannot kill Translator: Reflet A great many words in an instant. A moment of eye meeting eye. DDUse me DDI decided I would protect you, with my power, to the end DDYouve been protecting me, so now is perfect DDI want to continue protecting you forever from now on DDYoure not my father, Taiyou-kun, protecting and being overprotective are different DDEven so, once Ive decided something DDBut theres something longer ago that youve decided DDDecided DDDecided DDDecided That moment, certain words arose in the back of Taiyous mind. Words that he had from time and time again discussed with anyone, the dignity that he had continued to insist on. ObjectiveandMethod. He came into contact with the soul that had been hurt by the life-sucking magic sword, uncovered. A mere moment. Taiyou remembered thatDDwas forced to remember. Nails dug into his palm, he stiffly clenched his back teeth. Hesitation was for a moment, and resolution was also for a moment. He re-embraced Aoba from his left to his right. Uoooooooh There was a roar in that instant. She had let out a battle cry enough to shake the atmosphere. Aoba had curled her body up despite not having any signaland he threw her just like that Aiming for the girl sprinting forward. Like a cannonball, the ponytail girl rushed away, slicing the air. Taiyou-chan He disregarded the surprised Hera. At the same time, he sprinted without stopping. Thrown at her, Aoba went ahead. She flew ahead at a speed far superior to the sprinting girl, catching up in even less than a short pause. Uu Her voice was like that of a beast. At almost the same time that the girl turned around, Aoba hadimpactedher. Being the proposer, she was not simply thrown. Right before crashing into her, she had suddenly opened her arms that she had kept balled up in order to reduce air resistance, covering the girl in the hospital gown up. The girls right handDDher right arm that was being ruled over by the magic sword of blood and life. Aoba clung to that right arm with all her might. Uuuaaaaaah DDngh Aaaga-a-aaaah It was enough power to make one astonishedly wonder where that strength was coming from. She had not only stopped a human flying at her and clinging to her faster than the speed of a car with hardly any stepping back, but was also swinging her around as she clung to her. In order to shake her off, she swung her from left to right. Aoba shut her eyes tightly, desperately clinging to her. The girl who was shaking her off like she would a biting louse, and Aoba who showed her will to not let go even if it killed her. In an instant. She had of course saved not even an interval of time; a mere second. But that was enough. One mora later, Taiyou leaped in like an arrow. Stomping on her like an arrow, Taiyou grabbed the struggling girls shoulders. Stopping her movement, he gave her a blow to the vitals. It was an impact enough to make the back of the girls feet rise up. Her eyes opened wide in a flash, and immediately following, her consciousness sunk and her body crumbled down. As if a string attached had been cut, she tumbled onto the ground. Hera had at last managed to catch up, so he turned to her. Please survey the surroundings. Figure out what has become of Saegusa Tsukumo and his lot as well as Juunishima Anna and her lot, not to mention that Tsubaki woman Rojuu She charmingly saluted, flying off along with a reply that he had grown all too familiar with. After seeing her off, he now looked at the dagger rolled over on the ground. The source. The magic sword that took life and soul, ruling over her. Taiyou picked it up, breaking it like one would dispensable chopsticks. Letting out a dry pakin sound, the hilt and blade split in two. Once he did that, the dagger as well as the girls body gradually stopped emitting red light and throbbing. Seeing that, Taiyou let out a sigh of relief. But the job was still not finished. Taiyou glared at the men around him. They were men he had already defeated, and even now the majority of them were weak in the knees having lost the will to fight. Even so, Taiyou moved toward them. Emitting a villainous smile, he walked briskly toward them. The objective he had come here for, and the method to achieve it. In order to plant trama in his opponents, he once again insta-killed all of the men. After bringing them all down, he once again surveyed his surroundings. He had restored silence to the hallway, what with the fallen men and the girl. Squatting next to the girl, he checked on her. The somewhat pale look was the same as ever, but it had returned to the level that it was when she had first appeared. Perhaps because she had escaped from the control of the dagger, though unconscious, she was quite calm. Taiyou was relieved. As if saying that this time it was finally over, he took a big breath once more, relaxing his body. After doing that, he looked at Aoba sitting down beside him on the ground. You alright Yeah, totally Aoba replied, forming a smile. However, she remained sunk down to the ground. Her legs were curled into a female sitting posture. Remaining in that pose, there was no sign of her getting up. Taiyou wondered if she was paralyzed. I just want to put this sort of thing to an end Perhaps because he had recognized that everything was over, Taiyou went to Aobas side, sitting down. When their shoulders were touching and he felt warmth, he began whispering to her. I thought my heart would collapse Although I was happy. After all, I felt like I was fighting alongside you like all those other times. Hmm, if anything, maybe I was the strong one? When we get back homeno, tomorrowno Every time he put it to his mouth he would shake his head, beginning to deny his own previous words. As early as tonight Ill resume levelling up. Because even earlier, if I had been faster I would have been able to catch up, plus you wouldnt have had to be put in such danger Yeah, Im in complete agreement with you raising your level Huh Taiyou had seriously thought she would sayNo, no, you dont have to worry about that. Inclining his head, he looked at Aoba with a curious face. Right now you can fight while carrying me, right? And you probably could have carried even another person and fought, right? Wellif I had to Looking diagonally upward with a pensive expression, he nodded at what Aoba said. He felt that even carrying one person in each arm, he could still move fairly well. Which means that if you try harder, youd be able to carry all of us, right? No no, thats gotta be physically impossible. Thats seven people were talking about Although it would physically be nine people Thats even worse Hmm, couldnt something be done about that? Even if it isnt physical OhDD Well-versed?????in that area, a certain situation arose in Taiyous head. So you guys would be my wings Wings Is everyone going to cling onto your back No, I dont mean that Nine sets of wings on your back eh, thats kinda cool Thats scary It would be scary to have nine girls physically clinging to me Nine is a good number. Its odd, so wed be asymmetrical to the left and right, kind of like a fallen angel Are we back in the eighth grade or what Ah, but, seems like that girl is the only one you cant hold. Shed probably want to fight by herself Yeah, she probably would While conversing with each other, Aoba naturally rested her head on his shoulder. A warm atmosphere drifted through. He wanted to bask in this moment with his bride. HoweverDD Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chanI have indeed looked at our surroundings Taiyou opened his eyes wide. Hera, who couldnt read the situation, had returned. However, that was very much like her. Not reading the situation was something like her unique specialty. Which was why Taiyou didnt especially point it out, just seeking the report. How was it Everyone other than the unconscious people have run away. The old hag is still sprawled over where we were earlier Alright, then lets tie her up while shes still unconscious. And then lets contact Youran and ask her what to do Seems like its not here Lets also take this girl along with us. Im sure itd be fine if we took her to a hospital or something Taiyou said, picking up the girl in the hospital gown. Curious, he checked on Aoba, but she was nonchalant, and Taiyou inwardly gave a wry smile at his absurd fear. Ahh, I see that you broke this Hera said, looking at the dagger split in two. Yep But I wonder what this could be Hera said as she tapped the broken blade. That momentDD Thump Close to his ears, his heartbeat roared like thunder. Immediately following, a sensation attacked him as if his whole body were burning. Whatis this Hera-chan Aobas voice was that of a scream. When he began following her surprised gazeDD It was a thirty centimeter body. An existence outside of humanity. A lifeform still wrapped in mystery that regular humans could neither see nor touch. The naked soulDDpulsated in a red color along with the magic sword that sucked life and soul. Chapter 181: Aoba / The Woman that Taiyou Cannot kill Chapter 180: Aoba / The Woman only Taiyou can kill Chapter 182 - Aoba / Preparedness and Loss Translator: Reflet Taiyouchan The fairy floated up in midair. She rose up with a hollow expression, hugging the broken sword in both hands. A thirty centimeter body, long blonde hair, and a grass-colored one-piece. Particles of light were spilling out of her butterfly-like wings. In an instantDDeverything had become red. The green, the gold, and even the light were swallowed up by the red, muddy stream spreading from the broken blade. A red fresher than fresh blood. The fantastical, lovely fairy had transformed into a sinister, red light-emitting something. He Quicker than Taiyou could so much as shout, the red fairy flew at him. The blade that she was hugging ripped through the air, letting out a groan and flying toward him. It was a speed like a bullet, passing the sound barrier. When he realized, it was already too late. Guah Pain raced through his right shoulder. It was a pain that felt like it was born from the inside of his body, burning him. He recoiled again and again, holding down the opening in his shoulder. A slippery sensationhe felt the sensation of blood. DDTtthump What came delayed was a feeling of the loss of life and soul; completely taken away. He felt dizzy, and his feet staggered. Taiyouc h a n Hearing a murmur, he reflexively leaped to his side. In the space he had just been in, a red bullet surged by. i a mia m He desperately avoided the voice that had lost its carefree nature. Rolling over on the ground, he rose up with a start, leaping into next week. It wasnt that he was able to react. It was just that he was moving all around. It was nothing more than the action of someone who felt they must move or be killed. But that somehow displayed results. Heras straightforward movements would always have her hit the most recent places where Taiyou was. Taiyou desperately avoided them, thinking to himself (Im going to seriously get hit at this rate!), and soon after thinking that, there was a wall ahead of where he had dodged. There was no time to think. Uwoooh Along with a piercing shriek, he unleashed his clenched fist at the wall. He swung his stout arm and crushed the wall into very small pieces. Flinging his arm to the side, he sent fragments flying at Hera. They didnt hit Hera. They flew past the fairys body as she floated up again in midair. Tchthat wasnt any good Taiyou groaned. It seemed that the inorganic materials he threw would have no effect on Hera. Hera flew at him again, this time gouging his flank. Blood sprayed everywhere, and after reeling on his feet near the fragments on the ground, he lost his footing and fell over. Natsuno-kun Dont come He halted Aoba, who was trying to rush over, with a loud rebuke. Thankfully, Hera did not go that way. As expected, holding the broken blade, she came toward Taiyou. His vision blurred. Taiyou could no longer see anything other than the red line. She flew straight toward him. Taiyou stuck out his handsDDAt that moment, a sensation spread to his palms. It did not feel like a blade. On the spur of the momentDDhe grabbed it with spinal reflexes. Stopit The small fairy struggled in his hands. Taiyou unsteadily got up, hitting the nearby wall again so as to connect with the outside, brandishing Hera and throwing her. The fairy began antiphase, rising to the heavens as a red falling star. HaahHaah Taiyou groggily sunk down on the floor. Physical wounds were not an issue. The real issue was that he shouldnt have let that katana suck him so much. Powerless, he sunk down onto the ground. It was troublesome just to move one finger. That was when Aoba came rushing over, crouching beside him. Natsuno-kun-are you okay You justrunDDquickly But I want to be with Natsuno-kunDD Hurry up He rebuked the clinging Aoba. He just wanted to get her away right now. He wanted to get her away from this spot, the spot where he was. His opponent was one fairy, but Taiyou no longer had the leisure or determination of earlier. It almost seemed like a lie that he had ealier held his own against enemies while carrying her. But I cant just leave you here Not to mention Hera-chan Yousaw her didnt you? Thats what Im up against But Continuing to argue back and forth, Aoba showed no sign of backing down. While gazing in the direction that Hera had disappeared, he tried to convince her. Ta-TaTada She had suddenly returned. Not from the way she was thrown, but as usual, she had come via warping out of nowhere. Tchis that it Taiyou cursed his own carelessness at the scene he had watched countless times. ThisisforTaiyou-chan Hera-chan Its dangerous Hera continued to fly over. Taiyou hurriedly thrust Aoba away, also making sure to dive to the side himself. Running into debris, fresh wounds emerged. It was a pathetic dodge. I The sound of the air being sliced could be heard. He immediately flung it away with his hands. It was a reaction of the moment. It just barely met with Hera, who had flown in a straight line. Knocked aside by Taiyous hands, Hera was knocked into the ground, bounding. Taiyou was startled. Because he had not hit her, but had once grabbed her. That was not the case. It was because bounding and rising up once again, one of her wings was broken. He saw her for the first time suffering a wound. There was of course her carefree attitude up till now, and there was also her non-standard size. She was indeed a transcendental existence within Taiyou. Said existence had suffered a wound just from being shaken off. WhyDD About to mutter, he suddenly remembered something. The words she was always saying. The words that he had never fully taken seriously until now. The only one who can kill me is Taiyou-chan~ Her happy-go-lucky voice ran through his mind. And then OnlyTaiyouchan The same words were repeated with a vacant expression. And she flew at him once again. The red beam of light flew at him. He unconsciously clenched his fistsDDhoweverhe could not swing them. For an instant, a revolving lantern raced around Taiyous mind. He thought about her being born from the broken smartphone. About when they had dug a hole together in the park. When she had pushed him to kiss the three sisters when he was in a pinch. Remembeing that it was Only him who could kill her. The various memories of his experiences with her raced around his mind like a revolving lantern. His stout armsDDhe could not swing his fists. Guaaah The red bullet this time around gouged his thighs. A shoutDDBut an anticlimax of a shout. Blood and soul taken from him, Taiyou became lethargic, dropping to his knees, both arms languidly dangling down. In order to run up, Hera took some distance, again aiming at Taiyou. She was about to comeDDRight after he felt that, a shadow appeared before him. A shadow covering his entire bodyDDAoba had both hands spread out, standing between them. What areyou doing Aobagetback Aoba didnt reply. She didnt answer. Get away fromDDurgh Standing up, he tried to push her out of the way. Howeverhe couldnt. Becoming dizzy, outstretching his hands only drained the power from him. Instead he ended up landing on his rear in a pathetic manner. StopitAoba. Even if youtry thatit isno use With even his breathing seeming to near its limits, he tried desperately to persuade Aoba. Its not useless. I came with you in order to fight alongside you ButDD They argued back and forth, emotions and stubbornness clashing. Hera did not allow that. Captured by the life-sucking magic sword, she gave them no more opportunity for dialogue, flying at him once again. His vision again changed to slow motion. He felt like he had seen a future in which Aoba was pierced by Hera. Moveit A voice sounded. A quiet voice from behind with its own unique breathing pattern could be heard from behind him. That was like gospel to his ears. Quicker than he could think, Taiyou hugged Aobas feet, pushing his weight on her to drag her down. And as he looked up, the vision of silver beams of light from a white girl sprinted by. Chapter 182 – Aoba / Preparedness and Loss Chapter 181: Aoba / The Woman that Taiyou Cannot kill Chapter 183 - Aoba / The Desperate Magical Sword Translator: Ranzan Electronic lights intersected. Crack! The sight of fireworks and sharp sounds of explosion. Hera slapped away the short sword and flew of toward the direction of tomorrow. itwas hit. Why? Because theres something physically in the way of the knife? Ah. Taiyou realized, as he reacted to Aobas words. Hera could only be seen or touched by Taiyou and those that he had kissed. Nothing from his experience had ever seen different, and there was no way that there were exceptions. Except this time, with this broken short sword. This was a real thing, Tsubaki had ordered it, and the girl in the hospital gown had held it. Of course, the girl in white could see it, touch itand attack with it. Taiyou then asked her, What did that look like to you? A brok-en sword, flew. I see Hey, Shiro No-tmy name. She said with a shake of her head and a wavering voice. She still had the pro wrestling mask on her head. With her knee length black gothic Lotita dress and her long white hair, the mask on her face stood out in total incongruity. Still, she had all those things on. Maskthe Third. Yes. She responded with a nod. Taiyou continued with, please, stop that crap with the Mask. But hourly pay Ill pay whatever you want to stop! They continued on with their familiar banter. Before, Taiyou had repaid 10 million yen, but he still had the money he owed her. Even so, Taiyou had made the quick decision. I understand. She nodded and turned towards Hera. She placed her hand on the plain-wood sheathed national treasure Gyakuten. Hera flew towards them, as the red flash ignored her and flew towards Taiyou. Jizai. She whispered to herself, but it was pronounced clearly unlike her usual halting speech. Hakutei-hachirin. With a calm spirit, she took the large sword and the broken magical sword and flung them at Hera. Crack, came a sound. Both swords were flung to the ground. Like skipping stones, they bounced along the ground and flew. Attackand pursuit. They seemed to disappear, but after the bound the went in pursuit of Hera, appearing on the other side. At an unreal speed they flew, and in the same way attempted to slash at Hera, who then blocked them away. They took the same position again, and Hera slapped them away the same. Clank! Clink! Clank! They made sounds reminiscent of a metronome. The white girl continued with it. A solitary rally. A scene where she was the player, and Hera, it seemed, was the tennis ball. Hah! A shrieking attack cry with a slashing cut. If almost to do a finishing move Hera took the sword and slapped it quickly to the ground. The fairy-obsessed swords now moved differently, this time instead of bouncing simply sinking into the ground. How wasthat? Mask the Third asked while walking slowly back to them. She asked in her characteristically halting way of speaking. Wow! was that your shadow attack? Nno Just admit it! It definitely was your shadow attack! Taiyou thought it was slightly different than the shadow attack she had used before, but he thought it was pointless to talk about. He thought about what they should do about Hera. The main culprit in this had to be the sword. Maybe we should pick up the broken sword. Illtry Please. Ah She calmly walked towards Hera, but then stopped. The red fairy slowly flew up from the place where the sword was stuck in the ground. She stopped in the sky, and then a strange transformation occurred. The sword rose slowly and seemed to melt while being absorbed into her body. Unification The words suddenly were clear to a gamer like Taiyou. A magical sword that tried to destroy ones fate, an unhuman fairy, and the scene that just unfolded in front of them. Unification was the word appropriate in this situation. Hera-chan What did you see? No-thingit dis-appeared She then ground her teeth. The one joker card of a sword had now filled Taiyous joker card completely. IamTaiyou-chansI am The red fairy seemed to meander in the air like a lost ghost. Then the white girl flew from the side. May-behere? A flash of light. The opposite of her words occurred, as she went right through the body of Hera combined with the sword. It was an attack of unparalleled accuracy, as like before, she had estimated Heras location from where Taiyou was gazing at. She tried to grab Hera, but she wasnt able to grasp this fairy that broke the laws of physics. With nothing in hand, the white girl jumped from the ground and landed next to Taiyou. Hera simple approached them as if nothing had happened. Couldntdo it. I saw. He clenched his teeth. Nowwhat? Natsuno-kun, if you stay that close, shell get you. He ground his molars in vexation. Instantly several things filled him mindor ratherimages. When both Mask the Third or Shirokiyami arrived, after thinking of all the possibilities, meant that no other reinforcements would come. There was no other opponent that would face him in his life. At least not in his consciousness. On the other hand, Hera was fluttering nearer to him. She emitted a strange red light and she had broken wings and a look of exhaustion about her. Shirokiyami wasnt able to damage her with Hakutei-hachirin, but the exchange had tired the fairy. It seemed he could defeat Hera in one full powered punch, if he wanted. If he made the decision, it would be over in a punch. However, that would mean her would lose her. In exchange for a very, very important person, he could end it all right now. If there was no way Shirokiyami could do thisthen Taiyou, would make the decision. Meansfor goals. His goal was to protect the women that had become his wives. Hera wasnt one of those wives. She was important, but she wasnt one of them. Now that he was faced with an ultimate choice, he would have to sacrifice Hera. He understood the logicand suppressed his emotions. (Sorry.) He looked at Hera and said a silent apology. Looking around, he felt his own blood chill. He had made the ultimate decision already. He squeezed his hand into a fist, and took a step. Suddenly, he heard the sound Shlink. The sound of the white girl sheathing her sword, as Taiyou made his decision, and her sword was sheathed. He turned sideways and their eyes met. At that moment, another possibility filled his mind. He hesitated once more in thought. Meansfor goals. As the thought came to him, he quickly again made his decision. What he would lose would be just as big, but he would have to take it. He decided, opened his fist, and turned sideways. What isit? The girl turned her head in puzzlement. Her special way of speaking, and wondrous beauty. Taiyou simply looked straight ahead. He took a deep breath, and extended his arms. Almost like a scene from a silent movie. Like something already decided, he touched the girls mask, and softly peeled it off. Shirokiyamis confusion led to her reaction being a second too slow. He thenkissed her. Just like pushing replay, he kissed her once again. She was completely lost. Her look that this was impossible covered her face. He felt his chest throb painfully. A forceful kiss, stolen lips. (I wonder if she hates meshe has to hate me for this.) He silently laughed to himself, and closed his eyes. The first kiss of his beloved girl was tantalizing and yet heartrending. Chapter 183 – Aoba / The Desperate Magical Sword Chapter 182 - Aoba / Preparedness and Loss Chapter 184 - Aoba / Rewards Translator: Ranzan Their connected lips separated. Their connected eyes didnt. In front of him was the same strange beauty. Pure white, jet black. Sharp as a tempered blade, strange as a fluttering ray of sunshine. He looked on her. A girl with no ability to reply. The barbary of his lips opened up a moment of silence between them. After a moment, she opened those well-shaped lips silently to speak. That wasmy first. Wha? My first Taiyou swallowed those words. Her firsther first kiss. His mind became gleeful after hearing her admit that to him. A strange delusion, and an arbitrary request. Those two things blossomed rose-colored inside of his mind. Maybejust maybethat request he would make could happen. However, that was the end of that story. Shirokiyami simply looked at him silently, and he could see that she hadnt completely understood what had happened. In the air flew a red colored fairy. Some-thingis there. Yeahoh! Thats Hera. Shes al-waysbeen there? Yeah. She can fly even with broken wings, and youve seen us watch her countless times yourself. That was always her. Your powertoo? Taiyou nodded. The powerthat messed up your braintoo? Dont say my brains messed up! He yelled at her, and then cleared his throat and nodded. Yeah, I got all of my power from her. Natsuno-kun! Aoba shouted, and he somewhat knew what it was about, but raised his hand to stop her. No matter what anyone said, Taiyos powerall the power that he had came completely from Hera. Isee. Thats why I wanted to stop her. As soon as he said that, he fell down prostrate on his hands and knees. In a request. He could feel Aoba swallow her words above him. That meant nothing to him now, as he bowed his head to Shirokiyami and begged for her help. In an instant, his sensation from there was gone. When he raised his head, he saw a white apparition floating. Its legs werent on the ground, nor was it moving quickly. It was a heavenly woman. It seemed to have wings from its back as it turned to face Hera and Shirokiyami. In the confusion, Shirokiyami unsheathed Gyakuten. From its sheath it flashed in a strike too fast for the eyes.. It struck the red fairy directly, and sent it flying. There was no sound or shock. An attack so fast that it might make others turn their heads and wonder if something had happened. They all looked at an unexpected incident as they held their breath. A swordfighter had engraved a slice in the wall, damage that told the story of a great battle. From one side of the wall to the other, there were a diagonal strikes, stories of a sword fight. Immediately after, the building shifted. A creaking sound rose up and the upper half of the wall began sliding and fell from the diagonal slash there. It was an attack with no past comparison. Anger. And in that attack, Taiyou could feel that anger. Sorry. Itsfine. No, I really am sorry. Instead ofthatyou want to stopthat, right? Ohyeah. I seethen Illstop it. But my secret tech-nique didnt work. That was a secret technique?! She cut through the building, after all. Aoba muttered in a shocked toneand sounding a bit puzzled too. They could understand it was her secret technique, as the building itself was cut up, slid and fell in a strange looking scene. To the contrary, it was surprising as a quick jab. A secret technique that hugethat didnt work. Hera returned silently after being knocked away. Taiyouchana newfacedesu. You need totake care of yourself. A comment like that at a time like this. Even with a response like this, Taiyou could smell something sour. Hera began flying quicker back to Taiyou with no look at any of the others there. Also, Shirokiyami had cut Hera back with a strong slash. You could see it was a long, sweeping cut from the wall behind, but Hera came back without any damage. She evenfell back when I cuther. I was told that she can only take damage from me. Oh A strange thing though. You can physically hit her, but she cant take any damage. I guess thats why you can call her the joker. geez, what should we do? I cant go easy on her, and if anyone else attacks her, she doesnt get a scratch. Itsfine Shirokiyama nodded and walked forwards. You could see confidence in her face. What are you going to do? Another Hakutei-hachirin. As soon as she said that, she cut Hera again with her Gyakuten. She followed Hera bouncing along the ground, and cut her again. The same scene occurred as before, a one-person rally. After eight slashes at her, the last strike hit the ground. Of course, Hera flew around not damaged by this at all. Impossible, I guess. Taiyous head hung. Nolook. Wha? What do you mean? The eightcut. What do you mean, the eighth cut?! He reacted in amazement as the girl frowned back at him. He remembered how strongly he had kissed her, and felt a bit guilty. Without thinking, for a different reason, he was going to fall prostrate in apology. But Aoba stopped him before he could. Natsuno-kun, maybe something She said as she continued staring at Hera. Is the red light coming from Hera, getting weaker? What? He jolted and looked at Hera. Shirokiyami looked at Hera too after Aobas remark. It was hard to see at first, but after staring for a while, they watched the red light from Hera pulsate weaker and weaker. So the power she took is getting weaker? Powershetook? Quietly, Shirokiyami turned her head to ask. Yeah, I dont know the reason, but the thing she had before. She was hit by it and drew some kind of power, and it became power for her, somehow. I guess the words for it islifeor spirit, something like that. Isee. She nodded slightly and said, A magicblade. A magic bladeit does seem something like that. Soa measureof last re-sort. Last resort? Yes, against the magicblade. After she whispered this, Shirokiyami walked forward and began her one-person rally again. The same way, the same rally, and both returned. Hera was at her wits end as Shirokiyami slashed away at her again. Even more than eight time, never hitting the ground, the rally continued and seemed that t would go on forever. Sometimes you could hear shouting, but not anything from damage. They would have seen whomever it was cut to ribbons if it were anyone but Hera. Shirokiyami continued slashing with a whuff, whup, whuff, whup. Changes eventually occurred. The red color emanating from Hera was now fading bit by bit. It began to dull and the pulsation disappeared. After this, Taiyou finally realized what Shirokiyami was doing and felt relief. Dozens of minutes passed, and the broken sword finally dropped out of Hera, who now no longer shone red. Just before it hit the ground, Shirokiyami kicked it and slashed at it endlessly in the air, cutting it into powder. After all this was finished, Taiyou said, Dont move, Im going to strike. Wha?! With a punch. You have no mercy, Natsuno-kun. With this, Taiyou finally felt that everything was finished. Chapter 184 – Aoba / Rewards Chapter 183 - Aoba / The Desperate Magical Sword Chapter 185 Sunlight Nacht Musik / Awesome even though its Kid Stuff Translator: Ranzan Tsubaki Juunishima had no idea where she was. It was dark and dusty, and the touch of bare concrete felt cold on her skin. The utter silence and sour smell that filled her nose were a horrid shock, especially for a woman that had been born and raised in the most royal conditionsshe had never seen an environment like this. As she spun on the floor she could also feel her hands were tied behind her, so even if she searched around there was no way to find anything around her. Hey! Is someone out there? In order to escape from her present condition, she shouted in the loudest voice possible. Do you know who I am? I can give you whatever you want if you let me go! Hello! Is no one out there? The middle-aged woman stretched out her head while screaming. Clunk, creaaaaak. The sound of the iron door being opened. The sound of rusted bolts screeching and the door being flung wide, and the face of an intense young man. Arched eyebrows scowling. It was Taiyou Natsuno. On this occasion, he was the one causing all the problems. Tsubakis breast was filled with anger at what had been done to her. He simply stepped closer to her silently. As there was no light emanating through the door, she couldnt determine what was happening. She stood at Tsubakis feet, and looked down at her icily. So, youre here, now, let me out of here! Let you out? Short words, and with a strange tone. Yes, let me out! Do you understand? Who I am? Im the third in the family of Juunijima, Tsubaki Juunijima! Is that something I should be impressed by? Ah, I guess I should, youre number three in the political family that rules over the million people on this island. In addition, its not normal to give all that information in addition to your full name. Thats who I am. Just let me out of here, Ill pretend you never did this to me if you do. I guess that would be the smart thing to do. So, youve finally understood. Tsubakis face twisted into a smile. The man in front of her, that hateful boy that she had known about might be able to read what she wanted in a very short time. Come on! Set me free! Now she ordered him, but he simply continued to look down at her and made no motion to let her go. What are you doing? Hurry! She again asked in frustration, but he didnt move. She suddenly noticed something strange about him. The icy look from his eyesso cold. A chill ran down her spine. She remembered seeing those eyes, eyes that were very similar. A damnable girl, a daughter of the man that took the name Shingetsu no maru. Theres no way, she thought suddenly. Finally, the man stooped down and flipped Tsubaki over, and as soon as he touched her hands CRACK. The sound of a breaking bone echoed through her body. Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa! It was a desperate scream, like the sound of a pig being strangled. As soon as Taiyou had touched Tsubakis finger he had broken it, as Tsubaki writhed on the ground with her face in the dirt. Thats a sign of my anger. She could hear his cold voice over her head. You all dont know what youre doing. Power, rules, money, the interest of a million inhabitants, I could care less about it. But my wifeand my familyI wont accept someone hurting them. CRACK. As soon as he said this, he broke her middle finger without hesitation. Ugyaaaaaa! I dont want you touching my family anymoreyes, this will be my petition for you to stop. CRACK!The third finger broken. If you wont listen to me, I guess I cant do anything. However, you do know that I will come here like I did before and payback whatever was done to me, right? If you break one finger of Aobas, Ill have to return the favor 10 times. Ugyaaaaahhh! Since she was born she had never felt so much pain. The seven remaining fingers were broken at once. An infinite flood of pain, so much that the brain had to cut it off. Spit foamed out of Tsubakis mouth. She groaned, her eyes rolled back, and she twitched over and over. Yeah, dont worry about my wounds though, those really dont matter to me, okay? Really. I have the patience of three hundred saints. However, my family, you cant bother them, I wont forgive that. Thats why Im repaying you 10 times what you did to Aoba. Taiyou said this and tore off the rope binding her. I repay back 10 times what you do to my family, so could you at least remember that? He had set Tsubaki free, but she wasnt aware with the pain of all 10 fingers broken. She could move, however, she simply put her wrists together, curled up and shivered. Bye. He said that, while turning to leave. The pain increased, but Tsubaki felt a small relief. She knew the cruel nature of the father of Shingetsu no Maru. She knew that the eyes of that youth would not be sated until he done something cruel to her. She was correct, but in a sense, incorrect. The youth stopped on his way out the door. He hit the door and turned as if he had forgotten something. That reminds me, forget what happened before I came to this island, okay? What? Her voice cracked as she had trouble understanding what he was saying. Anna Juunishima, shes under you, right? She attacked Kotone and Kohakuand Aoba as well. I should return those favors too. But that! Thaaaaa! I heard that adults have to take responsibility for those under them. Except for banks. Thats why youre going to need to take responsibility for what those under you have done. But I! Okay then. He turned and walked towards her. Nono closer! Dont come any closer! Well, since five people were attacked, times tendont worry, you wont die. The expressionless youth. Eeekeeeeeeeeekkkk She shook as she attempted to cover herself. His cold, cruel eyes, what he did. When he approached her, it was like the gait of a demon. Natsuno-kun. From outside the door, he could Aobas voice from the hal. He stopped walking and turned slowly. As soon as he heard her voice, his heart calmed. Thats enough for now. Shes already passed out, and in addition In addition Well, shewet herself. It was hard for Aoba to find the words. After seeing Tsubaki passed out, she noticed a strange smelling stain grow around her lower half. Oh. Thats enough, I told you. Well, that was enough of a threat I guess. I did what I had to. Righteven if you get injured, this time youve warned them that youll get revenge. Hera suddenly appeared and said gleefully. Taiyou said nothing, and just slapped the fairy. It was just a reaction, and Hera didnt bounce of the floor like usual, just returned to where she was. Well, I guess we can relax a bit now. Yeah. Yes, desu. Its time to go back home to everyone. I know, desu! Ill go back at let them all know, desu! Please do, Hera. Sure, desu! Hera was high-spirited as usual, with no signs that the magic blade had possessed her as she flew through the wall and away. With nothing left to do with Tsubaki, Taiyou turned to Aoba, put his arm around her shoulder, and left the room. He squeezed her to himself, and pulled her close. He could feel her heat and the pleasant smell of a woman. But it wasnt a good thing. From this feeling of safety, and all of the worries having gone he seemed to lose his power, as he clung on to Aoba. Natsuno-kun? Sigh His breath leaked out, and it was a breath of relief mixed with a loss of strength. Taiyou seemed like he would faint, but Aoba held him up, and sat him on the ground. Are you okay, Natsuno-kun? YeahI cant movebut Im okay. Okay Thanks, Aoba. Huh? This all happened because you were here. If you werent, I would have given up when that damn sword showed up, and probably have been beaten. Because you were here, I kept going and going. I thought Id only hold you back. Not at all, really, thank you. He looked at Aoba again. I love you, Aoba. !! Aoba was deeply affected. She covered her mouth with both hands, and paused. She was cuteso cuteextremelycute. Filled with emotion and blushingAoba. In this state, one would think that Taiyou should have been extremely tired, but all the sudden he became very turned on. Like a sign of divine providence, Taiyou suddenly stood erectand put his arm around Aobas shoulder again. Okay, lets do it. Do what? Dont you remember from before? When this is over, I wanted to have sex. Whaaaaaaaaaaaa? She seemed not to understand for a second, but when she did she shrieked louder than Tsubaki had. W, w, wait, Natsuno-kun. You said your body cant move, right? I thought tso, but now Im feeling really good. Whaa? I guess I feel good when youre beside me. Whaaaaa? Okay, wheres a place we can be together in peace? Lets go! He scooped her up by the back of her legs and carried her off like a knight and a princess. She resisted him at first, but when he whispered sweet words in her ear, she quickly gave in. Chapter 185 Sunlight Nacht Musik / Awesome even though it’s Kid Stuff Chapter 184 - Aoba / Rewards Chapter 186 - Sunlight Nachtmusik / I - Love - You Translator: Ranzan Natsuno-kun In the Juunishima mansion was an exquisitely decorated room for guests. On a queen-sized bed was a naked woman, illuminated softly by moonlight. Large beads of sweat told the story of an intense night, beading on her skin like night dew. She slept soundly with her trademark ponytail behind her. Her defenseless, beautiful figure rested over Taiyous chest. He lifted her bangs and gave her forehead a kiss. The taste of sweat from her brow was a happy sensation. Even though it wasnt cold, he drew the sheets up around her shoulders. Taiyou then awoke, and drew the clothes scattered from the entrance to the bed, looking much like dropping of crumbs to lure a mouse, and walked out the door. There was a hallway with a tall ceiling, and an unknown maid in the hall bowed to him. She wore the same maid outfit as Michiyo, the servant of Youran. She raised her head with utmost respect, and spoke, Ms. Azumaya is looking for you. You mean Kohaku? Where is she? Doubtfully, he asked the maid where Kohaku was and went in that direction. There was a long hallway with a lustrous red carpet. There were several maids in attendance stopping as if they knew who Taiyou was, and stopping what they were doing stood aside with deeply bowed heads. It was the VIP treatment, which tickled him a bit but didnt feel like a bad thing. He went the way the maid pointed out to a salon that was attached to the hallway. There was an aged young girl there. She was wearing a somewhat long-sleeved shirt with suspenders and a skirt, with long socks that had frills. It was childish clothing that fit her four foot frame, and though he liked the adultish dress and exposing underwear he saw when he first met her, he also like this more childish style that she had taken to. He couldnt tell just why and he really couldnt point why out. (Looks good on her though.) And in a good way, he added to himself, as she came towards him. Even though he had just vigorously pleasured Aoba into a deep sleep, Taiyou could feel the fire quickly reignite in his loins again. An adult woman with crossed, still immature legs. A child and an adult. Youth paired with old age. The two mixed together with no opposition gave off a supernatural sexualness. Kohaku. Oh, my husband. He called her name and came closer. As soon as the wine drinking woman saw Taiyou a bright smile came to her face. Here, have a drink. Im still underage. I heard that this Juunishima mansion is outside of those laws, so even if you were to break the law, only those here in this mansion could be able to arrest you. Whats with this gambling cruise feeling to it? You cant just have a separate culture here, even in this town of one million, its still Japan. He said, but Kohaku brushed him off with a raised finger and a tsk, tsk, tsk. This place is a different code, after all. What does that mean? Its the same society as Princess Leticias country of Phili. And Philis drinking age is from 14 years old. So its like Switzerland or something? I heard you have to allow the king the first kiss with your wife before your honeymoon night. Whats with all these old-school traditions?! Taiyou sat next to Kohaku as he remarked a bit irritatedly. She quickly then put her head on his shoulder. A small body like a child, a warm body. It was a humid summer night, but there was nothing unpleasant about it. Rather, it was something desired. As the thought so, he put his arm around her shoulder. So whats up with Aoba? Shes asleep, soundly. She probably wont wake up until tomorrow afternoon. Hee, hee, hee, makes sense. Its because youre a beast. Two of us would find it hard to handle you, so you shouldnt make some poor virgin your lover for the night. Dont call me a beast. As I was thinking, even if your harem value is 65535, perhaps she has something they all dont have? She? He was lost for a second, but then Taiyou soon understood. Her. But Im a woman too. Kohaku said so and blew a quick puff of air onto Taiyous ear. Just from that, his loins were aroused. Sheand her sexuality. So what are you trying to say about her? Im saying nothing, just what Im honestly thinking. Well, whatever. Thanks for all youve done though. Without your help, Kohaku, I couldnt have helped her. So you want to say thanks for the hard work? It reminds me, you said that it was a dream to ask you for this and that. No, as a wife, I want to support my husband. Support? He held her shoulder put his hand to his chin and imagined what she meant. The Eternal Little, a childish old woman. A Loli-GILF. Underdeveloped limbs and a noble mind. Having far more experience as a woman than him, with the delusional desire to support him. He was so turned on that it seemed all the blood momentarily rushed to his groin. Kohaku? Yes, what is it? He held up Kohaku as he asked her, scooping her up from behind her knees like a princess. Doing that to a woman like her seemed a bit criminal, as he heaved her up and started walking with her. The sudden movement caused her to drop her glass. Husband? What are you doing? You know what I want to do. Wha? I want to do it with you, now. Tthats nice, but, you just did it with Aoba You just told me my harem level is 65535, Ill be fine. That was just my estimate Lets go. Without saying a word, he took Kohaku with him. After leaving the salon, a maid approached him. It was a different maid. Maybe in the same way as Taiyou, she was assigned to Kohaku. He approached her with a serious face. Sorry, is there an open room here? Come this way. No surprise, no asking for a reason. The maid calmly relied, and showed Taiyou the way along the corridor. Maybe because people were around, Kohakus body seemed even smaller as she silently was carried. The maid showed them around, and after walking a bit, Taiyou asked her something he was reminded of. Oh yeah, do you have any rope? If not, maybe something you could tie someone up with? Tie something up with? Yeah. Taiyou nodded as the maid stopped, and seemed to think a bit. Im sorry, please come this way. She said this and turned a different way down the corridor. Maybe shes going to get something, he thought as they left the mansion. Outside was a garden, and even though it was a summer night, it was far cooler than usual. The maid continued through the garden. As they finally left the garden, they came to a bit unkempt place that seemed to be left that way. Here you are. They stopped with the maid. There was a storage shed. It was a traditional one with white plaster and a pointed roof. It had a historical feeling to it, expensive, strange things inside that might be cursedlike a cursed, ancient doll that might suddenly pop out. The maid opened the door, and stood to the side, letting them in. It was a lightless, dim storage shed. The maid and he looked at each other. Where are we? In here. The maid didnt answer their question, but took out handcuffs from her uniform. Taiyou took the strong-looking handcuffs and gave them over. Taiyou looked the maid over. You have themwhy? Theyre mine. Yours? His voice cracked. What kind of maid carries around handcuffs normally This may be too untoward, but because youre going to restrain someone, I simply showed you to a place appropriate to do it. I see. He was lost for a second, but then understood the care the maid took. A storage place with no people around, a small girl, and strong handcuffs. When you put the complete image together, it had the smell of some seriously illegal pedo stuff. But thats fine. Taiyou was turned on. Kohaku could feel the thrust of the situation. Waitwait, husband, this is Ignoring Kohakus confusion, he put her down on the ground and clasped the handcuffs around her wrists. Clack went the cuffs. He pushed the bound Kohaku on the ground. Kyaaaaa! A small scream, with her arms behind her back, the loli-GILF was pushed to the ground. It was so sudden, fear appeared in her eyes. As she waited there, her eyes welled up awaiting her fate. Then, Taiyou started breathing heavily through the nostrils. He shut the storage door behind him, and the maid said nothing outside. He could feel her leaving the two behind as a maid properly should. He went up to Kohaku and stripped her of the clothes he had only seen her wear for 30 minutes. As their eyes met, she seemed to be pleading to him. He wanted herhe wanted to be wanted by her. He took her own shirt in hand, and ripped it to shreds. Her shirt ripped offthan her skirt and suspenders pulled to the side. To that immodest small body, he allowed his lusts to be fulfilled. Chapter 186 – Sunlight Nachtmusik / I – Love – You Chapter 185 Sunlight Nacht Musik / Awesome even though its Kid Stuff Chapter 187 - Sunlight Nachtmusik / Invisible Chains Translator: Ranzan Taiyou knew that he couldnt leave the sleeping Kohaku in such a place, so he picked her small body up. There were traces all over the body of this woman that looked like a young girl, traces of sweat and other unmentionable things left all over her. Even more perverse than that, was that as Taiyou simply looked at her not only was he ready to go again, but instead chose to simply pick her up. As he did, the final piece of fabric on Kohaku, the skirt that hung from her waist simply fell like a rag onto the floor. As he looked at the line of Kohakus body, he held her awkwardly for a moment. I guess. I should put my clothes onto her. As he held her up, he went to take off his clothes to put on her. !!! He held his breath, and jumped as far as he could to the back of the storage shed. He felt a human presence in the entrance of the shed. A sudden presence that arrived from out of nowhere. An enemy! He spun around holding onto Kohakus back, and looked to check who the person was. It wasnt an enemy there, but simply the maid that had guided them there. Taiyou sighed out and relaxed. Oh, its you. You really surprised me! Excuse me. The respectful maid bowed again and again. No, it was me that overreacted. Sorry. Taiyous nerves were so jumpy, he still couldnt move, and instead grimaced at her. The maid asked in trying to help. If youd wish, I can take Ms. Azumaya with me. Take her? Yes, I have a bath prepared for her. Oh Taiyou looked down on Kohaku. It was true that she was in a condition where she had to be washed. Because of their long love-making, and because of the fierce way Taiyou did it, it might take the appearance of domestic violence. One might even label her appearance as ghastly. If the bath was ready, it might be easier for the maid herself to make Kohaku look clean again. (Clean her up?) Once Taiyou thought of those words, he became a bit lonesome. There just seemed to be a bit of lonesomeness in cleaning up all the dirt on her. However, it was just an emotion, and it was true that she definitely had to be cleaned up. (I cant say that I want to just leave Kohaku like this.) As he simulated the thought pattern of his beloved wife, he knew that it would be bad. Even so, washing all this off was lonesome. He thought about it and brought his face closer to her neck. He kissed her strongly with a loud kiss. Nnn Though she wasnt conscious, her body writhed a bit. He still held her close and continued kissing her. He then pulled his face away, and saw the hickey that he had left on her neck. No matter how much she washed that, it wouldnt come off for a while. Okay. Now that he was satisfied, he readjusted her with a yo!and walked to the maid. Tell me where to go. Without giving Kohaku over to the maid, he simply held her and asked. The room he was led to was of the same type as the sleeping Aoba was left in. Finally, the maid took up Kohaku and Taiyou left the room. Okay! He said to himself and walked back into the hallway again. He thought he wanted to say it was because of Youran. Because of her, this experience didnt end. As the thought that, the next maid he met he would ask her where she was. But, he couldnt find another maid. They seemed everywhere when he wasnt looking, but now that he was, there didnt seem to be one of them around. He continued walking through the building. Taiyou-san! A sudden voice and WHAP a hit from the side, and someone else flew. It wasnt the maid he was looking for, but one of the three sisters, Kotone. Kotone!! He shouted, without thinking. Her nostalgic, beloved form. Since she had gone with Kohaku, he hadnt seen her for a while as well. Love seemed to spring as soon as they met. Suddenly he noticed that the other two werent there. Everyone else? Wait a second. As she held onto Taiyou, she looked into a place where nothing was in front of her. Straight ahead, as if she clearly saw someone in front of her. Suzu, Kaza, I found Taiyou. Yeah, here, just outside. She had the tone of conversing with someone, even though there was no receiver, there was the tone that she was on the telephone. Now that the conversation was over, she looked up at Taiyou. Suzu and Kaza are coming. Taiyou? Kotone tilted her head. She seemed a bit confused that Taiyou was there with nothing to say. She asked him once, wondering what had happened. Tmptmptmptmptmptmp, came the sound of footsteps on the red carpet. They could hear it from both directions in the hallway they were in. Without a moment, they saw where it was from. As soon as Taiyou heard the footsteps, he crouched in preparation. In a moment, both Suzune and Kazane sprang into Taiyous arms. With Kotone, the three sisters were together. He held all three of them together at once. We couldnt wait to see you, Taiyou-san! What, what happened to you Taiyou-san? Did you lose weight?! As soon as the three were together, their way of speaking that he was so used to was back. Koto, Suzu, Kaza in order. A chorus of souls only present in that family. He smiled as he heard them gab on. He thought that women are best like this. Im home! Without saying anything, the three squeezed him again. They squeezed him hard, but it didnt hurt. He felt like he was held inside of three pairs of arms Three girls unevenly linked together as one soul. Someone complained out of pain from the squeezebut no one knew who it was. Who? Was it Kotone? Suzune? Kazane? All three? That would be good, thought Taiyou, as he could feel all three of them at once. Just like he used to feel them all at once before. As he remembered back, he held them once again. After a moment, the three separated from him again. Why were all of you running around in different directions? We were looking for you, Taiyou. When we went to Aobas room, you werent there. We each searched on our own. Yeah, sorry about that. He remembered when he first arrived here, and apologized to the girls. He had intended to see the three who had arrived before him when he arrived, but he postponed it when he became focused on his time spent with Aoba. The three understood this and allowed him to do as he pleased, but, when they finally went to see him, he had left Aoba in the room alone. As Taiyou apologized, the three walked along with him together. Two on the right and left, one in front C one would think that made it quite difficult for him to walk easily, but because of their joined motions it wasnt like that at all. As they talked, they continued walking. It seemed like something important was straight ahead, but because of their beauty he totally forgot it. It had been a long time since those three had been with him, he felt strongly. He suddenly felt mischievous. We wanted to try something. He stopped and looked at the three. Kotone, Suzune, Kazane. Could you close your eyes? Wha? Ah Yes! Surprise, conjecture, happiness. An easily understandable progression, as the three lined up by height, and closed their eyes at Taiyou. It was obvious that they were preparing for something to happen. They usually werent hesitant to respond, but this was a little different. Taiyou didnt kiss any of them, but held Kotones hand. She squealed in a happy voice. However, he betrayed their expectations. He raised her hands up, and grabbed her up in his arms. They were confused. Not a kiss? It seemed they were saying among themselves. At that moment he took her hand and wrote on it with her finger. Such supple skin recorded the trace of his finger on her palm. I Love You. Character by character, he wrote them dutifully into her palm. At first she was lost and didnt know what was occurring. One second, two, three, long, slow breaths and thoughts. Finally all three openeth their eyes in understanding. He saw them tear up and become emotional all at once. Taiyou-san! Oh, so you understood it? Of course we did! I guess so. You kind of have to. Taiyou-san, youre so cruel sometimes. We thought youd kiss us, but you never do. But, hee hee, hee hee hee As Kotones voice rose in laughter, all three of them did so together. They hadnt expected it, but one way or another, they were happier about it than what they actually expected to happen. He came close to all three of them, and gave them all a kiss in order. Kotone, Suzune, Kazane. From tallest to shortest, each the short kiss that they desired. Even more surprisingly, Taiyou followed up with, So, you wanted a kiss then? Yes! Is a maid here? As he looked at the happy three, he called out for a maid. He couldnt see one, but there must be one nearby. And soon, a new maid approached. She was different than the others, probably charged with caring for the three. Did you call sir? I want you to prepare something. Blindfolds, and some that wont fall off easily when you move around. She heard his request as the three blushed. They were trying to guess what hed do. Taiyou thought that it was best this way. He thought, but You mean something like this? Wait, why do you have them on you? The maid pulled the blindfolds from her own bosom. Taiyou was surprised that Yourans maids always had pervy stuff like this on them. Chapter 187 – Sunlight Nachtmusik / Invisible Chains Chapter 186 - Sunlight Nachtmusik / I - Love - You Chapter 188 - Sunlight Nachtmusik / A Moon-Lit Night, A Tinkle in the Light Translator: Ranzan After receiving the blindfolds, the maid bowed once, and then walked away. He looked at the blindfolds in his hand and the maid that was walking away. What a mystery, Taiyou thought. This maid and that maid. I wonder if Juunishimas maids are all like this, or if this maid is an elite one or something, Taiyou thought. (Well, whatever) But, since he had the blindfolds that he requested anyway, he took them in hand and approached the three sisters. He looked at them as a new thought entered his mind. Oh yeah, could you each take out your smartphones? Smartphones? Sure. What do you plan to do? The three sisters asked, each at the same times. He took the phones up from each of the three sisters. Then, after that, he blindfolded each of the sisters eyes. Okay, lets do this. After having their phone taken, the sisters showed a slightly frightened, expectatious face. As they went out into the garden, Taiyou sat Suzune onto a large rock. One might have questioned whether or not they should even touch such a large object of art located in the garden, but the turned on Taiyou ignored that fact. Kotone and Kazane were put in different places, far from each other, as the uncomfortably separated Suzune, who was far from the others, was also like the others blindfolded. After that, he placed the smartphone in front of Suzune and the others with the frame of each camera on them. Dont take off that blindfold. Taiyou whispered in her ear. It was a very soft tone in which he said it, softer than a passing insect. Uh, okay. Suzune fearfully assented as Taiyou took a step away to separate himself from her. TTaiyou-san? Didyou leave? Suzune pleaded in a small voice, suddenly small, because she was worried. Taiyou simply watched the three sisters. As he stood there, he quietly erased any audible trace of him being there and simply stared at Suzune. Taiyou-san? Suzune called out once more in a crying voice, as there was no answer. They all began to plead. Koto-chan, Kaza-chan, is Taiyou there with you? Her words soon seemed like she was talking to herself, this three-girl telepathy. Watching this, Taiyou took his smartphone out and turned on an app. In a three split screen was Kotone and Kazane, and Suzune right in front of him. All three of their smartphones were linked in one transmission. A transmission of all of them in their respective places. There on the screen were their different places C Kotone in a building corridor, Kazuya on a terrace to a hot springs. All three had their eyes covered, but werent bound up. They could take them off at any time, but they followed what he said and didnt take them off. Kotones mouth opened on the camera. Taiyou-san? Are you there? Suzune asked the same right in front of him. Kazane asked the same on the smartphone. All in order, a chorus of the souls. They all called his name, and all looked worried. Three unevenly sized sisters. Yet looking at them, you couldnt hardly tell the triplets apart. His love for them bubbled up from the depths of his heart. Like a fountain, limitlessly. While holding that sweet throbbing in his chest, he approached Suzune. He held his breath as he stood before her, put out his hand, and tickled her chin with his fingers. Ahhn Her voice leaked out, at the same time, the bodies of the two girls on camera twitched and shivered. Just like one would do with a cat, he tickled around her chin. Taiyou-sanTaiyou-sannn As she called his name, she reached out and drew closer. Taiyou did the opposite, dodging her while continuing to tickle her. Suzune seemed enchanted. Her former fears seemed to have melted away. Her mischievous nature seemed to be aroused as well. Hee, hee Unlike normal, this was a laugh that she stifled in the depths of her throat. Wha? T, Taiyou-san? With an euphoric face, she lifted her face without fear or surprise. She called out his name in a plea, but there was no reply. He wouldnt give her any. Taiyouwhat are you doing? She plead over and over again. The idea that it might not be Taiyou, but someone else emerged, and she began to look like she would reject him. Suddenly, Suzune held back her voice. Taiyou didnt miss avoiding her arm reaching out right before she said this. She wanted to take off her blindfold, but she remembered what he had said and kept in on. She did what Taiyou told her to do. Dont take off your blindfold, he said. With a worried expression, she called out to her sisters. Koto-chan, Kaza-chan, is Taiyou with you? Well, maybe hes here? Silently, he simply continued to tickle her chin. Ahhey, Taiyou-sanright? Please, Taiyou-sansay its you Even so, no response. She put her hands outshe looked as if she might take off her blindfold, and pleaded with Taiyou. He dodged her arms and spun around to her back. He grabbed her shoulders with this hands, held her fast, and licked her earlobe. Ah, no! Her whole body shook. Ddont do that She twisted around, squirmed, and tried to flee. As he held fast, he looked at his smartphone. The other two sisters were moving in the exact same fashion. (Good) He was enjoying this deeply, he wanted to say something but kept his mouth shut. It was deepno, he was being overcome with enjoyment. They were physically separated, these three sisters linked by sensation. He knew he had to do this to them while he licked the earthen the neck of Suzune. Nnnahhh! Taiyou-sanTaiyou-san Youyou shouldnt do this. Please Taiyou-sanTaiyou-sanwhere are you BecauseIll When she said that, she ended it in a sniff, as her heard her sniffle a bit. He knew it was time to end this, he thought, as he spoke to her in a gentle voice. Did it feel good? Taiyou-san! From a whimpering voice, Suzunes broke out into a smile. Answer me, did it feel good? What? Did it feel good? Three times he asked her and she didnt answer him. Um, wellits a bit embarrassing. She covered her face a bit and looked rather bashful. I see, so next question. Did it feel good, Kotone? What? Kazane, what about you? Though they werent there, they were still connected and could hear. Suzune was silent for a moment. Answer me. Since he was asking them to answer, Suzune did so in a small voice. Yes. Wha? I couldnt hear you so answer in a louder voice. It feltgood. Who did? Uh Suzune couldnt answer. He knew why, as all three of them felt the same thing. Three people felt the same as one, triplets that all shared the same soul. It was Kotone, Suzune, and Kazanes answer all at once. Thats why it was answered in such an embarrassed tone. Taiyou knew this, and thought it was perfect. Thats why he urged them all again. Say it. Uh His hands on top of her shoulders slipped down and touched her small but well-shaped breasts. He squeezed them lightly and touched them. Ahhhn! In the synchronized images on the smartphone, he could see all three of them writhe in pleasure. Two of them he didnt touchthey were free of any hands. Kotone and Kazane were completely free of anything. But they didnt take off their blindfolds, and simply endured the pleasure Taiyou was giving them. They were tied together in invisible chains, chains that sweetly enraptured all of their bodies. Taiyou squeezed those chains tighter. Say it. Say it. Then silence. Ithought it felt good. The three had told Taiyou exactly what he wanted to hear. Chapter 188 – Sunlight Nachtmusik / A Moon-Lit Night, A Tinkle in the Ligh t Chapter 187 - Sunlight Nachtmusik / Invisible Chains Chapter 189 Sunlight Nachtmusik / Pervert Palace Translator: Reflet Ahhhh Suzune turned her head to the sky and let out a moan. She said it, she was told to say it. She was so embarrassed she wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear. It was easy to see this from her expression. She looked so cute it was unbearable, so he put his hand around her face and turned her to him and kissed her from behind. She opened her eye suddenly in surprise, but then closed them again and accepted the kiss. The kiss seemed to wipe out all the embarrassment she felt. The smootching sound of repeated wet kisses. Suzunes lips were soft, and smelled of sweet tremoring. The young beauty in front of his seemed to calm down as he continued to kiss her. He wanted to be satisfied by her, but with that face he couldnt be satisfied yet. He wanted more, and he wanted her face to change to one that wanted more and more. As he thought that, his hands went to her collar in attempts to take off her clothes, but then, Ah! Suzune suddenly shouted, and her body shook. This shudder was completely different than the others. Until now she had hid her embarrassed feelings in her happiness, but this time her face seemed to be composed self-control. W, what? What happened? Kaza-chan! Kazane?! What happened? He thought as he looked questioningly at his smartphone. What showed back on his display was the appearance of the youngest sister. Even though it was one-third of a small display, he could clearly see that the appearance of Kazane had changed. She was grinding her thighs together even though she was blindfolded, and she was trying to control herself while biting down hard on her bottom lip. At first an erotic reason came into his mine, because he had felt up Suzune so much until just now, so he wanted to know if that was the reason. However, he soon realized the reason was different. Sheshe has to pee Suzunes words confirmed it. It wasnt that Kazane was turned on, but that she was holding it. Holding it Taiyou whispered, and suddenly imagined the scene. The smallest of the three sisters, Kazane with the smallest body. That girl was holding itso he imagined her peeing herself. The sudden image shot blood to his groin so quickly that it went straight to his penis. Taiyou-san? Somethings jabbing into mewha? Whaaaa?! !! He let it turn him on. And not just that, but Suzune definitely knew by now that it had. Taiyou hastily pulled it off of Suzunes back and stepped away from her. Itits only Kazane, right?. What? Only Kazane has toright? Oh, okyeah.. Got it. You wait here. Tell Kazane Im coming to help her now. Okay! Suzune nodded and Taiyou quickly left her. It was likeno it pretty much was him sprinting to Kazane. He sprinted across the garden to the building and entered in. Kazane was on the other side of the building, on a terraced area. Because they were all conjoined regardless of distance, and because he wanted to see it happen, he split all the sisters into different locations, and placed them in different places separated by at least several walls. At that time it was necessary, but now it became his worst enemy. He wanted to rush to Kazane as quickly as possible, but since he tried to run directly towards where Kazane was locatedhe went straight in a line to her. While doing so he his wall after all and was stopped, and ended up having to go in a huge round-about path to her. A true occasion of haste making waste. Suddenly, he thought about breaking through walls to get to her. He kind of knew where Kazane was, and if he could break through walls he could get to her the quickest. However, he couldnt just do that, instead of using all his power that could endanger the lives of others, he couldnt be as big of a smasher as he usually was. Tch! He clicked his tongue, and flew out the window of the nearest wall. Once outside he jumped up the nearest wall, and climbed the outside of the building. Since he was on the roof, he could run to where Kazane was. He sprinted across the roof just like a ninja or phantom thief. From using the roof he could find the terraced area, he jumped down to her without a pause. Kazane stood there, blindfolded, with her thighs ground together and her hand pressed against her crotch. Kazane! Taiyou-saaan She sounded weak, with a voice that was near crying. Wait, Ill bring you to a bathroom now! Okay. He pulled off her blindfold, and scooped her up by the back of her legs. He ran in the building, and from the terrace down the hall. He looked left and right down the hall, and dashed like a mad man into the door ahead of him. As soon as he checked inside the room, it turned out to be a bedroom like Kohaku and the rest used. Dammit! Wheres the toilet?! As he held Kazane up, Taiyou ran down the hall again. He could feel that she was trying her hardest to keep her pee in, so he was flustered as much as he possibly could be. He couldnt find a toilet, he would open up a door that looked like a bathroom but, all of the rooms he went into were completely different from a bathroom. Uhhhhn. She tried to look tough, but Kazane looked like she was about to let it go. Dammit! This is like being a security guard that cant find a toilet in a museum! Taiyou lamented his bad position. Why the hell is there no one around here?! He ran her around the building in search of one, but no maid emerged. They were everywhere when no one needed them, nowhere when someone did. Taiyou was getting super pissed at this characteristic. Taiyou-sanIcant hold it. Wait, dont! Just hold it back a little more! But I know, just try to hold it a little more! As he held her up, he ran outside. The garden of the mansion was in front of him, as there were several pine trees with a small creek flowing near them. Maybe she could do it her he thought, and put Kazane down. Her feet hit the ground, and holding her groin she looked up at Taiyou. Taiyou-san? Do it here. Wha? Ill make sure no one comes this way, so relax. Whaaaaaa? Youre fine! Do it. Bbut Her face was blushed, and she was fidgeting again. She was hesitating for a reason. You have to pee, right? Yeah, but, not here. Here? Becausetheres nowhere to go. okay. Wait a sec. Just then, Taiyou had a really strange desiremaybe. After imagining Kazane holding it, he got turned on, and with that feeling turned his attention away. Because of that, he probably became a bit perverted. So perverted, in fact, his brain short-circuited. He went aways from her, took a deep breath, and slammed his hard fist into the ground. Boom, he hit the ground with so force that Kazane stumbled to the ground-cracking punch. Smoke rose up. After the smoke cleared and they could see again, there was a deep but not wide hole in the earth. It was a hole small enough for a trap, and after seeing that Taiyou said Okay.and nodded, as he walked toward the confused Kazane. How about this? What? Can you do it here? Herein this holeTaiyou-san? Taiyou looked at herplaceand asked if she could. Okay! Do it here! Whaaaa? Quick! He went over to Kazane, scooped her up, and took her to the whole. There, he urged her to do it. Bbut If you pee yourself its going to be worse, go ahead! But, if someone sees me Youre fine, no one will. No ones around. If someone does see you, Ill kill them. Uh Come on! He faced Kazane with blood coursing through his eyes. It wasnt a normal thing for someone to see, but with Taiyou pushing her so hard, Kazane wasnt going to rebel. After a bit, the weepy girl put her hand on her skirt, and pulled back the band on her panties with her thumb. Chapter 189 Sunlight Nachtmusik / Pervert Palace Chapter 188 - Sunlight Nachtmusik / A Moon-Lit Night, A Tinkle in the Light Chapter 190 - Sunlight Nachtmusik - Impure Purity Translator: Ranzan Kazane shook, embarrassed. She had lowered her light blue colored underwear halfway down, as the fabric wrapped itself around her kneecaps. She had exposed a crucial place to the outside, and now she was crouched, focused on letting IT go. However, Kazane lost all her power to do it. She pulled up her underwear, and weakly sunk to the ground. I guessI cant do it. Kazane said weakly, so the huge problem at hand had yet to be solved. Her waist and below was still shaking as she held back the urge to pee. After she pulled up her underwear, it was clear to see her condition was getting even worse. If she continued liked this she would wet herself, and from her underwear to her skirt and even her socks would be dirtied with urine. Though it would make sense for him to hurry, leave, and hopefully she would find a place for her to do her business, it was clear that something strange had come over Taiyou, so instead of leaving he approached her. He stepped behind her, picked up her legs in his arms, and held her upwards, holding her knees up with is hands. It was quite different from the usual way he would hold a princessshe was in a far different position. With her knees spread outwards and her parts exposed, it was a pose that Japanese parents use to force a child to urinate in. With her legs spread out in the shape of an M, he continued to hold her up in the air. Noo Suddenly, Kazane started to resist. Though she looked quite young, she was already a late teenager. So thought the youth holding her up as well. There was no more embarrassing pose for a girl of age like her to be in. Okay, have at it! Taiyou quickly said, egging her on. What are ya doin, Taiyou? He heard a sudden, beautiful voice that sounded like a rolling bell, but filled with disgust. Turning towards the voice, he saw Leticia. She wore a splayed out skirt, her princess dress with strips hanging, with a tall upright form that beat Youran. Her form looked quite appropriate for a princess of a country, a beauty with blonde hair, but her eyes shone forth in a horrible look of revulsion. Taiyou and Kazane both saw her, and the youngest of the three sisters clasped her hands over her face in shame. This is just Taiyou attempted to explain, but Leticia wouldnt listen, instead taking out that familiar cellphone that would connect to any place on the earth, and began dialing a number. Im callin a SWAT team here, now! Wait a second! Taiyou said, his voice cracking on the last word. Leticia then cut the phone, and spoke icily at Taiyou. Save yer explanation for the court! Court?! No, waitI can explain all this. Yer gonna force a young girl like her into a wee-wee pose like that?! Dont say wee-wee! Just relax, my countrys laws will address everything thats happened in this mansion. And as long as Im princess here, theres gonna be some extra-judicial procedures too! Okay He nodded, as he remembered what Kohaku had said. The mansion of Juunishima was outside the law, so whatever crimes were committed inside it were judged by the country of the company that made it. He remembered hearing that it was Leticias country of Phili that had done that. Yeah, so ya gotta choose from the firing line or the guillotine, kay? Thats cruel and unusual punishment! All that pervy crap ya were doin merits an execution, right?! No, no, that wasnt pervertedI was just I thought ya were more of a man, but forcing a girl who doesnt wanna do that is contemptible beyond reason! Wait, just listenI Are ya sayin ya werent forcing her?! Well, I He began to argue his case, but couldnt find any words. There was no doubt that he had forced Kazane. Even from Taiyous perspective, he had forced that girl into an embarrassing position from which she could not escape, and he knew that. If that were translated to legal terms, then the term compulsiondefinitely could be used. He couldnt have just stood by passively though. Those were the words he was searching for. Um! Just then, Kazane shouted in a loud voice. It was a voice loud enough that it erased all memory of her being embarrassed. What? IIf it wasnt forced, its okay, right? Kazane? If soII wasnt against it! It wasnt forced on me! She shouted, attempting to protect Taiyou. However, Leticia simply turned a cold shoulder. The reason why is that while she pleaded for Taiyou, she was still in the wee-wee poseand it made her look rather ridiculous. The two sisters and maids then ran up to her, and ran off with Kazane, still squirming to hold it back. Taiyou watched them until they disappeared back into the building, and now turned to face Leticia. He could see her beautiful, long blond hair even in the dark, was she returning from some party? Her princess dress certainly indicated so. She looked like something in a painting, the princess from a proper kingdom. (WellI guess a normal princess, then.) She was the third empress of Phili Kingdom, the closest kingdom to Japan and one that used Japanese as its official language. Even if one were to think of her monarchical powers, she was still just a beautiful princess. When looking at that princess ones focus directs itself to one point. Those soft and cool lips. (And I kissed them) Taiyou remembered his kiss with her. He remembered the thing occurring, and the sensations afterwards. As he looked at her, she noticed him and walked towards him. What, ya thinkin about perverted things with me now? No, no, I mean, I dont do perverted things! Whatever. My dad was pretty much a perv, so Im used to it. Well, you were saying you were going to call the SWAT team on me. I thought maybe ya had devolved so far that I had to call humans in to help. What has happened to Phili Kingdom anyway? Taiyou was lost for wordsbut. Ya pervert. No, Im noteven if someone calls me it to my face. But Taiyou was a bit lost by how straight she had put it. Yeah, well, ya were gettin really frisky there. Hm? He was surprised by the comment, and remembered what he did with both Aoba and Kohaku slowly. No wayyou saw that? Just a little. Just a little?! Yeah, yer kissing scene, I only saw that. Only that? This mansion has a surveillance system, so when someone kisses in the mansion, the computer analyzes it and automatically sends the info to me. What a useless system! Its the latest face-recognition usin system, totally new AI development. What a waste of technology! Yeah, but just relaxI didnt see anythin after that. That would be really embarrassing. But he wasnt secure in believing that she had only seen the kissing scenes. The reason why is that the kisses themselves were pretty spectacular. For some reason, tonights actions were so crazy, that if you calmly thought about what happened, you might say Why the hell did I DO all that It was the same now, and hearing that she only saw the kisses was still too much for him. Hey, I toldya dont worry about it. Just kisses, thats all. Well, if you say so. And ya goin after those blindfolded girls by force. Ah! And the way ya pulled that girls ponytail by force. Wha?! And they way ya yanked up that handcuffed loli-GILFs nostrils, BY FORCE. Whoaaaaa! Not that much! He shouted, and stopped the embarrassing wordplay with Leticia. All the things he actually did having been read back to him made him so embarrassed that death would be a relief. He wished there was a gravestone nearby he could crawl under. Im begging you, please stop! He had fallen to his knees, as he earnestly begged the princess. Who cares? Everyones doin that crap in this pervert palace. What the hell is a pervert palace? Just my way of expressin myself, hey, ya wanna see the videos? Not necessary. Taiyou seriously refused her at once. He replied to her reflexively, as he realized that several things he had done were simply additions to this pervert palace. Butyeah. Whats with that face of yers? Leticia glared at him and his slightly void expression. No, I was just thinking Then Taiyou smirked at her. Pervert palaceis kind of a nice expression. Today, Taiyou really was kind of a weirdo. Chapter 190 – Sunlight Nachtmusik – Impure Purity Chapter 189 Sunlight Nachtmusik / Pervert Palace Chapter 191 - Sunlight Nachtmusik / Offense Defense Change! Translator: Ranzan That reminds me, youre okay, right? Whats that mean? Did your batteries run out yet? What, so Im yer next target now? Her expression hadnt changed much, but Leticia now spoke in a teasing tone. She talked loosely about his impropriety, but he ignored this, staring straight at her. There was no doubt that he had acted strangely today, but it wasnt out of evil desires or anything. He asked about her because he was worried. Strangely, he didnt have the same desire well up for Leticia. He had kissed her the same as Youran and Pochi, and even Sakura, who he had never kissed, he had felt emotions for. But Leticia gave him completely no feeling. With her, there was some reason that there was a desire, to put it clearly he felt that he had to be purified from his animal lusts. He wanted to kiss her, he wanted that kiss no matter what things he would have to overcome. But there was no more than that. There was nothing more than a kiss he wanted. Why? Even Taiyou thought it was mysterious and couldnt explain it. Why ya lookin at me like that? As he looked straight at her, he saw her blush red for an instant, but then composed herself and blew it off as if nothing had happened. Its okay, I aint losin my battery charge here. I see. He was happy she was okay, but in another way he was happy as well. A second relief, and as he thought about the reason, he smirked to himself. sucks. Huh? Nothin He asked her and she bluntly turned him away. He didnt really hear her, but he was sure it wasnt just a comment about something people normally talk about. (Harem 65535, Popularity 0, thats whyIm less popular than most.) He silently smiled to himself as he explained the fact in his mind. He put things he couldnt affect aside in his mind and turned his thoughts to things he had to think about. Butwhen does that happen to you, if you knew when, you could do something about it. I dont really notice it Well, you should. Taiyou told her clearly. You cant just ignore this, he looked at Leticia as if to say. ya wanna do something perverted with me? I told you, no. He smirked and said it in a toneless expression. It seemed there was a deep understanding between the two, and even if it seemed lame, he still was going to explain it off. I dont think you want to do that kind of stuff anyway. Really? Yeah. He nodded firmly. Hm? Well, whatever. Leticia lightly scowled at him. You have no clue about when your batteries cut out, do you? Nah, what do ya mean? I see The fact that she had no clue meant that they had to find the cause from reality, Taiyou thought. As he rubbed his chin in thought, a man came out from the mansion. He was a middle-aged white man with butlers clothes. He was tall, and unlike the fierce looks that Leticia and Youran gave off, seemed looser and clamer as well. He walked over to Leticia and asked her. Princess. What is it? It was surprising to see Leticias appearance change in front of him. Not only her tone, but her total appearance. The brilliance the moon gets when the sun sets from noon to sunsetthat kind of atmosphere. Taiyou was surprised by it, as the man simply continued his speaking. The preparations are ready. I understand, well leave as planned. Please inform Shingetsu no Kami and the others. It will be done. I dont need you to walk me back, either. Leticia gave several commands to the man. He nodded his head several times to her, while he counted on his fingers. He repeated back the orders he had counted on his fingers, and once Leticia nodded, he returned back to the building. Taiyou waited until he was gone, then turned to Leticia. What was that? My butler. She returned back to her previous tone. What? No, its just you spoke differently with him. Ya gotta talk to idiots like that in that waythats all. The idiot she was referring to was Youran. Leticia and Youran, two close friends like that, each with an affable way of referring to each other. Yer just thinkin me talkin normal seems like puttin on airs, right? I simply thought it was much more genteel. Ya fool, Im a princess, and Ive come to Japan as a visit. I gotta act genteel sometimes. I see, it makes sense I guess. But, I guess talking like that makes you seem unspecial, even though you still put off a high-class air. Well, Im the third princess. Is that related? She nodded silently as an answer. I see. Taiyou nodded in imitation, and then returned to rubbing his chin in thought. What? Whatre ya thinkin? Well, I like how you normally talk. Wha? The fact you can act genteel, and the gap from that how you normally talk, its cute. Whaaat?! I would never know unless I saw both, but yeah, its cute. Ya! Taiyou grinned as he said this. That other Leticia, and the Leticia in front of him now. Both the first and second ones were cute. His usual type was the exact opposite, but there were now one or two common points between her and Taiyou. After seeing it, he really wanted to kiss her, but anything more than that he didnt. He smirked at himself after thinking about it, while noticing that Leticias appearance had suddenly changed again. Her eyes were wide open, mouth silent. Whats wrong with herhe thought it it was strange. Leticia! Suddenly she fell like a marionette who had its strings cut. Like she had suddenly lost consciousness, she fainted. He quickly ran up and held her. He called her name again from close, but there was no answer. Upon looking closely, the girl hadnt completely lost consciousness. Her eyes were lazily half open, and he had seen her face like this several times before. Her batteries were out. He didnt know what really to call it, but that was the term between them. So sudden He grimaced a bit. She had just said that she was perfectly fine, but now she was like this without a sign. got to help. His heart suddenly raced, he held her and kissed her lips. It was just a touch, like between a long-dating couple. He was happy with that, he couldnt do more. After a moment, his Snow White came back to consciousness. Ah Are you okay? Yeah Im glad youre okay. Left at that, they didnt say any more. They looked at each other while she was nestled in his arms. He thought he had to say something, but as he searched for the words, her mouth opened. IIm gonna be okay. She spoke, and pushed off of Taiyous chest. Leme go They separated, and both of them stood. There was still an uncomfortable air between them, so Taiyou spoke the line he had prepared. As soon as we talked about it, your batteries cut. Youre going back to your country from nowwill you be okay? IIll be fine. It was just an accident. Accident? Taiyou suddenly frowned. Wait, maybe you know when this is going to happen to you!? I dont! II dont! She denied as strongly as she could. Chapter 191 – Sunlight Nachtmusik / Offense Defense Change! Chapter 190 - Sunlight Nachtmusik - Impure Purity Chapter 192 - Sunlight Nachtmusik / Moonlight Series Starts Translator: Ranzan She denied it strongly, but there was something clear about the fact she knew. Taiyou was lost whether or not to pursue the point. After a hesitation, suddenly, Leticia stood up after being emotionally shaken. Im tellin ya, Im okay. Nothin to worry about. My sister will look after me, they know I get like this. Yeahyou did say that. He remembered right after the time he had first kissed her. She had told him the same thing calmlyno, resolutely. (Youran and her really are alike.) Leticia and Youran werent just close friends, but their personalities were a lot alike, Taiyou thought. They were both royally-born, and they had the special ability to put on a different face in front of people. However, one could tell that there were small differences if you inspected carefully. How they presented themselves in front of people was one example. In Yourans case, she put on a cold appearance in front of others as the Shingetsu no Kami. She looked at everything with a distant, chilled gaze, so cold that it almost seemed she was commanding her own fate as a tool. Leticia simply seemed resolute, there was no coldness in her to be felt. (Whats the difference, I wonder.) Goals and meansTaiyou was interested in the real qualities that made them that way. Im goin home. Back to your country? Yeah, official business to attend to. Official businessjust like a princess. I thought ya might say, really? Or somethin No, I wouldnt doubt you. well, its a pretty easy thing to get, bein a princess. Ya can see me on the news or somethin, right? You really are a lot like Youran. Why ya say that outta the blue? Even if you came out wearing jeans and a shirt, Id still think youre the princess of a good country. He remembered back to the first time he met Youran. That twin-ponytailed girl had a rough look, and she talked about whatever popped in her head cheerfully, but he knew she was well-born. She had a dignified stance, and a tall, stretched stance. He felt the same about Leticia. Even though she talked very different from a princess in her private time, she still had the good breeding that Youran had. He thought this as they walked together back to the building. Hey, did you hear that Phili Kingdoms princess is around here? Yeah, didnt you meet her? Theres no way a laundry maid like me could ever meet her. I guess so. Suddenly they heard the voices of two young ladies chattering away. They were taking rest from work, and seemed to be relaxing. Taiyou and Leticia stopped in their tracks. The princess of Phili, he said, and looked at Leticia. She calmly smiled. She was used to being talked about in unknown places, her expression seemed to say. So, does she come to where youre working? She does, but shes going back soon. I seeId like to meet her once. You havent met her? Nope. Hey, youre in the chambers right? You havent met her by chance? Fu Fuu The girl proudly snorted with her nose. So you have, must be nice. Wasnt she something? It wasnt just that she was something. Theres an aura about her, an aura. Something about her makes the room light uplike light. Shes not just royal, but a princess, a true princess? You know the difference? I guess that she has an aura, right? While they listened to the excited maids talk, Taiyou whispered into Leticias ear. Just a little comment, Its almost like meeting a celebrity you only see on TV for them. Yeah. Leticia was calm about it, and Taiyou understood. Maybe we should say something, he thought. The maids conversation sounded like those of people when they happen to meet an idol out on the street or something. Times like that they always exaggerate, and just make up whatever to impress others. Exaggerating Its not exaggerating Have you ever seen Youran when shes serious? Yeah, over and over, from far away. Ive never seen her act normal though. The maid sounded a bit lonesome. Somehow, in her work, the maid wasnt able to meet Youran for real. Leticias the same as Youran, sparkling bright, both of them just light up the room. Together with Youran? The laundry maid was surprised. Isnt that something? The next moment. The unbelieving maids tone changed. Listening to this, Taiyous thoughts changed. At first it was about meeting someone famous, then the nonsense that came afterwards, and then the comparison between the two princesses. And if they were saying theyre the same, the story became very different. They said you two are the same. Yeah, as that idiotwell, I guess so. Leticia was calm about it again. Taiyou was a bit prideful about it. That feeling was close to the time that he maxed his level in his first RPG, and his friends reaction to it after seeing it. Being proud of what you have, and the satisfaction of surprising others with it. That feeling seemed to slide into different territory now, into mischief. Leticia Whathmphh! Taiyou kissed Leticia again without her being able to answer him. She didnt expect this to occur, and her face was surprised even after Taiyou pulled away. What are ya tryin to do?! Well, I was just thinking Thats not just thinkin!! She angrily told him in a hushed voice. Right near them, the maids kept talking. The guys in the mansion were talking about it, that theyd want to be born in Phili. The men there can enroll to be her personal guards. They say Well fight and die for our Leticia. right? Ive heard of them. They kind of complained about it, that Youran wasnt top of this country. Yeah The maids then talked about episodes showing how great Leticia was. After hearing that Taiyou went to kiss Leticia again. She avoided being kissed again by him a second time, but after he gently held her shoulder, he gave her a half-forced kiss. A kiss that was just a touch on her soft lips. She really is beautiful, even though plastic surgery is banned in Phili, you just stay the way youre born. I saw her talking to the prime minister on TV, really something. Shes supposed to be close to the Queen of England. So beautiful. She came to visit Japan too. She donated to charity from her private money too. So beautiful. Shes close to her siblings. So beautiful. Those two maids were really getting excited as Taiyou and the princess were getting excited outside. As the maids complimented Leticia, Taiyou continued to kiss her. Compliment and kiss. Compliment and kiss. Over and over. At first she tried to resist, but she began to give up, and finally she shut off herself to the maids conversation, simply pressing her lips to Taiyous Not passionate, just a shared kiss. It didnt just fulfill Taiyous body, but his heart. The conversation near them simply continued, but the topic changed from Leticia to something else, and the kissing naturally stopped. (Just a little longer) Ya Hm? Yer a horrible person. Well, yeah, I wont deny it. This last event ended a train of events beginning with Aoba, forcing him to smile at himself. With this finished, he didnt mind even if it ended with Leticia slapping him, he thought. That reminds me, you know that group thats staying here at Yourans request? Hm? This dragged Taiyous attention back to their conversation. They were probably going to start talking about Taiyou now. Yeah, theres a group of five women with only one man. What about them? Those five are all the one mans lovers. Whaaaaaaat? The laundry maid was so surprised she squealed loudly. Even so, they all get along. Its really something that the women all know and accept that. (Not all five, but at least three.) After pointing that out inside his heart, Leticia suddenly touched his face. huh? She stood on her tiptoes. After Taiyou was complimented by the maids, Leticia was ready to counterattack him. Chapter 192 – Sunlight Nachtmusik / Moonlight Series Starts Chapter 191 - Sunlight Nachtmusik / Offense Defense Change! Chapter 193 - Sunlight Nachtmusik / Youran (or Yurikago) Translator: Ranzan The face that Youran let them use the mansion in the first place is pretty awesome! Yeah! Its been a while since I started working here, and the only people shes let stay is Leticia. Nmph And also, this is something I just overheard, but that guy is strong enough to almost beat Shirokiyami in a fight! Noway Kisss. The maids kept talking, and while they complimented him, he kissed his partner. Compliment and kiss. When Taiyou was complimented, he kissed Leticia, and when Leticias name was used, she kissed him. The maids conversation was about Taiyou and Leticia, only those two. Sometimes they would compliment him, and sometimes her. As they were affected by it, they would continued kissing one another back and forth. A kiss just with the lips touchinga kiss where just the hearts touched. Finally, the maids left, and this was a pretext for the kissing to end and for the two to part. A kiss that understood that as a rule, so it seemed natural that they would part. There was no reluctance in it. At least Taiyou thought so, and Leticia thought it was appropriate as well. They were silent for a bit. Then Taiyou put his feelings into words. You and ? When I kiss you, I start to feel strange. Ya start to get horny? No, the opposite. Taiyou shook his head and smiled. Calmlya smile that made one think of a windless ocean. Leticia was surprised at him, and it was more surprise than one would usually expect. I dont want to do anythingsexual. Not at all. Just want to kiss, you make we want to kiss you. Leticia was silent, and Taiyou was a bit uncomfortable with the silence. Sometimes silence is golden, but he was young. Maybe he was getting wrong this relationship that he had just luckily fallen into, he didnt want to make that mistake. He was bothered by it, and so he asked Leticia. Do you feel bad? Dunno I see. Kissin youI dont dislike it. Well, thats good. Good He cut off the conversation as they looked at one another. The soft night breeze blew and touched both of them. I gotta go. Yeah She turned her body to leave him. Taiyou reached out to her turned away figure. oh yeah. She stopped as if remembering something, and spoke to him with her back turned. This battle, I won it, okay? What? Taiyou was puzzled as to what she meant. She won a battle? He thought about the kissing battle that had unfolded just now, and was confused by how there could be a winner or loser. If he was forced to say itbut as he thought he decided to ask her. I wonder, I thought it was more of a draw. Ya cant say ya won it. I dont think I won it, you got half carried away in the kissing while we were doing it. He wanted to say her soul was carried away. But, he felt she knew what he meant. He had a strange confidence she would. Ya got pretty carried away yourself. How, he wanted to ask, but didnt. Maybe she wasnt talking about soul, but he didnt want to ask her what. They silently looked at each other. Calmly, and with a happy feeling. He liked the way that Kohaku spoke in a circumlocuting manner. He also liked how Youran was very straight in her speech. Leticia, on the other hand He thought maybe it was better that they didnt use words. They just looked at each other, and finally Leticia looked away. He watched her walk away until she and her princess dress disappeared. Hewwo, ewwerybody A new story, all the sudden? Almost as if in exchange, Hera quickly warped into the scene. He hit her with a tsukkomi, but not hard enough to knock her to the ground. She was used to it all and smiled cheerfully, as she returned back to Taiyou. Was my pronunciation bad? Thats not the problemWhere the heck have you been, anyway? I was with Macchan. Macchan? Who is that? Thought Taiyou with a turn of the neck. He thought of all the people Hera had contact with, as he tried to match a face with that strange name. Mask the Third-chandesu. Got it He suddenly found himself smiling. Thats where the ma in Macchan comes from? Yes, desu! I seeso you finally started talking to her. Yes, and she fought me in the top battle of the world as well. The top battleyou both fought it? Yes, desu. It was mixed rules, first round three minutes, second round five minutes, desu. You should have knocked her out! I wanted to, but it ended in a draw. You always were a cheater He said as tsukkomi again, but found it pointless to make a contradicting statement, since he remembered that every contra gets dicked, and every dick gets countered. Since Shirokiyami was the worlds most beautiful swordsman, able to defeat any foe, but Hera was undefeatable by any foe but Taiyou. Even so, it was hard for him to understand how it ended in a draw. Kind of strange. He twisted his head and smirked. What is? Nothing. You got here the right time though. Do you know where Youran is? Of course, desu. Show me then. Sure, desu. Hera showed him, as he entered the mansion again for the uncounted number of times. Ah, Youran and Pochi are together, desu. Oh? She nodded, as Taiyou thought it interesting. Through process of elimination and the progression until now, he thought it would be natural they would be together. So he didnt mind, and simply followed Hera. Is it far? It should be short because its straight ahead, desu. Its in the middle, desu. I see. But it is inconvenient, knowing only the direction and distance. Yes, desu. That reminds meShiroI mean Mask whatever, did she say anything about me? Nooh! Hera clapped her hands together. She said next time she sees you shell filet you like a fish. Ah He understood what she meant. She probably would. Attacking her in that way like he did, using the necessary means to an end, he had forced a kiss on her. That first kiss was one that was her important first kiss. It wasnt by her will, but forced on her. With how angry she is, he wouldnt complain if she cut him up for it. Well, Ill spend some quality time with her next time. He said with a smirk. She wouldnt cut him up, but he thought it might be good for her to vent her anger at him. They continued walking forwards. Its here, desu. Where Hera brought him was the same as with Kohaku, a nice salon-type of a room. He was about to say something and hit someone, but he decided against it. After seeing her figure, he decided not to. You said you had something to say to me? Her hair was down, and she spoke abruptly in her Shingetsu no Kamimode, as Youran Juunishima. Um, princessmaybe I shouldnt be here? He was a bit lost, as Yourans little sister Pochi asked to leave. No, please stay here. And a face he hadnt seen for a while, the cold genius Sakura Juunishima. They were all there, the three sisters. The had a feeling of power about them that surrounded the room. Taiyou couldnt find the words to say, and couldnt find the timing to enter the room to say them. Chapter 193 – Sunlight Nachtmusik / Youran or Yurikago Chapter 193 C Sunlight Nachtmusik / Youran (or Yurikago) Chapter 192 - Sunlight Nachtmusik / Moonlight Series Starts Chapter 194 - Low Level Rebel / Push-out Throw-down Translator: Ranzan All three of the girls looked at him, sisters from different mothers. The composed Youran, the flustered Pochi, and Sakura, glaring at the two. Why did you overlook me? It was capriciousness. Youre not that type though. I know you all to well. Sakura scowled coldly at the two. Ill do anything to achieve my goal, but it has to be connected to the goal before I start acting bit by bit. After cutting of that sentence, she took a breath, and continued. Mewhat was the purpose for overlooking me? Hey! No need to get that angry! Shut up, Anoda, you need to keep quiet! Mmy name is Pochi! My name is not Anoda! Pochiwhat do you think the name given to you by your family is?! I was given the name Pochi by my husband! Not that family, I mean your father! My family is my husband, before and now, only my husband! Pochi and Sakura scowled at each other. They were shouting back and forth. At first Pochi was a bit frustrated, but now she was enraged about her husband being denied as part of their family. Have you forgotten about me? Youran mocked them as Sakura stood surprised. Sakura then glared at Youran as Youran looked on calmly, and continued as if nothing had happened. I said that they would do anything for me. Thats right, because Im a woman with that disposition. My, you are meek today. You should say the opposite of that, youre the type of woman that exchanges means for ends. She ignored the mocking, and continued. Thats not true! DFG-50 Blood Soul. !! Sakura stopped, shocked. The magic sword that devours blood and soul, the supernatural sword that traps peoples consciousnesses. Why, why was it made? Her sentence ended in a question that was not asked. Well, a small force Im not asking that. Why was that created from an immortal plan? What does that mean? The Blood Soul was once the study of the Eternal Little, a program that was made for the study of immortality. From that it changed into the study of beauty and anti-aging. The Eternal Littlethe genetic abnormality of a grown woman without secondary sex characteristics Pochi spoke as if she was sunken into the contents of a dictionary. Regardless, Youran continued. So why, did it become that weapon? Its always like that, without a solid purpose, just taking whatever means necessary at the time. What does that have to do with my problem? Thats why I attempted to capture Pochi. What do you mean? You did capture Pochi! Sakura struck back, but Youran again continued. Means for and end, staving off Anoda, and then pretending to work to cooperate with us. Princess? In the middle of it all it changedit became fun to be with Anodaor Pochi. She changed the way she spoke while turning to Pochi. Isnt it fun messing around? Is how I began to think, even though I thought you were kind of robotic at the beginning. RobotElectromagnetic power source, a doll that behaves through sophisticated mechanical equipment. Youre terrible sister! Im not like that. Pochi reacted angrily. Ahah hah hah, that makes you funny too. Its so interesting, ah, Id like a little sister like thisthinking like that. Am I not your little sister? Youran now turned to Sakura. So then I also thought, hm? I have another sister of a different mother, maybe I could have fun like this with her too. Ive never thought of you as a sister once in my life. I thought the same, until I met Pochi. So your methods have changed, is what youre saying? No. Youran said with a smile. I am just the same, I dont choose the methods for my means, and that wont change. Maybe thats different with you and the way you do things, but Im the opposite, so I want you to prepare yourself. Prepare myself? Yes, when you find your next goal, prepare yourself, I mean. Next goal? Yes. Youran put her hand on her hip proudly. The proper wife, the concubine, the lover. Even though we were born into three different stations in life we can be friendly. Youran laid it on the line. Sakura was taken aback. So, thats your own desire? Yes, my own desire. But because I dont choose the means to my goals, I will always succeed. And in addition She stopped her words, and changed composure. My name is Shingetsu Youran Juunishima, the first successor of the 49th family head in the Juunishima line. Outside the window, a cloud covered over the moon. I will always succeed, I swear upon my name. Sakura was lost for words. Taiyou silently walked away from the place. He had heard that lengthy introduction twice. He couldnt just burst into a place with the deep significance he heard. Thats why he silently crept away. However, he swore also to himself. Yourans desire, that those three sisters of different mothers would get along. A new goal that seemed so unexpected. And the fact that he wanted it to be accomplished. When it came time for him to help, he wanted to help them. Thinking that, he silently crept away. Hera silently landed on his shoulder. They looked at each other, and she smiled at him. She was usually too cheerful but this time understood what was happening. He flicked her in the forehead, and they slowly made their way out. Chapter 194 – Low Level Rebel / Push-out Throw-down Chapter 193 - Sunlight Nachtmusik / Youran (or Yurikago) Chapter 195 - Low Level Rebel / First Uniform Translator: Ranzan The sound of a chorus of cicadas surrounded them morning to night as it was halfway through August. Though it was early morning, the school path was already covered in a hot haze. Taiyou walked along with his two wives there. On his left side was Aoba Miki, with her happy smile that matched her long, straight ponytail. On his right side were the three unmatched sisters Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane, who not only walked at the same time, but breathed and had their hearts beat the same time as well. Even though they were his beloved women, they were also his classmates as they accompanied him to school in the middle of summer But, I wonder why our school has class in the middle of summer break? Taiyou, as he looked around, said. Dressed in the same school uniform, the other students walked along to school with him in a tedious manner, but they were also slightly excited that they could hang out with their friends again. It wasnt like this last year. Oriyakata Academy was a combined middle/high school, but these summer days werent days to attend in middle school, so this was his first time experiencing this. As he thought of this, he checked for the girls on his left and right again. I heard about that from Nakajima-kun. Because they were in front of others, the three didnt speak as a chorus, but Kotone instead spoke as representative for the other two. You could tell by their eyes, however, that they were all thinking the same thing she said. From Katsuki? Yes. He said it was because of the incident that occurred last summer vacation. Incident? Taiyou frowned a bit. He was so busy with leveling up in his game at that time, he really paid no attention to what was happening in the real world. Yeah, the legendary sempai and school director of the Bloomer group collaborated and tried to get all the students, including the boys, to wear bloomers, but the knee sock group got the legendary sempai to band together with them to stop the movement.*Translators note: bloomers buruma are very short gym shorts What the hell? All that weird info at once stunned Taiyou. After hearing it once, he couldnt understand what she was talking aboutor probably the brain refused to accept it, so he was tempted to ask about it again. However, it seems that Taiyou wasnt the only one that didnt understand. I dont understand what that means, but I heard it from Nakajima-kun. After relaying the information even she seemed pained to understand what it meant. Yeah, wellyou dont have to take what he said seriously. The image of his friend floated inside his mind. Even though they hung out a lot together, he would always exaggerate to make the conversations smoother. Ah, I heard about that too. It was the legendarrry Doctor Miki-racle Incident, right?! So it had nothing to do with Kohaku or Hera then! Aoba oddly rolled her rs in an odd attempt at a joke, which Taiyou reacted to like a flash of light. So I guess that is what happened. Aoba responded in her attempt at a joke, as Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane all responded with a knowing Oh. The non-human Hera, and the lolita-crone Kohaku. Those two didnt seem to have much in common, but both of them loved those weird type of jokes. As the nonsensical conversation continued while they walked, Taiyou continued on with his family. Watch out! Suddenly, someone shouted from a distance, the voice of a high school girls scream. Taiyou caution level quickly jumped. He looked around him instantly, and saw a speeding car coming towards him. Hmph. His caution level quickly came down. He cooly took Aobas hand and pulled her behind him. With the four girls behind his back, he turned to face the car. The screams raised to a chorus as the car hurdled toward him. Bwamp! The echo of collision reverberated around. Taiyou had put both arms out to meet the oncoming car, locked into it, and now was pushing it to a stop. Zzzzzzzrpp, the sound of tires grinding into the ground. Taiyou, however, as if he had grown roots into the ground wasnt moved an inch. The instant of collision was much closer to the force of a truck, but in the same amount of force, Taiyou had taken that directional force and stopped it. The end of the car spring back, and the sound of destruction and airbags deploying blew out in chorus. On the other hand, Taiyou reacted with a cool face. Seeing his present look, one could see Taiyou had easily received the destructive force of the car into his body. After the dust settled, all the screams around him changed to cheers. I heard about you, Taiyou Natsuno! You were out on the street and a four ton truck came at you, that you picked up and tossed away! His friend Katsuki Nakajima came into the classroom staring at him with a look of restrained excitement. News travels fastsomeones exaggerating though! What? You didnt throw it?! Like just pick it up and toss it? Of course not! How strong do you think I am? I just stopped a car that got loose, thats all. You stopped it? A car that got loose? Yeah. Thats still pretty awesome! Youre a titan! Katsuki had asked him with an attempted serious look, but now his face returned to amazement. Are you for real?! Yeah, of course. What are you talking about? Taiyou tilted his neck as Katsuki continued in his amazed look. After hearing all the commotion, a bunch of female high schoolers surrounded him. These were a bunch of sociable girls, and the popular Katsuki spent some time answering questions for them. What? What happened Katsu-kun? What got stopped? Hey (I guess that story about the bloomers was all exaggeration.) Katsuki mixed in a huge amount of exaggerations and embellishments with his excited story about Taiyou stopping the car. Taiyou not only tried to stop him, but attempted to clear up some of the things Katsuki said. However, stopping an onrushing car on the street was in itself something else, so Taiyou wasnt able to stop their admiration. The girls, upon hearing this, looked up at Taiyou with glittering, worshipful eyes. Really?! Isnt that something?! Natsuno-kuns not only fast, but strong too!! All the girls seemed to be saying at once. He was lost at why they had said he was fast at first, but then he remembered the incident of him running in a dead heat against Kazama from the track club. Where was he, anyway? As he looked around, Kazama had just arrived and was now approaching after hearing all the commotion. He stood before Taiyou, and looked at him with challenging eyes. Natsuno? What? Lets race again when the new semester starts. I wont lose this time. Yeah, sure. After being challenged, Taiyou responded with an ambiguous nod. Kazama simply walked away after the challenge was given. Hey, Natsuno-kun! Until just now.and even now one girl from the excited bunch spoke to him. What is it? Youre just so strong, Natsuno-kun Well, its only power. Wow! Hey, show us something. Even if you ask me He said, but as he stroked his chin, he thought about it. Nakajima, would you? Huh? What? He stood and walked over to Nakajima. Hey what are you doing!?his face said as Taiyou reached out to Katsukis belt, and picked him up with his pinky finger. With a pinky alone, he picked up the somewhat muscular youth. Whoawow! Awesome! With a pinky? No way! Just then, a loud cheer erupted in the classroom. What Taiyou did was suddenly the focus of the whole class. Not only their sight, but physically the curious students began to surround him. Hey, something else? Can you do something else? Ahoh yeah. Suddenly the focus of all the attention, the supremely popular Taiyou. Even though Taiyou didnt feel bad at being fawned over, since he had never been surrounded with this much adulation, he was a bit lost. This continued until the all-school meeting time at the open of school. After the announcement to meet was said over the speakers, Taiyou and all of his classmates made their way out of the classroom. As he left the room, he saw Hera out of the corner of his vision. Because most people couldnt see her, it seemed she was flying back against the rush of all the students. He stopped and watched the still-broken wings of her back flutter away from him. Taiyou-san? The three sisters that had left the room with him were now looking at Taiyou with confused faces. Sorry, go on without me. What? The three seemed lost as he left them to follow Hera. (I havent seen her since the morning, so what is she doing here?) He was a bit worried. It was fine that she was here, she just didnt have anything to do with the school. He was a bit worried why she was here, as he followed her. Since she was flying against the students into the farther part of the school, he noticed less and less students were going by as they made their way to assembly. Finally, Hera turned to go down a hall of classrooms. Taiyou chased after her, and turned the corner. Thwomp! He could hear the impact echo inside his body, as he had bumped into something strongly. It felt soft organic. (Promise C Boy meets girl?) He suddenly joked to himself. Owwwwoh, its you, Taiyou-chan, desu! Why are you here? He had run into Hera retracing her steps. He was wondering what the promise was, or maybe that there was none. But then, here. This is like some stupid comedy skit. The twintailed girl before him, who had come as promised was standing there, the first time he had seen her in a school uniform. Chapter 195 – Low Level Rebel / First Uniform Chapter 194 - Low Level Rebel / Push-out Throw-down Chapter 196 - Low Level Rebel / Only You Know Translator: Ranzan With her lustrous long hair tied into two ponytails by ribbons, Youran stood calm with her hands on her hips. There was nothing really different in Youran Juunishima since the first time he met her, as she was composed with a sense of confidence and vigor. He was used to her forcm, but Taiyou still rubbed his eyes in disbelief. The reason why being that she was wearing the uniform of Oriyakata Academy . Whyare you dressed like that? What, is it weird? No, nothing strange about itin fact, you look quite beautiful. What are you talking about? Youran looked at Taiyou with shocked eyes, which in turned shocked him as well. Sorry. no, no big deal. Youran simply uttered, but with a somewhat blushing face. But you did surprised me, theres no way I expected to meet you here. Well, I dont think a person like you would. As Youran said this, she held and twirled the hem of her skirt and collar. Hey, this is the first time Ive been in a school uniformdoes it look strange on me? Nothing strange about you at all, desu. Taiyou thinks the same thing too. He could hear the voice of the fairy whisper into her ear. Yeah, what she saidso this is the first for you? Yes. Youran said with a curt nod. No way, thought Taiyou. The firstso you mean the first time youve worn the uniform for this school? No Taiyou timidly asked her, which she answered directly. This is the first time Ive worn a uniform, period. Oh Taiyou was astonished, as he had always imagined she had gone to some academy, because she was a princess. However, the truth was above and beyond what he imagined. Ive never gone to a school. What, never gone? Since birth? I never went either, desu! The cheerful Hera responded, which they quickly ignored. Thats what I said. No way My studiesknowledge and all were covered by a home instructor. Thats not the problem though. Why are you talking about that? I was busy as a child, thats all. Instead of being bound to certain times of school, any time that I had free a home instructor would teach me as a more effective method. effective? Yes, you understand, right? Taiyou took a second to mull over Yourans words, then softly nodded. If you think only about getting knowledge, its true that her way was more effective. Schoolrather, compulsory education seemed to be better at developing general personal skills, but it wasnt the most effective way of simply deriving knowledge. If you were to look solely at gaining knowledge alone, Taiyou agreed with Yourans words. But even as he pondered it, he had to feel a bit of mixed emotions about it. So, is this your first time coming to a school? No, its not. We had a school by out board chairman, and he taught us as the manager there. So you were a student? Ive never been a student yet. Youran responded with a bright disposition. Her response seemed to be off, implicitly stating this was her first time. He became even more conflicted about his thoughts, but, he didnt know how to address it, so he simply continued the conversation. So, why did you come all the way here? To inspect. Inspect? Yes, I was worried at first, but now Im at ease. What does that Hey, I have something to ask of you though. Something to ask? He repeated her words like a parrot. Yourans requestYouran Shingetsu no Kami Juunishimas request. He first had a bad impression at the request of a girl in charge of an island with a million people, that she made it so quickly. But a girl that put her hands together and winked an eye at him while saying Please!was so unbearably cute, without asking any of the details, Taiyou simply said Yes. Almost all the students were now standing out on the unshaded school grounds, lined up by classes. Along with the late Taiyou, Youran, and Hera were the other late students filtering in. The assembly had yet to begin, and the students now quietly asked each other what was happening. What is this? In the middle, Taiyou heard Youran ask him from behind. School assembly. Remembering that she had never been in a school before, he had to explain what was happening, and not just tell her the name of what it was. Everyone gathers up together like this, and the principal and teachers brief the students in their own ways. Hmm, so theres something like this in school too? School too? Yeah, we used to do this all the time when I was a kid. All the maids in the mansion would gather weekly, and acknowledge the hardest worker out of all the maids. I was really into rewards and punishments back then. Youve got some weird interests. As he said this, he thought she was a strange girl. Whateverbut yeah, it is the least offensive way to manage a large group of people altogether. Thats a point blank way of saying it. Dont you think so as well? I guess I do. He breathed in once, and nodded. He didnt think she said it totally correct, but her way of thinking was correct. He had never thought about that before, but now that she had it made sense. Her way of speaking fit her personality to a tee. As he thought about this, he wanted to honor the prestige of Youran being in such a place like that, so he agreed with her as if he had been thinking of it himself. That reminds me, where is the student president of this school? Oh. Yourans request. She wanted him to tell her who the student president of this school was. He didnt know why she had wanted to know, but he wasnt reluctant to tell her. Because it was precisely the time for an all-school assembly, he had brought her along with him. Now that she had asked again, he nodded, and looked over at the podium. There was no one standing on it, but below several teachers and students were standing. Do you see that student over there with his hair parted on the side of his head? Yeah, is that the student president? Taiyou nodded. Heh, he looks so normal. Normal? He tilted his head and asked Youran. You knew it when you saw him? As he asked, for some reason Youran stared back at him. He winced a bit, thinking that perhaps he had hurt her feelings. Hey, when you first saw me, you knew that I was a refined princess, right? Yeah, I guess so. Its the same. His faceand his figure is somehow normal. Somehowhe seems like he might be good at school, but its the type of face where you cant tell whether hes smart or just a hard worker, right? Someone like that You dont know what someone like that looks like? Yeah. Taiyou grimaced in a smile, he had been addicted to games until just recently, so he didnt know what type of person fit the role of a student president. Compared to you, youre better in a wayhmm. She said, turned her head, and then said, Way better, I guess. He was surprised at the sudden compliment. Wait, whyIm not that great, right? You should be a bit more self-aware. I wont say is because your status numbers are high. That has little to do with it. She had already said what he was going to ask, so he just stood there, lost. What could she mean, he thought as Youran had said some words with deep meaning to him. Yeah, youre way better than him. People can rely on you. What does that mean? Hey, listen. Why dont you be student president? She suddenly asked, as Taiyou stood amazed. Chapter 196 – Low Level Rebel / Only You Know Chapter 195 - Low Level Rebel / First Uniform Chapter 197 - Low Level Rebel / Shit! Translator: Ranzan After the principal had finished his relatively long speech with little meat to it, the students left the grounds for the school in small groups. Taiyou stood there and turned to Youran. He thought he wanted to hear more about her thoughts about the student president. As he began to open his mouth to ask, his friend Katsuki shouted out to him. Hey, Natsuno-kun! I got something to ask youhey, whos this hot girl youre with?! Katsuki was in the middle of talking and noticed Youran, stopped, and was stunned so much his upper half bent back in an exaggerated awe. With that loud, vocal overreaction, the students remaining in the school grounds turned their attention towards them. This bad, Taiyou thought. Since Youran wasnt a student, it might be hard to suddenly react to Katsukis words. Well, um you see Did we ever have a super hot babe like this at the school? No, no way we did! As he sad that, he was suddenly cut short. Why did he stop talking so suddenly? Taiyou silently thought with a tilt of his head. A pleasure to meet you. My name is Yurikago. Though Taiyou was in a rush to get her out of there, Youran calmly introduced herself. He was surprised to hear her utter that nostalgic name again, but Katuski accepted the name she said without hesitation. I see! Which class are you in, Yurikago? What year? Are you a transfer student? My C sec C ret. She said mischievously, as she put her index finger to her lips with a wink. Ugyaaaaah! Almost as if he had been shot, Katsuki put his hand to his heart and pretended to be knocked back. It was the classic pose of a man being shot by Cupids arrow. Hes going too far again He really is, desu. Taiyou responded with a whisper, as Hera agreed. However, they were the only ones that thought it an over-exaggeration. As Katsuki was talking, another male student barged in. With a high of nearly 190cm/6 and a half feet, he was a strong looking member of the basketball team. Ive always loved you, please date me! Nice to meet you the first time, and no, I cant. She smiled, but with a compassionless dismissal turned him down. The strong-willed basketball player slumped his shoulders and dejectedly turned around. You idiot!Confessing your love like that, die!Youve been turned down by the 50th girl, die! Guys that were waiting and seemed like his friends spewed out insult after insult at the student. They dont have to go that farTaiyou thought. (Well, even so maybe hes better off being turned down. That girls dangerous in some ways.) Shingetsu no Kamior Youran, he remembered what it was like to get mixed up with her. Taiyou remembered getting shot at by a rocket because of her and so it seemed like avoiding her was best. (I wonder what will get fired at me next?) He thought, but was still a bit interested to see where their roads would lead next. Hey, Natsuno, so you know this Yurikago? Yeah, well, um He turned to Katsuki, and wondered in his mind how to answer that question. As a friend, I guess you could say. He turned to her as if to confirm what he had said about their relationship. Of course we are! Okay! Not only Katsuki, but everyone around them seemed to react in wonder. You really are something! All that stuff this morning and friends with Yurikago too? And friends with Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane! Something? Really? Yeah! Its not really that much. This morning was just what it was, and making friends with people isnt that big of a deal. No, you really are awesome, right everyone?! As Katsuki asked, everyone around agreed, yeah, wow, as the voices affirmed what he was saying. Taiyou wasnt as annoyed by all the fawning over as one would think. The fact that Youran was friends with him had no real value to him but more to Youran, but he wasnt put off by being told it, regardless. Suddenly, he remembered that Youran had said the same thing about him as well, and he looked over at her. That reminds me, what happened to him this morning? She met eyes with him, and she asked. Youre right! Katsuki responded excitedly, and told Youran the whole incident about the car. A car had sped into the street, and Taiyou had stopped it, as Katsuki described the scene passionately as if he himself had seen it happen. Really? Youran said with a laugh, the opposite expression of Katsuki, who thought it a bad reaction. It IS something. Yeah, maybe its not really a big deal. WHAAAT? Katsuki raised his voice in protest, and Taiyou seemed lost. Taiyou was a bit shocked. As Youran had known about him, him stopping a car with his powerit was because he had been raising his level step by step. She wasnt proud of knowing him or anything, but she should have at least been proud of him stopping that car. Thats all he thought, so it was a bit of a shock for him. Come onNatsuno really is something. Nah, I know stronger people than him. In this group of students, theres one guy with even a greater story than Taiyous. Whaaa, who is it, then? My C sec C ret. The same expression and mischievous face. At that gesture, all the guys remaining on the school ground went wild. They had all now forgotten about Taiyou. All of them were only focused on Youran. (A guy greater than me?) In the midst of the all the other guys, he was the only one relaxed. Giving a flimsy reason, they two left the group of gathered students alone. The girl wanted to go home, so he walked her to the school gate. In the midst of all the crying cicadas, the twin-tailed girl turned, and said to Taiyou, Okay, well take care of that student president thing, and then call me. Ill tell you the details of your prize then. About that Taiyou looked at Youran with a serious face. You said you know a greater guy then me here, at this school. Maybe you should ask him to do that instead, right? What, are you jealous? She jested with him, but with the tone of mockery as well. The little devilish smile, and with it all the other students would have gone wild if they saw it. Thats not it. He said to her, but he did wear a confused expression. He knew that he looked that way as well, but he still claimed that it wasnt out of jealousy. I dont know what youre talking about, and I dont know why from the beginning you brought it up, but to make a long story short, you want someone with top ability to cooperate with you to become student president, right? Thats obvious, isnt it? If thats so, then it should be someone you know. There are means to changing the student president, so its best to find the best means to do it. I dont know anyone better than me, knowing the dorks at this school, but if you ask them all again putting on those Miss Popular act again, Im sure someone will do your bidding. Dont worry, Ive already asked the one I wanted. Then, good. Then its none of my business, Taiyou thought to himself lonesomely for an instant. I already asked. He remembered Youran telling him. Yes. What do you mean? He asked her, looking Youran straight in the eyes. I told you, I already asked the one I wanted. Who? You. then what about the stronger guyyou were talking about. Yeah, I asked him. No, nowait a second. He held his arms up to stop her words, as brows seemed to question her. You said there was a guy greater than me, right? Yeah, I know one. So, you asked him. Yeah, I did. but, its me? What does that mean, he said with a frown. Yes, you. So what then? You stopped a car with your own body? Youre friends with three girls? Youre my friend? She counted them off on her fingers. She smiled as if to mock him, but then looked at him seriously. The air of Shingetsu no Kamiseemed to swirl up around her. Maybe those things really are great, I know, but youre a guy that can do way more than that. Youre a guy that can do things that can put all those other great things to shame. Youran smiled at him, but her eyes were true. The things that you did at Juunishima, none of them know about. Is that how it is? Then you should have told them. No thanks. She responded again with a smile and continued. Its a waste, right? Those things ONLY I should know about. Taiyou was suddenly taken aback. Chapter 197 – Low Level Rebel / Shit! Chapter 196 - Low Level Rebel / Only You Know Chapter 198: Low Level Rebel / The Two Who Are Exceedingly Close Translator: Ranzan His heart beat quickly. He went over her words again and again. Its a waste, right? Those things ONLY I should know about. What did she mean by that? Even if she didnt think much about it, he was at the age he should have responded if she pointed out something (that seemed) good. After all, she was the one that helped him get out of some perilous positions. His response of his heart beating quickly was natural. (Maybe) Her expectations of him might just turn out to be a delusion. chan! Taiyou-chan! Whaa? He jolted and turned. In that moment, his back muscles groze. He remembered that fear. As he looked around in haste, in that place away from Hera, he saw someone flip in the air with a pose like a track runner in a counting start. If he was one second slower someone could have struck him in a sensitive placeso Taiyou was relieved. Tch! Who said? Who iiiiiiiis iiiiiiiit? As he was about to attack, he felt arms stretch from behind him, and cover his eyes. Ah, looks like I was too late, desu! It was Hera this time, and he knew she had tried to warn him, but she was a second too late. He could feel soft hands cover his face, and two large breasts push up against his back. A cute voice with some pluck to it. It was a different voice from those he had heard, and he couldnt distinguish whom it was. Kohaku, Youran, Shirokiyami. All of those floated in his mind, but their touch and voices were all different. Who iiiiiiiis iiiiiiiit? He was asked again, and didnt know the answer. He tried to think of someone, maybe even the mother of Aoba, Atsuko, as a candidate for who it was. The voice andthe large breasts pushed into his back. He didnt knowhe had no mammary of breasts like those. Because he was completely lost at the identity of the one behind him, he was confused. It was very possible it wasnt one of his wives, so he was at his wits end. He couldnt see, so Hera shouted out to him in relief. Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan, its Akiha, desu! ah! Now he understood. A girl like her would do something like this, as he remembered her from long ago. It was hard to recall from all the other things he had been through, but he finally recalled her full name. Akiha Aoyama. Ding-dong! Finally, she returned her voice to one he had heard before. Since she removed her hands, Taiyou took a step away and spun around. As he separated himself from her, he could see Akiha in a uniform a pace before him. He stared at her wild smile and free and open stance. Taiyou and Akiha, just two people standing before the school gate while other students walked by. One by one the students passed by on their way away from school. He was looking around at them leaving, conscious that possibly Youran was there as well, but she wasnt anywhere to be found. What are you up to? Nothing really. Hmph, Akiha tilted her head, not really taking notice, and then returned to her trademark bright smile. Even so, you knew who I was pretty fast. I thought I was better at changing my voice. Yeah, I didnt know by your voice. Hm? Then how did you know? Heh, heh. Hera laughed proudly above them. Of course, Akiha couldnt see her. He couldnt tell her the truth, so he tried to make up something. Your spirit. Spirit, like in the comic books? Uhyeah Oh, wow! Taiyou suddenly felt nostalgic. Remembering that incident with Aoba, it was a habitual way she asked him about things over and over. So you can do things like that? Yeah, I guess. I see, I see. So, why are you just hanging around a place like this. Oh, I got it! Question, answer, question, answer. She had a quick tempo not like the girls usually around him. You must be thinking about Aoba, right? Aoba? Wait, no? Aoba told me a lot of stuff a while ago, I was just thinking that. A lot? Muh fuh fuh fuh. She put her hand to her mouth and laughed happily. Some nicethings! Nicewhat did she tell you!? He couldnt think of what she meant, so he asked. Yeah, you know. She laughed suggestively and pointed at Taiyou. He could quickly feel his face becoming red. He still tried to act ignorant about what she meant. Even if you say you know to me Its nothing embarrassing to talk aboutyour first time sounded really nice! She patted him on the back. He cleared his throat. Aoba seemed so happy about it. I mean, of course, right? To have someone she loves be so devoted to her. Well, I As he said this, he glanced over at the students mumbling something about them. Akiha just kept talking without noticing. Hey, so now that youve had Aoba, your harems now at five people, right? Well Taiyou resigned himself as anything he tried to say wouldnt stop her. Yeah, I guess. Even though it was only three, he couldnt tell her. So you all are having a loving together? I guess so. He was prepared for some tough questioning, so now he was calm with the softball questions she was tossing. So, its perfect for you. Yeah, it is. Thinking about Akihas word perfecthe thought, yeah, it is perfect in a way. He nodded firmly and looked at her. She tilted her head at his gaze. Whats up? its like that, I guess. What? What is it? Well, could I ask you something? Ask? To me? Yeah, theres a girl a lot like you I know, and I wanted to ask you something about her. Heh, heh, so this is going to be number six in your harem? Uh, no. Well, then number 100? Why did you go that far? Well, look, with the way youre going, you could put together a 100 girl harem Stop talking like Im a first grader. Ok, number seven in your harem, then! Hera said. So, what about me asking? Sure, go ahead. Akiba answered instantly, and Taiyou liked the fresh way she answered him quickly without asking the contents of his questions. Thanks, I cant just ask you here though. Lets go somewhere. Sure! Akiha answered happily, and stood beside him, with her arm in his. Squish, he could feel her boob push against him again. It was so sudden, he quickly pulled back. W, what are you doing? What do you mean, I just put my arm around yours. Just put your arm around mine? Why? Thanks for the discussionwhat? Did you think I was just going to listen to you? No, I mean, thanks is normal, but I didnt think this was a way of showing thanks. I see, well, Im going to walk arm in arm with Taiyou Natsuno from Oriyakata Academy. Isnt that reward enough for you? WaitI Lets go! She pulled them as they walked along. See, all the other girls look jealous too! He looked around him as she said this. It was true that some girls were looking enviously at them. He suddenly became aware of a group of three girls looking in their direction and whispering quickly about them. His face got a bit red as he realized they were probably envious. It was right after Akiha said it, so he was a bit conscientious about what they were talking about. Wait a second. Noticing this, Hera went out to scout them out. She flew to the girls and eavesdropped into their conversation invisibly. After a second, she returned to tell Taiyou. Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-cahn, out of those girls, the one on the right would like to be in Akihas position, desu. (Are you kidding) He was surprised, he didnt think that they really were envious of Akiha. And the girl in the middle wants to beat you to death for touching her precious Akiha, desu! A lesbian all the sudden?! Taiyou suddenly reacted to the invisible Hera without thinking about it. But that was the punchline to all of this, and he gulped hoping there was no reaction. But So then, so then, the girl on the left said that Akiha was a cheat for stealing youdesu. wha? Chapter 198: Low Level Rebel / The Two Who Are Exceedingly Close Chapter 197 - Low Level Rebel / Shit! Chapter 199: Low Level Rebel / Dislikes meLikes meDislikes me Translator: Reflet Surprised, he looked at the girl to his left. She was a faint-hearted looking girl who wore glasses. As soon as her eyes met with Taiyous, she averted her bright-red face, fleeing into the academy without so much as heeding her friends call. Dont tell me Heras message, and then that girls reaction. Eventually, the thought of what if began eating away at Taiyou. See, youre popular just as I said You are indeed popular` Despite the fact that she could not hear or see her, Hera spoke in agreement with Akiha. Ah, right With that being said, Im gonna go ahead and give you some more hugs. Just like thisshow off to the people around you He began walking with his arms linked with Akihas. Still perplexed, Taiyou ended up being half-dragged by her. He looked like a dog being walked by its master. The two of them left the academy, walking to the station from the school route. And? What did you mean by consulting me? Around the area where he had stopped the rampaging car, Akiha asked him in a carefree expression. Over here Was it something bad You might say thatDD About to continue, he looked around him. Various people were focusing their gazes at the two of them, arms linked. It wouldnt even be an exaggeration to say that all of the students there were staring at them. This was a bit of a difficult situation to be having a serious talk. DDYou could say that the gazes around us hurt, something like that Ahaha, no worries no worries No, even if youre fine withDD Thats right How about tomorrow, we have a competition with the pins and razors I found in my shoe rack Listen to what Im sayingAnd where did you even get those from Fantastic, innit Winking, she pushed her chest at him. Taiyou realized that ever since earlier when she had said fantastic, she had been pushing her chest against him. Sorry, I dont understand whats so fantastic Fantastic? Well you know, isnt it just fantastic that even when you know that youre fighting a losing battle, you start feeling like this is one battle you cant afford to lose?DDlike oyoyoyoyo? So defeat is a given? Well after all you are prosperous harem king, so I mean its a complete defeat in a popularity contest No no Although if its a popularity contest then its Taiyou-chans utter defeat` Taiyou agreed for once with Heras quip. Putting aside the competition of a 65535 harem, he thought that he had absolutely no chance with a popularity of 0. Even though Im a 0 in popularity, I wonder why exactly girl after girl is becoming my bride Yer harem be 65535 rightand yer popularity a 0. From my point o view, might it not be that it be the proof of seven women of Husbands destiny existing in this world? You meet them and go together He suddenly remembered the exchange between him and Kohaku the other day. A harem of 65535and a popularity of 0. Each time the number of brides increased, the harem value would begin to drop proportionally with the skill idol. Which meant that Taiyou was being led to were the ultimate number of seven brides. Kohaku concluded that they were the seven women of destiny. Riding on that, Taiyou went further and assumed that he could not be popular with anyone other than his destined seven. Now, talk to me talk to me As he was recalling what he had discussed with Kohaku, Akiha pressed him. (She really is a fast-tempo girl) Taiyou thought, readying himself before opening his mouth. You see, theres this girl whose personality matches yours Hmhm I couldnt understand something that girl said, and I was just wondering what you would think Hmhmlike what Only I need know about your strong pointsshe said I see I seeHmm, well thats Slightly tilting her head, Akiha answered with a face like it was obvious. You speaking proudly about your loveTo me Not in the slightest Then is it boasting You just changed the way you said it. Theyre practically the same Yeah, theyre one and the same So you just admit it like thatbut is that seriously what Ive been doing Inquiring from her again, he looked at her expression. What Akiha had said was reasonable, and he couldnt think of it as anything other than referring to him. Thinking of the literal meaning, that was certainly the case, but it was after all that Youran who had said it. She was the girl who had immediately proclaimed when they had met I dont like you and decreed that he was impossible as a male. That was why even in the episodes when it really seemed that way, he couldnt help but wonderif she might actually not think that. What else could it be? Im a tell you right now, that your bragging isnt fantastic Akiha gave a rare sigh. Welp, I dont know who that girl is, but I think she likes you. Totally into you That right If she were a girl resembling meyeah, I think shed like you enough to die for you Where do babies come from Hera said in a happy-go-lucky voice, and he of course shut her out. Hmm What up? Still cant accept it Well, to be honest That right. Welp, if thats what the person in question thinks then I guess that makes sense Her arms were still linked, but she spoke with a toned-down voice. It seemed that the quick-paced girl losing her fire was a way of her saying that she had immediately lost interest in that topic. However, she seemed to still have not lost interest in Taiyou, and still linking her arm with him, she walked down the route to school with a cheerful hum. HuhWhat are you doing Suddenly, he could hear a familiar voice in front of him. Pulled back out from the sea of consciousness, he looked and saw that Youran clad in a uniform was standing there with her hands on her hips. Taiyou stared at her, questioning why she had vanished all of a sudden. Where have you been Thats what Id like to ask Youran retorted to Taiyous question with exasperated eyes. Suddenly out of sight, where the heck were you Uu Taiyou was at a loss for words. It was just as she had pointed out, and he couldnt argue back. Welp, not like it really matters. More importantly Youran said, sliding her gaze right next to him at Akiha, arms still linked. She the fifth No, thats not it Then the hundredth You guys are seriously just like each other Ahahaha, we really are Akiha cackled to the side. So then, shes the person you mentioned earlier Ahyeah He hesitated a bit, being in front of said person and all. I see I see Akiha nodded every so often, looking at her from top to bottom as if evaluating her. Hello hello, the names Aoyama Akiha. Aoyama as in blue mountain, and Akiha as in wave of fall, Aoyama Akiha Are you a half Nah, my dad just likes Chinese poetry That right And you Yurikago (cradle) To the grave Not like Ive heard that one before. And you could at least have some unity in the nationality of your phrases if you were planning on sticking to China Ahaha, thats cause Im on the global scale. Anyhow, sorry about that, I was just borrowing him for a bit Nothing wrong with that, its not like I care Youran said bluntly. Oh-oh, youre not jealous? Thinking something like That adulterer and thieving cat are a perfect fit for each other! What does this have to do with adulteryAlso, that isnt jealousy, its just a parting remark Im not part of his registry or anything, so its not adultery Kay, soadultery in essenceOoo, it suddenly has a fantastic vibe Akiha flashed her eyes wide open. Taiyou still couldnt understand where the switch or key point was to make her flip her fantastic switch. Just what do you mean by adultery in essence Its fantastic, innit Rather than adultery, Id say a badger games probably closer, in addition to honeytrap Badger game and honeytrapwhat do you mean Well after all Youran identified with cold eyes. Seems like that girl hates you In an instant, Akihas smile froze over. Chapter 199: Low Level Rebel / Dislikes me? Likes me? Dislikes me? Chapter 199: Low Level Rebel / Dislikes meLikes meDislikes me Chapter 198: Low Level Rebel / The Two Who Are Exceedingly Close Chapter 200: Low Level Rebel / Future Connected with the Past Translator: Reflet The loud ringing in his chest that had continued slowly receded like the tide. With quizzical eyes, he looked at the attractive girl to his side who was linking arms with him. Akihas face stiffened. For an instant, her face looked like someone he didnt know. Trying to induce me to say something No, I just really know that face of yours Face Or rather, mouth. Youd know if you looked at your face in a mirror Akiha was silent. Listening to their conversation, Taiyou remembered a certain phrase. When you turn 40, you must take responsibility about your face, was it Welp, basically that Youran nodded. That was the exchange they had had at one point. Youran had always been self-conscious about her expressions. That was precisely why she understood so well. That right, yeah, guess I should have realized it when I was meeting with a girl similar to me This true A bit different. I just dont like you Could I ask the reason Not telling Along with a shh pose as she put her index finger over her mouth, she made a mischievous smile. The tension from earlier was gone. She seemed to have gone back to her usual self. Usual self, eh Taiyou wondered just how much he really knew about her. See ya later then Akiha said, motioning to leave, but she seemed to suddenly remember something, speaking to Taiyou with her back to him. Keep what happened a secret from Aoba, kay Does it have something to do with her Wouldnt she feel sad if she knew that her friend didnt like her husband Leaving a reply that hardly seemed like an answer, this time Akiha actually left. As Taiyou was staring at her leaving, Youran spoke to him. Is it really okay? Not chasing after her Hmmm She came close to you despite disliking you, so there has to be some sort of objective I get that but Taiyou thought for a bit. Nah its fine He said. Just as Youran had said, he also thought something was up. Yourans thought patterns matched his, always thinking there must be an objective to any sort of method. That was why although he did think that was the case, on the other hand, he thought it best to not pursue it. That was what he thought, but Youran seemed to be different. She looked at the one-winged fairy who had been constantly floating by Taiyous side. Then how about you follow her for a bit. And if anything comes up let us know Raju Utterly the opposite of the hesitating Taiyou, Hera chased after Akiha after giving a salute. You didnt have to have her do that I did, at least for my sake Hey, is it alright if I ask you something What If anythingIf anything, I want to know your objective Taiyou got straight to the point. He wasnt able to ask earlier, but he wanted to know the objective of her coming to Oriyakata Academy and trying to make him the student council president. He thought it best to ask her in a straight manner, as she didnt like playing around. Oh? Did I not tell you He had anticipated her dodging the question, but she unexpectedly answered nonchalantly. You didnt. Ive only heard your objective That right, sorry about thatDDwait, that cant be right Youran glared at Taiyou. I did try to tell you. You were the one who went off somewhere before I could Oh yeah huh See Sorry Welp, I dont really care either way She said, and her face returned to its usual exasperated expression. Taiyou gazed at her, waiting for her explanation. All of a sudden, her words refrained in his head. DDIsnt that a wasteOnly I need know about your strong points. Her words could be taken in a favorble light. Linking it with her objective, he waited for her explanation in full expectation. HoweverDD Its to prepare the environmentfor Letii What What came out of her mouth was an unexpected name. Leticia H Keraz. The third princess of the Phili kingdom as well as the name of her best friend. At the same time, she was a girl with a relation to Taiyou that also wasnt shallow. Feeling shocked in more than one way, Taiyou asked her what she meant. For Leticia Yep, after all, she has a body that cant separate from you, remember Uhh, maybe you could rephrase that Taiyou frowned. It was precisely at that moment that two rather serious girls passing by on their way home had looked at Taiyou like he was something dirty, perhaps overhearing them. Meanwhile, Youran looked at Taiyou with an exasperated expression. But thats just how it is right No, what I mean is theres an issue with how you phrased it Sighing, he regained his composure and asked. Does it really have to be meWhat about someone else Come on Youran became further exasperated. Letii is still a princess, you understand? A princess. Princes might be different, but princesses cant just keep moving on from guy to guy. If a prince were to change partners repeatedly it wouldnt give him much of a negative image, but if a princess were caught doing that shed be down for the count on the first strike Well of course Taiyou nodded. He had no choice but to agree with that. So she cant be anywhere other than by your side. Plus the servants started talking about the third princesss seal being broken Sealwell I guess thats not a bad way to phrase it Taiyou gave a strained laugh. So thats why shes moving to this town Exactly Youran nodded, making a face as if asking Do you finally get it? So Ive come for said preliminary arrangements. Ive come to help make the kind of environment for Letii in case something happens to her. Im sure theyll make their own preparations to make life easier for her, but as Im Japanese, there are things I can do better I seeYeah, that all checks out Then I can take that as you accepting the position, right? The student council president thing If thats how it is Taiyou nodded, complying. He couldnt deny a request for Leticias sake. If anything, Im going to be using you For the sake of your brides For the sake of my brides They gazed at each other like that for a bit. At length, Taiyou broke the ice. But that was unexpected UnexpectedWhat was Or maybe I should say that it should have been obvious Seriously, what do you mean I was just thinking that you really are close with her Just cant get away from her She said with a pouting face, pursing her lips. It was the kind of reaction that even an elementary schooler could tell wasnt from the heart. But she is your best friend right Its not like those two facts conflict with each other Well yeah Inseparable to a fault, but best friends. Those two elements certainly didnt contradict each other. Although there really was no contradiction. Shes an obstinate one all right Taiyou thought. The two of them began walking side-by-side. Suddenly, Taiyou remembered something. It was something concerning Leticia, so he thought to ask her best friend while she was still with him. Hey, how much do you know about Leticia Nothing Alright, so Ill ask you something I just said I know nothing, dude In contrast to the display of stubborness that even a three year old could discern, Taiyou pointed to the road reflector in front of him. Theres a mirror there, so look at your face Uu So, about the thing I want to askDDShe doesnt like me either, right Why would you think that Youran became even more flustered. Your skillDDidol, you do realize that its counting four, right? Leticias the fourth. Thats what yourbridesare added to rightDDHeck, even now its counted Kotone, Suzune, Kazane, Kohaku-san, Aoba Not answering her question directly, he instead read off the names of his brides. He counted as far as that. Taiyou drew a line between the third and fourth. Theyre clearly different from that of Leticia. And besides Besides To borrow your wordsBecoming my brides and not liking me dont conflict each other, right? When he asked, Youran completely shut up. After a long silence Why did you pick up on that She quietly and implicitly admitted it. Chapter 201: Chopping Board and Blue String Chapter 200: Low Level Rebel / Future Connected with the Past Chapter 202 - The Rough Meow Day for Earth Translator: Reflet Having returned home (Taiyou Castle), Taiyou was by himself. Hera was not with him. As soon as she had returned with information, he had sent her right back to Akiha. In order to get further accurate information. Ill justforget about it for now He still hadnt determined that was the case. There might be some sort of misunderstanding. So he thought to put it off for the time being. His hand gripping the doorknob, he took a deep breath before regaining his composure and entering inside. Im back The door opened with a clank. The two who had no need to attend school were there in the living terrace visible from the entrance hall, house-sitting. Loli Baba Kohaku as well as Pochi, who had formally become her foster daughter the other day. The two of them were in the living terrace, and for whatever reason Kohaku was rubbing her breasts thoroughly. While the drooping fruits were crushed and shifting shape by small hands, Pochi tightly shut her eyes, seemingly enduring even the urge to show her displeasure. Taiyou was dumfounded at the extreme sight before him. Hey Husband, yeve come at quite the good time What exactly are you doing? Please save me, Fatherrr Pochi sought for help with tear-filled eyes. The young elderly woman who was rubbing the girls huge breasts from behind also had something in her hands. She was holding a blue ribbon with about the same length as Pochis waist. Kohaku-san Taiyou pointed with an exasperated expression at what she was holding. He felt like he had seen that item somewhere before, although he prayed that it wasnt that. Yeve come back at a good time, Husband. Now then, please hold down Pochi with that superhuman strength of yers. When ye do that, I be attaching this god rope I did think either you or Hera would do that eventually While giving a forceful quip, he went toward both of them. Kohaku and Hera. The two of them loved subculture references. Kohaku especially would often acquire popular references in real time, being that she normally had free time in her old age. It is fine for you to do that, but at those times please do it by yourself The mere thought of tying this blue cord around a flat chest be blasphemous to the producer who birthed such a miracle Its already blasphemous for you to do that right now It be respect In what way Still, big breasts really be the best way. And the one with the largest breasts in our house be this here Pochi. Then can ye not see the answer now Is there no such option as dont do it Nay Kohaku said distinctly. Seriously, could you please restrain yourself with those kinds of jokes, Kohaku-san Nothing be born beyond restraining oneself. The advancements in this world be birthed from constantly attempting things like driving cars into cliffs Isnt that just a chicken race? Now, I wonder what be becoming of this Kohaku said, wrapping the blue ribbon around Pochi. The blue ribbon was biting into her breasts from above the clothing. Seeing that, a part of Taiyou unconsciously reacted. Youran, Sakura, and Pochi. Perhaps it was the blood of the Juunishima Family, but every female Taiyou knew from there all had nice breasts. Enough to where it would be no exaggeration to put them into his best three. The blue ribbon cut into the chest of one of those three, Pochi. Taiyou unconsciously gulped. As if she had heard that, Kohaku looked at him, twisting the corner of her mouth into a smile. It seems that wed best leave it to these big breasts after all, eh Kohaku lifted up her daughter-n-laws arms from behind. Her thick and heavy breasts were lifted over her arm area that was tied with a blue ribbon. Hyan Pochi let out a frantic voice unbefitting of her youthful appearance. P-Please stop it, MotherMMy My what? M-My boobs What about yer boobs While keeping her arms lifted from behind, she whispered into her ears, torturing her with her words. The pressed Pochi became red with shame. Ngh Atop the blue ribbon on Pochis clothes. Two dots protruded. Ah- Hya The blue ribbon came off, and the protrudence ricocheted like a bowstring. The sound of boing directly echoed into his head. Pochi was stiff all the way to her toes, body twitching. Taiyou unconsciously became pigeon-toed, squirming. He desperately tried to remain calm, telling himself that he mustnt. He furtively searched for a topic, and he said the first thing that came into his head. Hey, I want to ask you just in case, Kohaku-san. You dont also swing that way, right? Mm Kohaku inclined her head with a vacant expression, and even Taiyou thought Am I an idiot after saying it. It was more evident than anything that she didnt have the slightest grounding in that area when right after understanding everything he was saying, she groped Pochis breasts with an even lewder smile, displaying it to Taiyou. Though she was released from Kohaku, Pochi was not allowed to separate the blue ribbon. Having her breasts emphasized by a fantastic item, Pochi sat beside Taiyou and Kohaku in an embarrassed manner. Kohaku, the perpetrator, sat on Taiyous lap in a normal appearance. Kukuku, I see, so Husband was worrying that even I might be lesbian Kohaku laughed from the back of her throat with a truly enjoyable smile. No, I wasnt exactly Relax After she had laughed for some time, she lifted her face, giving him a smooch. I be Husbands. The only one I love or be loved by be Husband Thats embarrassing in its own way though Despite saying that, Taiyou was relieved. He had compiled all sorts of experience as of recently, but even he had no experience with that area of things. Even if there were truly someone with those sorts of interests within his brides, he probably wouldnt be able to deal with it. Well, this body in its entirety be presented to Husband. If I be told to do it I can I will not be saying that so please stop that The blue cord as wellOr if there were something wrapped around the plank be to yer taste than that also be a possibility She pursed her lips on that last part. Her expression seemed to be saying that she would rather play lesbian. Do as you please in that area! And why are you displaying disapproval to that other idea It be difficult to revolt against the wrath of the masses. Husband, even you would get in a fit of anger if you were to see an illustration of that string attached to a flat chest on the internet, nay? Not to that point! I would just be sullen Come, Pochi, lift up your arms UuLike this Pochi lifted up her arms, cord digging into her boobs as she did so. This shouldnt have been the first time he had seen this, and yet Taiyou reacted firmly, giving a gulp sound from his throat. Kukuku, oh Pochi, ye must spend a little more time in that appearance Whaat, but this outfit isembarrassing for me Yer to do it She didnt sound like she was giving any options. UuUnderstood No, please give it a rest, as that gives me a dangerous impression Husband, yer much too caring And I would kindly ask you to remember to be more considerate about various things Taiyou quipped. Aoba came home. Saying that she was home and entering the living terrace, she looked blankly at Pochis appearance. Pochi-chan, whats up with that ribbon Uu Pochi, ye can go ahead and remove it By this point she was definitely a pitiful sight, so she had said that for her sake. But She sought direction from Kohakus expression. Taiyou hid Kohakus face with his hand. This is an order from Masters Master. Go ahead and remove it Kay Gaining permission, Pochi leaped into her and Kohakus room. No doubt she would slowly remove it there. What in the world was that You seeDD He explained to Aoba, who was unclear about the situation. So thats what happened Seriously, Husband is such a lecher. He was even turned on to the point of swallowing his saliva No no Although Taiyou couldnt quite say with confidence that he hadnt. After all, it was the unmistakable truth that he had been aroused by the big breast cord. Natsuno-kun, do youlike that sort of thing Aoba looked up at him, examining his face. Huh If Natsuno-kun likes it, Iwouldnt mind doing it, you know Like I said, please dont do that. Cause if that happened then things would get problematic Yeah, you have a point Aoba nodded. For some reason, she looked down at her chest, soon dropping her shoulders as well. With boobs like mineit wouldnt be enjoyable, huh No, Im not talking about that sort of thing Well, it not be fitting for any of us Kohaku said clearly. The utter opposite of the depressed Aoba, she was quite accepting. Although her eyes arent happy Taiyou thought. Me, ye, Kotone and the three sisters are losers when it comes to chests Guess Ill do it That ye will. Now, Husband, yell help if we be asking, nay Huh Help us with making our chests bigger After staring vacantly, he understood what Kohaku was saying. Chapter 202 – The Rough Meow Day for Earth Chapter 201: Chopping Board and Blue String Chapter 203 - Harem Combo Result Translator: Ranzan Aoba Wwhat is it? Kohaku got off from Taiyous knees, and walking next to Aoba, whispered into her ear. Whatever Kohaku told her, Aoba seemed to be a bit flustered by. But it was only for an instant, as her confusion seemed to disappear quickly, and she seemed to have committed to whatever it was. Well, lets do it then. On the other hand, Kohaku was ready to do whatever she had told Aoba to do. The nubile granny had a face like she was plotting something sinister, as both she and Aoba looked at Taiyou. The two girls nodded at each other in agreement, and split to the left and right, then surrounding Taiyou on both sides. They both approached him on either side, looming close to him. He seemed like a man holding a flower on each side, on top of the sofa. An unpopular male student like in this position, he had a grim face, much like someone who was about to curse someone to death. <<< With all of this attention, this is how he embodied happiness in this scene. Kohaku and Aoba, both of them pressing their hot bodies making Taiyous heart seem to steam. But (Did Kohaku talk to Aoba to get her to do this?) Taiyou was a bit lost. Like a protagonist deaf to choices in a love novel, he already had a physical relation with the two women. Maybe this mean that he could touch both of them without holding back from now on. Kohaku really had just been sitting upon his knees. Even though she looked like a child on her fathers lap, she was flirting with all her might, dripping with an erotic nectar . If he was now in this position, even without the whispering it seemed that Aoba that had sat beside him was the other side of the attack. Why had Kohaku whispered into her ear? He had his doubts, but they were cleared up right away. Husband, I want you to treat me, ruff. Please be nice to me-ow. .wharrrt? His question seemed to leak through his nostrils, in a very nasal voice. Kohaku seemed very excited, while Aoba was shyand Taiyou confused. What were his two wives doing, Taiyou couldnt understand. What are you doing, Kokaku? He knew Kohaku was up to something, as he asked her. Its not Kohaku, ruff, Im just your Eternal Little doggie Haku, ruff. Are you okay with throwing away your identity like that? All okay, no problem, ruff. All you make is problems! Hey, Natsuno-kun. Hm? Please pet me-ow He was now as red as a freshly boiled octopus. Those cute lips putting those cute expressions together like that, with that cute meow at the end. It was so cute he couldnt help himself, but it was also kind of painful to watch. Uh If youre that embarrassed, you dont have to do that Im not embarrassed at allmeow. Wait, wait On the left was doggie Kohaku, on the right was kitty Aoba. Surrounded by the two, being squeezed by their bodies. Even though he was encapsulated by the heated radiance of the two girls bodies, he was grimacing awkwardly. (This kind of suits them so.) He said silently to himself. Everything for you, everything to support you. As she declared this, she seemed like the type that would speak it, like a doga woman like a beloved dog. Unlike the usual pressure put on him, Aobas was more subtle, holding her body back in a weaker posture. Taiyou almost seemed to have the praiseworthy nature of an owner that was loved by his two pets. On the other side, out of one of the wives Taiyou had was a girl that hated him when she met him, Aoba, as a cat. Including the ponytail that she swished around as she gestured was the emotional nature that comes with being a cat. Her face was look aways from his, but her body was firmly against his. He noticed that she wasnt being curt with him now, as she held her body close. A cat and dog. The two roles playing like this was ever so cute. Ruff, ruff. Kohaku on one side mimicking a barking dog, and the face-turned, mouth-closed, but body-close nature of Aoba. He told them that all this was unnecessary, but now it was starting to turn him on. Paw. He said, putting his hand out towards Kohaku. Ruff! Said Kohaku as she gleefully jumped away from him, and crouched down to put her paw straight onto Taiyous. As she put her hand onto his, while panting away, she looked at Taiyou with eyes full of expectation. Praise me, praise me, as if her eyes were saying. Awww, such a cute puppy. He pulled her hand towards him and when she drew close he gave her a kiss. When their lips separated, her face seemed to look almost intoxicated by it all. Kweeen. It seemed as if she might have forgotten her role as a dog, but she whined at him like one, and then exhausted, tumbled into his arms. He went to pet the back of her cutely-cut bob-cut, while he looked at Aoba. Aoba? Perhaps because she had been front seat to the light kiss that he had given Kohaku, she sat with an flushed look. She stared at him with a greedy stare, and he responded by tickling her chin with a curled finger. Hyaan. Hyaan? Taiyou mischievously mimicked her strange sound. He didnt just say that, but stopped stroking Aobas chin and went back to stroking Kohaku again. Kweeen, kweeen. Yes, it seems Kohaku is the cuter one. Both of the girls seemed really into itor maybe not. Purely, he thought only one was into it. Im happy, ruff. Different from before, now she mimicked a dog in a much more mellow voice. Bark once more for me. Ruff! He kissed Kohaku for barking as she did again. Just a quick peck. After Aoba saw the kiss, she looked at him, and turned away, pouting. She wasnt completely turned away from him though. She seemed a bit lost at what to do, and glanced at Taiyou now and again. He slightly lost face was very cute. So cute, in fact, he wanted to jump on her. But Kohaku was the one that stopped him. Kuweeen. She imitated a whimpering dog again, pulling at his clothes, looking straight at him. Gesturing almost as if she was begging, but looking at him with very different eyes. He understood what her eyes were saying, and calming himself, began to tease Aoba. After Aoba was teased a bit, she fidgeted, looking even cuter. Finally, it looked like she was ready to play along. M, meow She was imitating a cat, and pretending to lick her paw. Meooooww With that gesture she looked up at Taiyou. After seeing her Taiyou couldnt hold back any longer. Damn! Youre too cute Aoba! He pulled her arm to him just like he did with Kohaku and kissed her. He pushed her down onto the sofa. He kissed her all over her body. (So sweet) He thought of kissing Aoba like that. (Which one is the sweeter?) Thinking that, while holding Aoba, he began to kiss Kohaku. Kohaku, then Aoba. Kween Myaaaw Both of them were so cute, he was lost in fooling around with both of them. Chapter 203 – Harem Combo Resul t Chapter 202 - The Rough Meow Day for Earth Chapter 204 - Something Forgotten Translator: Ranzan Kohaku, then Aoba. The two attached themselves to Taiyous body. Neither of them seemed like they were going to speak, either. Not with words, but with shared breaths. In a silence where you could almost hear a pin drop, he calmly, calmly spent his time. No fierce kissing or sloppy caresses. Just being there, together, bodies together. (Ahh.) Just like that he was very satisfied. He felt fulfilled, but he didnt understand how great of a thing it was. Even for a sixteen-year-old youth with desire from the lower half of his body that could easily surpass his ability to reason, it was a bit early for him to take the next step. It was very hard for him to presently understand why. Suddenly, she could feel Aobas fingers tracing up and down his arms. Natsuno-kun, you dont have a lot of muscle. Hm? Yeah, I dont even lift. But you still have so much power. She was swirling her fingers over his arms. Like someone touching a babys skin, at the same time, Aoba was stroking his heart. Somewhere between affection and attraction, he answered Aobas question. Well, its because of all the leveling up. My status numbers are pretty low. Im pretty much the same as a normal person. Thats not true at all, ruff. Just leave all that ruff stuff alone for once. Even though youre trying to act plain, your stats are excellent compared to before, ruff. Maybe because she liked it, Kohaku continued with her ruff talking. Her usual knowledgeable presence was lost into her way of speaking, and now became comical and cute. Excellent, what do you think is excellent? Your status is way better than usual, its excellent, ruff. Youre the greatest husband ever, ruff. Ugh He became embarrassed at being complimented directly like that.just hearing the same words said back wasnt an answer, he wanted to say, but the words didnt emerge. Either way, he kept asking Kohaku. Youre just playing favorites with me, thats all. Its not just playing favorites, ruff. No, not just Taiyou watched the two girls exchanged glances. The two girls understood something together. They both spoke sincerely, and he wondered what they were saying. They looked at each other, and their eyes seemed to communicate something. Finally they both exhaled with a soft smile. The fact that you love of us. Ruff, ruff. No doubt, that was something he couldnt deny. Hearing that he was so embarrassed he wanted to crawl in a hole and hide. Well, I Thank you, husband. Kohaku said this with an earnest face. Thank you for loving me and all the others. When were together, you love us a lot more than other girls, so thanks. Kohaku continued to compliment him. That was his promise to them. After he started the relationship, the promise right afterwards. Instead of trying to love all equally, loving the one hes with above all the others. He protected that promise, no, it was natural for him. Of course All of his embarrassment disappeared quickly. All of you, its just a natural thing. When youre in front of me, I can be with you. Because you cute girls are in front of me, at that time, I love you all so its jut natural. Thanks for also not feeling guilty when youre thinking of the others too. Of course, feeling guilty, I just cant deny you when were together. He said that as they watched him. He said it with all his heart. Even if he was with Kotone and the others afterwards, he couldnt remember about ever feeling guilty about others that werent there. It would be a blasphemy for the time we were together, a dirtying of the happiness, he honestly felt. Thank you, Natsuno-kunI love you. Husband, I love you too, ruff. I told you to cut out that ruff talk! A bit slovenly way to react, but there was no anger in his voice. After he yelled at her, he kissed both Kohaku and Aoba with a light peck. Then they all became laid-back again. Even so Kohaku suddenly said. She didnt look at Taiyou, but instead over at Aoba. You really have gotten a lot cuter. She had returned to her old tone as she complimented Aoba. Aoba cast down her eyes in embarrassment. Aare you sure? Yes, youre very cute now. You were a cute one before, but now that you know love, its like youve really blossomed. As she was told this, her face turned red. She looked at Kohaku, then glanced at Taiyou, and put her face down again. That gesture of hers was terribly cute. Just like usual, husbandruff. She changed tone again, and continued to imitate a dog. You really love that doggie thing. Kuweeen, kweeen. She whimpered again and put her face against his chest. She had kind of lost it, an elderly young girl. It was a bit weird, but nothing bad. Kohaku, you tooare really cute. Yeah, you are. Ruff, ruff! She responded to the compliments in barks. Also, youve gotten a lot cooler than before, Natusno-kun. Not just with the whole status thing, but you yourself have. Aoba said this as she touched both of his arms. Just as you are now, her touch seemed to say. Yeah, normally you just have a kind of cute face, but when youre angry it turns into a tough mans face. An almost imposing one. I guess. Taiyou grimaced a bit. I dont really see myself like that though. And normally being cute too seems a bit strange. Taiyou was one of those normal guys that thought the term cute as a compliment really shouldnt apply. Hed rather have been called cool than cute. Especially now since he worked to make all of the seven wives of his happy. You blossom the most when you have to be serious, ruff. Dont say blossom with me. Well, then when youre in heat, ruff. Actually, blossom sounds better in that case. He slapped that comment down with the speed of light. The two girls looked at one another. As they looked, their thoughts were shared. Then that would mean I was thinking the same thing. Yeah, youre right. They both nodded, stuck out their arms, and intermingled fingers. They smiled at one another. Taiyou was struck at the mystery of what they were doing. That would mean and I was thinking, the intention of those ambiguous phrases were hard to understand for him. He was going to ask them but didnt. Instead, he looked at their faces, and without saying a thing, simply looked at them. It really didnt matter, he guessed, in a good way. Looking at their two expressions, no matter what, it seemed wonderful. Looking at both, them nodding happily, they looked even cuter together. Today, with every little thing bugging him about the word lesbian, those thoughts never reacted his mind now. The two with their fingers interlocked, but that previous term didnt describe them. Perhaps there was love between them, but it definitely fit the category of familial love over all else. Taiyou felt it clearly, and there was no mistake. He still didnt understand why they were smiling with fingers interlocked. He had no idea why, but they looked so happy, and their smiles so full of satisfaction, it seemed lame to even try to investigate the cause. The two girls simply continued calmly interlocking their arms around him. Chapter 204 – Something Forgotten Chapter 203 - Harem Combo Result Chapter 205 - Junior, Senior Translator: Ranzan He walked along Seikaen shopping street that evening. He had enjoyed himself being with Kohaku and Aoba, but now he was contacted by Kotone and the two others as they said they were a little late from shopping. Over the phone, he could tell the three sisters were speaking as one. The three could take care of themselves together, but Kohaku had told him to at least go and carry their bags, so he left the castle. Taiyou-san! He was approaching a large bridge when he heard their voices behind him. The beautiful voices of three women together at once. He turned and saw the three in school uniforms there. They all ran up to him and stopped. What is it, Taiyou-san? Coming all the way here? Were you at home? Kotone, then Suzune, then Kazane spoke, a chorus of souls. It was an easily recallable strange sound of three speakers speaking from the same sound switch. These three triplets were of different sizes and independent, spoke no different from other girls, and only spoke this way when they were with Taiyou and his family. He wasnt used to it at first, but lately, it was a sound that put him at ease. Yeah, I wanted to join you and help you shop. So you came all this way for that? Its no big deal. Well, were happy. As the bashful three all returned a smile, they changed around where they stood, with Kotone and Suzune on the left and right, and the smallest Kazane walking in front of Taiyou. The three surrounding him in three directions, looking like theyd touch, and yet not touching. They walked along that way. Lately, when he was walking along with them, they would walk in this position. He noticed that they were walking away from the shopping center and towards the bridge, and thought it strange. Arent we going to the shopping area? Not to the one in Seikaen. Towards Stars. We were thinking of getting some dinner to eat. Starsthe supermarket near Oriyakata? As Taiyou said this, they all answered, Yesaround him. Stars was a supermarket with a history at Oriyakata, as it had a connection to the local baseball team, the Oriyakata Superstarsas they were called. When Taiyou was living alone he went there quite a bit, and he knew the place well. It was a bit far, but it had better products than those in Seikaen, so Taiyou understood their choice. They crossed the bridge and walked along the road a while, finally coming to where they could see the structure of the parking lot of Stars. Their goal, Stars. Taiyou took out a shopping cart from the line outside, put in a shopping basket, and pushed them inside. So, where first? Um He asked and the three women all looked at each other. They looked like they were possibly making eye contact, but they werent. The triplets were speaking through telepathy. They must be doing that now, Taiyou thought. First, lets go to the dairy section. Because were out of milk. And we need some fish. Is this shopping listfor Kohaku-san? Milk and fish, because they both seemed to be parts of a special designated combination, Taiyou imagined that it was for the Eternal Little, Kohaku. Since she had just made a masochistic display of herself wrapping a blue ribbon around her flat-chested body, it wasnt strange for him to consider that she was going to boost up some attributes with those foods. Nooo not Kohaku maybe we just wanted them? Kazane answered this question for the other two. She had the same body type as Kohaku, so she was already defensive before she was asked anymore. Well? Its for Aoba-chan. Lately, shes been into eating things like that. The reason isI think you can imagine, Taiyou. Aoba? Taiyou tilted his head, and thought about Aoba, who had been with him until just recently. Her breasts werent so big as to merit a compliment on their size, but even so, they werent so small that she had to work hard to make them bigger. They were just the fit for both of his hands, they had just that amount of volume. So then, why? Taiyou thought it was strange. Why he was thinking about it, they arrived at the dairy section, as the three girls ran out disregarding Taiyou pushing the cart alongside them. Huh? Hey, Suzu-chan, which was was Aoba always drinking again? I think itswait? It isnt there. It isnt the low-fat one like this over here. Is this one okay? The makers the same. Taiyou joined into the conversation as he pushed the cart behind them. We cant buy that one, Taiyou. This isnt the one that Aoba wanted. Since thats the one that seems to work, we have to help her out with it. II see. They rejected Taiyous offer of help flatly. After talking about not finding this or that one, they decided to look for and buy the right one on the way home. They moved away from the dairy products, and onto the tofu area nearby. Just like before, the three girls ran out looking for something ahead of Taiyous cart. They couldnt find what they were looking for this time either, so Taiyou asked him from behind again. What are you looking for now? Tofu. Theres one type that Aoba likes. Cant you find it here? What type? Soft? Firm? Or maybe fried? He gave up all the types he could think of. It might be the type that Kohaku liked, famous tofu from Okinawa. He thought this might be the case, but the truth was way above his imagination. Zaku Tofu! Thats right! They blurted out desperately. Thats what I thought! Well, I didnt, but in a way I did! He remarked loudly in response, as if Kohaku was there reacting with him. Her Japanese was weird in that she always put so much force into it. Asking just in case, but do you ONLY buy what people request? He asked, and the three simultaneously responded in chorus. Yeah, Kohaku loves them. She likes to drink alcohol, and then scoop and eat it bit by bit, she said. We saw her do it before while humming along some song. I think I can understand it, even though I cant. He grimaced a bit, but after seeing a peculiarly packaged tofu, picked it up and handed it to the three. Here, give her this one. XXXX Tofu. Wait, but this is the wrong one! Kohaku told us In the middle of the chorus, he stopped Suzune. This ones fine. Ill teach you a magic word in exchange. After hearing Taiyou say that, he whispered a famous line into their ears. It was a line that wasnt known for its strict use, but since the three werent very good with lines, they thought theyd just stop, learn the magic word, and give Kohaku the tofu. So they put the tofu into the basket and they all walked around the supermarket some more. Next, Taiyou noticed something. The three girls were putting things in the basket piece by piece. As they did, they were saying, Aoba wants this and Kohaku wants this, but he didnt know how they knew when they said Shirokiyami wants thisas they put something in. The women the sisters mentioned were either Taiyous wives or a woman he wanted as his wife, and were choosing products for them. Just then, Taiyou focused on one thing. In the sisters words, they were forgetting one person. Hey. Since he noticed it, he thought he might as well ask. Are you three forgetting someone? What? They all stood and spun, the unmatched three with a matched voice. They three thought about it, and came to the conclusion in a synchronized response. Oh, yeah! Leticia too! whaaaa? What about you three? Was the question he was about to ask that was lost in their unexpected response. Chapter 205 – Junior, Senior Chapter 204 - Something Forgotten Chapter 206 - Under the New Moon Translator: Ranzan Huh? What, not Leticia? We thought you totally meant Leticia. Triplet sisters made the same, but three different faces covered with the same look of surprise. At their reaction, Taiyou was doubly surprised. No, Leticia Leticia comes to where you lives as well, Taiyou. Shes already Theres four there. There? Oh. He was lost at what they were saying, but because the three had the same eye movement to check the numbers drifting by in the back of the eyelike Kohaku did, he knew that they had checked the corrected numbers of women in his idol worshipgroup. That meant that Leticia was one of those numbers now. Taiyou couldnt say yes or no about it. There were thoughts he had concerning Leticia, but he was currently putting them all aside. However, even though he had put those thoughts aside, he had one more thing to ask. Even so, arent you three going to buy something for yourselves? Us? No Were fine. All three turned their faces to him and responded it wasnt necessary. They werent being reserved or even holding back, but seemed that they really had nothing to buy. When Taiyou was told something like that, he still felt like he should object. Since he had decided to make all of his wiveshappy, he thought that way. So much so that he might force them to say something that they wanted, he thought. From now, a limited-time sale is beginning. As he was about to open his mouth, the speaker over him announced the beginning of a limited sale. Suzu-chan, Kaza, chan. Yes! Taiyou, see you later! As they said that, they all rushed away from him. All the sudden there was a wife-war over the sale. Suddenly overlooking everything for the limited sale, they had left him by himself. what now? He was left alone with his cart, puzzled that all the girls had left him. Oh, is that you, Taiyou-kun? Hm? He turned upon hearing the gentle voice, and there was Aobas mother, alone, Nazuna Yamagata. She hadnt changed much since the last time he saw her, wearing a soft dress with a cardigan around her shoulders, with that same fickle nature as always. As Aobas mother, she was also his mother-in-law, so he turned his body towards her and bowed. Its been a long time. Are you okay, Taiyou? Has the summer been hard on you? Not at all, and thank you for asking. Well, thats pleasant to hear. Because of this chance meeting with Nazuna, Taiyou thought of something. Aobas other mother, one out of three, Miho Akita. That reminds me, how is Ms. Miho doing? Shes in handcuffs. What?! Taiyou doubted what he had heard. Taiyou had asked about her condition, but it seems the answer he got turned the conversation in a different direction. Is this an apple? No, his name is Bobalmost like one of those weird unrelated conversations in his English textbook. Unconsciously, you would think of her as a person that people gathered aroundstrange people, too. Miho was injured as well, last time she went to Juunishima. Oh, yeah. The conversation was linked somehow, so Taiyou quickly nodded as a reply. She still hasnt healed. She keeps saying that she wants to do chores and wont listen, so she was shut in her room and handcuffed. I have the key so she cant leave the room either, see? At that, she took out a small key to show Taiyou. I see, Taiyou thought. Saying that she wanted to do chores was just a line that Miho might use to get out. She was the type that might do unreasonable things unless you tied her up. But having her like that, isnt it hard when she has to do something, like use the bathroom and so on? Its taken care of. Nazuna put a hand on her cheek and smiled at him. I had her handcuffed to another person, so when the time comes, they can drink it from her. So youre into that type of weird stuff! He reacted to her loudly, so all the women around looked at him. What? Did you misunderstand something I said? Whaa Youre saying that you dont drink from Aoba? No, no, no, no, no So maybe she drinks up yours then? I dont drink hers and she doesnt drink mine! Ah, thats too bad. Taiyou didnt have a reaction to that. Too bad, he didnt know how to accept a statement like that at face value. Of course, the expression in that situation was strange, and if it was anyone else but this mother-in-law, he would have immediately declared it so. However, he could feel something different in what she was trying to day. Something different from her usually fickle ways, something unique. He knew that she was quite a different type of woman that the ones he knew already, and because of that he couldnt read her well. But more than that, Taiyou-kun. Yes? It seems that somethings been worrying you lately. Wha? Is she trying to trick me into talking? He thought, and responded slowly. If youd like to talk about something, Im all ears. Taiyou was silent. He was lost at what to talk to her about. Two things in the conversation he had with the sisters that surprised him, but since it was his problem, perhaps he shouldnt talk about it, but on the other hand he thought he might. After thinking a bit, he decided. Well, I guess I will. I dont need you to be reserved with me. Youre my son-in-law, after all. Thank you. Taiyou thanked her, and explained to her his problem. Since he came to this supermarket, he noticed that the three sisters only thought of getting things for Kohaku and Aoba, and didnt think at all about getting things for themselves. So he explained that to Nazuna. So, what do you think? I see. Nazuna thought a bit. I think youre quite the happy fellow. huh? Taiyou was lost for words again. He thought the answer didnt match the question he asked. Perhaps he thought that she interpreted this as him boasting about his wives, so he tried to follow up with more information. Well, theyre not buying anything for me either, but just for Aoba and Kohaku. Yes, I know that. Nazuna nodded. Thats why I said youre happy. what does that mean, if I may ask. Miho never buys anything that she wants. She buys a few things for the man shes around, but no matter where she goes, its always either for me or for Atsuko. Shes been worrying about Aoba a lot, but, she always put herself last. Miho-san Miho loves the man shes with, so, because youre seeing the same thing, you should be happy, is all Im trying to say. I seewhy is Miho doing all that though? Thats my secret. She put her finger to her lips with a look of mischief. What? Thats our precious secret, so I cant tell. I see. Taiyou tried to smile. Maybe Im boasting a bit too much about my wives. You said you wanted to talk, so youve done nothing wrong. I guess so. Well, then, I must go. Hang in there, Taiyou. Thank you. He didnt ask her what hanging in there meant. From the conversation he had with her, he knew that if he kept the conversation going, she was the type to come up with some other crazy response. He watched her walk away, and said thanks again and again. The three sisters doing the same as Miho. All doing the same thing. Know this was enough for Taiyou. Taiyou-san! Their voices merged, the three sisters returned. They all had the booty from their limited-sale battle in their hands. As they came back to him, they didnt talk of themselves. Only of Kohaku, Aoba, and Leticia. All they talked about was Taiyous other wives, and if they could make them happy. The same thing as Miho. The same as his senior in the harem game. Kotone, Suzune, Kazane. Yes? He held them all close to him. In his arms, they all reacted with great surprise. Chapter 206 – Under the New Moon Chapter 205 - Junior, Senior Chapter 207 - The Fairy and the Moon Translator: Ranzan Taiyou-san? They must have been surprised, because in his arms they asked the same question, and it sounded like surround sound to him. Lets go on a date. What? Now! B, but Its time for dinner, after all. But everyones waiting for us to get back. It seemed just a way to delay his decision, but it was an appropriate reason. Hearing that, Taiyou took out his cellphone and made a call. One ring of the phone, and then the person on the other side picked up. Hello, is this Kohaku? What is it, ruff? Im going on a date with these girls. hmph. So I wont be back right away. Sorry, but could you and Aoba make dinner together? Husband? Yes? If you dont spend all night with them, Im going to lecture you until morning, okay? She returned back to her usual way of talking, and it lit a fire in his belly. So responding to her, he gave a heart-felt, Thanks. And then hung up the phone. Ok, now no dinner to worry about! As he said that, he looked back at the three sisters. Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane. The three unmatched sisters, matched, looking at him with surprised faces. The three with the same face, the same sounds inside their hearts. Even now, all with the same moist pupils looking back at him. So, where do we go? He said and smiled at them. If he was a bit more resourceful he wouldnt have asked them, but might have just taken them to a place where they all could be happy, but since he didnt know where that was, he thought he might as well. In exchange, he had just asked them straightly. He looked straight at the three as if to ask that they told him exactly where they wanted to go. Kotone thought a bit, and as she was about to open her mouth, Taiyous phone rang. Whos calling at a time like nowAoba? He frowned a bit, wondered if Kohaku had told her already, and picked up the phone. Hello? Natsuno-kun? Its me. Sorry, Aoba, but now Yeah, Kohaku told me. I thought there was something I had to tell you. To me? What could it be, Taiyou said with a tilted head. Aoba had a tender voice on the phone. Kotone-chan told me a place where she wanted to go. wheres that? Um, Tsugaiyama Shrine. That tiny shrine? We climbed up to it once on an elementary school field trip. Yeah. Why now? Just ask them, ah, Im not trying to mess up your night. yeah, thanks. Well, he thought, and hung up. He put the phone back in his pocket, and looking back in the direction of his castle, suddenly laughed. Heh heh heh. Taiyou-san? Heh heh heh hah hah hahah ha! He turned up to the sky laughing suddenly, as the three twins looked lost at each other below. He had gotten others attention as well, as mothers told their curious children Sh! Dont look at him!and dragged their children away quickly. What is it? Aoba-chan was on the phone. Did she say something strange? I really am a happy man. What? The three sisters said in surprise. He hadnt explained anything to him. The three sisters had searched so hard for what Kohaku and Aoba wanted, and now Aoba had returned the favor with her phone call to Taiyou. Wives noticing something about the other wives, thinking of each other, working together to make the others dreams come true. A relationship like this was hard to come by. Okay, lets go. Taiyou put his arms around the three and let them out of Stars to the next location. ________________________________________________________________ The huge ship of a well-known person approaches Juunishima. Youran, inside, sits in her own room, looking out the window. Just then, one young woman knocks on her door, and enters the room. It wasnt Yourans confidante up until a while ago, Michio, but a girl with a slightly unintelligent appearance. A report. They were going back to Juunishima, and the hair-down Youran turned only her face, and looked at the girl. She silently gazed at the girl with eyes asking for the report. 15 minutes ago, the target left Oriyakatas Stars and proceeded towards Tsugaiyama. It seems from their conversations that theyre headed to the small shrine there. The reason? From the phone call at Stars, it seems they decided on that location. From the traced call, the caller is believed to be Aoba Miki. and the call itself? Were sorry, we didnt get all that. Okay, continue following him. Make sure youre not seen. Yes maam! She bowed her head again and again as she silently retreated from the room. Once again alone, Yourans tone changed as she whispered, So, going there? The reason is so clear, I almost laughed. She said as the ends of her mouth slowly turned up. She smiled mockingly. After making love to the other two, now hes going to repay the three during this dateits a given. Outside the window, the light from the high moon glistened, as she sighed a bit. Hah What is it Youran-chan?! ?! She jolted at the sudden voice, and was about to scream, as she turned to the voice. It was the shape of the fairy she knew well. No manners as usual, I see. Really? I really have no idea what they are. Why are you here? Yes, desu. I have something to discuss, desu. Discuss? Yes, desu. I went to see Akiha as Taiyou asked me, but I didnt know what to say to him when I saw him, so I wanted to ask you. What you saw, I bet I can imagine. Imagine? Youran laughted, and it was that same mocking laugh again. Ive researched all the women that surround him, and his relationships with his wives. Everyone? Theyre all devoted to him, right? As an example Youran spoke directly. Kohaku Azumaya. Did you know she has a stalker? A stalker? Hera was dumbfounded. Yes. A perverted, middle-aged, lolita-loving stalker. He creeps around her quite a bit lately. Well, hes done nothing wrong, and she could take care of him if she wanted, so I left him alone. I had no idea there was someone like that following her. Well, I check quite a few things, I know the women in love with him wont look at other men, but there are men that love women like them, you know. I see, desu. Hera said, and then said, huh? While crossing her arms in thought. Wait, why are you watching them like that, Youran? For Letty, of course. Youran was already laughing. She was laughing already when Hera asked, and immediately answered as well. Chapter 207 – The Fairy and the Moon Chapter 206 - Under the New Moon Chapter 208 - Hotline Translator: Ranzan I see, so its to help Letty, then, desu. Perfect! huh? Youran was surprised, and her eyes became wide. What Hera said was not her own words, but sounded like an imitation of someone. Because Youran knew Hera well, she asked her straight. Who are you imitating? AkihaPerfectdesu! Hera flew, repeating the same phrase, and this time posed like her. Is that what that girl says all the time. What? You didnt know, Youran? You said you checked out everything, desu. I have no reason to know that, though. While saying that, Youran thought there was no reason to be obstinate. The reason why being that there were no important elements to her purpose. Her underlings might omit something from the report, or may have to be following up on information that they forgot. Even if she were to ask Hera, there was no reason to follow up on such meaningless info. When she looked at Heras reaction, she knew that Hera understood that. I understand, desu. Yeah, and were getting off the topic, so lets return to it. Yes, desu. The stalker for Kohaku, desu. Yeah, that midgetfatbaldguywithglassno, not that! Youran responded with a little extra effort. Not that, you went to see Akiha, but the fact that you really didnt report anything on her. Oh, thats right, desu. Akiha, desu. Hera clapped her hands together as if she really had forgotten. The normal, cheerful Hera. So, what do you think, Youran? You should say something. Youran responded immediately. May I do that? Shes probably already come in contact with it, I mean She cut off her words there, hes like me she thought as she considered that Taiyou shared a lot of characteristics with her. She had confused thoughtsand because of this, she turned her eyes away. In order to make a decision, I need all the information I can get. I know, desuthank you, desu. No problem, its not a big deal. Well, well, Ill go back to where Taiyou is then. Hera spun in the air, and flew away. As Youran watched her fly away, she called out suddenly. Wwait a second. What is it? Are you okay? This? Your wings. These? Yeah, theyre still all messed up. Dont they heal? Youran now pointed at Heras butterfly-like wings. One side of her fairy wings had been injured and hadnt healed. Youran knew that she had injured them in the incident at Juunishima, but there was little info at what had happened. Because Yourans underlings couldnt see Hera, there was no report about what happened to her. Its fine, this isnt enough to hurt me, easy-peasy, easy-peasy. Easy-peasy? Yes, desu! Youran didnt know what those words meant as Heras expression changed. She acted like she really didnt care about the injury. Youre slow to heal? No Hera seemed lost in thought. I wonderI guess Im afraid they wont heal? Wont heal? Yes, desu. This is the first time Ive been injured, I have no idea. Wait, youve never been injured? I was born right before I met Taiyou, so I never had the experience. Youran felt that she learned something important from this. So that means that desu you always say is because youre Huh? ah, nothing. She said as an excuse as Youran moved on. You need to be careful, hanging around that guy can get you in trouble. Are you talking about me? Hera seemed lost, she had never thought about that before. Yes, you need to be more careful. Hm Hera thought a bit. Sure, desu. I understand. She said, and flew through the wall, this time disappearing. Youran felt it rare, to earnestly care about Hera this much. Then, it was right after Hera left. She was alone again and began to feel sedate. She looked out the window, and finally, self-deprecating words came to her smiling lips. For Letty, I guess? If it was me The words she just whispered seemed so anti-climactic, they seemed to disintegrate into the air. She noticed this as she said it, so she simply stopped. As she sat there thinking, she heard a knock knock from the door. A second knock, a second one. A knock necessary out of manners, so she knew it was one of her underlings. She drew in a breath, took on the role of Shingetsu no Kami, and responded. Come in. Excuse me. The door opened with a clack, and the girl came in again. I thought there was still time until the next period of reporting? Maybe something happened to Taiyou and the three sisters, as she asked the girl for why she was interrupting. No, there is no change to their condition. Theyve just entered Tsukaiyama and are climbing the mountain to the shrine presently. Hmph. Youran nodded and said nothing about the information. Silence is golden and eloquence is silver. As Shingetsu no Kami, she was very careful to be frugal with her words. As someone in a leadership position over others, she had to continue with a feeling of mysteriousness over the people she led. After she was betrayed by Michiyo, she made it a point never to reveal her true thoughts to those below her. That is why she remained silent. Perhaps understanding that, or not, the girl continued with her report. We confirmed that Leticias people have entered Seikaen Town, and one of them has gone to visit Taiyous Castle. Hmph. Because the owner is not there, it seems that Kohaku Azumaya will meet with that person. Their conversationyes, I was the one stopping the recording of it. She nodded as she remembered that. Just in case, Youran had ordered to her that there be no visual or auditory secret recording inside of Taiyous castle. Is that the way it is now? Yes, we checked and found that for a 300 radius around his castle that there was no transmissions of that sort found. Hm. She put her chin down silently. The person visiting Taiyou Castle is different, and seems to have patrolled the real estate around the town, perhaps to find a place to live close to Taiyous castle. (What could Letty being doing?) Youran was lost at what to think. She had been inside of his castle before, she had been in an apartment when Kohaku had owned the place, almost as if it was made for her to meet Taiyou, made with seven different living spaces other than one for the owner there. Due to the cooperation of the women there, Taiyou took over the living place of the former manager, and each of the apartments was split for each of his wives. If Leticia was to become his wifeshe could live there as well. No, she should live there, Youran thought about Leticia. Jam the place. After thinking a bit, Youran said in a low voice. Jam the place? Yes. No matter the means, Dont let Leticia take position in the three towns of Seikaen, Oriyakata, or Wazashika. II see. Ill go right now. The girl raced from the room. Leticia sat stock straight in the center of the room. Somehow, her face still seemed flustered and blushing. Chapter 208 – Hotline Chapter 207 - The Fairy and the Moon Chapter 209 - A New Semester Translator: Ranzan What are you thinking? Opening her mouth, Youran seemed to want to interrogate her friend. Youran Juunishima Shingetsu no Kamiand her room, her only room. On the display screen on her wall, the image of Leticia in a princess dress appeared. It seemed that she was projected larger than she really was, but that wasnt the case. The girl before Yourans eyes was just as big as usual, as the display showed the features of her friend clearly. This was the hotline that connected Youran to Leticia. This connection cost a great deal to continue over the years, but less for Youran and Leticia, and more for the connection of Shingetsu no Kami and princess of Phili Kingdom, which was absolutely necessary so the payments were always made. Youran used the connection whenever she wanted to complain to Leticia. Both of them spoke to one another, seated on their thrones. Whats up? Its about one of your people, why are they looking for places to buy in town? Its cuz its necessary for me to find one. No its not. Youran immediately cut her off with a refusal. Youre going to be his wife, why not just live there with him? I cant let that happen though. Why not? Im Philis princess, aint I? It would be a scandal for me to be livin with some guy of my generation, the media would eat me alive. The one that owns the castle is Kohaku Azumaya. Youran stated with a hand-slam on the desk. Even though Phili is the closest country to Japan and everyone there knows proper Japanese, the princess of the country does a homestay with the low-class locals to learn the life of the Japanese underclass. Maybe you just thought up that scenario for how you talk! Thats a rotten way of sayin it, yer gonna find yerself hated for stuff like that. Thats not what I mean, and I dont care about your complaints! Youran rebuked her loudly as Leticia fell into silence. Youran and Leticia, separated by an overseas hotline. The light undulations of their chests in breaths over their direct connection, the two suddenly fell into a complete silence. Five seconds, ten seconds, one minute Youran kept glaring at her, while Leticia looked away, a bitter, protracted silence. After a while, the prepared Leticia now opened her mouth in response. Anyway, I decided already. Ya aint gonna stop me. I will, I wont let you live in that town. No matter what, youre an outsider in Japan. You yerself are pretty much an outsider in Japan tooand Leticia stated to Youran, stopping her words for a second, and then for some reason continuing with a slightly lonesome smile, I already decided where Im gonna live. What did you say? Yourans stare seemed to shake. She looked somewhere, a gesture showing that she was thinking about something that wasnt present there. There was no reason for Leticia to put out a bluff like that, and since Youran had let down her ability to interfere momentarily, she had thought that once she saw Leticia move again she would be able to stop her. There was no reason for Leticia to bluff Youran. In other words, what Leticia said was the truth. Youran was shaken, she had lost, was completely defeated. At the same time, she turned her head back quickly. To tell her that, there was no reason for her to be told the truth like that. If she said she already decided where she would live, then why would Leticia send out an operative in search of a place? Why did she say that? Sakimori! Youran called out and her underling appeared in the door. Youran called her over and told her what she had heard from Leticia. Well, well, I The girl Sakimori seemed surprised and looked at Leticia on the monitor. Do it. Youran had returned to her Shingetsu no Kamidemeanor, ordering Sakimori abruptly. Yyes maam! Sakimori said, and then ran from the room. Seems like Ive been found out. Maybe because you tried too hard to clean your tracks, you actually stood out. Well, I never thought I was gonna hide everythin from you anyway. Whatwhy do you act so nonchalant? I like to decentralize power, ya like to centralize power. Youran was surprised again, and understood the meaning of Leticias words. That roundabout way, ever since you became his wife, acting like he does like that doesnt fit you. HehYer too focused on doin what ya want. Even though ya dont dress up and go out anymore like ya did, ya got too much power. As if you know the reason why. I do, ya do everythin straight in one line, Im just a powerful princess with no ambition, thats how were different. So then, if you do know Yeah, its okay either way. Sakura cant rule, Adano cant take Sakura. Right now ya really dont have anyone to squeeze, right? Leave me alone, were talking about you now. Me? Yes. I dont know where youre trying to live, stop trying to get your own place and live with him. Are ya tryin to order me around? Idiot, Im giving you advice. Youre just being obstinate, thats why youre acting like this. Yer the one bein stubborn. What?! Yourans face color changed. Yer just gettin flustered because yer gettin desperate, and now ya can feel it! What, dont use those strange expressions with me! Youran stood looking at Leticia angrily. Leticia knew about her and Taiyou. She also understood that that relationship with Taiyou planted a seed of misunderstandign between them. Thats why she was angry and was always trying to oppose Leticia. The reason is simple. She simply stood and glared at Leticia. I bet he didnt even pull on those twintails of yers today, huh? Whaaaa? Guarding her head, she was cut through the belly by Leticias biting words. At least thats how Youran felt. Chapter 209 – A New Semester Chapter 208 - Hotline Chapter 210: Restoration of Youth Translator: Ranzan What are you trying to say? Its the total truth, or maybe he did pull them? Nohe didnt. After thinking a bit, it was true she was Taiyou several times, but not once did he pull her hair. On the other hand, again, as she thought it over, he really didnt, and the reason there was no real reason he didnt no matter what his state of mind was, she thought. Not that. The thoughts she was having inside were suddenly broken open by Leticias knowing words. Whaa? Now ya just thought ya never noticed, so ya think its something different, right? You cant read my thoughts. The opposite, ya never noticed to ya didnt know and know yer angry and lost about it. Listen to what Im saying. Ya should be listenin to mine. The two princesses both scowled at each other through their monitors. I seeIve decided. She stood and pointed straight at Leticia. At first it seemed a joke, but I really will make you end up his slave. Me? Why you Prepare yourself. Im doing this with all my might. She interrupted Leticias words, and proclaimed what she would do. Using all my power asShingetsu no Kami, I will make you a slave. She said that and cut the transmission. Even now alone in her room, her nerves were pulsing with activity. Im going to make you a slave! With her fierce eyes, the loneliness that she had once worn on her face had suddenly disappeared. - The first day of the new semester, morning. Taiyou emerged on his living room terrace in a school uniform, and Kohaku adjusted his necktie. He had a magnificent look to him. As the young crone five times his age doted upon him, he watched her, and she, with no a single sign of awkwardness seemed to have a strange appearance. She took the appearance of the leader of a harem, which she had wanted. There, that should take care of you. Thanks. He gave a short thanks to Kohaku after she adjusted his necktie, and naturally kissed her after pulling her to him. In his arms, he held her heart as well as her body. nhaa. So, where are the rest? Theyre next door. Next door? Oh, at Leticias. Yeah, since its the first day, they all thought to go to school together. I see. A few days previous, Leticia moved next door to Taiyous castle. From when she moved, it was to a next door mediocre house, but Leticiaor rather Phili Kingdom bought it and rebuilt the whole place almost instantly. It became a small mansion with a little Arc Du Triumph for the gate, the whole mansion themed in a glistening white. This became Leticias residence in Japan, to where the three sisters and Aoba had gone, the three sisters said. Hera? Yes, desu. He called out, and Hera warped in from the air. During the summer break, Taiyou raised his stationary recovery level by 15. At that time he designated several skills, choosing them each time he called out Hera with a . Could you check on everyone nextdoor? Ill be leaving as soon as Im ready. Roger. As he said that, Hera warped through the wall. She only warped only to come back to where Taiyou was. Husband, what are you going to do with Leticia? Hm? Are you going to accept the daughter of Shingetsus proposal? No Taiyou shook his head and remembered what Youran had told him the last time they had met. Yourans proposal, that he would enslave Leticia. As first he had thought it a joke, but Youran Juunishima didnt like to mess around with words, so even if it were a joke, she was the type that wouldnt say what she wasnt actually thinking of doing, Taiyou recognized in his mind. In other words, he didnt know to what degree she meant, but he knew that she honestly wanted him to do it to some degree. On the other hand, Taiyou didnt think it important in what way he did it. Honestly, I think its completely meaningless. Meaningless? Kohaku looked a bit surprised. Yes, ways and means. It was Taiyous pet saying that he loved. Ive already decided the end goal for my own life. You said my destiny was a harem of seven wives, Kohaku, and now, I can feel that destiny with Kotone and the others and you. If I have that destiny with you women, my purpose is to find happiness among you all with all my might. As he said that, he held the small body of Kohaku close. It has no relation whether shes a slave as long as she finds happiness with me, even if she must become something like a slave, Im going to use all my might to make her one. Husband, that makes you a sadist. You think? Yes. She nodded, smiled, and looked up at Taiyou. Super-service Sadist. You added some terms there. Hee hee. She suddenly laughed. He pulled her close and kissed her again. Dah, duh-duh dah! Just then Hera warped back again. Taiyou kept kissing Kohaku, ignoring her. He kissed her deeply, making her eyes dull, as he then turned and calmly addressed Hera. Welcome back, what happened? Oh, you look pretty calm there, Taiyou, desu. I guess I couldnt help getting you flustered, Hera. He said calmly to her. So, whats up? Um, theyre all coming here, desu. Back here? To the castle? Yes, desu. Because Letty-chan wasnt there. She already went to school? Or did she have some work to attend to? As she was the princess of a country, there were times she had to appear in formal functions. Perhaps even on the first day of the semester? Taiyou thought. Thats incorrect, desu. Letty-chans maids told me that Letty-chan has already gone to the school, desu. Ah, so she already left. Taiyou understood. She was a transfer student, so there were things she had to get finished ahead of time. He looked at Kohaku. Well, Kohaku, see you. Take care, husband. Kohaku took on a calm composure, and her words took on the same feeling as she wished Taiyou goodbye. She was then the only one left in Taiyous castle. See you later. She silently whispered to herself. Chapter 210: Restoration of Youth Chapter 209 - A New Semester Chapter 211: Swapping Positions Translator: Reflet Morning, Oriyakata Academy Senior High School, School Building, Classroom 1-A. As soon as Taiyou put his bag down and sat in his chair, his friend Katsuki came right next to him and started talking to him. Have you heard Natsuno? That theres a transfer student coming today Of course you came Taiyou slipped out a chuckle and exchanged glances with Kotone and the others in the distance. During his chat with the girls on the way to school, they had played a guessing game to see who would get information on the transfer student Leticia. That was when Taiyou, Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane had all answered Nakajima Katsuki. Being his classmates, they knew that Katsuki was the kind of guy who would be the first to sniff out rumors straight ahead at times like these. Aoba, being the only one in a different class and not knowing much about Katsuki, would have guessed the boy known as Saotome Yuuji, renowned for his being well-informed and effeminate, but said Saotome, having just heard Katsukis news, furtively took out his memo pad and smartphone, contacting someplace. He must just now be checking Taiyou chuckled. Meanwhile, having had heard Taiyous reaction, Katsuki realized what was implied by that. You knew I would come? So Natsuno, youre saying that you know something Yeah, a transfer student will come. And quite the attractive girl at that Taiyou spoke clearly, and the whole class suddenly became noisy. Hey, did you hear that? A transfer student, he says Not to mention an attractive girl Whoaaa, Im just gonna buy a loaf of bread and make a dash around the hallway real quick While the class was making noise, Katsuki probed him further. What year is that transfer student? And can you tell me if shes coming to our class The tumult stopped immediately. Everyone focused on Taiyou all at once. Yeah, shes coming. Pretty sure The next moment, the whole classroom exploded into liveliness. Ill get some bread too Ill get me a pendant with key attached Ill get an alienDD Well theyre quite excited Taiyou became somewhat apologetic. There was no mistake that a transfer student would be coming. And he was anticipating that ten out of ten people would view her as a beauty, so it wasnt a lie. However, the transfer student that would be arriving was hisbride. The third princess of the Filly Kingdom, Leticia H Kelaz. And even before that, the girl who was unmistakably out of ones league was Taiyousbride. If it were before summer, he may have very well expected the very best from his partner and backed away, but that was no longer the case now. Taiyou no longer intended to let anyone have the humans who would become hisbrides. Even if Leticia, the fourth, were in a different position from the other three, it was no different. Thats right, I wont lend anyone my brides That kind of entitled desire to monopolize rose up within Taiyou. Hey Taiyou, what kind of girl is she? I bet you know If you were to ask if I know, Id say yeah Cmon, tell me. Dont you have any pictures or whatnot Pictures, huhKotone Taiyou called out to her on the other side. The first of three girls, Kotone, stood up and walked slowly over. Whats up Taiyou-san? Do you have a picture of her If its Aoba then I think I do Can you have her send some? Yeah Nodding, Kotone took out her smartphone, typing letters into the group chat app in a quick manner. In the group titled Taiyous Brides6), Leticia was amongst the members. She was at the very least a member, but did not appear to be looking at it. Incidentally, Taiyou was not in it. He had thought it best not to. Natsunomy guy Hm Is somethingdifferent about you? You think soWell I certainly may have powered up over summer break Taiyou lifted up his desk with both hands, making a pose that could be taken as a wrestler, body-builder, or a transforming hero, playing the fool. No not that, hmmm Then how about this With the desk held in one hand, he used his other hand to lift Kotone up. Kya- No, not that either Thenwhat do you mean I guess it feels likeyouve become degenerate Umm, Id appreciate it if you didnt increase the weird memes any further!? His head already hurt with Kohaku and Hera, so Taiyou really didnt want it to get any worse. In regards to that area, he had not grown at allnor did he want to. I sort of feel like youve gone beyond the adult that you became in the summer and have charged into some dangerous realm Have not, have not Taiyou thrust in a karate chop of denial. If all he said was that Taiyou had stepped into a different realm, he would have admitted it, but once dangerous came up, he had to deny that with all his might. This was the area that he had stepped into with determination for his brides. Phrasing it as dangerous was something he did not take kindly to. Hmmm, that right Yes. Im me Welp, guess that makes sense Katsuki said, satisfied. He was curious about what made him satisfied. However, when he thought to ask him, Kotone called out to him. Taiyou-san She said, presenting her smartphone. After Kotone had entered in four paragraphs that were seen, Aoba replied with a picture attached. It was a photo taken several days ago. Leticia was depicted with her back to a mansion established next to Taiyou Castle. Let me see Yes, of course Taking the smartphone from Kotone, he showed it to Katsuki. Ooooh Katsuki raised his voice, leading to all of the boys in the class gathering around, as they had an interest in who this transfer student looked like. They all peered at the screen as if fighting amongst themselves, then raising their voices just like Katsuki. Nearly all the boys were in astonishment. Quite a few boys were looking at the picture, spellbound, whereas some of the other boys dashed out of the classroom holding their groins. These guys Taiyou became a little huffy. After the slight noise had subsided, the first bell rang, and it was time for homeroom. The students returned to their seats, still making noise, but it was clear that the restless nature was continuing, and some of the girls didnt seem to be very comfortable. Occasionally he would hear things being said like Really and Yeah, she really does seem to be a princess, so he knew quite plainly that the famous Leticias identity was rushing about the classroom at the speed of light. Inside the classroom, Taiyou, Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane were probably the most calmed down. Knowing that Leticia would be the one coming, they were relaxed precisely because they knew exactly what kind of person she was. Which was why Taiyou quietly waited for that moment. No, saying waited would be a bit of an exaggeration. He was in his natural state. At length, the door to the classroom opened. The classroom became noisy. However The Taiyou Family was even more surprised. Kohaku-san The actual person to appear was Kohaku in a school uniform. Chapter 211: Swapping Positions Chapter 210: Restoration of Youth Chapter 212: There is Always Someone Higher Up Translator: Reflet Kohaku in the school uniform entered the classroom with leisurely steps. Although she was wearing the exact same design as the girls school uniform, her composed mannerism gave her a unique appearance. At the very least, it was enough to to overwhelm the boys and girls in that room, forcing them to watch her as they held their breath. Said girl halted beside the podium, turning toward the students. Eye met with eye, which became the trigger. The whole classroom became noisy. She was a young girl of a height of 130 centimeters that didnt look any older than an elementary schooler. Said girl was wearing the same uniform as everyone else, and was standing next to the podium, emitting an air of importance. It was such an unbalanced, irregular sight. This was normally something impossible to see, so it was reasonable that a commotion would occur in the classroom. And the ones most shocked by it were none other than Taiyou and the three sisters. To add further, the three sisters seemed to be even more bewildered than Taiyou. Kohaku, who had brought astonishment into the room amongst everyone, took the chalk from beside the blackboard, writing her name Azumaya Kohaku in skillful penmanship on the blackboard. It seemed unfitting from merely looking at her appearance, but if one were to consider what she was actually like, this was handwriting that fit her to a T more than anything else. Rather than writing it in chalk on a blackboard, it was the kind of typeface that was more fitting of a calligraphy pen writing on stationary. That further amplified the perplexment of 1-A. On the opposite end of all that perplexment and turmoil, Kohaku opened her mouth in a composed manner. I be everyones fellow classmate from today on, Azumaya Kohaku. So I be looking forward to working alongside ye all I be Someones voice clearly rang out, and then the tumult abruptly stopped. She had the appearance of an elementary schooler, but the manner of speaking of an old person. The people in the classroom seemed to have caught onto that. Might I ask a question Breaking through the silence, the most sociable one, Katsuki, decided to ask her for everyones sake. It was very much surreal to see him raising his hand to the young-looking girl as if asking a teacher a question. Very well Kohakus magnanimous nod as well as the fact that no one thought it to seem unnatural spurred on the oddity of this situation. Azumayasan It be fine to call me Kohaku-tan Oi oi Taiyou unconsciously furrowed his brow at this nostalgic answer. Okay, then Kohaku-tan And youre too quick to adjust to that How old are you, Kohaku-tan Katsuki spoke like how one would to a lost little girl when asking where her parents where. How much do I be looking to ye About 10 years old Unfortunately, that be off Then how about seven hundred years old Close Thats not close at all Taiyou stood up without thinking and retorted. But it be quite close to my true nature, be it not, Husband? Well yeah, but She was after all Loli Baba. He understood that in the sense that her age was nothing like her appearance, that guess may have been close, but Taiyou still couldnt quite accept that. Kohaku then turned back to Katsuki, the interpellator, dexteriously moving up the corner of her mouth as she answered. As of this year, I be not quite 87 years old Loli Baba looked like an elementary schooler at first glance but was actually 87 years old. The class of course would be filled with astonishment at that revelationor so Taiyou thought, but even when Kohaku conveyed that, the explosive surprise that he had anticipated didnt occur. Instead, everyone moved their gazes to Taiyou with bewildered expressions. He unconsciously recoiled. Wh-What is it Hey, Natsuno What is it? Whatwere you just called by Kohaku-tan just now? What was IOh Repeating it, Taiyou finally came to the realization. He had become so accustomed to it as of lateKohakus name for him. DDHusband Even amongst her fellow brides, she would be the only one to call him by a special title. It was a much more natural way to refer to him than the three sisters Taiyou-san or Aobas Natsuno-kun, befitting of the typical bride. However, that was only within the household. In an academy, and not to mention this very classroom This was unnatural to the highest degree. So that was nothing but foreign. Natsuno! What does she mean by Husband? Lolicon! Criminal! Getting a head start on us WhoaSo thats what Natsuno-kuns like You know, Hayakawa-san and all that Yeah Once Katsuki said that, like a broken dam, voices cornering him resounded all around. Straight disparagement flew at him from the boys, whereas he heard more roundabout, gouging words from the girls. He had momentarily recoiled from the wavelike force of all his classmates words surging at him, but Taiyou soon put a rest to his discomposure. Shes my wife. Is there a problem with that He answered with his chest puffed out. In an instant, the whole classroom grew silent. Taiyou had admitted it all too easily, so it was clear that their reactions were very much taken aback. But that did not continue for long. Gradually, several of the boys began returning to themselves, proceeding to open their mouths to disparage him again. I wouldnt have it any other way One boy among them lifted a voice of commendation. Unlike Katsuki, this was an invigorating voice full of resilience. The gazes amongst the class focused on him simultaneously. This was Kazama of the track-and-field team who had unfolded a close contest with Taiyou prior to summer. Standing up, he spoke while looking straight at Taiyou. Thats precisely why youre my rival Thanks. But I think youre way more amazing And in order to prove that as well Is it cool if we hold the usual competition after school Yeah, Ill be waiting at the sports ground The two nodded at each other, sitting back in their respective seats. As if being swallowed up by the air emitted between the two of them, the classroom went back into dead silence. Putting aside Kohaku, the others had witnessed Taiyou and Kazamas close contest before summer break, so this had become quite natural. That was how, thanks to Kazama, the noise calmed down for the moment. Come to think of it, wheres our teacher Suddenly, one of the female students spoke as they remembered. Ah- Now that you mention it Just where is our teacher Hearing that, everyone in the class looked at the podium with a start. Kohaku had entered the room with quite the I am onstage! sort of vibe, making everyone aware of her existence, but if one were to calm down and think about it, the homeroom teacher that should normally be standing there had still not shown up. It was commonplace, common sense for the homeroom teacher to enter the classroom beforehand, introducing their new classmate by saying Today we have a transfer student coming. However, Kohaku by herself came in, starting her personal introduction all by herself. Which was why along with the people of 1-A, Taiyou found himself realizing this all of a sudden. Kohaku answered the question that everyone had. Indeed, I shall introduce them. This be the new teacher in charge of this class You are going to introduce them?And what do you mean by new teacher Come in, Hosokawa-sensei Lightly ignoring Taiyous retort, Kohaku called out in the direction of the door. Immediately following, the door before the classroom was opened, and a woman in a suit entered. No, not really a woman, but more of a girl. Taiyou opened his mouth, dumbfounded. Her long hair fluttering ever so slightly, she came in front of the podium, coming to a stop. Then, just as Kohaku had done earlier, chalk in hand, she wrote her name on the blackboard. More than ninety percent of it was spelled with katakana; a type of name that they werent accustomed to. Everyone, it is nice to meet you And she had a voice like the ringing of a bell coming from her nicely shaped lips. I have been entrusted with this class from today onward. I am Leticia Hosokawa Kelaz The attractive, blonde-hair-blue-eyed girl spoke in the fluent standard pronunciation. I look forward to working with all of you Leticia made a refined broad smile. With a smile from the peerless beautiful girl, several of the boys immediately became entranced with their eyes as if their souls had been taken from them. Chapter 212: There is Always Someone Higher Up Chapter 211: Swapping Positions Chapter 213: Guide to Another World Translator: Reflet Leticiasensei Yes, Natsuno-kun, what might it be In contrast to Taiyou, who was asking her in a timid manner, Leticia answered with a peaceful, refined smile. The things he wanted to ask her were numerous, too many, and they became entangled. What exactly is that way youre speaking He ended up accidentally asking the question that he could care the least about. What might you mean by the way Im speaking Well, uhh Natsuno-kun Eh? Oh, yes? It is not good for a student to try and mandate their teachers speech, you know Very true. Leticia was speaking very logically. However, Taiyou had a mountain of things he wanted to say. The Leticia that he knew was the Leticia that would use a mistaken Kansai dialect. Although it was mistaken, once one was to realize that she was a foreigner (although her country had Japanese as its official language), it was easier to accept. Accepting that, and going so far as to become used to it, he couldnt help but feel uneasy at her sudden change into refined speech. Most importantly, he also had the question of why a girl of his same age was now a teacher. This was also a very logical question. Perhaps Husband be wanting to say this That was when Kohaku let out a helping hand. I always be seeing Leticia-denkas tone of speech on the television. It be the manner of speaking when conversing with important people. Rather than that tone, it be best for the teacher to speak in a way that be easier to approach her She then cut off, turning to Taiyou as if seeking agreement. This be what ye may be saying, Husband Eh, no, well He was still a little confused, but he couldnt just ignore Kohakus consideration, so he decided to nod for the time being. However. Whatre you saying Natsuno. Dude, do you have the nerve to order around Princess Leticia The one who raised their voice was again Katsuki. After denying Taiyous (actually Kohakus) proposal, he turned to Leticia, sending her a zealous glance as if worshipping an idol. Teacher! Dont heed Taiyous nonsense. I ask that you speak in an easy-to-understand manner Thats right thats right Just speak the way you normally do Verbally abuse me in that tone Various voices rose up across the classroom, slicing through Katsukis words. Most of them were in agreement with Katsukis opinion, and a portion of them were really bad things for students to be saying. Everyone, thank you. Then, allow me to do as you say She said, smiling broadly. It was a bewitching smile that caused three whole classmates to grip their chests, falling with a thud. I believe that everyone may have quite a few questions, and I will gradually answer them. After all, I will be meeting you every day at this school Cheers rose from both boys and girls in response to what Leticia said. He felt that she had evaded the issue with all her might, but as of now when voices of unity of these imperial guards were rising through the classroom, the atmosphere didnt feel like the kind where counterarguments would be allowed. Gathering in formation, they were in the middle of heading for the schoolyard for the opening ceremony. Taiyou secretively spoke to Leticia at the end of the line. I feel like Ive had charisma itself shown before my very eyes Is that right Taiyou replied with It is. She hadnt done anything particularly special, and yet she made them go mad with her charm. In Taiyous library of knowledge, nothing could describe that other than charisma. Thanks Those were words of praise, so Leticia thanked him in the standard pronunciation. Taiyou once again felt uneasy at her speaking standardly. I really dont think Ill get used to that way of speaking Were you also not ever able to adjust toNew Moon Director Well, no No, but Taiyou repeated, slurring his words. It was true that Yourans twintail mode and her New Moon Director mode were different ways of speaking of 180 degrees, but he was somehow able to accept that. On the other hand, Leticia in her current Princess Mode was something he just couldnt get used to. He thought about it inclining his head, wondering what was off. Maybe Ill adjust once enough time has passed I would certainly like you to do so By the way, do you always intend to go around with that manner of speaking While I am in this town, yes, in front of people Leticia grinned, asking him Whats wrong with that? Ahhh What is the matter Well, youI just thought that your smile was something else Nothing will come out of it even if you compliment me So do you practice that sort of thing What might you be asking? Oh, sorry if I got you into a bad mood. Its not a bad meaning Leticias voice had slightly lowered its tone, so Taiyou changed what he said in a slightly frantic manner. I was just thinking that there really are a lot of ways to laugh, you know Oh? The slightest surprise froming on Leticias face as she walked beside him, the harshness disappeared from her voice. Even the sorts of expressions that can be taken as obvious smiles seem like they can differ a lot. So I was wondering if you practice that sort of thing Well, I wonder about that Come to think of it, I saw this earlier on the internet, but Ive heard that apparently for voice actors, even for the basic greetingYeah, they have to be able to change it up about 50 different ways or else they wont be selected That is the nature of female actors, so mine was born with me as well I see Taiyou nodded, satisfied. Incidentally, what happens in the sort of situation when youre angry at me but cant just stop smiling Who knows, I do wonder Leticia smiled as she said that. It was a different smile than requested by Taiyou; something that he couldnt feel anger from. I see Taiyou nodded once more in affirmation. After that the two of them silently began walking to the schoolyard without speaking. Reaching the schoolyard, they rejoined all the students and lined up. Leticia was right next to them as their instructor. Even here, there was attention showered on her, but being before morning assembly and all, the classes being different and all, they only focused on her, not going so far as to make noise. Taiyou waited for the morning assembly, wondering if this was going to continue much longer. Suddenly, several men stood on the assembly stage. They were men who covered their faces with cloth, their entire bodies in black. Stage assistants Taiyou muttered quizzically. All of the sudents began making noise. The stage assistants put up a stand on the morning assembly stage, putting up bamboo screens. As he was wondering just what that was, he heard a sound from afar. He heard the sound coming from the sky. Dodododododo. When he looked up, he saw a large helicopter flying over. The heli landed behind the morning assembly stage. Then someone disembarked, slowly walking up to the stage with clanging noises. Stopping behind the bamboo, she wasnt very visible. One of the stage assistants put a mic there. My name doth beDD He heard a familiar voice flowing from the schoolyard speakers. Astonished, Taiyou swiftly turned to Leticia. She was staring with an even more astonished face than Taiyou as she stared at the morning assembly stage where her best friend was. Chapter 213: Guide to Another World Chapter 212: There is Always Someone Higher Up Chapter 214: SomethingsComing- Translator: Reflet DDI am Juunishima, the one newly assigned the role of being this academys board chairman This was the voice of YouransNew Moon Directormode, but he hadnt anticipated her showing up in this fashion. Taiyou unconsciously became relieved. Taiyou unconsciously became relieved at the fact that she hadnt introduced herself in the same fashion that she had when they had first met. He ended up feeling accomplished for having it all to himself. Are you an idiot He soon recognized that it was a stupid thought. After all, it wasnt like he was the first to hear it, nor could he monopolize it from now on either. It was no mistake that she would call herself that in various places. So he had thought it was a stupid thought, but right after, his thoughts shifted. Thinking that he wanted other people to know as well. Youran was unbelievably amazing when she had introduced herself with that name. Dazzling enough to make his shoulders shiver, and she was clad in a beautiful presence that made him feel like his soul was stolen. He wanted many others to know about that. He wanted them to know that Juunishima Youran was that amazing of a girl. He wanted to hide it, but he wanted to expose it. Taiyou rose to such complicated thoughts. Indifferent to his thoughts, Yourans speech continued. As to why I hath taken this position, and what I doth hereIn order to explain that, first there is something I must have you all know. I think there are some who already know this, but the person in charge of a-A will be swapped with a new person as of today. She is Leticia H Kelaz When Youran said that, all the gazes of the people assembled in the schoolyard focused at once where he wasDDwhere 1-A was. Finding the atttractive blonde-haired-blue-eyed girl, everyone was paying attention to her. Leticia placidly and gracefully returned a smile. It was as if she had already known she was going to be introduced, but the moment that Youran had appeared, only Taiyou who had swiftly turned to her knew that she had been extremely conflicted for a moment but had kept up appearances. He knew that Leticia as of now was merely ad-libbing. There is another meaning in the sense that some may already know. Princess Leticiayes, she is the Phili Kingdoms third princess A commotion emerged among the students. Really? Makes sense. Various voices were rising here and there. Phili Kingdom, the greatest pro-Japanese country leader, has made the plan to invite exchange students from every region in Japan to accompany the crown princes commencement to high school next year so as to further deepen the friendship with Japan. That is what Princess Leticia came for Youran then quit talking. The noise had calmed down a bit. He could feel an expectant atmosphere from people holding their breath everywhere. Her Highness has expressly come to select the people who could become good classmates for the crown prince. Those chosen from this academy will, for one year, will be able to attend the same schoolhouse and the same classroom as the crown prince in the Phili Kingdom When she said that, a moment later, cheers rose around the girls. Classmates for the crown prince that the princess herself would choose. One might say that it made perfect sense to imagine the wordsMoney and Statusin their heads. Or actually, Youran was inducing them to think that very way. The exact screening will happen after this, but ye shall help me much if you understand that is why I hath come. That is all Saying that, still hidden behind the screen, she entered the school building. There were some students who found her conduct to be mysterious, but only a handful. Most of the people were concentrating on the bomb she had dropped, namely exchange students and the princess in front of them. They had begun focusing on the literal different world in front of their everyday life. In the morning of that day, the academy was filled with conversations about the exchange students. The students would bring their faces together discussing it, and even chat apps were arguing face to face about it. This was the age when information was overflowing on the internet. The fact that Leticia was a tried-and-true princess and that the crown prince was to be a high school student next year was already well-researched. The part about the exchange students wouldnt come up no matter how much one were to search, but on the contrary, that roused the students. With Leticia being here herself, nearly everyone accepted that as essentially a proclamation. It neednt be said that they felt superior, being that they knew before the rest of the world. Class is now over After the fourth hour class, tactfully finishing the curriculum as an instructor, Leticia began to head out of the classroom. Hello, are the Hayakawas present The door to the back of the classroom opened, and the bright voice of a girl was heard. Oioi Taiyou unconsciously made a wry smile. Before him was someone with twintails tied, naturally wearing a student uniform- Youran. Though she was drawing some attention for being a beauty who had suddenly showed up at the classroom from another class, it seemed that no one was thinking that she was the same person as theJuunishimabehind the screen on the assembly stage this morning. Taiyou looked at Leticia. Even here, yet again, she was shaken only for a moment, soon gaining control of herself. What is it Kotone said, getting up and walking toward them along with Suzune and Kazane. And then they went off somewhere with Youran. He was curious about why she had called out the three sisters, so Taiyou thought to ask them later. It was the usual scenery in the classroom. It had become the typical summer day. That lass sure be knowing how to make a spark Coming next to Taiyou all of a sudden, Kohaku spoke. Very true. Leticias been perturbed every time she shows up It seems like something be occurring, kuku You seem to be enjoying this It be the joy of the unexpected Unexpected Taiyou stared at her, wondering what she meant. I be saying this right now, but it not be related whatsoever to those two coming to the academy Eh Really Taiyou was surprised. Judging by the timing, he had really thought that she had the same objective as them. Nay. I merely enrolled here to live the academy life with Husband. It not be related to the plans of those two or to contest with them Seriously Be ye not happy? No, I dont have any problem with that whatsoever Now then, Husband, this be the academy life that I went to great lengths to achieve. Might ye escort me various places? This is your first time I be born in a time when women didnt need an academic background Oh, now that you say that He nodded, realizing that. The old young woman was born at the very beginning of the Shouwa era, which was completely different from what people knew as the Shouwa era. It was the sort of story that Taiyou somewhat had an image of when he thought of the time when women didnt need an academic background, so it made sense. Lets go then Taiyou stood up from his seat as Kohaku followed behind. What are you doing, Kohaku-san It be the model of a true wife to walk three steps behind her husband Thats fine, come on Taiyou said, pointing to his arm. Kohaku clung onto it with much joy. Because of the difference in height, rather than linking arms, it looked more like she was hanging on to his arm. They then left the classroom, walking in the hallway. Unlike 1-A, the other students who were not yet used to having Kohaku around looked at her, wondering what in the world was happening. Well they be lively Is there anywhere that you would like to go Taiyou inquired for any requests. Let me think Kohaku lifted up her face, thinking. It be a staple of summer breaks, so how about the school cafeteria Chapter 214: Something’s……Coming- Chapter 213: Guide to Another World Chapter 215: Public Play Translator: Reflet Nevertheless They were heading to the cafeteria. Not heeding the gazes gathering from the students, Kohaku stuck closely to Taiyou. He had his arms linked with the Eternal Little, Loli Baba inside the schoolhouse. Gazes were assembling around them for those two overlapping reasons. I anticipated that Leticia and Youran would infiltrate the academy in some way, but I really didnt see you coming as well Kukuku Kohaku purred, answering. One year ago, an eighty three year-old woman been chosen for the bench at a high school softball tournament. Not as a relative, but this woman of many years nevertheless wanted to study more than anything, becoming quite the fine high school girl commuting to high school via correspondence system. As per her social status, she been chosen for the bench as the club manager, and with delicate judgement fulfilled her candidacy. When I heard that, I also sought to be a high school girl And whats the real story? I wanted to be Husbands classmate, woof When he asked her, Kohaku answered in the tone of a happy dog, holding on tightly to his arms, behaving like a spoiled child. The female students passing by made a start, but he decided to pretend to not notice. Welp, I was wondering if that was not the case You be the same way, Husband Huh Kohaku had returned to her normal tone after behaving like a dog momentarily. Taiyou inclined his head, inquiring. Kohaku asked him. You say that you be expecting those two to come to the school, but in what way I anticipated them to both be transfer students Taiyou answered with a questionable face. Taiyou had been able to foretell about half of the events that occured in the morning ruckus. Leticia, who had moved to Oriyakata Town so as to prepare her new home next to Taiyou Castle. In order to create the kind of envrionment that Leticia could spend a pleasant life in, Youran had requested Taiyou to be the student council president. If he were to think of the flow of events and their relationship, Taiyou had anticipated that both of them would be transferring to the academy. Not just Leticia, but also Youran through one way or the other. He had seen her following. Only half of his predictions had turned out to be true. Youran and Leticia did both make it to the school, but neither of them had come as students. One was a chairwoman, and the other was an instructor. He was right on about them coming, but their roles were an utter anomaly. Well, both of them be the same age range as Husband. It be reasonable to expect that much Thats gotta be a breach of the rules. Like hell I could predict that I say ye have a point there More like two points Then we had best combine those into one big point, eh? Lets do that Taiyou briefly gave a puff of laughter. But wellThough they may have the upper hand now, I cant just let them always have it Taiyou declared as he looked completely forward. Certainly, yer dignity seems like it not be safe I could care less about that He slowly shook his head. All dignity is is pride. I could care less about that Then what be important to ye I dont think youve been watching, but the moment that Youran came up on stage, Leticia was surprised enough to die Which means that the other side be losing their own points, eh Kohaku was implicitly asking him what he was getting at. I dont really get it, but I can feel a battle of willpower between those two. The two of them are best friends after all, so I dont mind them doing that outside of the academy, but when they make this place a stage for their battle of willpower, I fear that if something happens then you guysll get wrapped into it Hm Those two are best friends, no mistaking it. I still cant feel any evil intent between them today. Which is exactly why its a drag With there being no malice, they be late to notice. So in the end, things be more likely to take a turn for the worst Exactly Taiyou nodded. Just as Kohaku had said, he was only worrying about that. His way of thinking was that there was no more troublesome thing than trouble without malice or harmful intent. It be best to make the two of them yours as quickly as possible, Husband Right Nodding, he walked alongside Kohaku. After a bit, he realized what Kohaku was saying. Kohaku-san? Right now, did you just say to make them Does Husband not wish to do do Make the fifth that lass Did you know about this Aye, vaguely Was Ieasy to read Although the first person to realize it been Aoba Aoba Taiyou was surprised, wondering why Aobas name would come up here. As they were doing this and that, the two of them made it to the cafeteria. The cafeteria was lively. The place that could fit one hundred was almost full, and it looked as if there were not free seats. When they were standing at the entrance, searching around to see if any seats were open Yo, well if it isnt the rare combination He turned around to whoever talked to him from behind. Youran!? Taiyou was astonished. Youran was behind him. Unlike in the morning, she was in her twintailed-uniform from when she was attending there. The way spoke was also from that time, so she looked no different from the average student. There was also the fact that being next to the Eternal Littlea young girl at first sight, Kohaku, made her stand out comparatively less. Whatcha doing here Innit a cafeteria? I just came to eat here for lunch Here Yup Thats a shockI so thought that youd be eating something way better Well see Still preserving her smile, Youran looked at Taiyou with contrasting unamused eyes. I dont like your so-calledbetter things. Whenever I eat those sorts of things I have to have at least two people test it for poison, so I cant even eat anything thats heated up Wow, foretasters? But why two at the very least Well, one of them might very well have an immunity to poison. So do you really think Id be able to tell if that person was a traitor or not That sucks Taiyou spoke from the bottom of his heart. Welp, Im used to it Youran spoke while grinning. As they were standing while talking, there was an open table near them seating four, so Taiyou sat there. Whatre you gonna eat Since theres no one to taste it for poision, preferably something thats warm Then Id say ramen. You good with ramen Fine by me And Kohaku-san I be wanting the same as Husband Got it Taiyou nodded, leaving the two at their seats as he proceeded to first go to the meal ticket vending machine, buying three ramen meal tickets there. Ahhh The moment he began leaving the vending machines, something flashed in his head. It was the kind of flash that a human from another generation might have in a robot anime. He bought another ticket of the same type, bringing a total of four tickets to the counter, handing them to the older woman. After waiting there for a bit, he set the four finished ramen bowls skillfully on the tray (they were light, but he had difficulty with the balance), and returned to their table. Yep, figured Just as he had anticipated, in addition to Kohaku and Youran, Leticia was there as well. Chapter 215: Public Play Chapter 214: SomethingsComing- Chapter 216: Anaerobic Exercise Translator: Reflet The four of them faced each other in the cafeteria. At the table that had two seats across from two other seats, the Taiyou and Kohaku pair was facing the Youran and Leticia pair. There was also the fact that they were near the entrance, and they were gathering attention from both the students inside as well as the students that had come into the cafeteria after them. The harem lord. Loli Baba. Princess Teacher. Leaving out Youran, whose identity was unclear, of the four, three of them had become topics of interest. And even Youran was acknowledged ten times out of ten as a beauty, so with all of those powerhouses in one area, there was no way they would be overlooked. Okay, heres your share I am impressed that you knew I would come Right; you didnt even blink Leticia and Youran were the real ones surprised as Taiyou calmly set the ramen in front of them. It seemed that they thought that what they had both done was worth becoming surprised over. It just sorta, flashed in my head. Like this Taiyou made the kind of gesture that implied lightning was coming down on his head. So it came to you, Husband Yeah, it sure did Ooo, sharp as ever, Husband Kohakus eyes glittered, looking at Taiyou like a sister worshipping her actual big brother. The fact that it had flashed in his head seemed to tug at her heartstrings. I dont really get it, but good for you Youran said that. She looked at her best friend with half joking half celebratory eyes. Doesnt it mean that you felt that your bride would come so you made extra preparations? That be right. My Husband be an amazing man That is a good thing Youran joked, Kohaku was ecstatic, and Leticia lightly evaded it. Taiyou felt that Kohaku was the only one speaking from the heart, so Taiyou didnt feel like calling attention to it. Incidentally, can you use chopsticks Why would you ask something like that From the looks of you you appear to be like a westerner, so I was just curious Come to think of it, you are right Leticia broadly smiled. It is no problem. Phili is hardly any different from Japan not only in words, but in terms of food as well. I do not know much, but when it comes to ramen, lately it seems that the Uchi and Jirou brands are especially popular Theyre practically the same, yeah There also appears to be the White brand that takes the best elements from both Thats definitely a meme! And I dont get it either! Plus it be declining No, that is not the issue here Whatre you guys even talking about Youran was puzzled. You dont have to understand, dont worry She was sullen. What, you trying to leave me out No Im notHera Ta-ta-tadaaawhat is the matter Taiyou-chan The moment he called her, Hera warped in. Grabbing her, he put her on Kohakus shoulders. These two are great at memes. Please, youre better off not knowing Ah, thats what you mean Taiyou said a bit wearily as he looked at the Kohaku-Hera combo. Youran immediately grasped what he was getting at as she saw them. What exactly is going on Be Husband not saying that he wants ye to be as yeself Ohhh, okay. I will be myself Couldnt you just be a little more self-observant? Things calmed down a bit. The four of them picked up their chopsticks, starting to eat the ramen. As typical of men his age, Taiyou heartily sucked the noodles, heedless of the fact that broth was flying out. Kohaku briefly put ramen on her spoon, blowing on it, but she nevertheless slightly winced the moment she put it to her mouth, saying Hot-. Didnt know you were bad with hot food, Kohaku-san Woof, correct. Tis Kohakutans unexpected weakness, woof No, you really didnt have to suddenly act like a dog Though I be fine with hot baths You are a Tokyoite through-and-through If it be Husbands hot, thick thing, then I may also be bad yet fine with it Please realize how lewd you are! I will seriously call you a stinking hag!? That would definitely be bad to do it outside, yeah` While saying it was bad, Hera let out a happy-go-lucky voice. He lightly whacked her. As he looked at the other side of the table, the best friend combo was elegantly slurping their noodles. As for how skillfully they were slurping, they werent much different than Taiyou, but they werent letting any broth escape and were making no sounds. Despite the fact that they were slurping heartily, the two of them strangely seemed to stay graceful. Thats gotta be heresy Taiyou couldnt help but think that. At length, when they had for the most part settled the noodles in their stomachs, Taiyou nonchalantly talked to the two of them. But wow, I totally thought youdve come as transfer students. You are of that age, and it would make sense as an archetype No way It definitely wont happen Youran and Leticia quickly said, looking at each other. Impossible Yeah, I mean that no matter what we try we cant possibly become transfers What do you mean After all, me and this gal have never commuted to school Strictly speaking, I have. I do take classes only for me by myself in a classroom That is amazing! You are like a prodigy Is there really such a thing Indeed there is Which is why neither I nor her know about regular school Then wouldnt that have been all the more reason to transfer schools? Youre here and all, so Im sure it wouldve been good experience Possibly Indeed Not giving any particular objection, both of them easily nodded. If things worked out somewhere, perhaps in the futureHe would be taking classes together with them, Taiyou thought. Planning for when everyone had finished eating, Taiyou spoke to Youran. By the way, whats going to happen with the whole student council thing we discussed Ah, thats no good anymore. I already directly took over as chairwoman, so we dont need it As I thought Taiyou nodded, as he had expected as much. Then Ill just go ahead and do things as I please. Its unnecessary, but not a bad thing to have Welp, thats true Not just in terms of administration. Even as a student, it would be beneficial to preserve your methods Me After all, youll probably frequently show up as a student, so itd be good to keep tabs on the student side of things I indeed see! It would be a great thing to do that for Yourans sake` Mysake Youran widened her eyes. That be right. Ye can after all call people upfront if ye have a student council president room. Ye can make up some sort o club and get a room to yeself, though all ye can do be ta bring people in This academy used to have people who made theRoom Club, but that sort of thing isnt feasible What, there were already others who tried that? Well, its not the most uncommon thing to have that kind of idea It isnt, but there you have it Taiyou said, returning his gaze straight at her. So I myself will be aiming to be the next student council president D-Do as you please Its not like Im going against you. I just dont want any hindrances. Of course I couldnt win against you if I tried H-Hmph. If you say so, then Ill look the other way just for you Thanks He suddenly felt someones gaze. Cleaning up her ramen, Leticia had stopped moving, staring at him. Straight into his eyes. Leticia He peeked at her face, wondering what was up. The moment their eyes met Watch out After she had staggered dizzily, she fell prostrate on the table. Taiyou had sensed it without delay, moving the ramen container before she fell. If he had been any later, she would doubtless have plunged her face into it. Their surroundings grew noisy. Could it bethat she ran out of battery What else could it be No but why nowShe was completely fine just earlier Rather than be surprised, why dont you wake her up? Wake her uphere Duh Youran said as if it were the most natural thing to do. He would wake up Leticia; replenish her. Kissher. That usually was no big deal DDNoise. There were currently too many people watching. Chapter 216: Anaerobic Exercise Chapter 215: Public Play Chapter 217 - Kissings Easy Translator: Reflet You almost tricked me there, dammit They were in the infirmary, where he had laid Leticia on a bed. Taiyou and Youran were on opposite sides facing each other. After that, Taiyou had carried the unconscious Leticia over here rather than kiss her. Kohaku and Hera had gone on ahead, so they werent here. Smiling bitterly, Taiyou spoke to Youran. What could you be talking about Dont play dumb. There wasnt any darn reason to kiss there! Its not like Leticias issue is something that needs to be resolved immediately. Nothing wrong with waking her up here But cmon, wouldnt it be more romantic to do it over there I dunno about that Taiyou said, looking at Leticia. Come to think of it, I wonder why she suddenly fell down again. She wasnt like this at all as of late, so I was even wondering if she might be alright from now on Who knows Itd be cool if there were some sort of omen, but I guess thats too much to ask for There is Seriously Yeah, youd know if youd ask this girls father. Its just that you need her father to acknowledge you. Cause it seems to be quite the secret You dont know either All I know is that theres something to it That right Taiyou nodded, convinced. Leticia, third princess of the kingdom. Taiyou wouldnt be surprised if it were a state secret. If anything, it was obvious that Youran wouldnt know anything about it. So he briefly forgot about that, asking Youran something he was curious about. So whats your objective What do you mean what? Youre the same as me. You tend not to take methods that dont impact your objective Your urging me earlier was earnest. You fully intended to have me and Leticia kiss there. So what would you accomplish by doing that You really irritate me Were so alike that we hate each otherDDhow many times have we done thisOh, by the way, I like ya Like minds gatherDDWow, that doesnt make me happy in the slightest So Taiyou pursued as if telling her that he wouldnt allow her to be vague. Didnt I tell you before? Youran said placidly with a blank face. Said Id make her your slave Were you actually serious Probably gonna catch on again, so Ill tell you this right now: I was half joking when I said it, but after that I took it seriously And even then you were half-serious, huh Cause there was some meaning in saying it like that And the reason why you became serious Cause this gals stubborn Oh, gotcha Taiyou nodded. He didnt know the full course of events, but judging from how things had been going, he couldnt help but get it. He could understand it in terms of stubborn people needing drastic measures. And in this case, there wasnt much need to understand the particulars. Drastic measures, eh Exactly Is it really okay to ignore her feelings Even I were to say it shed just come at me loaded with logic. This gals smart after all And is that like-minds hate each other? Or like-minds gather Umm, I really dont like that play on words youre doing She glared at him. She had always said those things after they met. But its not a play on words. Just two choices. You really are like her. Then how about this: do ya like her or hate her And what do you plan to do with that information I wont tell anyone. Not even her Not answering the question, he nevertheless managed to push her into a corner. After a bit of silence drifted between them I like her so much that I hate her Hey, now youre the one playing with words But yeah, I do somewhat understand Youran was pouting, turning the other way with her lips pursed. Even from Taiyous viewpoint, it was very clear that she had some complicated feelings spiralling around within her. Of course it wasnt like they were romantic feelings, so if anything, he imagined it to be even more complicated. Now I really wanna know your guys past What Just in case, let me ask you: What you two have between you isnt romance, right How many times you gonna ask? Of course not And what about her Like Id know thatAlthough I dont think so Then, Id say I wanna know What are you even getting at You dont know Youran fell utterly silent. She was logical and sharp enough for you to hate her. She seemed to realize where Taiyou was coming from quickly. Two females who did not possessromantic feelingsbetween each other, but rather, best friends who strongly cared for each other. It wasnt difficult to imagine that in their history together, there would be some memories shared only between them. Taiyou wanted to know about that. He was earnest about getting to know both of them. But I could care less about that, so hurry up and kiss her Yeah, but before that, I thought of something I wanna do first Something you wanna do Yeah. The whole drastic treatment for a stubborn girl thing Then do it Youran made a questioning face. It was clear that she was misunderstanding, but Taiyou didnt point that out. Kya- Instead, he pulled Yourans hand, pushing her down onto the bed next to where Leticia was sleeping. Whatre youDDngh- He kissed her. Not Leticia, but Youran. It was a forceful kiss where he stole her lips. Youran squirmed, resisting against this sudden barbarous act. She hit his chest with her hands, kicking and struggling. While those were reasonable things to do, her resisting wasnt doing anything. There was the youth who had raised his level to harness the power to break boulders and even lift up cars, then there was the dainty girl who was as she looked. Resistance was utterly futile. Youran had no choice but to let him act. Ngh, nnnDD After a bit, slender hands began hitting Taiyous shoulders. This was a reaction different than the original one. This was not resistance, but petition. He could feel her desperately trying to take in something from their connected mouths. Seeking oxygen, she was inhaling. Her breathing had become rough after constantly having been kissed. Taiyou also happened to have trouble breathing. Every second he held his breath, he felt like he was sinking to the bottom of the ocean. Even so, he continued to kiss her. Holding his breath, he continued kissing her. Taking her with him to sink to the bottom of the ocean. Her resistance gradually weakened until it was finally gone. As it was difficult to breath, her consciousness faded. Nevertheless, he did not stop the kiss. He continued to suck from Yourans hot mouth to the point where it was burning him. Until at last, light filled his eyes. Chapter 217 – Kissing’s Easy Chapter 216: Anaerobic Exercise Chapter 218 - Reins or Ponytails? Translator: Ranzan Pantpant Taiyou was the one that noticed first. Continuing the non-stop kissing, he stopped to draw in the necessary oxygen before another second would have sent him to the next world. He put his elbows down on the bed and lifted his shoulders. After getting the necessary oxygen, his consciousness returned. He notice that Youran, who he had been pressing down, was limp. He silently squeezed her chin and looked at her unconscious face gazing at him. He kissed her again. He breathed air into her, and moved his tongue around her responseless one. This time he didnt go too far, but quickly separated, then kissed her again. Separate, kiss. Separate, kiss. Quick kisses, like rain alling. He repeated it over and over. .nnn Youran regained consciousness. A faint groan with her eyes pittering open, her eyes focusing well in his direction. Finally, You As her consciousness returned completely, she quickly responded to him. She took out a small pistol the size of her palm from her uniform and pointed the barrel of it at Taiyou. Taiyou had already grabbed the barrel with the palm of his hand. Blam, a loud, awakening sound arose. A pulled trigger, a shot pullet. -ranged weapons useless. Using a power to stop them that completely messed with the laws of physics, the bullet lost its strength and was grabbed by him. He had seen the gun before he took her, an order-made gun that wouldnt set off a metal detector. Your gun is useless against me. Agh. Her face slumped in disgust. He grabbed her shoulders and kissed her again. She forcefully shut her lips. A moment. Mmhp! Yourans body twitched strongly. So, you like that? Nnot at all! It was cute to see her be stubborn, but she didnt really refuse at the end. Taiyou attacked her lips again, and she retreated quickly again. Youran was confused, different than usual, at the strange, light kisses that she received. Which do you want? Wha? Continue? STop? Which do you want? Wwhy are you asking that? Of course I He predicted that she was going to refuse, so he kissed her first. Then he kissed her again. Kiss, kiss, kiss. And then another kiss. Huffhuff She was kissed over and over, and her heart and mind were exhausted. He then asked her as a finishing touch. Why kind of kisses do you like? I dontdont He covered her refusal again with a kiss. Okay, then I wont listen to any more answers. You dont like to play with words, after all. So speaking with your body is the fastest. Sto I wont. It was the first time he had seen her weak, so he gave her no mercy and kissed her all over. Wait, what about Leticia what? After hearing her close friends name, the strength returned to her eyes. Leticia does have a special presence, Taiyou thought silently. I havent kissed her like this before. Smooch, a small sound. Shes happy with just that, thats enough to make her lost. She loves it so much she doesnt have time to think about what she likes. Letty As she was held down, Youran looked over at her friend sleeping the next bed. She had a strange appearance and Youran was wondering what was in her head. Taiyou ignored this, squeezed her chin and turn it towards him. You have the time, Kotone, Suzune, Kazane, Kohaku, Aoba, all of them taught me what they like. Find the kiss that you like the most, and then let me make you feel good. I She went to say something, but then held her tongue. What does she want to say, and the fact that if she refused, he would probably cut him off and kiss her again. She was all afluster, and she couldnt say anything in response to her learning. So Taiyou said, with a straight look that made him seem superior. I want you to cooperate. Me? Yes. Taiyou nodded, and looked over to Leticia beside them. Im no match for that girl yet. Just by kissing her, just by touching lips Im satisfied. After that, I dont really want to go farther. Well, you cant do anything about that. Taiyou nodded in agreement. The princess of Phili, the kingdom of kissing. I know that I cant compete with a thoroughbred like her, but I dont want to just let it go. If shes going to come to me, then I want to make her happy. Can a kiss make someone happy? Dont you think so? Youran closed her mouth. She looked at Taiyous sharp and straight gaze, and her mouth snapped shut like a clam. After a moment. I dont know. She said. Ithe first one and the ones afterand now. Ive only had them forced on me. I see. Butknowing whether or not you want itI dont know. Yeah, youre right. Taiyou got up. He got off Youran and lifted his feet off the bed and sat. Youran stayed prone on the bed, made a sulking face, and turned. Kohaku is okay with being treated like that though. Dont equate me with a masochist like her. Masochistyeah, since you mention that it does make her happy. Shes a total masochist. Hah hah. The words disappeared between them and were replaced by something they couldnt put into words. After a moment, Youran sat up, and spoke to Taiyou. The atmosphere changed. I amJuunishimaaaaaagh! The strained air suddenly was blown away. Taiyou yanked on the twin ponytails hanging down her back in her Shingetsu no Kamimode. What are you doing?! uhnothing. Taiyou then put his hand on his chin, as if to gloat. What? I was thinking, maybe, I made a crucial mistake. What?! You like getting your hair pulled more. Whaaaat the?! Chapter 218 – Reins or Ponytails? Chapter 217 - Kissings Easy Chapter 219 - Confession Translator: Ranzan What are you trying to say?! Youran scowled. He could tell by just looking at it meant What the hell are you saying to me? But Taiyou already knew, she wasnt going to just take his comment at face value. Youran was the type that was good at hiding how she really felt. Youre good at hiding yourself when youre Shingatsu no Kami. Its your on-mode, if you have an on or off mode, when you have business to attend to. Of course. So, just like now, you can hide what youre feeling in your Twin-tail Mode, but maybe thats only you putting on a show by trying to look stubborn. What does that mean, Im not just acting stubbo He put his face to hers and gave her a quick-touching kiss. Perhaps she let down her guard because she thought there would be no more kissing, but she allowed her defenseless lips be taken, and her angry face suddenly flushed red. okay! I wont refuse what youre saying anymore! Yeah, good girl. do you have any idea what youve just done? A moment for a breath, followed by a relaxed Youran starting at him. What? Its a type of brainwashing. You do the same thing over and over until you get what you want, and then when you finally break the other person, you compliment themits basically brainwashing. Yeah, now that you say it, it definitely seems so. Hmph, brainwashing. Its how the yakuza get girls to do what they want. Yakuza? Thats old school. Let me just sayits a warning about Letty, but, you better not think you can do that kind of stuff with me, okay? She scowled at him again, her eyes tight. Why? Brainwashing suddenly loses its effect. In a dayor a moment. YeahIve heard of people suddenly realizing and regretting what happened until then. If you brainwash me, and I realize that you did it. Realize? She cleared her throat to prepare for what she was about to say. Im going to blow myself up and take you with me. Why blow up? You really love talking about that. Of course, Im not going to just die. Im going to take the person out that attacked me. No, no, no, noyou have to at least multiply your revenge. As he said this, he could feel a cold sweat run down his back. He thought that continuing to kiss her would be a good technique, but now he realized that doing any more might prove to be dangerous. Youran was the type to run from one extreme to another, as was the the Juunishima family, so if Taiyou was even a little late to save her she would have bitten off her tongue and killed herself. Since it really was a brainwashing technique, he realized what he had done. She really would kill herself just to take him out. A girl where you realized that was possible. Taiyou thought he should back off. He stretched out his hands, and grabbed the end of her twin tails. He didnt yank them, but lightly pulled, twitch twitch, twitch twitch. She looked back at him with a poutful expression. He face looked angry as usual, but this time she didnt resist. Like I was saying, you like this right? Wha?! CI said, you really do like having this done to you. She shut her lips like a clam again. There was the threat that if she didnt answer well he would force a kiss on her again. It was a unthought out reaction to his threatening kiss. He thought it was cute, and he kept pulling her ponytails in little yanks. Im not a horse, okay? What? What do you mean? You acting like this is a bit and reins? I know reins, but what do you mean, a bit? Theyre things you put on a horse, bridles go on a metal piece in the mouth called a bit. A person experienced in horses can talk to a horse through them, its said. Oh, is that what you meant. After understanding what she was saying he once again lightly grabbed her ponytails with his thumb and pointer finger and pulled lightly. They silently sat their, avoiding looking at each other. No words, no eye contact. The only things connecting them C fingers and hair. A slight movement, a jarring motion. Maybe she can feel thisTaiyou was expecting. I guess you cant. When Taiyou said this, he felt nothing back from the twin-tailed girl. I told you, Im not a horse! I know that. But I was wondering if I could really talk to you like through a bit and reins. Like a horse? You mean the tools made and improved over thousands of years? Yeah, I guess. I heard they work well with horses. Horses are sensitive to them. Its a world that only someone experienced in them would know. Yeah, I guess. Maybe you could do that with Aoba Miki? She has a ponytail. Youre just playing with me now. She laughed about it, but was half ordering in the jest as well. Youran then turned her head away with a hmph! It was strange, but she didnt tell him to do any more. While Taiyou held on to her twin tails, he looked out the window of the nurses room. Flowing white clouds, flying sparrows. The sounds of lunch break far away. After watching it for a while, he thought about waking up Leticia finally. Just then. (What the hell is he thinking.) Huh, Taiyou thought. Something had flowed directly into his mind. He turned to Youran, puzzled, and as her back was still to him, he grabbed her two ponytails with one hand and began winding her hair up in his finger. What was thatTaiyou wondered. (Messing around, even though I thought it was mean, what is all this.) Again, the same words reverberated inside his mind. No, these words were a bit different. You could change the thoughts in your own mind, but those were in the mind, these seemed to be emotions flowing directly into the heard. These must have been Yourans emotions. Taiyou was shocked, puzzled, and tried to understand what was happening. Maybe, these are the emotions she has, Taiyou thought. While he held the twin tails, is fingers squeezed them a bit tighter. (Do you not like this?) He could feel a small emotion of confusion from the hair. Taiyou had made no mistake, the reason being is that he wasnt just messing with her hair any longer. I guess this is really happening, Taiyou realized again. Another indirect expression. And a connection from the bottom of his heart to the heart of this stubborn girl. (Does she not like this?) (She doesnt dislike itshe finds it quite pleasing.) His question was answered. Youran again, he thought. (Im happy if she likes it.) (She doesnt think she likes it.) (How would she come to like it?) (I wonder if I could ever like it.) (Then do.) (I havent liked it until now.) (Well, then how about from now?) (From now?) (Yeah, from now.) (From now) A bridle and bit. Thin twin-tails. A light conversation that seemed like a dream. He thought he was connected to her. That he was talking to her. Thats why he waited for a response. She had a stubborn heart, but now it was a bit more obedient. He kept waiting for the answer. Ah Suddenly, a voice emerged. The twintails fell from his hand, and spread out in a cascade. The twintails not connected, the bridle unbound. The few strands of hair left in his fingers, he let go. Beautiful black hair covering her body. Youran, with her back turned. He gulped strongly and waited for what was next. Chapter 219 – Confession Chapter 218 - Reins or Ponytails? Chapter 220 - Hide and Seek Begins Translator: Ranzan Youran with her twintails ungrasped. Shingetsu no Kami. With her released, she took on the air that surrounded that auspicious name. As if a switch had been thrown, with her hair released, she became like a different person. Taiyou silently awaited what would happen. Taiyou loved to see her Shingetsu no Kamimode, and not only liked it, but almost seemed to praise it, in a way. Thats why he waited. Waited for it, for her mouth to open. Just like a bit and bridle, he had let go of the hair he had felt her heart with, and waited. However. . No matter how long he waited, it never came. Her hair was down, and she sat facing away from him, but there was no other sign of the Shingetsu no Kami. In addition, there was no sign of her opening her mouth either. The air was silent. He felt pressure like the murderous intent of Shirokiyami. What happened, what is she doing, he thought. Waiting, waiting, waiting. Click, click, click, the sound of the clock on the wall reverberated. The air seemed to freezeTime seemed to stop. Just then, Youran seemed like a doll C if she didnt breathe she would be completely silent. Still, he waited. All he could do was continue to wait. As he waited, finally, the air surrounding her began to move. Taiyou prepared himself for her to move. If he prepared himself, shed do something, he thought as he took a deep breath. But, he was wrong, as that My name isnever started emerging from her mouth. Actually, there were no words. Youran silently began to retie her twintails. She split her hair in half, and tied the first ponytail high on the right side. She then put left side in hand. The half twintail, with her bobbing hair. As soon as he saw that, Taiyou thought (No) He grabbed her hand as it tied up her hair and stopped it. Her and opened, letting the left, untied side drop. A half twintail, half long hair. Half Youran, half Shingetsu no Kami. HalfYouran Juunishima. He didnt feel any resistance to him in her hand though. Youran. He called her name and from behind her with a clump, held her close. Though his arms were wrapped around her strongly, she didnt resist. Then, Taiyou became desperate. Waitwait. A little more, just wait He held on to her from behind, speaking over and over almost in a delirium. He could slightly feel sweat begin to bead up on his back. He didnt know what was happening, what could happen, or what he was trying to make happen. However, he had the feeling that she would disappear. The second after she tied up her hair, she would decisively leave him. Maybe they would meet one day, as long as Leticia was there, he wouldnt totally lose contact with her. But that was it. Leticias friend, his wifes friend. After that, her position as being that would solidify, even more, or even less. He didnt know the reason, there were no words. However, at the end of those bobbing twintails, he could feel there was a reason. There was no time to put it into language, but he could feel it in his mind. Clearly, at a level he knew there was no mistake. He held her close, and still, there were no words. He didnt know what to say to her. But, he was well trained. Even if he stayed silent now, everything would end up in the same pattern as before. Thats why he understood that this time the words had to be different. So, he said what had to be said. Ithink I love you. The most important thing, no mistakes, only the truth told. That thing, so there would be no doubt, no extra, the bare minimum. He could feel her tense up a bit in his arms. She felt ithe was relieved. It felt like almost making the wrong choice before the ending of a game. Relief, and after a breath, he continued. I want to make you mine, make you mine, make you ours. Make me yours? Yeah, all of ours. She was held back, so there was time. The words were hard to understand, so he had to explain further. Become ours, and we can become happy. We can all laugh together, create a family that no one else can match. We will all become yours too, become yours, and make you happy. Because of that relationship, no matter what happens, well fight for you in every way. IIm not that weak. Were all weak. It was almost an instant answer, when Taiyou replied. Kotone, Suzune, Kazane. Theyre weak, thy were born as triplets, and they hate being looked at like that, theyre weak and they want to be loved individually by one man. You may not know but, I, Ive never thought of them as three. Even as a group, Ive never called them the three girls. Of course, when they joined him, he burned that idea into his heart of hearts. Kohaku is weak. The Eternal Little, the old maid. She stopped growth in her body at age 10 , and became a mature adult within 10 years after that happening, and made herself strong. But because of that, she wants to be the one to coddle and care for the one she loves. Ive made myself to be that person that she wants to treasure so badly, so as much as possible Ive been a man that doesnt have to depend on her in any way possible. She feels at peace and takes care of me as she does everything she can to support me. Aoba fears her family. Her parents made a harem, but since it was so strong, they ended up treasuring all the spouses so much that the children were practically abandoned. And like I just said, that was just the rehearsal. You have to extend your love to the children of the women in your harem. As I decided that, Pochi has decided to become Kohakus child again, because that position is important. These girls are all weak, and I seem even weaker. Everyone that I end up loving is weak. There was no doubt, the strength of his words said so. Shirokiyami, she too is weak. He remembered her complex. Its because there arent enough colors, that complex had formed itself on her lips. She always wore a black dress after noticing her way of looking, so she could fix the parts of herself that were lacking. It all seemed to resemble a kinship. Seeing that, she had a very weak spot. She may be very physically strong, and have a mentally strong part as well, but theres a very weak part as well. Thats why, you may get angry, but I love you and think you have a weak point too. Thats why I love you and want you as my own. what about Leticia? A sudden question, Taiyou thought. His idolstatus counted Leticia as his too, so it was obvious that she would ask about what he thought of her. Well, shes probably strong. His own words contradicted what he just said, but he said them in a tone with no confusion. Chapter 220 – Hide and Seek Begins Chapter 219 - Confession Chapter 221 - A Running Youran is Always Dangerous Translator: Ranzan Ive never felt her ever be weak. Not once. Oh, that idiots weak all right. Maybe she is, maybe I just dont know, but it exists. But since Ive never seen it, I cant love her. Ive never shown you either. I wonder. He said it with enough confidence to put a smile on his face as he said it. Id kill you leaving no trace, so if you shame mean Id rather bite off my tongue and die, and then explode taking you with me. With one shoulder turned, with on arm, he counted on his fingers in front of Youran. Someone who does that isnt strong. You have to really commit yourself to do that though. That cliched phrase again, and it takes more courage to live on afterwards. All the cliched things you say make you seem ridiculous. I guess, but that has nothing to do with it. He took a breath, and then said it clearly. Youre weak. With the same tone as with Leticia, and the same implicit confidence. Thats why I love you too. Youran was silent, looked straight ahead, and didnt move as Taiyou held her. Her chest rose a bit as she breathed. Maybe there was something in the breath, he thought, but didnt pursue it. Taiyou wanted to hear her speak. At the most important time, for her to speak. He knew how she was feeling. So he waited, continued to wait. I Finally, Youran opened her mouth. He was expectant, and waited. II Something was strange about her. Her shoulders were shaking, as Taiyou could feel Yourans emotions begin to rise. I amYouran Shingetsu no Kami Juunishima! Iam strong! She shouted, that phrase Taiyou was used to hearing. Suddenly she sprung from his embrace and dashed from the room. Taiyou flinched back, staggered. Youran Taiyous shoulders slumped. Yourans refusal made him wonder what he had said that caused it. What was the mistake he made. Grasping the answer was like trying to grasp water in your fingers, just like Youran had fled from his arms. He had put all his power into this appeal, and now was disappointed. His heart was broken. Husband !! Kohaku! He was called suddenly, which jolted him again. He turned to the voice and there was Kohaku in a uniform, sitting in the window. Kohaku, when did you get there? That doesnt matter now. Kohaku deflected his question in a rare tone that Taiyou hadnt heard from Kohaku. Instead of that husband, you need to pursue her. Yeah, but she just refused me When people cant put into words things other than their own ideas, they can only express things they want or think they should do. Its the same as those that fool others worrying about being fooled by someone elses ideas. Wait, what does that mean? That girls wanted something from you from the beginning. from me? After Kohaku told him that, he searched his memory. What Youran wanted from him, or what she told him she wanted. He couldnt find it, and thought there was nothing. What Youran wanted from Taiyouor had asked himnothing. He thought that far, and then try approaching it a different way. Maybe not just me, but something that she wanted for me. If thats the case. As as slave? She wants to surrender to me, to give in to me? But she said she doesnt want to change her heart ! That was just stubborness? If thats so, then what I should do isKohaku! Ill say this just in case, that I may be wrong. It might just be my opinion. As she stated it, she looked up at him. Or, maybe youd like to try anyway? Ways and means. Taiyou answered quickly, with his usual cliche. The way is to not let her flee, and to make her mine. I remembered that from the advice you gave, Kohaku. Hmph. So the means dont matter, no, the same as before, the most important thing is to not let her flee. Hee hee. Kohaku laughed and wore a satisfied expression. You were able to work through it in your head. Good job, husband. As she said that, she smiled gracefully. After giving him something like a lecture, she now returned back to the wife we was used to. All thanks to you Kohaku, thanks. What? You said youd make us all happy, right? He didnt need to ask who was. Yes, everyone happy! Now you can undertake the mission of getting her, husband! Thanks! He said his peace, and then turned to leave. Kohaku called him back momentarily. Husband. What is it? I amstrong. As Kohaku said that, it reminded him of something, the way that Youran had said that to him. Taiyou grimaced a bit. Give me a moment, to express myself better, okay? Its my request. As Kohaku said that, Taiyou thought that this time he would do it, as he left the sleeping Leticia in the nurses room. The method that Kohaku suggested, and the purpose that Taiyou was reminded of. The ways to make Youran his. Even if the means were different, even if she did blow herself up and take him with her. To stop that, hes have to appeal to her heart. He was shaken momentarily, by someone with the same disposition as him, made to go into a region he had never been before. That made his heart shake, the fact he had momentarily lost her. From now on, Taiyou thought, I wont be lost. The chime beginning fifth period at the school sounded, as Taiyou rushed down the hall. He ignored the jerseyed P.E. teacher that yelled at him to stop running. As he ran, he called the fairy. Hera! Ta-dah! Where is Youran? Um, over here. Up here, desu. Up? Yes, desu. You can climb up using the stairs. Up. Restating the words as if examining them. Youran had gone up the stairs. When someone flees in a building, except for special cases, they usually run to the stupidest place possible. For most buildings, the farther up you run, the less places there are to flee to. Running up the stairs is like a vertical dead end. Theres no reason a girl like Youran Juunishima wouldnt know that. So there were two possibilities. One, that she was panicked, or two, that she wasnt running. Or it could be number two. What, desu? Ah, nothing. You go to where Youran is and check her location. Roger! He said his thanks to Hera as she flew and disappeared into the ceiling. After he followed, running up the stairs and promising himself. This time he would get Yourans heart. Chapter 221 – A Running Youran is Always Dangerous Chapter 220 - Hide and Seek Begins Chapter 222 - Harem Value Translator: Ranzan Taiyou-chan! Where is she? Shes on the roof! Hurry! The roof? Got it! After getting that information from the returning Hera, Taiyou ran up the stairs towards the roof. Because Taiyou had kissed Youran, Hera had the ability to sense where she was. If she used her fairy power, she could quickly understand where Youran was about to fell to. He up from the first floors nurses room to the top floor, and opened the rusty door to the roof. Agh! Half twin tail, half long hair. The pursuing Taiyou saw Yourans beautiful face. Across from him, he found the reason why she fled to a roof with no other way to escape. Her private helicopter was there, chopping loudly into the blue sky. Youran rode the thing in for morning activities at the school. Now she was going to escape with it. There was a bit of time before it could land, but Youran still turned and glared at Taiyou. Why are you following me?! Because I love you! I dont want to be loved by the likes of you! Then Ill chase you until you love me! I dont have time for word games with you! Their feelings were clashing more than their words. They shouted at one another, Taiyou getting closer and closer to Youran, until she was backed into a fence. Then, he put his hands out. In a second, the earth and sky reversed. Fwam, he could hear the sound reverberate throughout his body. His back was throbbing with pain, and he felt something warm around his wrist. It was a pain he had felt before. He quickly noticed that she had grabbed his wrist and thrown him. Youran soon released the hand she had used to throw him with, and scampered through the roof exit like a rabbit. Clack! Slam! She ran in the school and locked the door behind her. Taiyou stood up and followed. He got to the roofs exit door. Damn this thing! He grabbed the door and yanked with all his might. Cronk! The sound of breaking parts as the rusted lock crunched and the metal parts flew everywhere. Hera! Here, desu. Following Hera down the stairs at full speed, he saw the three sisters there blocking the path with arms stretched wall to wall. The three unmatched triplets had stopped Youran, and didnt let her down further. Move! Not until Taiyou-san gets here. Geez! Youran turned around and quickly ran down the hall to the first open classroom. Taiyou chased after her, the sisters following. Sorry, Taiyou-san. We couldnt Stop her. The chorus of souls, all three of them asking for forgiveness in three different linked phrases. Of course, he couldnt blame them. Thanks! I love you all! As he said that to the three, he jumped into the classroom that Youran fled to. Following Youran, Taiyou entered the room with a threatening look on his face. With those two entering the others in the class were all abuzz. Youran ran up to the teachers podium when Taiyou followed her in, and grabbing the front desks made a barricade. IT was so sudden, all the other students were confused. Youran! No closer! Ill keep chasing you no matter how far you run! ! There was anger or something else between them. At Taiyous words Yourans face had blushed a deep red as she turned away. She opened the window beside her, jumped up on it, and without hesitation, jumped out. Idiot! What are you! Amid the surprised shouts of all the other students, Taiyou bulldozed through the desks and chairs to the window. He leaned out of the window. There was a tree below, and Youran had jumped to it, and was now climbing down slowly. Time to jumpwait He thought it was a good idea for a second, but the tree was small enough that two might break it and that would be bad. With that thought Taiyou flew out of the class and down the stairs again. Wup-wup-wup-wup-wup, he could hear the sound of the helicopter getting louder. It was proof it was approaching. If shes trying to flee by helicopter, then to the school grounds! He felt like it was very possible that Hera would be be slow to follow her, so instead of using her and thinking about Yourans thought and action patterns, he decided to cut her off. He ran out of the school, and into the school grounds. He could see Youran facing away from him. At the same time, he saw the helicopter descend. He dashed as fast as he could. Suddenly, the helicopter seemed to hesitate, then rise back in the air again. He looked and wondered why, but then saw Aoba standing at the point the helicopter was set to land. Aoba was moving, to where the shadow on the ground showed the helicopter would landshe moved right to that location. No way to land where a person is shanding. Aoba used her body to stop it. Aoba! Natsuno-kun! Taiyou ran out, and in their brief conversation spoke everything. Seeing the helicopter unable to land, Youran gave the helicopter a signal. The helicopter gave up trying to land and flew horizontally. It then landed at the very edge of the grounds. Youran chased the helicopter with all her might. Her hair was blown by the wind, the one side twintail disappearing into a cape of long hair flapping in the wind. Ag! Taiyou chased after her at full speed. It was easy to tell that Taiyou was faster and the gap between him and her shortened. But the distance from when he started was huge, and he couldnt catch her right away. Youran got closer and closer to the helicopters ladder, and finally with a huge leap grabbed onto the ladder. The helicopter began to rise. Damn! Taiyou was in a bad position. He kicked the earth in effort to get there quicker, but there was just still so much space. The helicopter rose as quick as it could as Youran got farther away. For a second, different people floated through Taiyous mind. Kohaku. Kotone, Suzune, Kazane. Aoba. His wives had pushed him this far, and now seeing her flee awayhe was irritated. It was hard to take, but there was nothing to be done. He had used all his strength. He couldnt lose with power, but for speed he was still human. No way to beat a helicopter, no way to chase it. Youran, clinging to the ladder, had now ascended past the second floor. Taiyous legs stumbled, he got this far, but now the thought of giving up drifted in his mind. It driftedthen. Slash. From the side, he heard the sound of a sword being drawn. He could see there was a girl in his peripheral vision. A overbearing white, an utter black. Accompanying it, a silver shimmer. GetsuDan. And that special, pausing speech. Just then, she ran far faster and past Taiyou, jumped, and cut the ladder that Youran was on down from the helicopter with her Gyakutenslash. Kyaaaa! Lost to gravity, Youran screamed as she fell. Just in time, the following Taiyou was there to stop and catch Youran. Chapter 222 – Harem Value Chapter 221 - A Running Youran is Always Dangerous Chapter 223 - Queen and King and Princess Translator: Ranzan Let me go! Let! Me! GO! Youran struggled and clambered to get from his chest. He put her on the ground, and stood her on her feet. But he still held strongly on to her wrist, and wouldnt let her flee again. As he did that, he looked her straight in the eyes. Got you now. He declared. Yourans beautiful face put on a tough look. He said it with a overbearing pose that said This is checkmateand it seemed she understood. Once Ive got you, you cant run away. II am Her heart was a-flutter. Her face downward, shaking. Taiyou was calm, but took on a tough tone. If you really want to run, go ahead. Wha? She lifted her head in surprise to him. However, no matter where you run, Ill always be there to catch up to you. Even to the ends of the earth, Ill follow you, and capture you again. A guy like youa guy like you can never catch me! She said desperately. I caught you this time. But thats! She stamped her foot in anger. I was a fool to even come to a place like this! If I can run away once, the next time I, I, Im going to get away from you! No, Ill catch you. No matter where you run, well all come to catch you. All? Kotone, Suzune, Kazane, Kohaku, Aobaeveryone. What? You have to rely on others for that?! Hee hee, hah hah hah hah hah While still holding on to Yourans hand, he laughed with his head turned to the sky. Whats so funny? Well, you shouldnt put down people like you. What does that mean? Youran sulked at him. Lets check my status again. Status, why that Just do it. He told her forcefully, and Youran did what he told with reluctance, her eyes moving back and forth to check his values. As she did, she quickly jolted with a gasp. She showed a face that understood what Taiyou was trying to say. Taiyou checked his own status in the same way. Since Hera arrived, it was a meaningless repeated ability. The first bug he got from leveling up. Harem 65535 (-32767) While he took a minus correction of four persons worth from hisidolstat, even so, his number was still off the chart. It was an ability that had gathered him so many wives. You said that I depend on others, referring to my wives, but that was a mistake. Because I have this, the wives have become one of my powers. A voiceless groan seemed to exist on Yourans lips. If this is Kohakuno, Sakuras Since they loved to play around with words they could evade by saying anything, but since Youran didnt like that, she couldnt evade him by using words. They are my power, the harem makes my power the largest, and me the strongest. Taiyou said, and she couldnt deny it. Thats why however you choose to flee, well chase after you, and using that power to pursue you, well catch you. Or, do you think you can get completely away from us? IIll show you that I can. I think thats just wishful thinking. In an instant, his response stopped her from arguing against it. After some silence, Youran felt the strength leaving in the clutch around her wrist. Geezwhat are you doing? What is all this? I told youits because I love you. But Ijust I know, maybe I should ask differently. After a short sigh after his words, Youran looked up in surprised. What? I told you my goal, now I have to tell you the means to get it. Goalmeans How can you answer? Listen to me? Well Is Juunishima no good? Should the family be destroyed? Wwhat are you saying?! Yourans expression changed completely. She was a strong girl, but most of her strength lay in her identity as a Juunishima. For good or bad, that was everything to her. In other words, it was her complete identity. Of course she was completely surprised when Taiyou clearly asked Should it be destroyed? Theres no way you can do that. Thats not what Im asking. What? I wont talk about what can and cant be done. Since I expect to have you, Im only asking what I have to do to accomplish that. After asking it, Ill do it. What I can and cant do, whats easy and hard isnt a problem. Whyare you saying that much. Well, because Taiyou laughed suddenly. She could see all the women past him. Kotone, Suzune, Kazane. Kohaku. Aoba. And, Shirokiyami. They were all gathered, watching what was happening from a distance. All of them, and their promise. All of them together, and their bond. Putting it all into clear words, looking back, back at Youran. The fact that now, Im the one the most in love with you. !! Youran caught her breath. The most loved in the world. Those words struck a look of strong shock on her face. He showed her his feelings, there were no more words. Thats why he waited, holding on to her, waiting for her reply. Taiyou and the wives, all tensely waiting, for Yourans next words. Youran hung her head and bit her lower lip. One could tell there was hesitation and conflict in her looks. Thats why they waited. An almost eternal time seemed to pass, and finally Youran lifted her head. She wore an expression they had never seen before. She said Let me go. Taiyou let her free just as she asked. Why did it happen? No one really knows the reason. Maybe she felt it. That something would come after. He probably felt it too. She grabbed his collar and flipped him over from the leg. Earth and heaven flipped, and he fell on the school grounds. It was the same thing that happened on the roofuntil now. At that time, a new development. Youran mounted Taiyous stomach like a horse and opened her mouth. I am. She was about to declare her name, but it wasnt heard. Before anyone could hear it, she kissed him which confused everyone even more. Chapter 223 – Queen and King and Princess Chapter 222 - Harem Value Chapter 224 - Youran Epilogue Translator: Ranzan She mounted him and kissed him. She pressed him down with her lips. They kissed each other fiercely, crushing into each other, kissing with force. No technique involved, just the push and pull of emotions. Thats how Youran kissed. And Taiyou, not resisting, at her mercy. He wasnt surprised or lost at what to do. He just chose to follow along. This time, Im going to kiss you. Yeah, you did. I wasnt attacked by you this time, this time it was from me, because I wanted to to do it. Yeah. After hearing Yourans aggressive tone, Taiyou responded with a calm one. I wanted to do it, so I did. She stopped and pronounced each word purposefully. I know. Do you really? Yeah? Because Im strong! How many time had Taiyou heard that already? However, this was the first time it had meant something. I dont think that Im mistaken. I go straight through the way I think correct. In the past, now, and in the future. I see. Because Im a woman that imposes my will! Yes, I know. He smiled with the meaning that he understood as he looked up at her and tucked his chin down. I know that youre strong, thats why I like you. Thats why I dont mind you forcing your will on others. Really? Yeah, as a precedent its already necessary. What do you mean, necessary, Do I have to tell you? Its because youre a wicked woman. I dont like you messing with words! She said with a bit of passion, as she slapped him on his chest, still mounted. Thud, thud, thud. It didnt hurt, in fact, it was rather pleasant. Not for his body, but his heart. Then Ill tell you straight. He breathed out a long breath, and then looked Youran straight in her eyes. I love you. Until you learn to love me, Ill do anything. Yourans eyes opened wide. But she wasnt surprised. Her eyes fluttered, and she seemed a mix of emotions. He kept his gaze on her, and finallyas if it were the final thing to confirm, he asked. Are you okay with that? The answer to his question wasnt a word, but a kiss. A kiss that was just a touch. Not a forceful one, but one with many meanings. In an instant, a chorus of cheers went out. Not one person, not two. Not even ten or twenty. Hearing the cheers, the whole schools full of students must have been cheering them on. In the middle of the cheers, Youran stood up, and Taiyou got up as well. Maemori! What was next, everyone thought, as Youran shouted up in the sky. The helicopter then landed and opened its door. Get in, were going somewhere else. Where are we going? Anywhere is fine. Youran said, as she shot a challenging look at Taiyou. Make me yours then! Well talk after that. I see. Youran did the best she could to not lose her air of being strong. Taiyou smirked and got into the helicopter with her. He saw the wives off with that smile, as the two lifted off into the air. Night at Taiyous Castle. It was strange for Taiyou to arrive home alone like this. Im home. We were waiting. Wearing the same thing she did at his school that afternoon, Leticia was waiting, dressed as a teacher. She was radiating an elegant air, waiting at the door for Taiyou to come in. Yes, they woke me up. Who did? No one you would be jealous of, and there was no way around it. Dont worry. Ah, well Taiyou winced a bit. He though since Leticia couldnt recover from passing out without a kiss, he wanted to check what had happened. It seems that it just wasnt a way for her to get a kiss from him, after all. However, since she said Someone you wouldnt be jealous ofhe was now a bit worried, and now was imagining bad things. But now, I have something to tell you. Before thatwhere is everyone? As Taiyou walked past the entrance into the living room terrace, he looked at all the doors to the different rooms. There was no one there, and there was no feeling that anyone remained inside. Theyre at a celebration. The Hayases requested it. A celebration? Due to all of our work, we helped you get the fourth wife. The fourth? As he remembered this, he responded like a parrot. Strange for a person to think about it, but until this morningeven though Taiyou considered Leticia outside this number, it made him feel weird to hear her talk about something like this in front of him. Youran isnt the fifth one? Have you looked at your status? Wha? That idiot was the one who fell for your sweet talk. Even though Leticia was using her polite speech, she still used the term that idiot. It felt a bit off for a princess in princess modeto be talking like that. I wasnt there to see it all take place, but not only her body, but her heart became yours. Or am I wrong? Well, shes still the tomboy-type she always is. If thats so, what will happen to your status? What happened to it now? it hasnt increased. As he felt the sensation of looking between his eyeball and molars, he called the status up to check it. This morning there was four as the corrected amount. Even now, there was only four. There was now way that Youran wasnt part of them after giving her body and soul over to him recently, but maybe she was just being stubborn. There was no way it was Kotone and the rest. That left just one possibility. Youarent one of them anymore. Yes, youre right. Why? Do I have to tell you the reason? Id at least like an explanation. Just like you. Leticia smiled at him. It was a smile that hes never felt beforeone with a distance to it. Looking at her calmly, her lips seemed so soft. But the smile was still distant. Do you want to hear the words that the idiot told you finally? What? That you would be the king of Juunishima. I think that idiot told you that. Taiyou said nothing in return. Its true she had said that in their bed. In fact, Leticia had told him exactly what Youran had told him to the word. You know what she said? Yes, in the future, when I am going to give my virginity to my husband, I will say the same thing as her. Is that how you are related? Yes, at the same time, I had to be separated from her. I think I understand. Really? Leticia was a bit surprised she understood. Well, I really dont know anything. I dont know the details, but it seems right at least. Taiyou said so, and grimaced. Thats whyare the words and story that I expected right afterwards. Thanks anyway. Its hard to be thanked and not answered. Youran never talked like that, playing with words. Taiyou, as he said, wore a sad face. Leticia simply smiled. Like a princess, a complete smile fit for a public appearance. Well, then, Ill be seeing you. She left Taiyous side, and then Taiyous Castle. Suddenlyafter using all his heart and feelings for Youran, had not strength to stop her. She left him, and he silently watched her leave. Chapter 224 – Youran Epilogue Chapter 223 - Queen and King and Princess Chapter 225: Aoba / The Brides Home Translator: Ranzan Whoa Is this Is a traditional Japanese restaurant? As soon as the entered the room, the Hasegawa sisters looked around the place with a sense of wonder. A warm lighting with an interior design that had a traditional look using mostly wood. From an open window they could hear a tilting bamboo fill with water and tip with a clonk, clonk along with the murmuring of a small stream. It was a place that surely had the image of a traditional Japanese restaurant, at least as far as the kimono-wearing hostess had show them. I see, quite the place. Its nice that its so quiet. While the three sisters gazed around in wonder, Kohaku and Aoba who followed them were the opposite, calmly taking it in. Those two seemed like they walked into a local, clean family restaurant instead. The sisters were shocked. Nice and quiet? Why are you two so relaxed about this? Its a traditional Japanese restaurant! Traditional! The three sisters continued with their chorus of voices. They were all very surprised at the other twos reaction, but the other two had their own reasons for their lack of interest. After living for around 90 years, you dont get as impressed that much anymore. My mother always liked placed like this, so my father always took us to restaurants like this. I see! Well, its a nice place. Its the type of place you three could get used to from now. Finally, the twin tail Youran entered the room. Youran exchanged a look with the hostess and she left, closing the sliding door. In the room was only those womenthe wives of Taiyou. Sit down. Youran said as she sat at the end of the table, while the others took their individual seats. They left the head of the table open, and each sat down. First, I want to say I am extremely delighted to be invited here Could you stop with the jokes? Youran spurted out. Heh heh heh, sorry about that. Um, why did you bring us all here? Aoba asked with a searching tone. Its like a meet-and-greet, were all going to be his girls after all, so we should be doing this together, right? Are you okay with doing this? What are you trying to do by having this celebration? A few thingswell, first is Kohaku put her pointer finger up. the fact that our husband now has seven wives. Kohaku began the statement, which Youran finished. You said it already, my familys great grandmother had 49 people. Thats the type of family I was born into. A woman with a whole bunch of women, hard to think about nowadays. Hard to even imagine. I see, since she was a distinguished woman she already had that ability, right? Yes. Youran nodded, while Kohaku stuck out her middle finger too and also asked: Let me ask you this, are you going to challenge his first and most legitimate wife?! Kohaku-san! The three sisters looked at Kohaku with an expression of shock. What is she saying, their faces seemed to say. As Kohakus rude question, Youran responded with a cool and calm face. Theres no reason for me to do that. Youran answered nonchalantly. Theres no intention for her to do that, was Kohakus response of seeming trust. I see. Yes, but if hes going to ditch all of his other wives but one, I think the result may be different. Taiyou-san wont do that! The three sisters shouted in unison. He wont do that, but really Youran said, and looked at the others. Hed be happy if we all got along together. From that, it was the first time that Youran had a sullen look about her. Back then you said it, what he always said to you. That he would make you all happy, he would make everyone happy. Yes, Natsuno-kun always said that. If thats so, then we should get along to make him happy, right? Heh heh heh. Kohaku laughed deep in her throat, as Youran responded, puzzled. Whats with that laugh? If we get along, then husband will be happy, yes, thats true. But, do you know why thats so? Why whats so? Yeah, he was just a high schooler a few months ago, so hes completely immersed in thinking solely about his harem, is why. so something happened to him? Heh heh heh. Kohaku laughed the same way again, and put her hands on the three sisters shoulders and pushed them towards Youran. Its because of these three. What? What, what about us? We didnt do anything Theyre the ones that taught him how great a harem could be. These three women with the same soul, three women loving one man all together, three friendly sisters. Women in a harem should be friendly, cordial and beautiful, is what these three taught husband. Of course, unless they didnt want to make a harem, which then it would have never happened. I think I understand. So, thats what Aoba taught Taiyou before the harem. Meee? She didnt think that she would be mentioned, so Aoba unconsciously made a frightened response. My father was surrounded by three women, and I had three mothers, so thats why I dont know who my birth mother is The parents look super happy, but the child seems so distant from her parents. I nthe same harem, he wants the children to be happy together, is what husband said about his relationship with us and him. Umabout that Aoba clasped her hands in front of her bosom. Almost as if she was carrying a small treasure. These two treated husband in that way. Youre saying the same thing as them. Hm? What do you mean? It doesnt matter. Youran said in a bored tone. So why are you telling me all this anyway? These two have given husband so much. They did it for all of us. What do you plan on providing him? Instead of me, what about you, yourself? Youran returned the question instantly. Kohaku smirked mischievously. If I tell you it will sound prideful, so I wont. You have many years ahead, youll see with your own eyes. Then youll see me with your own eyes too. Heh heh heh, I guess I will. Kohaku and Yourans discussion calmed a bit, and Aoba joined the conversation. Um, when youre in front of Natsuno-kun, do you always look like that? Hm? With your hair in twin tails. Aoba asked hesitantly, and Youran answered quickly. Oh, so he hasnt pulled yours yet? No Dont worry then, he wont. II see. Yeah, I think so tooIts impossible to stop him if he does though. Okay Aoba seemed sad. I will say thisits not like its a bad thing. What? Yeah, he does different things with different people. The easiest example is the conversation he has with me and Kohaku. Yeah, he likes to play with words around me. He knows I hate that, so he speaks simply. But? Aoba looked at them with that face that said, so what? He does different things with different people. He pulls my hair when theyre twin tails, but not when its in ponytails. Maybe theres a reason he does with me that he doesnt with you? Theres some reason he doesnt do it with you. Ah Aoba took a breath and understood what was going on. Hey, Im not saying Im jealous or anything. In the same way, Im not going to be jealous of what he does with you. Its meaningless. Yeah, youre right. The four looked at each other. At that moment, their conversations finished in silence. Then, they all realized it. With these four, at least with these four, they decided to get along together well from now on. At least, Youran thought so. Thats why she stood, and took a step back. Then she bowed. I am Youran Juunishima, also with the name Shingetsu no Kami. Her twintails touched the tatami mat below her, and with words of thanks, continued. I ask your favor from now on. Chapter 225: Aoba / The Bride’s Home Chapter 224 - Youran Epilogue Chapter 226: Aoba / Dining Table of the Familys House Translator: Reflet Evening at the Miyagi household, in the living room. Aobas three mothers were gathered full-force, and they were entertaining Taiyou, who had tagged along with her. Hey stupid son What is it, stupid mother Taiyou matched the outspoken Atsuko with his own response. Out of the three of them, she looked the most like a lady, and yet she always would interact with Taiyou in ayour friendly neighborhood ladysort of manner. I just looked at Aoba earlier, but she really is a woman now isnt she WhaDD Mio in her maid outfit was speechless at what Atsuko had said. She was one of the actual mistresses of this house, and despite being one of Aobas three mothers, she was serving them while standing in a servant-maid outfit. She glared at Taiyou, but Atsuko continued, ignoring her. Whaddya think You arereally asking me? Should I have not Perhaps she is doing something that she cannot convey to her parents? Nazuna had joined in the conversation, teacup to her lips. Perhaps because of once suffering from a dangerous disease, she constantly had a faraway atmosphere about her that the other two did not have. Well of course she cannot discuss it. And what kind of man explains that sort of thing to his mothers-in-law? Well, said mothers-in-law are here to ask Could you please refrain from asking Taiyou raised his voice. He had accidentall strained himself when Atsuko had egged him on. He cooled himself down while sighing with aHaah. Well, it is true. I have made her into a woman DDggh The standing Mio let out a groan as she vexingly bit her lower lip. Unlike before, she didnt flare up at him, but Taiyou found himself thinking that in itself was plenty scary. Really now, that girl has? She is of that age after all Atsuko and Nazuna said softly while looking in the direction of Aobas room. Aoba was currently in her room. Summer vacation was over, so Aoba had returned to her familys house to grab some winter clothing to prepare for the approaching fall and winter. As she was gathering her possessions, Taiyou was now the toy of the three mothers. So how far didja go Eh Taiyou was perplexed at Atsukos question. How farwell, all the way through Ya really are no good, stupid son What Umm, I do not understand what you are saying When you say all the way through you mean ya slept with her right Well, yes Taiyou said as if to say (What else could it be?) What were asking is: How many times a day do ya make love, where ya make love, and what ya use to make love Theres also with whom do you make love with Right, right. Your places a harem too right? So we wanna know that too So what youre saying is Just recount your experiences like on those online bulletin boards You really think Id be able to do that? Taiyou retorted enough to bolt up. To sum up what Atsuko and Nazuna were saying, they wanted him to give them the whole naked story about his night life without covering it up. Of course, Taiyou did reject that idea Atsuko-sama, Nazuna-sama, how about trying that thing That Ohhh, thaaat. Yeah, that might work I have no objection Then as we have the unanimity of all three, I shall prepare it Wait a moment, Mio-san. What is that? He had an extremely bad feeling about that thing that the maid Mio was trying to bring into the room, so Taiyou hurriedly stopped her. Truth serum Why do you have something like that? It is something that is always prepared for Nazunas use Whaaaaat Atsuko answered Taiyous question of why. Thats cuz Nacchis a reserved one. Its all well and good when shes one-on-one with someone, but when Mio or I, etc, are with her, she doesnt say what she wants. So we use it for times like these Nazuna reddened her cheeks at Atsukos explanation, wordlessly putting the black tea to her mouth. Please do not use such a thing for those sorts of things Its interestiiing. Lately weve only been using it one out of three times, but it works on Nacchi like the placebo effect, and ohhh! Its just so cuuute to watch lemme tell ya Whaa So it is not astonishing to hear that, Nazuna-san No, because I also do similar things to Mio-san Wha-, are you serious, Nazuna-sama!? Who knows what sorts of things you have been fooled with Ah, see, Mio-san thinks only toDD Uwaaaaah Mio cut through Atsukos words in a loud voice. Its alright, as Mio-sans have all been replaced with the real thing Eh Nazuna said. Mio was at a loss for words. Completely opposite to Nazuna, everything was all real with her. The person in question realizing it was also exactly the opposite. Taiyou began shivering. Scary Who even are these scary people! It was scary to see both of them deceiving each other. He practically thought this was a house of demigods. Its alright, as everyone is only doing their best to cheer up Mr. Novice ScaryMy future is scary Taiyou didnt think that was any good. He could totally see Aoba, having (one of their) bloodlines in her, as well as Kohaku doing that sort of thing, and it was scary imagining it. He did whatever he could to change the subject. Come to think of it, Aoba really is lateDD Hey, stupid son Ohhh what Whaddya want, stupid mother Wanna stay the night? What are you even asking all of a sudden Taiyou was befuddled that the subject had suddenly shifted. No, not just the subject. Atsuko had also changed her tone. It was now an earnest manner of speaking, with a slightly lower tone. Well yknow, you havent even stayed here once since the girls gone to your place, right Come to think of it, you are right Taiyou thought about it, inclining his head. He certainly didnt recall staying the night at Aobas familys house. Well it is normal to think of a daughter going with her husband once she becomes his wife, but it was so sudden, and we werent quite emotionally ready for it That makes sense, yeah So Mio-san and Nacchi are lonely, see. Thinking that itd still be a while before their beloved daughter was taken to be a bride and all. So ya know, they still really really wanna be together with her Hearing what Atsuko said, he looked at Mio and Nazuna. Mio looked discontent, and Nazuna had her usual faraway smile. So we were wondering if Aobad also stay if you were staying I see Taiyou thought briefly. If that were the case, then he wasnt reluctant to cooperateDDif anything, he thought it probably best for him to do so. Aoba had already reconciled with her mothers, so he was thinking that on the contrary, he should give her more opportunities to return to her familys house from now on. Understood. If that is the case, I shall be staying here tonight Sorry Nah its fine Then Mio-san, could you prepare the sleeping medicine? Certainly Atsuko said, and Mio began to hasten preparations after answering calmly. Wait a second, just wait a second! What are you talking about out of the blue Cmon, if you were to normally stay here, Aobad sleep in the same room as you. So were thinking to mix some medicine in with your food and make sure ya cant tell her to sleep with you We are merely using a sleeping drug this time around, so please do relax Nazuna said casually. (Scary) thought Taiyou. Whaddya mean this time, whaddya mean merely It is just like it sounds And wait, if thats your objective, there must be another way Yep Atsuko grinned. It was a normal smile, but it for some reason scared him. Which is why you need to cooperate with us, stupid son Please give me a break, stupid mother Chapter 226: Aoba / Dining Table of the Family’s House Chapter 225: Aoba / The Brides Home Chapter 227: Aoba / You Just Get Outta Here Translator: Reflet Come, Aoba, open your mouth Nighttime, the dining table of the Miyagi house. Taiyou, Aoba, Atsuko, and Nazuna were at their seats as Mio in her maid outfit served them. It was an abundant scene at the Miyagi household. Even from Taiyous perspective, he felt like he was growing used to it. During that time, he was feeding Aoba the things he had piled on his plate. What was currently on the table for a hors doeuvre was dry-cured ham, the first portion of the cuisine. The maid Mio was flawless in the way she softly put it on the table and arranged it, and for a moment Taiyou felt excited like he was at a high-class restaurant, but he didnt have the courage to put it to his mouth. As long as there were no food-tasters. Eh? Mouth? Eh? Here, say Ahhh Taiyou brought the ham with a fork stabbed in it before her. He was trying to get her to eat it by saying the old Ahhh phrase. Of course, Aoba was befuddled by it. Wh-Whats come over you, Natsuno-kun? Im gonna feed you, now come on N-No, Im fine. Thats just embarrassing You dont have to be embarrassed though. Cmon Uu- Cmon Taiyou further urged the reddened Aoba. Perplexion, indecision. After briefly looking back-and-forth at Taiyous face and the ham, she gathered her resolve and sunk her teeth into it with a *chomp*. Is it good? I dunno Really? Hm She had said that she wasnt sure about the taste, but there didnt seem to be any poisonous sleeping drug slipped in, so he relaxed. Stabbing the fork into the ham, this time Taiyou fed himself. Ah Whats wrong? You still want some? N-Nah. Its not like that, but Mio-san, some soup It is a green pea potage After the hors doeuvre, a soup plate arranged with potage was brought out. It was a course with strained green peas, stimulating ones appetite. Just like earlier, he took some with a spoon, putting it in front of Aoba. Aoba, ahhh Whaaat A-Again Yeah, here, ahhh UuA-Ahhh Her face decisive, Aoba put her mouth to the spoon. Is it tasty? Im not good with those sorts of things That right? Ah, but this is tasty. Not only are the ingredients good, but the flavor really shows you how skilled the person who made it is There hadnt been any issue with Aoba eating it, so Taiyou relaxed and put the potage to his mouth. He had feared that there might have been a sleeping drug mixed in, but if werent for that, the ham and whatnot that Mio had cooked was very much so delicious. Lately, he had been going out with Kohaku, Youran, and the like, and this was a taste that outdid the high-quality restaurants they had gone to. It is delicious, Mio-san I am grateful for the compliment Nacchi, whaddya think about that Shall we not observe a bit longer Ill say. I just began thinking that way too Atsuko and Nazuna were whispering to each other about something. Guessing they were up to no good again, Taiyou decided to not loosen his guard. And like that, with every part of the full-course meal that Mio brought out, he always made sure to have Aoba test before tasting it himself. Since the women didnt stop her, he thought it was alright, but he did so regardless. But wow, Mio-sans cuisine is seriously good. This is good enough to easily make it into restaurants Well of course. Its Mother-samas cuisine after all Just by saying that, I can feel myself being persuaded. Thats amazing Taiyou said while smiling. Hey, but does that mean in other words that you havent eaten home cooking? NghNo, thats not true. Cause Mother-samas good at everything from the east to the west. The osechi that she made for this years New Years Day and whatnot was seriously outstanding. I have pictures saved of it, so Ill show you later ReallyThat is so cool. Do you make it together with her? Ah, guess Ill eat this too Please doNamnam. Usually Mother-sama wont let me be in the kitchen. I do occasionally make sweets with her, but I dont think Ive made cuisine other than in home economics I see Natsuno-kun, would you prefer a girl who can cook Aoba said, looking up at him. There was some sauce on her mouth, so he wiped it with the ball of his finger, licking it. Youre fine as you are, Aoba. If you cant do it then I dont mind if you stay that way. After all, at our house we have someone who can seriously cook well, so it might be nice to leave the cooking to her, just like at your familys house Yeah, youre right Taiyou and Aoba were looking at Mio at the same time, the same persons face popping into their heads. That was how they conversed, all the while having each other try eating the course meals. Taiyou suddenly realized something. He had constantly been talking with Aoba, but the three mothers there were hardlyno, they werent participating in the conversation at all. Wondering what had come over them, he looked at them. Uhh Taiyou was perplexed at what he saw. Atsuko was sulking with her wineglass tilted, facing far into next week. Mio was making the kind of hateful face that could kill someone, and Nazuna was further away. What is the matter Hey, stupid son Whats up? Give it a rest, you punk Whaat Taiyou wondered what she was saying all of a sudden. Where did that come from? Im saying to not flirt so damn much at someone elses house Flirtbut I wasntDD When he retorted, Atsuko looked coldly at him as she stabbed a fork through the main dish meat, holding it out to Nazuna. Nacchi, ahhh Okay, ngh Is it good Yes. Mio-sans cooking is tasty as always I am grateful for the compliment Its good? Then I guess Ill try some too Oh dear, an indirect kiss Ohhh, how rude of me I did not realize it either The three mothers had begun a skit all of a sudden. After acting it out with a satirical tone, everyone looked at Taiyou simultaneously. DDSee? Ah well Taiyou scratched his cheeks. The three mothers skit was embarrassing to watch, but he could tell that was what he had done. Unexpectedly, he had indeed been flirting in front of the mothers. Looking at Aoba, she had also seemingly only just realized that, her face becoming a deep red. Ummokay Forget it Yeah, I will do that The three mothers vaguely spoke, making faces of resignation all at once. So once youve finished eating, hurry up and get lost, ya stupid son Chapter 227: Aoba / You Just Get Outta Here Chapter 226: Aoba / Dining Table of the Familys House Chapter 228: Shirokiyami / The Scent of Crepes Translator: Reflet Taiyou and Aoba had been kicked out from the Miyagi household. It seemed that Aoba hadnt seen it from where she was standing, but before closing the door, Atsuko had stuck out her tongue and pulled down her eyelid, so Taiyou understood that even though he had been kicked out, it was a joke to some extent. So he didnt overthink it, tagging along with Aoba on the way home. Aobas expressions didnt seem to be brightening up. She wasnt drooping down exhaustingly, but was exuding a gloomy atmosphere. There was no way that he could simply go from being asked to stay the night to being chased out. Taiyou was considering what exactly he should do. Ta-ta-tadaaa, tis me, coming forth Hera warped in front of them out of nowhere. Taiyou welcomed her, celebrating her nice timing, as the fairys dictionary didnt have the definition of read the atmosphere in it. Huh? Why are you guys outside? Were you not going to spend the night at Aoba-chans place? It seemed that the fairy really couldnt read the atmosphere. More importantly, what about you? Werent you supposed to be at the house? I was not at the house actuallyyy. I was just eating food outside with everyone Outside Yes indeed. Kohaku-tan suggested that we eat out Is that right? Thats rare Kohaku-tan suggested that because Taiyou-chan was not at the house, there was no need to make anything, seee Okay Nodding, Taiyou was satisfied. He didnt have any particular problem with that. Actually, he kinda wanted her to do that more often. Kohaku had a bad habit. Whenever she proposed they go out somewhere, they had to choose between rare and interesting out of the various places. If they went there, they could experience various things. The young/old girl who had lived out close to ninety years of her life was making various choices so as to give her family a lot of experience. Also. And is Youran with them as well? Yes indeed. Yuri-tan is with them as well I see Recently she had become another one of Taiyous brides, and he was able to see similar tendencies from Youran as a fellow family member. Just like Kohaku, she would propose rare things, trying to take everyone along. Even more so in her case, unlike Kohaku who had completely entered teaching mode, about ten percent of her reasoning for doing this was for bragging rights. He could faintly feel her thinking How is it? Its great, right?. However, that was really only a bitDDPercentage-wise it was only ten percent, so there was no issue. Rather, seeing her boast to Taiyou was like that of a cat showing its catch to its master, enough to make him feel it was cute. Which means that everyone is still out, right? Yes indeed. They might be returning a home a little late, which is why I came to tell Taiyou-chan. You can contact her not via house, but via cell and the like Okay, then I guess Ill meet up with them there. I have time after all You had better not Hera immediately answered. He looked at her, his face spelling out Whys that?. That is what Kohaku-tan wanted to say Wanted to say Yes indeed. If by any chance Taiyou-chan were to display interest in where they were, I was to say precisely this:Aye, there be times when fellow brides must fightapparently Hera imitated Kohakus way of speaking. What kind of time could that be? Taiyou smiled wryly. But alright, I gotcha. Then could you tell Kohaku-san and the others that Ill be heading back for today? They can do whatever they want though Yes indeed Wait a sec Unlike earlier, Hera had made to fly away. Taiyou suddenly remembered something, calling her back. What is it Cant you also warp over there when youre flying The possibilities between Taiyou-chan and I are infinite, yesss Ya really like saying good lines, dontcha Taiyou gave a wry smile. Hera had tried to gloss it over with one of her typical lines, so Taiyou decided to not pursue it any further. He watched as she flew off into the night sky. And then he looked at Aoba, who had not said a single word from when Hera had arrived to when she had left. Her becoming further depressedwas not what had happened, but he also couldnt see her cheering up. She was still drifting languidly in the middle of a pond. Wonder what I should do about this Taiyou thought. For the time being, he thought to ask her straightforwardly to break through the front wall. Umm, Aoba, you really dontDD I know. My mothers are always like that after all Yeah Theyre not angry at all, and they dont even care. If anything, they might actually be saying they want to have Mother-sama make us something delicious again and have us all eat together. At least, thats what I think Imreally jealous There wasnt even any need to explain about their intentions until the last minute- that was how close they were. Yeah. The closest person to Motherwould probably be Kohaku-san, I think? With how she gets along with people, and her atmosphere and whatnot I feel like Nazuna-san is also close to Kohaku-san, in the sense that she has ulterior motives hidden within Mama, huhI dunno. I also feel like shes just as she appears I think by the point that you, their daughter is that vague about it, somethings up The two of them walked alongside each other in the residential area. In direct proportion to their lively conversation, their pace was also becoming lighter. By the way, are Mio-sans wounds alright Taiyou suddenly remembered it. Mio, who had accompanied them to Juunishima the other time, had swiftly covered for Aoba, suffering wounds, withdrawing. As to what happened afterward, he wasnt sure. The specifics had never been made clear, though he had heard she was fine. So he was concerned about that, checking with Aoba. Yeah, I made sure to confirm Mother-samas status. Shes the kind of person to put on airs and not say what the case actually is, so I cheated a bit and got information Cheated Cheated Aoba parroted back. He had wanted to ask her just what that was, but she didnt seem to want to talkDDtell him. It was enough for Taiyou to know that at the very least she was fine. No point forcibly asking. Come to think of itwhen I came to know you, it was already past Mothers Day, wasnt it Eh Whens Mio-sans birthday Umm9/28 Oh, well thats soon. Im glad it hasnt passed. If Id passed that one up, Id have to do something for Christmas, which is a tricky subject What do you mean do something Aobas face showed that she vaguely understood, but still wanted to confirm. Lets celebrate her birthday together. Also as thanks As thanks Thanks for her protecting you aboard that ship Thatsbut she would have anyway Yeah, of course ̫Taiyou said, cutting through Aoba as he stood still, speaking to her as he peered straight into her eyes. But right now, youre my wife. I want to give her thanks for protecting my wife Ah Aobas face burst red. Thanks, Natsuno-kun And she spoke with a smile. I think Mother-sama will get angry, but dont mind that, okay? Im prepared for her to make unpleasant faces Itd be great if that were all Just what is Mio-san like for her daughter to say such things I mean, shes Mother-sama after all Makes sense A smile broke out of Aobas mouth as she said that. It was the first natural, cheerful smile he had seen since they had left the Miyagi residence. It was a differentvector from the smile she would make as a member of the Taiyou Natsuno household, but nevertheless, a smile that wouldnt lose to it either. Taiyou decided once he had seen that. Aoba Hm Go back to your house He said as he put his hands on her shoulders, spinning her back to the path they had traversed. N-Natsuno-kun Spend time with your mothers today. And tomorrow youd better not come back here and go to school from there, alright? B-But See ya at school tomorrow He pushed Aobas back, sending her away. Aoba slightly hesitated, but at last nodded, walking off to the Miyagi residenceher own house. After seeing her off, Taiyou turned on his heels, starting to walk. There was probably no one at Taiyou Castle, but it was going to be a bright day. Chapter 228: Shirokiyami / The Scent of Crepes Chapter 227: Aoba / You Just Get Outta Here Chapter 229: Shirokiyami / Enemy Line, Remote Line, and Home Line Translator: Reflet It was night at Taiyou Castle in the quiet living room. Taiyou was there by himself, silently levelling up. It was the way to rack up exp to the next level, which he had found out from Hera ahead of time, and it was a repetitious operation of putting colorful marbles into a music box then taking them out again. Take one, put it in, take it out. Take one, put it in, take it out. Take one, put it in, take it out. Taiyou was doing that grind by himself. A lonelyperson Uwah All of a sudden, he heard a voice on the other side. The sofa facing him on the other side of a table. Shirokiyami had appeared in the area where there was definitely no one. Her long white hair and vague red eyes as well as her unique respiration hadnt changed, but she somehow seemed even darker than before. Perhaps because summer was over and the nights of fall where getting colder day by day, her lace dress had become long-sleeved as well, covering much more of her skin than before. It was a black dress that she had worn because of her being self-conscious about her whiteness, so Taiyou took that aspect to feel like she had become even darker. Ya cant just appear like that, cmon. My fragile heart was seriously about to burst I was alwayshere No way Taiyou promptly asserted. Shirokiyamis vague eyes were clear for once as she gazed at Taiyou with a faint trace of surprise. But I erased myappearance andpresence But I didnt smell you until just recently Smell Yes, smell Not bothering to stop his hands taking marbles in and out, Taiyou looked around Taiyou Castle. Theres a certain smell affixed to this house of everyone- that is to say, the smell of my four wives, who live together with me. Your scent wasnt among them until just now Do Ismell She tried sniffing her sleeves. It was like that of a puppy, and it was very cute. No, you dont smell. If anything Id say you have a good scent. No, I just meant that that scent wasnt there until earlier You dont get it? Its like if I were to put meat on the grill but suddenly smelled someone starting to eat crepe from the neighboring table Ihatecrepes Then bread or something like that Isee Shirokiyami suddenly pulled at her chin slightly. It was a cute mannerism. While he was thinking that, Taiyou realized something. At first he had thought that she was wearing fall clothing, which was why the clothing was covering more of her skin, but that didnt seem to be all there was to it. He thought to check that with her. Its small today, eh? Whatis Your chest Taiyou said bluntly. Unlike Youran, she wasnt well suited for wordplay, so he asked her straightforwardly. Usually, it was the sort of topic that was taboo amongst females, but he was sure that Shirokiyami wouldnt mind. There wasnt any particular reason for it, but he nevertheless felt that. At length, she answered without changing her expression in the slightest. Mhm. Todayit issmall Today, huh? Mhm As I thought. Ive always felt odd about how your chest would get bigger or smaller Mhmit changes everyday What is this, a food special? Taiyou gave an enormous quip. Even then, his hands had not stopped. So how are you doing that Metamorphosis Metamorphosis Yes. I was told long ago by someonethat I ought tobe able to transformto thethirdstage Umm, Id really like to know the identity of this someone that you frequently discuss (Although its probably some no-good person like Kohaku or Hera), he added in his head. Wellthey are a studentat the academy Seriously Theyre repeating a yearso they are stillfirst year And theyre the same grade as me? Theyre not seriously one of my classmates, right Probablynot Thank goodness Taiyou was of the opinion that he should never involve himself with that sort of person. Thanks to that personI was able to complete mythird transformation Rather than thinking negatively about this, she instead seems to think of it quite positively While recalling her appearance when she had a big chest, he mumbled about things like that. While having that sort of converstion with Shirokiyami, he continued to move his hands. While sitting on the other side, Shirokiyami continued to gaze at him with vague eyes. Whatisthat Levelling up If it was a bit earlier he would have tried to play dumb, but she could already see Hera, so Taiyou didnt think there was any further meaning in hiding it. Just like this, taking one, putting it in, taking it out. Taking one, putting it in, taking it out God I thought youd say that Youve been thoroughly influenced, havent you Taiyou continued, saying No, not that. I just gather experience points by repeating processes like this. And when Ive accumulated enough, I level up Levelup And then I get stronger. I dont look any different appearance-wise, but I get stronger in many ways Taiyou gave a broad smile. To get the kind of strength that you called insane, see So you wereconstantlydoing that She gave a slight incline of the head. She was so cute that he wanted to swoop down on her. Once youve done thatI willcut you down Guess youd better deal with it until I get stronger She had read his thoughts, even going so far as to give him a warning. Nevertheless, Taiyou did not give in. He wouldnt have Shirokiyami be any other way. The partner that he liked the most out of all the women he had met thus far; the kind of partner that he loved enough to be yearning for her. Strongest in the world, and the girl he wouldnt be able to get his hands on until he was to defeat her. The last boss. She was that kind of existence to Taiyou. He wanted her to be te one who transcended all until he surpassed her. Actually, I might justwant her to always stay above me Taiyou had fallen in love with her; had even confessed his feelings. If the conditions that she had brought out had not beenDo what you want after you defeat me, he would have doubtless wanted her to be just that- above him his whole life. That was why he didnt feel bad or let down over what happened just now. ActuallyDD You aregrinning Yeah Strange face Ouch Strangeface Shirokiyami repeated the same words. It felt like there was some meaning mixed in those words, but Taiyou wasnt sure what it was. After a bit, she repeated the same question. So youwere alwaysdoing that No, this ones for raising my level to 16. I have to do different things every time. The only thing thats the same is that I have to repeat processes Differentthings Like digging a hole and filling it up, opening a window then closing it, hugging a princess then stopping hugging the princess. Lots of stuff You are asuspicious person Heck, I was closely watched by the patrol officers Even thoughyou could justkill Why would I kill them!? The patrol officers are just faithful to their work, you know Killyourself Youre telling me to repent and commit seppuku!? Taiyou burst in. And like that, he enjoyed his exchanges with her. Suddenly, he realized something. Ah What iswrong Your scentdisappeared Realizing that, Taiyou was surprised and perplexed. Earlier she was a small oddity amidst a large existence, but now that had completely vanished. Mhm Shirokiyami nodded. That is because Ierasedit To Taiyou, who had secretly been enjoying everything, it was a bit of a shock. Chapter 229: Shirokiyami / Enemy Line, Remote Line, and Home Line Chapter 228: Shirokiyami / The Scent of Crepes Chapter 230: Shirokiyami / Key Quest Translator: Reflet So you not only can erase your presence, but your scent as well While furrowing his brow, he expected no less of her. Right nowI learnedit Right now!? I evolvedwhen I wascornered Oh cmon, youre not cornered I dislikebeingsmelled Well, uhh While smiling wryly, Taiyou accepted the explanation. She was the girl who was strongest in the world; able to shift between three physical forms, split into illusions, and not just erase her presence, but even her scent. However, that didnt change the fact that she was a girl of Taiyous age. Being smelled, then having said smell pointed out wasnt something she liked, and that was to be expected. But ya know You can justenjoyyour wives But I feel like having seaweed bento along with my foie gras Thatsrudeto them After saying that, she tilted her head, repeating the same phrase. Rude He understood what Shirokiyami was trying to say. She would probably have not said anything if he had said he wanted to have both fish and meat. But Taiyou did not say that. He had said seaweed bento and foie gras. It was clear that one of their value systems was too high, and one of them didnt understand. Thats not true However, Taiyou immediately rejected her question. Taiyou had already determined, with a promise between him and Kohaku, that he would love the person in front of him not equally like the rest, but more than the rest for that very moment. In addition Plus everyone knows that I like you the most They are notjealous If anything, Id like them to be for once Taiyou smiled wryly. No one had ever felt jealousy toward him. Not Kotone, not Suzune, not Kazane, not Kohaku, not Aoba, not Youran. All of the females who had assembled under him for whatever reason were not envious. Due to their special characteristics, all three sisters wished to be loved by one man, so they were not envious. Because Aoba had grown up in a harem environment in her actual home, she had understanding in that area, and at the very least did not direct jealousy toward any of the other females she regarded as family. It hadnt been long since he had gotten together with Youran, but she was also born in a special household where her great-grandmothers numbered 49, so she practically showed no envy either. Kohaku was the only one without a harem background, but she was in a bit of a unique position, and if anything, she continued to recommend girl after girl to Taiyou. In a sense, it was frightening how there was not a single woman in Taiyous life who was envious. If it were you, would you be jealous Im notsure Youre not sure What even isenvyin the first place Shirokiyami asked, head tilted. Her face showed that she really didnt know. This isnt some sort of philosophical thing, right? Gods Handhappens to beawake While saying that, she took outSky Reversalfrom under her skirt, unsheathing it in a flowing movement and thrusting it before Taiyou. Gods Hand EventuallyI would like to forgetall of these techniques The techniques I want to do things my own way She pronounced words fluently for once. Although she had her own unique breathing pattern, she sometimes spoke phenomenally with vocabulary. He could tell that she was clearly used to saying those words; that it was something important to her. Taiyou wasnt sure what she meant by doing things her own way, but he knew that she was referring to something far ahead. Envy, huhI sure am envious of that which you have Ofthis child Why the heck would I be jealous of a katana! No, but well, I guess thats not necessarily mistaken either [Heaven Reversal], placed above her knees inside of its scabbard. If he were asked if it made him jealous, Taiyou would answer that he was indeed a bit jealous. However, what he was truly envious of was not the existence of the katana itself. Was that being conveyed, or was it not? Shirokiyami spoke with vague eyes. Envyis definitelybad Very true He nodded once, but soon shook his head. Halting his hands from the levelling up, he spoke to Shirokiyami while gazing at her. I still want you to let me be envious of you He said bluntly while looking down at her. The two of them were being illuminated by the dim lighting in the park nearby Taiyou Castle. Taiyou and Shirokiyami were facing each other from opposite ends. Taiyou was lightly clenching his fists, and Shirokiyami was holding [Heaven Reversal]. Feelings of tension rose, and the air felt strained. So youre fighting with that, huh? This childis familyafter all Family, huh? Then its the same with me Taiyou said, taking in air, and called out. Hera Ta-ta-tadaaa Hera came warping from nowhere. Huh? This is not inside the house, and well if it is not Yami-chan! What is happening, Taiyou-chan? Im going to fight her right now. You help out as well Me Yeah, its two-on-two He said straight out, eyes gazing at Hera but consciousness focused on Shirokiyami. That isnotfair Has a name, isnt human, and is an important family member Taiyou put down his fingers, counting, in response to the girls objection. Hera and that [Heaven Reversal] are essentially the same existence That isnottrue Shirokiyami didnt seem to accept that very easily. (Of course not), concluded Taiyou. But if you think about it, theyre pretty similar, essence-wise Essence Tilting her head and thinking, she at last slightly nodded. They are also the same in thatthey haveconsciousness I feel like I just heard something scary, but I guess Ill brush that off Taiyou said, once again staring straight at her. So its not unfair at all. Cause we have the exact same conditions. Now, if you were to instead put that away, I wouldnt send out HeraDDWhaddya think Itsfine Yeah? All I have to do iscut youboth Shirokiyami said, readying [Heaven Reversal]. She readied the katana around her hips, half the body forward, sword poised to be drawn. Her eyes were still obscure, but an overpowering bloodlust enveloped Taiyou. It was a bloodlust no different from when they had first met- one that seemed to pierce the skin, gouge the heart. Taiyou instead felt a gradual feeling in his chest. Without breathing a word, he readied himself. Hera Rajuuu Weapons were locked and loaded for battle. The fairy with butterfly-like wings leaped up with the kind of speed where you could hear the sound gyuuun. Like a boomerang, she leaped at Shirokiyami, drawing an arc through the air coming out of nowhere. Hyahoooh Tooslow Shirokiyami cleared the flying Hera away. An cold, electric light that tore apart the darkness of the night. It was the kind of sharp attack that could split apart all the principles of this world. However, that did not work on Hera. The fairy that was outside of this worlds principles wasnt able to get hurt by even the worlds strongest girl. The slicing attack could split anything and everything apart, but all it did to the fairy was to flick her off. Hera, who was sent flying, nonchalantly sprung with high speed at Shirokiyami. She sprung at her, and was cleared away. Nevertheless, she sprung at her, and was again cleared away. Her charge was brushed off, and she would be turned back. It was like watching a rubber ball with string attached being struck. Hnh Taiyou leaped over there. Kicking the ground with his feet, he plunged forward at a fierce speed. In an instant he had closed in on Shirokiyami, then letting out a body blow that could gouge someone. Not hitting, it cut the sky. AfterimageDD Hyahaaah Shirokiyami had left an afterimage and disappeared, reappearing the next moment behind Taiyou, only to be met with Hera springing at her. Hera had interrupted her counterattack. Saved, Taiyou retreated with Hera. This is so very fun, Taiyou-chan. Right now I am seriously in the mood for funnel Funnel doesnt self-assert Nyapunyapuuu She was more like a familiar that had a will of its own rather than an inductive weapon. He attacked Shirokiyami with said fairy. There was his overwhelming power, and she was a fairy like a telephone extension, allowing no attacks to pass through. An attack from the very front, and an all-range attack coming from every direction/space. As a combo, they pressed in on Shirokiyami. Envythat is definitelybad After he had begun challenging her, she was able to slightly change the color of her face for the first time. Chapter 230: Shirokiyami / Key Ques t Chapter 229: Shirokiyami / Enemy Line, Remote Line, and Home Line Chapter 231: Youran / Shoelace Translator: Reflet In the park, Taiyou was sprawled on the ground facing up, forming the kanji . Red blood was dripping from his shoulders. Upon close inspection, his shirt that was drenched with fresh blood was cut up, so it wasnt difficult to imagine that his skin underneath was cut in the same way. Hera was watching over him from the side worriedly. Taiyou-chan, is everything alright No issues Are you sure If anything, are your wings alright? It doesnt seem like theyve healed since then Still facing up, he asked Hera, his eyes only aimed at Hera. It was a question completely unrelated to this battle (challenge). Momentarily taken aback, Hera quickly answered. This is of no importance. I will not die. More importantlyDD Then its the same for me. I wont die Thats completely different!? The same, its the same Taiyou pulled himself up, looking at Shirokiyami in the distance. She was silently standing, holding her sheathed sword near her groin area. There didnt seem to be any killing intent, but even while she was spacing out, she was emitting a mysterious presence like that of an elaborately-made sculpture. The girl named Shirokiyami was there with her overpowering existence. Im super frustrated Its best that youdont care aboutlosing Not that. Im not frustrated that I lost Thenwhat Well, theres this vivid blood coming out of me Taiyou pointed out his shoulders that were still releasing blood, then continued. The wound itself isnt all that deep. When I was cut, I was prepared to even have my whole arm chopped off. That was just how much of a big pinchDDdecisive moment it was Hm Not even Hera could rescue me in time. Since you sent me flying with all your might It was a king-size home run that surpassed Tsugaiyamaaa And yet, that was it. Even though I was slammed into the wall, I dont feel any worse than if someone flicked my forehead My arms still attached to my body because you held back, didnt you Mhm Shirokiyami slightly nodded, making a face as if to ask And whats wrong with that?. It wouldnt be doing you any favorsto cut offyour arm And youre not wrong, but Im not talking about that Remember, I was saying Im frustrated. I thought I had gotten to a good point, but in the end you held back on me. I feel like Ive climbed a large portion of a mountain, only to look up and not be able to even see the top. Or like the clouds parted ways, only to reveal how much further away the sky is Isee I still have a ways to go for you to hold back, and thats what frustrates me. It would be better if you [couldnt hold back because I was so strong] Like the Young Boy Teacher, riiight He ignored Hera, who was trying to make a joke commentary. The joke wasnt out-of-place, but right now it was time to be serious. So it would be better mentally for me if my arm were actually chopped off I dontreallyget it My objective is to defeat you, so it just means that while youre still holding back, Im still not good enough to defeat you After tilting her head and thinking a bit So its fine todissect youright now Dont say dissect! Thats just frightening Its fineI wontlet you feel pain I mean that even if I resist, Im instantly taken down! Theres a difference in our abilities, right? Ugh, Im saying thats what is hurting me Boys aredifficult Shirokiyami said mixed with a sigh. (Its not that difficult. The difficult one is you.) thought Taiyou. He stood up, looking at his shoulders. Whenever you check a place that gets hurt, for example, when youve stumbled into a manhole wearing shoes, your toes really hurt, but youre scared to check inside your shoes. Repressing those feelings, he checked the wound opening. The blood hadnt stopped, but as he had also said to Shirokiyami, the wound was shallow for the amount of blood coming out. He had determined that there at least was no need to stitch it. I really wanna win against you Would it be better tohold back If youd become mine that way Is thatfine? You are notfrustrated aboutthat Objective and method He answered with his catchphrase; his favorite motto. Getting you in my possession is the objective, so if I can accomplish that, then its no big deal if I win against you while youre holding back As I thoughtboys aredifficult That is because this is Taiyou-chan Dont talk about me like Im some rare animal After lightly retorting to Hera, he picked up his chin, thinking a bit. A certain thought had ran by his head, so he asked Shirokiyami about it. Hey, in order to make you mineI had to defeat you, right Yeah Without losing Withoutlosing Alright. Then, how about living in my place DDEh Shirokiyami was surprised. Her face showed that she could not understand his question at all. So what Im asking is: What should I do in order to have you live in my place, the building that everyone calls Taiyou Castle? I wont do anything, nor do you have to. You would justDDyeah, like an apartment or lodging- What should I do to make this place that sort of residence for you? What should I do for you I would have it no less from my Taiyou-chan. You thought this up, hmm? Well, you might say that Taiyou was about to speak, then stopped. He invited Shirokiyami to Taiyou Castle. There was no lascivious meaning in itDDhe wasnt aiming for that sort of thing at all. What he was aiming for were basically two things. First, he had sworn that he would make Shirokiyami hisDDthe seventh bride. He would level up to the max, and he wanted to win against Shirokiyami and get hold of her, even if he had to borrow the various skills and the power of the previous six brides. To further add to it, his end objective was not to get ahold of her. It was concerning the wives who were not here. Just like how Youran, who had been newly added to the team, was enjoying her time with people like Kotone and her sisters and Kohaku, he also wanted Shirokiyami to get along with the girls up till now in that way. In order to fulfill that, he essentially wanted to have her quickly begin living with them; get used to them. And one more. This one was a simple idea. He was thinking if they lived in the same house, there might be a lapse in her security. If it were a night or early-morning attack, if he could sneak-attack her unawares, the probability of defeating her might rise. That was what he was thinking. It was an idea true to Taiyou, who stopped at nothing for his objectives. Thats why he threw the question out there, waiting for Shirokiyamis response. While waiting in expectation for what kind of answer shed give. He tried predicting her response from his memories with her. As to whether he could land a single hit on her. If maybe Taiyou, who was letting her live there, could bribe her with money. While thinking about various things, he waited for her to answer. Thenif there are nosurprise attacks Huh Myconditions. If you do notattack me when I amin my room You saw through me I had abadfeeling Shirokiyami nodded quietly. Taiyou wondered what kind of bad feeling that was as he smiled wryly. It was the same at the living terrace earlier. She had seen through Taiyous thoughts as if reading his mind. It was painful that she had given conditions one step ahead to where he could no longer attack her at night or early morning, but if he threw away one objective then he could fulfill the other. From Taiyous standpoint, there was no reason to refuse. Alright. Please come live with us Mhm So Hera, can you go tell everyone that? Rajuuu. Kohaku-tan will be suuuper happyyy So Ill be going home now, but whatll you do Ill take my luggagetomorrow That right? Then see ya tomorrow Yeahtomorrow He said, parting ways with Shirokiyami. He turned on his heels and headed home. When he thought about her living with him starting tomorrow, he could naturally feel his steps becoming lighter. He was so excited, so excited that he couldnt help even skipping, and was questioned by police along the way for that strange behavior. The white girl stared at him while standing in the park. Her vacant expression was still there, but the base of her mouth had slightly pointed up. Chapter 231: Youran / Shoelace Chapter 230: Shirokiyami / Key Quest Chapter 232: Youran / Pillow Talk Translator: Reflet That gorgeous place was a world Taiyou was utterly unaccustomed to. Taiyou was taken to a fancy hotel that adhered to convention and formalities. The nice tailored suit he was wearing fit the place and felt amazing to wear, but unlike in the physical sense, Taiyou, a mere high school student, had not been able to catch up mentally. He felt out-of-place in respect to both the location and the clothes he was wearing. During all that, he was being escorted by Youran, stepping into the party room. Youran was wearing a short sleeved kimono, her hair down. This was different from her usual twintail appearance as Juunishima YouranDDthis was her appearance as New Moon Director. There was a commotion at the stand-up buffet to her entrance. She has come So thats the rumored New Moon Director Hey you, thats insolent. Give her some respect The first thing he heard was the voices reacting to Yourans appearance. The guests, of course, and even the well-trained employees stopped what they were doing, focusing completely on her. However, who is the person behind New Moon Director Are they not a servant Your eyes suck or what? That isnt the kind of clothing fabric that a servant would wear And the way theyre lined upJuunishima-sama has him under her Thats probably just for appearance No, but And then the conversations stretched to Taiyou as well. Who is the youth with Youran? Those questions rose up here and there. Furthermore, Youran was conscious of itDDand even Taiyou could understand that she was conducting herself as ranked as Taiyous wife, so several people felt that. Those various things mixed, and with all eyes on them in a moment, he ended up feeling even more uncomfortable. He was so uncomfortable that he found himself looking down. Lift your head Youran picked up on it, speaking to him in a quiet voice. Youran See, Ill be bragging about you in front of all these people here. My man is an amazing man, and Im now his woman. I fully intend to circulate that, okay Youran said. That was the reason why she had chosen to wear a kimono and not a furisode. So be an amazing man enough to make everyone here jealous of me Yeah, I know While smiling bitterly, Taiyou nodded clearly. If it was her wish to boast around, then he was not opposed to helping grant that. If anything, in order to answer to that with all his powerDDTaiyou thought to act his part more than usual. Regaining his composure, he went to the center of the party with Youran. When she entered the area, the first wave gathering around her was comprised of aging gentlemen. Taiyou could clearly tell that they were all elderly people of good appearance, and knew from the way they conducted themselves that they were of a fairly high status. Its thanks to Kohaku-san and Youran Taiyou secretly thought. Thanks to the guidance of these two, Taiyou was now able to understand these things. He had now become able to figure that sort of thing out from the atmosphere exuded by the people in front of him. While surveying these people, he silently listened to their conversation. Perhaps wanting him to understand as well, the New Moon Director mode Youran made sure to constantly refer to each of them by their titles. Nearly all of them had positions like chairman or manager. Thinking of a group of well-dressed elderly people, there wasnt anything odd about that. Amongst them was just one young woman. The woman looked like she might not even be thirty. She was filled with sagacity, beauty, and a strong glint in her eyes. In terms of beauty she wasnt quite as much so as Youran, but she made up for it by exuding an intelligent aura. It has been a while, New Moon-sama Indeed it has, Chairwoman Orikawa. Is the gentleman Ryuunosuke healthy Father is well, thank you. As of recently he has displayed an interest in Northern Europe and has been involved there since I see Youran and the attractive girl in the suit exchanged words. The two woman in the center of the assembly hall were like two crimson dots, and even more attention was being focused on them. After they had for some time exchanged lip service, the woman turned toward Taiyou. And who might this gentleman be Allow me to introduce him. His name is Natsuno Taiyou, and he is the one who hath exchanged vows with me for the future Momentary silence. Then there was an explosion of noise expanding like a tsunami pushing through after receding. In a moment, everyone in the assembly hall had their eyes on Taiyou. The curious onlookers around them couldnt seem to hide their astonishment, but the woman who was introduced instead spoke in an astonished manner. How rude of me. I am called Orikawa Maho It is nice to meet you. I am Natsuno Taiyou While being born in a distinguished family, Chairwoman Orikawa is a woman of character who, in her generation, brought forth a large corporation without using a cent of her familys money. Doubtless you have heard of FOT before Oh, yeah, that smartphoneDD He had heard the name of that corporation before. It was a corporation with the second-most shares in smartphones in the world. With a universal enterprise like that, a person of the title of chairwoman had appeared in front of him, so Taiyou was a little taken aback. DDunh Youran suddenly pinched his behind. It was all he could do to keep from letting a voice out. Eye met with eye, and he felt like her gaze was scolding him. DDSee, Ill be going around bragging about you in front of all these people here. Hold a dignified appearance to make everyone jealous of me. He recalled the words that Youran had said just earlier. Taiyou sucked in air, puffing out his chest again. It is a privilege to meet you. Although I am an Apple user, so I do apologize Oh? I am the same Maho smiled broadly. He glimpsed the slightest mischievous nature within her ripened glamor. Taiyou saw her as the same type as Atsuko, but better in every way. I use that in private Oh? Thats the first I hath heard. I hath thought that thou useth the one from thine own company I do use that one at work. It is merely my preference in private after all. Are you not the same way, New Moon-sama? I see. Private and work, hm Indeed. I had always thought that you were that sort of person I am awed by thine great insight There was something up. This wasnt a conversation to be taken at face value. That was what Taiyou thought, but he wasnt actually sure what that something was. Come to think of it, New Moon-sama, you did use our companys terminal, did you not? Yeah, I am using the custom-made one. Thanks to that, work is progressing well In that case, I shall have another new one reach you. You may use it in private this time Private, huh Indeed, even in private Understood. I gratefully accept It shouldnt have been anything important, and yet for some reason, Taiyou felt a tense atmosphere between the two of them. Oh? Suddenly, Yourans gaze moved downward. Wondering what was up, he followed her and looked down, noticing that his shoelaces were untied. They are untied Yeah, Ill go ahead andDD Wait When Taiyou was about to squat down and retye them himself, Youran squatted down, stopping him. She squatted, put her hand on it, and tied it. In an instant, the party hall was filled with noise. It was a clamor greater than when they had entered together earlier. Did New Moon Director-sama just do an action of servitude!? That line that was heard from a faraway area seemed to convey the feelings of everyone in the assembly hall. Chapter 232: Youran / Pillow Talk Chapter 231: Youran / Shoelace Chapter 233: Youran / From Extremity to Extremity Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Moonlight and neon mixing together to create a blue light were streaming out from the window glass. Youran slowly rised, as if floating up from the wavering bottom of water. Underneath this stark naked, perfect figure that could be mistaken for a sculpture was a youth who was the same, stretched out. Today wassurprising Taiyou murmured, and Youran slightly stirred, looking down at him. Sweat in the shape of a sphere trickled down from her bangs, landing plop on his chest. From the moved sheets that had covered the two, a smell enough to make one cough filled the room. What was so surprising How amazing you are He brought out his hand, combing the long hair hanging down from her shoulders. Youran shivered as his fingers ran through her silk thread-like hair. After that, you said you had something to discuss with the FOT chairwoman and then left, right? Afterward, everyone swooped in with awe MmDid they hand business cards to you Enough to where I couldnt carry them all He wryly smiled again. He glanced to the side. There was a discarded suit, and there was a mountainful of things in said pockets that had been handed to him. They were all a mountainful of business cards that had exaggerated titles on them. What should I do about that? Should I give a reply Youre asking my opinion Yeah. Heck, you can decide. Cause I dont know what in the world I should do ThenJust ignore them Youran said, once again resting her temple on his chest. The body heat that transmitted from where she touched him seemed to be slightly warmer than when she had gotten up. You sure If I were in my New Moon Director mode, Id say thats actually better. I havent seen what kinds of people came, but if they were furtively trying to butter up to you and handing their business cards to you despite you being in high school, theyre probably second-rate anyway, so paying attention to all of that riff-raff would lower your status StatusBut Im just a high school student Ignoring Taiyou as he wryly smiled, Youran continued, head buried. After a few days, I think that there will be people wholl try to approach you like its a coincidence. You dont have to ignore them per say, but you also dont have to trust them. Theyre a crafty crowd wholl try to approach you with a strategy based on their investigation You sound like a handsome guy making advances on a girl I intentionally spoke that way Youran continued, still not lifting her face. And for a brief period, lucky things will continue in succession around you Lucky things Mhm In succession?So they devise this Right, and they do it so that you dont realize. In a few years, it really will become easier to identify if its a coincidence or not. And when it gets to that point there will be those who try to hide that fact even moreThats what the first-rate people do, so youd best remember the names of those sorts when the time comes Sounds difficult And theres also the elite Whaaat Youran Youran had stopped talking for some reason. He patted her head with the tips of his fingers. After a bit, she finally opened her mouth. Theyre people who wont try anything Wont try anything Yes. They know me well, and on top of understanding what I did to you, theyre the kinds of people who wont try anything on purpose. They do not look down on you, nor do they feel envy toward you. Theyre the kinds of people who will only interact naturally with you I get it. I cant put it well into words, but I pretty much get what youre saying Yeah? Then thats good Youran said as she clung to him more with a squeeze. What, did you not wanna talk about it Course not Youran lifted her face. Still clinging to him, she lifted her face, gazing at him. She seemed to be a little sullen for whatever reason. See, I went to brag about you today. Theres only one person wholl benefit you amongst that lot, and the rest I could care less about, so I did my very best to boast Boast, eh And it was suuuper amazing. And it was only two or three, but people looked at me with jealous eyes. And that felt sooo amazingDDand here you are talking to me with this dull topic Oh, sorry about that Taiyou smiled, putting his hands on her head and softly drawing her closer. It was the same as earlier, but this time Taiyou had initiated it. He hugged her softly, sinking his face into her chest. The naked boy and girl hugged each other in the exquisite hotel suite room with the lights out. Usually this was the time to be arousing themselves with pillow talkDDalthough with a bit of a cool-down, but what with Youran lecturing Taiyou in regards to his question, it had gone to waste, or so she implied. Having it pointed out and getting a clue, Taiyou changed the topic. Today felt super amazing for me too You too See, after you left, I was glared at by several men. Mainly in their twenties. In an instant, I realized Oh, theyre jealous of me But didnt you say that you knew nothing of envy? Amazing that you got that What I dont know ofDDwhat I havent experienced is envy from the female side. I totally get male envy Male envy Youran parroted, slightly inclining her head. Like this Taiyou said, purposefully changing his expression. In his head, he imagined the kind of maddening scene of Youran making love with other men. Wh-Whats up with that face By your reaction, I can confirm I did it right. Welp, thats the kind of face they glared at me with But theres no needto make such a face Hm Because Iwont do anything to have you make such a face Youran said sulkily. That face was just so cute. Yeah? Thanks. To tell the truth, I sometimes get in that state because of Kotone and the others, so Im really glad you said that Eh Surprised, Youran rose up abruptly. Her face showed her disbelief that those three sisters would do such a thing. Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane are too close, and I sometimes find myself jealous of them. When Im amongst them, I feel like theyre connected on a spiritual level and end up feeling like an outsider But Im As if throwing a small tantrum, Youran hit Taiyous chest repeatedly. It was a habit of hers, hitting him repeatedly whenever something was up. Im trying to have a serious talk with you Ahaha, I know As he said that, he pulled her close and gave a smooch. I actually said it in the sense that I know without you having to tell me Uu Oh yeah. I keep forgetting to say this, but Eh You were extremely beautiful today WhaDD Of course your appearance, but your aura as well. An aura different from before at that Different from before Youran tilted her head. The New Moon Director from before made me excited just by being next to her, but the current New Moon Director made me even more excited Playing with words again She pouted, pursing her lips. She hated that, but had been pouting lately whenever he did that, so Taiyou would do that whenever something came up. Her pouting was just so cute. If I were to give it to you straight, itd be a bit erotic EroDD See? This is how it goes when I say things straight Taiyou laughed with an Ahaha. Thats why every so often, its necessary to be roundabout you really think that Eh Do you really think that its that way Erotic? Yup, Ill say Taiyou nodded clearly without hesitation. Moreso than Kohaku Well, not quite. Right now shes the most erotic person amongst us. Youre the second-most Second-most Yes, second-most. Cause Aoba and the othersdont really feel erotic Im good with that then That was the fashion in which they spoke incoherently atop the bed, bodies facing each other. Until they both fell into sleep. Chapter 231: Youran / Shoelace Chapter 233: Youran / From Extremity to Extremity Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Moonlight and neon mixing together to create a blue light were streaming out from the window glass. Youran slowly rised, as if floating up from the wavering bottom of water. Underneath this stark naked, perfect figure that could be mistaken for a sculpture was a youth who was the same, stretched out. Today wassurprising Taiyou murmured, and Youran slightly stirred, looking down at him. Sweat in the shape of a sphere trickled down from her bangs, landing plop on his chest. From the moved sheets that had covered the two, a smell enough to make one cough filled the room. What was so surprising How amazing you are He brought out his hand, combing the long hair hanging down from her shoulders. Youran shivered as his fingers ran through her silk thread-like hair. After that, you said you had something to discuss with the FOT chairwoman and then left, right? Afterward, everyone swooped in with awe MmDid they hand business cards to you Enough to where I couldnt carry them all He wryly smiled again. He glanced to the side. There was a discarded suit, and there was a mountainful of things in said pockets that had been handed to him. They were all a mountainful of business cards that had exaggerated titles on them. What should I do about that? Should I give a reply Youre asking my opinion Yeah. Heck, you can decide. Cause I dont know what in the world I should do ThenJust ignore them Youran said, once again resting her temple on his chest. The body heat that transmitted from where she touched him seemed to be slightly warmer than when she had gotten up. You sure If I were in my New Moon Director mode, Id say thats actually better. I havent seen what kinds of people came, but if they were furtively trying to butter up to you and handing their business cards to you despite you being in high school, theyre probably second-rate anyway, so paying attention to all of that riff-raff would lower your status StatusBut Im just a high school student Ignoring Taiyou as he wryly smiled, Youran continued, head buried. After a few days, I think that there will be people wholl try to approach you like its a coincidence. You dont have to ignore them per say, but you also dont have to trust them. Theyre a crafty crowd wholl try to approach you with a strategy based on their investigation You sound like a handsome guy making advances on a girl I intentionally spoke that way Youran continued, still not lifting her face. And for a brief period, lucky things will continue in succession around you Lucky things Mhm In succession?So they devise this Right, and they do it so that you dont realize. In a few years, it really will become easier to identify if its a coincidence or not. And when it gets to that point there will be those who try to hide that fact even moreThats what the first-rate people do, so youd best remember the names of those sorts when the time comes Sounds difficult And theres also the elite Whaaat Youran Youran had stopped talking for some reason. He patted her head with the tips of his fingers. After a bit, she finally opened her mouth. Theyre people who wont try anything Wont try anything Yes. They know me well, and on top of understanding what I did to you, theyre the kinds of people who wont try anything on purpose. They do not look down on you, nor do they feel envy toward you. Theyre the kinds of people who will only interact naturally with you I get it. I cant put it well into words, but I pretty much get what youre saying Yeah? Then thats good Youran said as she clung to him more with a squeeze. What, did you not wanna talk about it Course not Youran lifted her face. Still clinging to him, she lifted her face, gazing at him. She seemed to be a little sullen for whatever reason. See, I went to brag about you today. Theres only one person wholl benefit you amongst that lot, and the rest I could care less about, so I did my very best to boast Boast, eh And it was suuuper amazing. And it was only two or three, but people looked at me with jealous eyes. And that felt sooo amazingDDand here you are talking to me with this dull topic Oh, sorry about that Taiyou smiled, putting his hands on her head and softly drawing her closer. It was the same as earlier, but this time Taiyou had initiated it. He hugged her softly, sinking his face into her chest. The naked boy and girl hugged each other in the exquisite hotel suite room with the lights out. Usually this was the time to be arousing themselves with pillow talkDDalthough with a bit of a cool-down, but what with Youran lecturing Taiyou in regards to his question, it had gone to waste, or so she implied. Having it pointed out and getting a clue, Taiyou changed the topic. Today felt super amazing for me too You too See, after you left, I was glared at by several men. Mainly in their twenties. In an instant, I realized Oh, theyre jealous of me But didnt you say that you knew nothing of envy? Amazing that you got that What I dont know ofDDwhat I havent experienced is envy from the female side. I totally get male envy Male envy Youran parroted, slightly inclining her head. Like this Taiyou said, purposefully changing his expression. In his head, he imagined the kind of maddening scene of Youran making love with other men. Wh-Whats up with that face By your reaction, I can confirm I did it right. Welp, thats the kind of face they glared at me with But theres no needto make such a face Hm Because Iwont do anything to have you make such a face Youran said sulkily. That face was just so cute. Yeah? Thanks. To tell the truth, I sometimes get in that state because of Kotone and the others, so Im really glad you said that Eh Surprised, Youran rose up abruptly. Her face showed her disbelief that those three sisters would do such a thing. Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane are too close, and I sometimes find myself jealous of them. When Im amongst them, I feel like theyre connected on a spiritual level and end up feeling like an outsider But Im As if throwing a small tantrum, Youran hit Taiyous chest repeatedly. It was a habit of hers, hitting him repeatedly whenever something was up. Im trying to have a serious talk with you Ahaha, I know As he said that, he pulled her close and gave a smooch. I actually said it in the sense that I know without you having to tell me Uu Oh yeah. I keep forgetting to say this, but Eh You were extremely beautiful today WhaDD Of course your appearance, but your aura as well. An aura different from before at that Different from before Youran tilted her head. The New Moon Director from before made me excited just by being next to her, but the current New Moon Director made me even more excited Playing with words again She pouted, pursing her lips. She hated that, but had been pouting lately whenever he did that, so Taiyou would do that whenever something came up. Her pouting was just so cute. If I were to give it to you straight, itd be a bit erotic EroDD See? This is how it goes when I say things straight Taiyou laughed with an Ahaha. Thats why every so often, its necessary to be roundabout you really think that Eh Do you really think that its that way Erotic? Yup, Ill say Taiyou nodded clearly without hesitation. Moreso than Kohaku Well, not quite. Right now shes the most erotic person amongst us. Youre the second-most Second-most Yes, second-most. Cause Aoba and the othersdont really feel erotic Im good with that then That was the fashion in which they spoke incoherently atop the bed, bodies facing each other. Until they both fell into sleep. Chapter 233: Youran / From Extremity to Extremity Chapter 232: Youran / Pillow Talk Chapter 234: Kohaku / From Kohaku to Dear Husband Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama In the morning, having left the suite room, Taiyou and Youran took the elevator to the bottom floor. Taiyou was not wearing the custom tailor-made suit, but his school uniform, and Youran was not in her kimono with her hair down, but was sporting a casual attire with twintails out. Neither of them were in the formal attire they had attended the party with. This was their usual getup. Youran and Taiyou were linking arms, bodies firmly next to each other. No matter how you slice it, they looked like an ordinary high school couple. If you were to leave out one of them being a super attractive girl. Im gonna go ahead to school, but what about you I promised Sakura something, so Ill be meeting with her With Sakura Mhm. Cause shes in a hurry to consolidate Juunishimas interior. Ill meet her to establish something. Shes superior in her own way, so it would be a waste to leave her idDDOw- He flicked her on the forehead as she was talking. Hey, what the heck? Stop saying things like that. Shes your blood-related sister, isnt she? I could care less about how I speak Arms still linked, she spoke while rubbing her forehead. And stop making that face. Its oddly coldDDand I get in a bad mood just looking at it But Okay. Just rephrase it Taiyou said, turning to the side and staring straight at Youran. Thats definitely not a cute face CuDD At a loss for words, Youran then began sulking. Her face showed that it was quite a shock for Taiyou to tell her that it wasnt cute. ButMe, and them Youre sisters, connected by blood. Couldnt you be a little nicer? That doesntmatter Yes, it does matter If she becomes yours, then maybe I wouldntDDactually, I would put in the effort to be nice, but if that doesnt happen, then I dont see why I should Becomes mine Yep. If shell be the seventh person in your seven, thenIll get along with her So thats the line youve drawn? Mhm Youran answered promptly. There was no wavering whatsoever. Its good that you have your criteria, but when I see you acting like thatit makes me a little worried for Pochi Adashino Yeah, cuz sheDD Dont worry She cut through the middle of what Taiyou was saying. Adashino is Kohakus daughter after all Oh, I get it The girls real name was Juunishima Adashino. They called her Pochi. Just like Sakura, she was a sister of a different mother; a girl with whom they had a complicated relationship. It had become more complicated just now. Thats fine in and of itself, but But Reeeally sloppy Eh? What is Pochi is your younger sister, and Kohakus daughter-in-law. Its fine up to here, but from my standpoint, if we go so far as to make her a daughter-in-law, that would make your actual younger sister your husbands daughter-in-law It sure would Youran said nonchalantly. See? Its convoluted But considering everything about AdashinoWouldnt it be fitting for it to be convoluted? Kohaku seems like shed enjoy that Ohhh, she does seem like she would enjoy this See? Shell enjoy it. Convoluted stuff Yeah, she sure would So its fine Wellis it? As they were nodding at each other over Kohaku, the elevator reached the first floor. The door opened, and the two of them got off the elevator together. There were still nearly no people in the first floor lobby. Most of them were employees. Amidst all that, he walked outside, arm linked with Youran. Oh- Taiyou suddenly stopped walking. He had stopped walking because he had seen an attractive girl walk by. An attractive girl of the same age as them. A girl he remembered meeting before at last nights party. He remembered seeing her, but he couldnt remember her name. What washer name? Urara Natsume. Shes the only child of the Natsume Household. Yeah, she did come to yesterdays party Yeah, I felt like she had that kind of name When Youran said that, he recalled the name of the girl he had met at last nights party. Having changed into a dress, it was normal attire (albeit clearly expensive), and she was pretty as always. She was remarkably proud-looking; enough of a beautiful girl to make eight out of ten people turn their heads. Thats what you want Even if I do, Im not sure how to Taiyou gave a wry smile. Taiyou felt like if he said that, the conversation might head in a weird direction for Youran. Im not exactly saying that. Shes the girl who talked to me first yesterday. Which is why I remembered Oh, thats what you meant Ah. Our eyes met Same with me I wonder if she realizes who I am Doesnt seem to have Hey, she doesnt even recognize you Not realizing who Taiyou or even Youran was, after meeting their eyes for a second, Urara walked out guarded by SP, getting into a waiting car. She definitely hasnt recognized us. With the Natsume familys social standing, bowing would be the minimum if she recognized us What if shes recognized us but pretends to not notice on purpose Taiyou said, jerking their linked arms. If she were able to do that, she wouldnt have been the first one to approach us yesterday Ah, I see Taiyou was satisfied, understanding somewhat. Youran was sullen next to him. That annoys me I dunno what youre annoyed about, but youd best not do anything Taiyou warned her. I wont! I wont, but she didnt regard youDD But she didnt regard New Moon Director either He said, cutting off Youran. He had a nonchalant face that was staring far away. I could care less about myself And the same goes for me. Who cares about me, right UuBut IDD Youran understood what he was saying, but didnt appear to be satisfied. Taiyou thought her to be very cute when she looked that way. Taiyou thought of her as a comparatively logical woman. It was amusing to see her be torn between emotion and reason like this. Youran continued to groan until Urara had completely gone away. Until she breathed a sigh, as if giving up. Okay, I wont do anything. In exchange In exchange Pull them Hm I said pull them. If you do that then Ill keep it under control Kay For a moment there he wasnt sure what she was on about, but soon realizing, he pulled her twintails for her just as she requested. As if that had made her feel better, her eyebrows that had been tight gradually began unfolding. And one more thing Whatever you wish, Princess As Taiyou was messing around, Youran got out of their arm lock, standing directly in front of him and looking straight up. Pull Aobas too. Shes been waiting for that You little Taiyou wryly smiled, giving her a casual smooch. You really are a girl who goes from extremity to extremity He liked that, but he purposely didnt say it. Chapter 234: Kohaku / From Kohaku to Dear Husband Chapter 233: Youran / From Extremity to Extremity Chapter 235: Kohaku / Elder of the Town Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama The Kohaku-tan Bodyguards have all gathered Uh huh. Good work This was a place behind the school building, whose climate was a step closer to that of fall, due to being away from the sun. That was normally an unpopular place where no one would enter, but in contrast to that right now, a great number had been assembling. Kohaku Azumaya. The young-looking elderly woman stood close to the wall, flaunting her metaphorical size despite being of small stature. There was an unbalance between her 130 centimeter height and the senior high school uniform she was wearing, which made it seem like an odd joke. In front of herDDas if waiting for orders, a large amount of male students wearing the same uniform were gathered. There was one youth representing the top, and behind him were 25 people lined up in 55 formations. The sight of all of them standing up straight was enough to remind one of a special force. Kohaku-tan Bodyguards To the side, wearing the same uniform as them, Taiyous eyes had opened wide. He was staring at all of them with a surprised, yet exasperated expression. Indeed. It be none other than me who invited dear husband here. I felt the prospects be high with this, so I sought to have ye come and see it once You are referring tothisKohaku-tan Bodyguardsthing? Aye, that be so Kohaku-tanBodyguardsthough? He purposefully emphasized and separated each of the words. Aye Why againWell no, having a bodyguard squad is fine. You are older after all, and to be honest, since youre of that age where youre a senior, it wouldnt be unusual for you to have henchmen or subordinates, butWhy did you have to call it that Because yed never call it something like that Kohaku said while grinning. It wasnt the innocent smile of someone befitting her appearance, but rather, a smile of a graceful adult. Eternal LittleDDLoli Baba If one were to know who she truly was, this smile would make sense. Ever since he had first met her, she had continued to insist on Taiyou calling herKohaku-tan. It be the same as legally changing ones name. Use it gradually over time, and it begins to sink into those around ye But, I just dont know how I feel abouttalking to Kohaku-san like that Taiyou made a bitter face, turning in the direction of the bodyguards. You guys fine with that? Calling her that He asked them. Once he did, he got replies thathe hadnt so much as imagined would come. We live for Kohaku-tan We die for Kohaku-tan We offer all for Kohaku-tan A wave of choral chanting enveloped him. Have these guys been super brainwashed!? Taiyou was shocked to the point where his voice squeaked. Wait, waitWhat are you doing, Kohaku-san? Isnt this kinda bad? Would Sieg Jin have been better Seriously, please restrain yourself from that area of things But this was a result of my restraint No no no noIm not sure you could refer to a worse outcome as a result of restraint Worse outcome Kohaku stared in puzzlement with her head tilted, thereafter turning to the bodyguards and inquiring. That is what Danna-sama has said No problem The one who the statement had been aimed at, the male student at the top, answered for all present. All he did was echo our ideology. It is no different from sayingLets do our best today too No, those are clearly different things Its like doing morning assembly on the roof Well if that aint brainwashing I dunno what it is The youth ignored Taiyous interjection, continuing. Your existence itself annoys us, but we intend to interact with Kohaku-tans important person. You may order anything of us Umm, anything After frowning, Taiyou calmed down and thought about it. For a moment there he had thought that Kohaku had done something dreadful, but from the answer he had heard just now, it didnt seem to be that way. DDHowever, that was also but for an instant. We love Kohaku-tan we love Kohaku-tan we love KoDD Kohaku-tan *pant pant* Kohaku-tan *pant pant* Kohaku-tan *pant*DD He started hearing suspicious murmuring from the boys lined up behind. Kohaku-sanAre you sure that this isnt bad Well, well, it be nothing of concern Nahhh, it kind of is It not be anything of concern Kohaku repeated the same words. The final order be in Danna-samas hand, so as long as Danna-sama not be giving any ridiculous orders, it be fine I see, that does makeDDwait, no no no By the way, this be but a simple farce Kohaku said, snapping her fingers. Once she did, the male students stopped their dangerous statements, all returning to their stiff expressions. And this be how it be. They be prioritizing most orders, but they not be following any more than that. Everyone has free will, and wont be following extreme commands likeDie. Right? When Kohaku asked, the center of the formation began speaking. We live for Kohaku-tan We die for Kohaku-tan We offer everything for Kohaku-tan Arent some of them a bit off!? They naturally became that way Nah nah nah nah. Uhhh Taiyou thought about it. Yeahare you sure this isnt heading in a bad direction? Objective and method. I merely followed it Kohaku said, staring up at Taiyou. That mannerism of hers, asking implicitly if it was so bad, neatly stirred up his desire to protect her. Uu There was Kohaku with her eyes like that of an abandoned puppy, and there were the utterly malicious gazes that the Kohaku-tan Bodyguards threw at him. Right now he felt like he was in a bed of nails; surrounded by enemies on all sides. Simultaneously, it was also a challenge to his own policy. Objective and method. Taiyou was always talking about those whenever he had the chance. If he were to think along the lines ofStops at nothing to be of use to Taiyou, there was no way he could blame Kohaku. Taiyou calmed down, trying to think about variousthings. After a bit, he spoke to the Kohaku-tan Bodyguards. For the time being, can you guys disperse? Wha- For the time beingDDId like you to step out. I want to talk to Kohaku-san alone He said, looking straight at the top guy. After a brief moment of being stared at, the male nodded heavily. Alright Thanks All forcesMove outDDto the right He said, and the twenty-six boys quickly moved out from behind the school building. They certainly did have a discipline like that of troops. Hmmm This be bad as well While bitterly smiling, he softly hugged the despondent Kohaku to himself. Let us be more careful with how we do things But, Danna-sama be always That might be true, but thats exactly whyId like Kohaku-san to choose a different path; the exact opposite to what I choose Exact opposite See, Kohaku-san While saying that, he pulled Kohaku even closer. Hugging the entirety of her young body, he rested her chin on his shoulders. It was just natural. It was the embrace of comforting a child. I think of you as our leader. Of course, more so than me. I even think youre in a world far removed from Youran. Uhh, I cant think of the precise wording right now, but do you see what Im getting at Kohaku wordlessly jerked her chin up, conveying that. With the three sisters and I being inexperienced, showing the path to Aoba, stopping Youran when she was prone to rampage from extremity to extremityI think these are things that no one but Kohaku-tan can accomplish. I really do think that youre the one who supports us from the roots up And that Taiyou Castle is no different. You said that you gave that to me, but dont you realize that even the fact you gave it to me was because you had been maintaining things from the outset? Be thatright It is. See, thats why I wouldnt like for you to do the same things as me. Because if the whole family were to do the same thing, wed easily all be devastated in a pinch Ye be saying ta have diversity in tha genes Skillful as usual, Kohaku-san. You summarized what I harped on and on about in one sentence Moron Kohaku bumped the side of her head into the side of his head. It was the kind of light biting action that a puppy might do. It was evident how soft her attitude had become, but Kohaku said nothing. Taiyou suddenly realized something. No, he more of felt it. That was the same atmosphere as when they were in bed at night. This was the same atmosphere as when she would behave like a spoiled child and plead with him. Thinking briefly, Taiyou opened his mouth. He spoke politely as usual, but he spoke with the kind of imperative tone that wouldnt allow objection. Please do as I say Indeed. I understand Kohaku, who had sought that, nodded immediately, separating herself from Taiyou. Just as Danna-sama says, I be disbanding the Kohaku-tan Bodyguards Sorry about that. I know you went to all the trouble of making that I not be caring Kohaku grinned. Taiyou thought that this would do it for now. That day after school, in the same area behind the schoolyard. The Danna-sama Bodyguards have now gathered The names changedAnd theres more people than before With that being said, Ive disbanded the Kohaku-tan Bodyguards, so I now be leaving it to Danna-sama No no no no, that is NOT what I meant!? To the unbelievable turn of events, Taiyou made a powerful outburst that could easily enter in the top 3 outbursts of his life. Chapter 235: Kohaku / Elder of the Town Chapter 234: Kohaku / From Kohaku to Dear Husband Chapter 236: Kohaku / Wait Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Taiyou, Aoba, and Hera were at the park near Taiyou Castle. While Aoba and Hera watched over him, Taiyou was grinding to the next level. There was almost no meaning in the activity itself, merely repeating. With this repetitious activity, experience points were accumulating within him. He wanted to become stronger as fast as possible. With Shirokiyami moving in to Taiyou Castle, it was now easier for him to challenge her. And in order to defeat her as soon as possible, Taiyou was raising his level assiduously. Aoba and Hera were observing this. I wonder if Kohaku-san is also doing the same thing as Youran-chan Aoba opened her mouth, clearly intending to chat. While still moving his hands, Taiyou moved only his face in her direction, replying. The same thing as Youran Mhm. Doing various things so as to be useful to Taiyou-kun. You know, Youran-chanDidnt she say shed make you the king of Juunishima? Yeah, she did Taiyou remembered, nodding. Youran had said something like that, and was actually moving to fulfill it. As proof of that, he had often been going to social events with her in her New Moon Director mode as of late. The people hed met had become more and more amazing, and as Taiyou still felt like a petty bourgeois, he was really nervous, like when he recently shook hands with the prime minister. I wonder if Kohaku-san isnt trying to do the same Right That may indeed be true Hera supported Aobas conjecture. Is there something to back this up Yes indeed. Kohaku-tan heard about the whole thing with Yami-chan living here. At that time, I conveyed what Taiyou-chan had said to her What I had said Yes indeed. I conveyed you saying Harem 65535. The brides are my power. Alright Still moving his hands, Taiyou was deep in thought. He had certainly begun to think as of late that Kohaku had been doing the same things as Youran. So that was why she made a squad of bodyguards in the school What ended up happening with that I had her return it to the Kohaku-tan Bodyguards. If it were named Danna-sama Bodyguards, my social status and heart would die Ahahavery true Aoba wryly smiled. She seemed to understand what Taiyou had said. Leaving out the fact that she was able to accept harems based on the environment shed been raised in, she was the most normal girl out of Taiyous brides. Physically, politically, and definitely supernaturally. She was a normal girl with none of those. Which was why she could sympathize. Your existence really saves me at times like this Should Ibe happy about that? At leastIm really happy right now Then, I guess I am too Aoba grinned, mirroring her words. Taiyous smartphone suddenly rang. Not the one with the apple icon, but the newest FOT model. When he took it out of his pocket, he saw Kohakus name displayed on the pretty LCD screen that was its selling point. She had called him. Its Kohaku-san Kohaku-san? I wonder whats up Inclining his head along with Aoba, he touched the screen, entering the call. Hello? Whats happening, Kohaku-san? Ohhh, Danna-sama. I be happy that it connected So whats happening Indeed. Might ye come quickly? It be a bit of a troublesome situation Quickly He frowned at the untimely words coming from the receiver. He looked at Aoba for affirmation. Aoba grinned. Go to her. Its got to be something important for Kohaku-san to call you in such a fashion That alright Mhm. Ill be going back to the house with Hera. Contact me again when you come back AlrightHello, Kohaku-sanWhere are you right now I be sending you my current position via smartphone Leaving Aoba and Hera at the park, Taiyou dashed off. While checking his phone, Taiyou made it to the destination. The coordinates that Kohaku had sent via GPS into the group talk app pointed to a shop in the business street in front of Oriyakata Town Station. It was a place he would normally pass by and think nothing of. But that was only when he stayed far away from it. When actually trying to step in there, a lot of courage was necessary. The kind of courage necessary to ignore the taverns and go alone to defeat a demon king. Underwear Taiyou mumbled, half exasperated. The place was a land forbidden to males: the lingerie shop. It was somewhat exhibiting a pink-colored aura that repelled men. Kohaku was within that shop. She had several undergarments in her hand beyond the glass, comparing them. As he was wondering what she could want, Kohaku looked up and met his eyes. Ohhh, Danna-sama. Many thanks for coming Wait, Kohaku-san- Kohaku waved with a fulfilled smile from within the shop. It was the kind of smile that a child would give a parent coming to pick them up from nursery school while waving. Taiyou hurriedly made to stop that, but it was already too late. All the gazes from within the shop stopped on him. He couldnt run away now, so Taiyou quickly went inside the shop where Kohaku was. Danna-sama? What in the world is he making that child call him Report him while we still can He could hear whispering voices around him. While taking in the needle-like gazes of the women around him, he went to where Kohaku was. What in the world is wrong? Indeed. I sought to get some new undergarments, so since I came all the way here I want to hear Danna-samas opinion, methinks My opinion Indeed. Danna-sama can stripDDmph Taiyou had covered Kohakus mouth without a moments delay. She was clearly about to say can strip me. It would be icky if she were to say any more than that in a public placeso it was a spur-of-the-moment reaction, but he shouldnt have done that either. Hes definitely a suspicious person Hes a lolicon Madam, report to 110 Dont report meee What is the matter A patrolman riding on a bicycle appeared. Howd he come so quickly Officer, its this boy This boys a lolicon Quickly shoot him to death and capture him please Maybe itd save me some trouble if ya did it like that As Taiyou gave a powerful interjection, the patrolman who had parked their bike entered the store. It was an officer that he felt he remembered from somewhere. YouI feel as if Ive met you somewhere before Adjusting the brim of his regulation hat, the officer frowned. He seemed to remember him too. EhOh, from the park Tch. Youre the boy who was digging a hole Oof They were indeed familiar with each other, but in the worst way possible. When he had met Hera for the first time, raising his level, he had run into this officer, who had held him up for suspicious activity, lecturing him. After that as well, he had been spotted when raising his level elsewhere, suspected because of him rummaging through his change. Since then, this officer had completely laid his eyes on him. He was absolutely his natural enemy. Taiyou felt like hugging his head at the arrival of this opponent, as his likeability was already plummeting. What might you be doing at a place like this? Uhh, see, this is I hear theres a lolicon, butis it really you No no no Taiyou panicked over how he should argue his case when he was already suspected. At that moment Well if it not be the little brat of that Watanuki Little bratDDWho said that? Thats rude to civil service workers It be me It bewait, Azumaya Obaa-chan Indeed The moment he recognized who Kohaku was, Constable Watanukis expression transformed. I-I didnt know that Obaa-chan was there Indeed. I be that loli of said lolicon O-Ohhh, so he was talking to Obaa-chan Aye After they had exchanged a few words or so, Constable Watanuki said that I cannot see this as illegal and ran off in haste. Taiyou looked at the officer going off in his bike and Kohakus small figure in turn. Chapter 236: Kohaku / Wai t Chapter 235: Kohaku / Elder of the Town Chapter 237: Kotone / Woman of Destiny Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Are you seriously going to order that? Taiyou and Kohaku were sitting in the window seats in a family restaurant next to the station. Asked by Kohaku to tag along with her to eat out, a trial was quickly approaching. I be very serious about that While smiling satisfactorily, Kohaku pushed the call button on the table. The wireless chime rang throughout the shop. After a bit, a female employee in their uniform came to take their orders. Have you decided? Yes, please The employee matched the childlike tone of Kohaku, speaking in an easy tone. Please get me a kids hamburger meal Okay, a kids hamburger meal. And what will you have, Okyaku-sama Eh? Oh, Ill have this meat sauce spaghetti One meat sauce spaghetti. Do you have anything else youd like? No, thats fine While repeating their orders, the female employee gave a light bow, then walked off. After waiting for her to completely disappear into the kitchen, he talked to Kohaku. But why the kids meal again? I wanna try eating it for once Sorry, but could you maybe stop speaking like that? He spoke all at once without pausing, as if entreating her. Kohaku grinned, answering in her normal tone. Ye really dont know how to play along. Ye couldve tagged along a bit longer When you speak like a childI get the shivers just hearing it Heheh, it seems like Danna-samas training be proceeding well He thought to interject and tell her to not to call it training, but after thinking about it, Taiyou realized doing that would be a similar thing, swallowing the quip and smiling bitterly. Well, I indeed wanted to try eating that once I can see where youre coming from, but why did you decide today of all days? Aye? Why do you ask Why About to speak, he slid his gaze to the side. Kohaku was sitting in the box seat for families. There was a paper bag left next to her. If there were someone with sharp eyes, they would know instantly that this was a bag from the lingerie shop. In there were products that were very fitting for night life. Various bold, erotic undergarments that far surpassed the likes of shorts with holes in them. Right after buying those things, she ordered a kids meal at a family restaurant. Its far past simply calling it unbalanced What might ye be talking about No, its nothing However, there wasnt any point in giving his two cents. If anything, it would potentially risk worsening the wound, so Taiyou decided to change the topic. So just what is up with this What ye mean by this? To put it in your way of speaking Taiyou spoke with a slightly exasperated face. There is no way that my Loli Baba would do something as meaningless as this Ohhh, so Danna-sama be growing senile Ignoring the rejoicing Kohaku looking at him in amazement, he continued. When your actions arent like you, or when you plan things out in strange directions, thats what I wonder Sighing, he asked more. When I think about it, it was already strange from the time of that Kohaku-tan Bodyguard thing. What exactly are you plotting? Trying to gain subordinates, inviting me to a lingerie shop, ordering a kids meal here. Your actions are too mismatched Hmm What in the world are you scheming Taiyou continued further. Kohaku stared straight back at Taiyou, answering calmly. Danna-sama be always only speaking politely to me, right Taiyou answered, not sure where this was going. I may be using polite language with you, but Im not trying to create a wall between us specificallyDD I understand that. Even if there be a wall within Danna-samas heart, all there would be on the other side be a princess. The three sisters, Aoba, Youran, and I all be on your side. I be understanding that quite well Taiyou frowned. If she understood that much, then why? I be understanding that there be no wall. Be as it may, I still be wanting ye ta stop that polite talk Whats the truth It be true Okay, Ill rephrase it. Whats the real reason Heheheh. It be Danna-samas beloved talk of objective and method, eh? If anything, you are the one who is enjoying turning the tables and talking to me about the method, making me guess as to what the objective is Heheheh, so ye found me out Yes, I would realize that after having you do that countless times Aye. I be talking about me true objectiveDDthought before that there be prerequisites Prerequisites Aye. Prerequisites that must be taken into consideration before action Okay Taiyou nodded, waiting for her to finish. Ye see, Danna-sama. I be U-Uh huh I bea masochist What His eyes opened wide. He doubted his ears. He stared in puzzlement, questioning what she had suddenly brought up. Yea, I say masochist, but spare me the physical aspect. This body definitely not be suited for too much. I be talking only about mental masochism No, I fail to see what you mean. And is there really a separation between physical and mental aspects of S and M? This is the first Ive heard Basically, I be wanting to be dominated more by Danna-sama. Like: Hey, you trash, get on. Get on the ground and grovel. Lick my tailbone What the heck was that last one Cause it be only slightly masochistic to lick feet. It be in a realm beyond that The world of masochism is truly profound Taiyou blurted out desperately. And so that be all. I be a masochist, and I wish to be ruled over by Danna-sama. But no matter how long I be waiting, Danna-sama doesnt do that for me. So I be doing this and that, trying ta induce ye ta say I gotta manage this gal I see, and thats why you did various things to inconvenience me Aye Haah Taiyou held his head, sighing. He wanted to hold his head out of his surprise. He got what Kohaku was trying to say, but he wasnt sure at all what to do about it. They were in a relationship, but Taiyou respected her just as much. He wanted her to be the shadow by his side in the Natsuno household. So he wasnt sure at all what to do about completely dominating her. However, if Kohaku-san wishes for it He wasnt sure, but Taiyou still furtively thought about it. At his core he was a straightforward boy. Especially for people he took a liking to, he wanted to repay them with something even more. That was how he thought. Which was why he desperately revolved his thoughts around, but I dunno Hm No, umm As he was thinking that there still must be a way, the employee carried in the food they had ordered. She set down the hamburger plate with the small national flag in it in front of Kohaku, doing the same for Taiyou with his meat sauce. Now, let us eat. Quickly eat, then get back home and have Kotone pour us some tasty tea The moment Kohaku took the kids chopsticks given to her with her food and put her hands together to signify the beginning of the meal Hold it Words came naturally out of Taiyous mouth to the point of startling him. Kohaku flinched, stopping her hands and looking at Taiyou. Danna-sama? What be the matter? Hold it He repeated the same phrase again. He did this with a clear tone that didnt allow objection. Puzzled, Kohaku briefly stared at Taiyou. At length, she realized, leaving the chopsticks atop her lap. Confirming that, Taiyou began wrapping the spaghetti around his fork. Kohaku stared at him silently. Right after giving her look, Taiyou ate his spaghetti without saying anything. DDHold it It was a certain type of order, along with its actual meaning. It was one of the orders used to discipline a dog ahead of time. He thrust that at Kohaku, thinking it might work. Once he did, Kohaku waited just as he had told her to without touching her hamburger. Kohakus meal had been postponed, but her eyes were somehow flashing happily. Is this seriously okay Taiyou thought, but at the very least, it was something he neednt bring up. This was a type of roleplay, in which he acted the role of the sadistic master. So it would only break through this atmosphere if he were to interject needlessly. Taiyou managed to grasp that. He was sure that Kohaku was the same. That evening, with Kohaku made to wait, Taiyou had wanton sex with Aoba in front of her. Kohakus face had a look of ecstasy on it he had never seen before. Chapter 237: Kotone / Woman of Destiny Chapter 236: Kohaku / Wait Chapter 238: Suzune / Four Wings Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Thank you for waiting Early afternoon on a weekday, in the Miyagi household in a tranquil residential district. Kotone and Youran, who had visited there, were greeted by one of the mistresses in a maid outfit, Mio. Were so sorry for suddenly barging in like this Upon entering the entrance hall, the eldest of the three sisters, Kotone, lowered her head with an apologetic expression. To her side, the twintailed Youran imitated her, lightly lowering her head. I have heard from Aoba-sama concerning this. Please, do not worry about it Thank you Then, sorry for rushing things, but I want to begin quickly. Hes buying time, but I dont know how long he can hold Understood Mio made a sour face for a moment in response to Yourans words. It was clear that she still did not think well of Taiyou. Nevertheless, she slowly nodded, motioning to show them to the back of the estate. Mio had guided them to the Miyagi households kitchen. It was a kitchen, bigger than that of the typical bad apartments, kept tidy and in order. There were many food ingredients on the table in the middle of the kitchen. The preparations are in order. We can begin at any time Thanks Youran thanked her, going to the opposite end of the table with Kotone. Kotone and Youran had come to the Miyagi residence in order to learn cooking from Mio. Last night, as Kotone and the others had proposed, they had thought to throw a welcome party for Shirokiyami. Shirokiyami was not yet Taiyous bride, but he planned for her to be such. Thought she had moved into Taiyou Castle, she was in a sense still an Okyaku-san, so in order to get along better with her, Kotone and the others proposed a welcome party, approving it unanimously. As they were discussing what specifically they should do, there was a proposal that they make the food for the welcome party with their own hands, and Aoba recommended they try Mios cooking techniques. Furthermore, Kotone and the sisters proposed that they make the food based on what they were taught, and Youran volunteered, asking that she please be part of it as well. That was why Kotone and Youran had come to Mio to learn cuisine. Well start from the preparation of the vegetables I just have to cut this, right? Yes Mio nodded. Youran took the knife in her hand, standing before the cutting board. Umm, Youran-san What The way youre holding thatcould it be Kotone inquired timidly. After all, the way Youran was holding the knife was precisely how an amateur would do so. No matter who saw, it was clear that she had never cooked even once. Bingo. Ive never so much as cooked in my life Seriouslyyyyy Because Ive never had to do that until now. Theres never been a necessity for me to cook Th-Then, IllDD Its fine, let me do it But Cause if I make having no experience into an excuse, I wont even be able to do anything today. And plus I did come here because I wanted to do it Well So let me Understood. But there isnt much time, so let us do it together Thats true. He might get killed as were squabbling I-I dont think itll be THAT bad Kotone panicked. Considering what Taiyou was currently doing, this line would clearly not be a joke. The two of them stood next to each other before the sink, washing vegetables, cutting them, and beginning to prepare each one. Ow- Youran-san Its fine, I just cut myself a bit. See, just a bit Mhm. Umm, it might be good for you to hold kitchen knives like a cat. Please curl your fingers Like a catlike so Yes, that is correct Like a cat, like a catDDOw- Ahhh- It is the first time Ive laid eyes on someone cutting themselves while holding it like a cat Well it cant be helped. This is my first time Are you all right, Youran-san? Please show me Its fine, this is nothing But Like a cat, like a cat Treating herself in a simple manner, Youran challenged it again. Unable to just watch, Mio began giving specific advice. Rather than pressing the blade down, if you slowly pull it back to you from within, the blade will not slip and your hand will not get cut Pull it backLike this huh Youran concentrated on the knife, doing as instructed. She was inititally holding it in a dangerous manner, continually cutting her fingers, but with the advice of Kotone and Mio, she gradually improved. By the time they were able to actually begin cooking, there was now enough leisure in the air to chat. Youran glanced at Mio, asking her something nonchalantly. Hey, is it alright if I ask you something What might it be Whos loved the most out of all the women in this household What might you be referring to? When Mio asked her that, her voice sounded slightly sharp this time. Well, theres three wives in this household, right? Wont there be another one coming around spring of next year? Whos going to be loved the most out of those four, is what Im asking What do you intend to do with that information Nothing really. Just curious Youran asked while moving her hands. By the way, you know, in our household, the most loved one is this girl named Shirokiyami. After her are this girl and her two sisters, and then someone named Kohaku, and thensorry to say this butDDAoba is fourth, and the last one is meId say that sums up the order Mio scowled. Perhaps because she had been asked such a question, or perhaps because Aoba was ranked fourth. Either way, she was making an unpleasant face as they looked at her. Uhh, I dont think thats the case Kotone followed up apologetically. I think so. After all, I wouldnt underestimate the way he looks up to you guys Looks up to us Yup. I dont really know much, but the way he aspires to the three of you is justSometimes he mentions the sound of your souls and whatnot Thats Kotone lost her words. Incidentally, in my actual home, see, Adashinos mother was at the very top. Far away and the best. My mother was a legal wifenot the main one though, just a legal one. So about thatwell, in terms of the extent of affection, she wouldnt even be in the top five Youran said, turning to Mio. Isnt there a lot like that here and there? I mean, if youre in a different household than normal. Although Im sure theres a lot of variety in normal households as well. So I was just wondering about this household There is no need to answer That right Not particularly minding, Youran backed down easily. Just as she had declared beforehand, it seemed to be out of mere curiosity. By the way, I dont refer to you three asah- oops, I said you three. But I dont generally refer to you guys as three people, you know Uh-uh, thats fine. Three people is fine as well I also dont want him to get angry either Youran said further, regaining her composure. See, I think of you guys and Shirokiyami asthe two of you as his women of destiny Of destiny And I also feel that Aoba has the potential to become a woman of destiny Of course. She is Aoba-sama after all Mhm, right. Welp, guess thats all there is as far as destiny goes Youran nodded. She seemed to be quite indifferent, but there was the slightest hint of abandonment mixed in. Youran said an unexpected statement in response to that. I believe that you are also the same But you dont even know me that well. Sorry, but in regards to investigating you guysDD I would know from watching you Mio said as if admonishing a spoiled child. I can see that without investigating it. I believe that at the point where women have gathered under one man without any discontent or grumbling, they are all women of destiny to that man Thats quite the reasoning there I speak from experience. If we are to trace back logic from the foundation, nearly all cases are the same You think so? I think so Kotone said in a loud voice. Were all people that Taiyou-san likes, so of course were all Taiyou-sans soulmates And thats quite the reasoning too But is that not the most important thing? Mio asked with an earnest expression, questioning what else would be. I think so! Suzu-chan and Kaza-chan are also saying the same thing! Youran-san is Taiyou-sans soulmate Thanks Hearing Kotone affirm it with such emphasis, Youran spoke with a faint voice, her face slightly changing color. They were on Hirose Bridge that connected Oriyakata Town with Seikaen Town, which was the riverbank were he had spoken to Youran for the first time. That was where Taiyou and Shirokiyami were facing each other alone. Ill defeat you today for sure Doyourbest Acting like it doesnt concern you Taiyou quipped. The day was still young, and there was a lot of time to work with. Out of all previous ones, this was a fight of the highest difficulty to him, and it was about to begin. Chapter 238: Suzune / Four Wings Chapter 237: Kotone / Woman of Destiny Chapter 239: Kazane / I saw a Bride Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Early afternoon, Taiyou Castle, in the living terrace. Aoba and Suzune were alone together, readying the preparations for the welcome party. They were doing things like making hanging banners, cutting origami and making chain-like decorations. As if they had barely started, it seemed that there would be quite a bit of time before completion. The two of them were chatting while proceeding preparations. Come to think of it, what was the name of this? You mean this Mhm, this loop? Or is it a chain? Im just wondering what its name is Hmm, what could it be? I dont know either, come to think of it As the two of them were connecting loop and loop, Aoba asked that, and Suzune tilted her head. Koto-chan Kaza-chan, do you guys know the name of those ring-like things used for parties that connect together? Oh okay, thanks After muttering as if to herself, Suzune answered Aoba. Koto-chan and Kaza-chan say they dont know either Yeah? Maybe itd be best to look it up on the internet Mhm. Lets check it out later But wow, thats convenient. The telepathy between you three Aoba referred to it as convenient. Using that term without ill intent was a kind expression, which Aoba used unconsciously, and Suzune took it as it ought to be taken. Even though they were rivals in a sense, they werent enemies. Which was why they naturally spoke that way. Mhm, its super convenient Cause youre triplets. Can you do anything else This is the same sort of thing, but if we can at least see each other, just by thinking itDDwe can communicate via our minds Like eye contact I think it transmits things more vividly than that Thats amazing, is there any sort of restriction Mm, we can do it as long as were awake Suzune tilted her head, looking up at the ceiling and making a pensive face. I dont think there is. A bit earlier, Kaza-chan was in a place where radio waves couldnt reach, but despite that it still transmitted like normal Thats definitely amazing, as well as useful Although because of that, no one thought we could speak until we were about five What do you mean Cause we were always together and there was no need to talk Suzune explained cheerfully. You didnt speak Yes, we were always togetherI wonder what it was like then? Our feelings and the like were conveyed properly, so there was no need to talk What about your voices I dont think we even let out a sound. Though its vague to recall ThenI guess you were all quiet children Yes, if I think about it, probably to the point where it was sickening Suzune said while laughing. She herself said that it was sickening, without exaggeration. There was a peaceful and very friendly atmosphere between the two. Suzune, who was born as the third of three sisters who all wanted to be loved by the same man. Aoba, who had three mothers and was raised in an environment where polygamous relationships were normal. The two of them understood each other the most in the Natsuno House and were female friends growing ever closer. Ah Suzune suddenly changed her expression. Her face looked surprised, panicked. Whats wrong Just now, I heard from Koto-chanit seems that Youran got hurt Hurt Yes, she cut her hand with a kitchen knifeAh-, again Okay Unlike the panicking Suzune, Aoba was more on the calm sideif anything, she was composed enough to smile wryly. She was used to this. She knew that Kotone and Youran had gone to learn cuisine, so it was expected to cut ones fingers a bit over cooking. That was why she had that expression. Doesnt seem like shes ever cooked after all It seems that wayAh but Koto-chan says shes getting better at a ridiculous pace Yeah? Aoba opened her eyes wide. Id expect as much. Impressive as always You expected this Mhm, I expected it Aoba nodded. She spread out the paper loops she had made, checking the length. Cause shes suuuper similar to Natsuno-kun. Shes smart, nimble, and it feels like she gets good at whatever she does Ah, I think so too. What is it now?Mhm, thanks Kaza-chan As if telepathy had begun again all of a sudden, Suzune gave her thanks for something. Whatd Kaza-chan say It was like she had suddenly begun talking to herself, but Aoba knew. Her reaction showed that she was used to the irregular actions of the three sisters. Not crafty, but someone who really has a good head on them, she said Mhm, shes intelligent alright. I think so too. And she has amaaazing common sense from the ground up. Strangely enough, its like she not only understands, but knows that she understands Mhm In the opposite sense, Kohaku-sans well-versed in knowledge and whatnot, but maybe is a bit of an odd person Shell get angry if you say that To the contrary, wouldnt she be happy about that? If I said it like that That might be true, yeah Suzune nodded after briefly hesitating. She seemed to be slightly hesistant about wording it that way, but she agreed in the end. The image of Kohaku came into their heads simultaneously, and they agreed about that. Afterward, there was a time when they silently worked on things. As they were doing that, this time Suzune broke the ice. Taiyou-san is fighting right now, right? Mhm, as a way of buying time for us to prepare Hera-chans fighting with him, right? Well yeah, itd be unnatural at this point for her to not be with Taiyou when he challenges Aoba answered, still moving her hands. Hera was one of the trump cards Taiyou had against Shirokiyami. Only those who kissed Taiyou could see her and touch her. However, no matter what they might try, no human could hurt Hera other than Taiyou. That essentially meant that Hera could one-sidedly attack Shirokiyami, but Shirokiyami could not counterattack. Even if she were able to shoot her out of the atmosphere, Hera could not take damage. Making use of that phenomenon, Taiyou had been tag-teaming with Hera as of recent when challenging Shirokiyami. He was challenging Shirokiyami with her as his trump card, his joker. Right now he was vying for time, but also, in order to not let her catch on, he was fighting with Hera as usual. We alsowould like to fight together, you know Together? You mean with Natsuno-kun Yes Thatwould be difficult though Mhm Ah, but not necessarily impossible Eh Earlier, there was something like that in an anime that Kohaku-san and Hera-chan saw. There were heroines singing songs to assist a man riding on a fighter aircraft Songs? Yeah, songs. And then the man just got reeeally strong. You might not be able to actually fight, but I think you could assist But, with merely assisting It might work Aoba made another wink, grinning. It was an impish, mischievous smile. But arent we normally of use to Natsuno-kun? WithIdol Ah- Hera-chan says that its the same wherever we are, but I think it might be different. Being closer versus farther away I think so. When I was first introduced to her, he was by my side, butI feel like Natsuno-kun was extreeemely fired up I see Lets try it next time. Lets all get together and cheer on Natsuno-kun Mhm, let us try Suzune nodded. In the living terrace of Taiyou Castle, the two females proceeding preparations while smiling at each other. Hirose Bridge, riverbed. Taiyou was sprawled in the shape of the kanji , staring up at the sky. I wonder how much more time I have to save His body hurt all over, and blood was flowing drip drip from where he was cut. His heart felt like it would break. Chapter 239: Kazane / I saw a Bride Chapter 238: Suzune / Four Wings Chapter 240: Hera / Star on the Rooftop Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Oriyakata Town Station, shopping district. The arcade in afternoons on days off was overflowing with not only housewives, but also people like salarymen and student couples in plain clothes. Kazana and Kohaku were walking amongst them. The two of them looked like elementary schoolers, both around 130 centimeters tall. They were walking hand in hand, just like friends who got along well. Whoosh whoosh whoosh, fire whoosh whoosh, if a fire were to happenDDjump over iiit Kohaku was waving her arms, walking in a good mood. Kazane, who was more of having her hand held by her, had a bit of a worried face. Umm, Kohaku-san Its Kohaku-taaan Kohaku corrected the nervous Kazane in a childish manner. Perhaps because they were in front of the masses in the shopping district, or perhaps because of some other reason. Kohaku was speaking in a way that wasnt how the elderly would speak. Kazane was baffled by it, but it couldnt be helped, as Kohaku was an Eternal Little. She was a woman who had stopped her growth at the age of ten. She wasnt the typical case of being called a loli simply because she was a short adult, but rather, she looked no different from a ten year old no matter how you sliced it. There was absolutely nothing off about her speaking like a child. Rather, you could even say that Kazane was the one who felt off, her appearance hardware as that of a ten year old but her inward software being completely that of a high school girl. I cant do anything like that Then if ya dont call me Kohaku-tan, our friendship is over O-Over? And Ill tell Onii-chan about it and have him spank you SpankDDT-Taiyou-san wouldnt do something like that I wonder about that For a quick instant, Kohakus normal voice was mixed in with her child-like talk. Her eyes were also filled with their usual crafty glint. Eh Onii-chan has really begun to enjoy tormenting me as of late. I think hed love to give a spanking Th-Thats Kazane was at a loss for words. Her reaction showed that she had some sort of understanding as to where that came from. Seeing that, Kohaku giggled. I thought Kazane-chan would think the same way Well So if ya dont call me Kohaku-tan, Ill tell on you Kazane swallowed her breath in response to Kohakus threat. After hesitating for a bit, she finally nervously spoke. K-Kohaku-tan She called her it. Mhm Overjoyed, Kohaku once again began waving her arms, walking off while pulling Kazane along. There was the girl who meant no harm alongside the girl with a troubled face. A reserved girl being dragged along by a lively girl. That composition was a sight to smile at if you were watching from the side. The two made their way to the supermarketStarstogether. They pulled the cart out from the front, entering inside, and they pushed it together. Being inside the supermarket on break, they stood out quite a bit with their strange young girl combo, but no one around them really did anything about it, simply watching them with warm eyes. Probably because there was the fact that Kohaku was frolicking about and the fact that the two of them looked like small girls on an errand. They stood out, but they were a sight to smile at. Uhh, the drink cornerDD Its over here, KohakuDDKohaku-tan As Kohaku was about to continue, Kazane corrected where she was looking. Mhm OofI still cant adjust Then how about you adjust Id be happy if youd be happy about it at the house as well Hmm, okay, then lets try this Kohaku clapped her hands. If you call me anything other than Kohaku-tan before we get back, its punishment game time, kay? P-Punishment game Kazane swallowed her breath, wondering what would happen. But Kohaku didnt say anything. Alongside Kazane, who was secretly frightened, she began tossing various things they needed to get from the supermarket. Initially, Kazane was timid about it, but as she became more used to it, she naturally began talking to Kohaku like that. Ah- Suddenly, Kazane let out a voice, stopping. Whats up Please wait a minute Kazane said, dashing into the nearby alcohol corner with small steps. Kohaku was puzzled over what had just come over her. After she had waited there for a bit, Kazane had returned carrying a 700ml bottle in both hands. Thisis for Kohakutan Mine Yeah. You like this, right Kohaku-tan? Kohaku looked at the bottle that Kazane was holding. It was definitely the brand of alcohol that she was fond of. Though she looked to be ten on the outside, she was an old woman of 87 years on the inside. She had a habit of drinking at dinnertime, and the brand that Kazane had brought was one she drank often. Kazane had apparently remembered it for the welcome party and brought it with her. Yes. Lets go to the next one M-Mhm Walking off with her, Kohaku inquired after thinking a bit. Maybe we should buy something for Aoba and Youran as well True, Aoba-chan is currently obsessed with baumkuchen, so lets go buy that. Although Youran-chans is going to be a bit difficult Difficult Yes. It hasnt been that long since shes lived with us, so Im not sure what she likes. I dont know what she likes other than hard thingsDDlike rice crackers and hard-baked sweets How bout we get her ice or something No, thats seriously meanAlthough shed probably munch on them Thinking a bit more again, Kohaku returned to her normal elderly voice, muttering. Ye be looking well Eh Did you say something Nope, nothing at all. Now, lets go ahead and quickly buy things so we can go home and help out Okay The two of them finished their shopping, going back home together hand-in-hand. Iwas, fooled Nighttime, Taiyou Castle, living terrace. Shirokiyami muttered as the Natsuno Household + Shirokiyami were all assembled. Taiyou had been persistent with her until close to sunset, but when she had discovered that that her welcome party had been prepared for her return, she began saying she was betrayed. Heheh, got youDDow Come on, you can handle it. Youre a man, right? Youran said as she was tending to Taiyous injuries. Still, if stuff hurts, it hurts And Im telling ya to deal with it But Im happy. That Taiyou wasnt hurt too badly Aye. His wounds appear ta be a little gaudy, but none of them seem ta be too bad. I had prepared meself at worst to ave Danna-samas sleeping face as an appetizer fer the ole night Maybe youstill, can Youre going through with this? Taiyou interjected. Sleepquiet, ly That nuance sounds like when someone goes in for the finishing blow Sleep like a good boy, aye I dont think I can hear that as anything other than a sexual nuance Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan, is your mouth okay Mouth Yes, your mooouth. If you got an injury in your mouth then you wouldnt be able to eat the food that Yuri-chan went to all the trouble to make Oh, dont worry about that. The interior of my mouth is somewhat cut, but theres no way I cant eat More importantly, said Taiyou as he turned to Youran. You made this food? I-It wasnt just me, Kotone made it with me Is that right Incidentally Taiyou-san, the ones who made it were us, but the style was from Aoba-sans place Ooo, the whole trinity combination, eh Incidentally, I be cheering them on Doesnt that mean you did nothing? Seems, fun Shirokiyami murmured. Kohaku then spoke to her. It sure be fun. If ye hurry up and become Danna-samas, it be even more fun, matey Only ifDD Only if he defeats you, right? Yes yes, we know. And Kohaku-san, stop trying to persuade her Be it futile? The females spoke amongst each other. Treatment finished, Taiyou got up, heading to the kitchen. Natsuno-kun Im gonna wash my hands real quick. Youran, you should too, since you touched medicine Okay During that time, get things ready. Nothing wrong with entertaining the guest of honor~ Yeah, Suzu-chan, take out the cups Kay Kaza-chan, hand it to Yami-chan Here you go~ Mhm Taiyou went to the kitchen along with Youran to wash his hands. As his eyes met with Kotone, she gave him a wink. As if to say Leave it to me!. Taiyou nodded back. With the meaning of I leave it to you!. Shirokiyami saw that, making a mixed face. Her expression felt like she was saying You tricked me. Taiyou walked off while laughing Kukuku, copying Kohaku. He came out behind Shirokiyami. He opened his eyes wide. He jumped at her, pulling the bowstring on his fist. Pumping full power into his right arm. Just for this single moment. Everything up until now had been ground bait. Trick her once, and have it be [complete]. Make her delusioned: that he had fulfilled his objective; that it was the kicker. This was all to drive in an attack with all his might as she was lowering her guard. No one had realized this. Not even his target, Shirokiyami, had realized. That is, putting aside the irregular three girls following up with him and looking at one another. Taiyou was thankful to the three sisters. His strong arm drew closer than ever before Chapter 240: Hera / Star on the Rooftop Chapter 239: Kazane / I saw a Bride Chapter 241: Hera / Conspiracy Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Taiyou Castle at nighttime, on the tiled roof. The butterfly-winged fairy was flapping her wings in the air, floating above the tiles. Ahead of her gaze was dark red harvest moon floating in the sky. There was a satisfied smile on her face as she gazed at the moon. So you were here Ooo, well if it isnt Yuri-chan~ Dont call me by that name Hera turned around 180 degrees midair. Ahead of her gaze was the twintailed Youran, climbing up the ladder to the roof. While smiling wryly, Youran came to Heras side, pushing in her skirt and sat atop the tiles. Even atop the unstable roof, Yourans back was straight as ever. You call Kohaku-sanKohaku-tan, so why do you hafta call me that? Cause Yuri-chan is Yuri-chan. Did you not call yourself that when we first met Oof So its the same with Kohaku-tan~ But what about the realYuri Mmm, but no, Yuri-chan is still Yuri-chan Yourans face become more and more bitter. Yuri-chan was the name she had called herself when meeting Taiyou for the first time. Yurikago. That was the alternate way to say e@ Youran, taken from the same kanji. It was meant at the time to be a dig at Shirokiyami, telling her to call herYuri. It was a mere prank; childishness spurred on from the hesitation of a single moment. Because she had said that she was only tagging along with Taiyou for that period of time. Anyhow, calling meYuriwill just make things confusing, so quit while youre ahead It will indeed make things confusing Wont it Indeed, I see Hera clapped her hands after thinking about it briefly. I indeed understand. Then I will call the next Yuri-chanYuri Yuri Well, guess thats alright Yes indeed Youran nodded silently at Hera, who was smiling innocently. She had no inclination to interject, so the air between the two of them didnt change at all. So whatcha doing here I was indeed looking at the moon You always have such interests I like Moon-san. I indeed like looking at it~ Yeah? Come to think of it, Yuri-chan is New Moon-san, right? New Moon Director, yeah. Well, it does have some relation to the new moon itself That is indeed very cool Cuz its old As Youran said that, Hera slowly flew over, landing on her shoulder. Hera had been truly doing this sort of thing a lot recently. Stopping on the shoulders of Taiyousbrides. It had once just been Taiyou she did that to, but now she did it often to the brides. Umm, might I have a bit of a serious conversation with you Mm? Well I wont refuseDDJust didnt see that one coming Yes indeed. Im the happiest about Yuri-chan becoming Taiyou-chans wife You are Yes indeed Why It is because you were the first one that Taiyou-chan had to conquest Yourans expression changed. Not unpleasantly. It wasnt like she couldnt understand. Her face showed that she somewhat got it, but was waiting for more of a complete explanation. Kotone-chan and Suzune-chan and Kazane-chan were all lovey-dovey with Taiyou-chan from the beginning. Kohaku-tan was also lovey-dovey with him, and Aoba went with the flow Not detailed enough Of the two whom Taiyou-chan himself sought out, the first one he succeeded with was Yuri-chan Ohhh So, thank you indeed Hera embraced Yourans cheeks. Her small body closely adhered to it. Thank you indeed. Success indeed spurs men on to greater heights But youre the one whos making him stronger No, I am different. Those are different things How so? Youran sighed, half exasperated. The two of them looked up at the sky together. Moon-san is indeed pretty What kind of moons do you like New moons Hera answered promptly. Thought youd say that. But you cant even see new moons It is indeed best that way Yeah Youran looked at Hera with doubtful eyes. Hera flew off from her shoulders, stopping in front of Yourans eyes, aiming her body at her. It is indeed true. After all, Kohaku-tan is amber Hm Youran wondered what she was on about. Right afterwards Taiyou-chan is sun So I indeed like new moons. I also like full moons. Everyone likes Moon-san Youran looked up at the moon while looking at Hera. After thinking briefly, she spoke. Then why dont you just become the moon No, Im always a starDDUwaaaaah Quicker than Hera could finish, Youran had hit the fairys small body. She flew off like a shooting star, returning after a bit. Hey, what did you do that for, Youran-chan? I sorta feel like Ive understood how that guy feels. Couldja at least stop the teasing when youre trying to have a serious conversation? I am not teasing Hera spoke with a smile on her face in front of herDDbut with just a tone of seriousness. See, I am the stars Moon-san can also be seen when the sun comes out, see, but the stars cannot be seen. Butt, they are definitely there. I have always been so up until now, and I am fine with that from now on You really are I really am. After all Hera grinned mischieviously. Its decided that I will die the same instant Taiyou-chan does Huh I cannot be killed by anyone other than Taiyou-chan. But Taiyou-chan will definitely not kill me. And the moment Taiyou-chan dies, I also die. So I will be together with Taiyou-chan until the very end, and die in the same moment he does~ The sun and the stars are together, see Youran discerned that this was a double meaning. I might be a bit jealous of that Huhun Hera puffed her chest out, purposefully making an ahem sound. So I will be the stars from now on too Yeah, I gotcha So I look forward to working with you, Moon-sama Likewise While resting her chin in her hands, Youran smiled as she shook Heras small, outstretched hand. Chapter 241: Hera / Conspiracy Chapter 240: Hera / Star on the Rooftop Chapter 242: Hera / The Classroom in the Morning Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama So you were ere eh As she turned to the pretty voice, this time she saw the blonde-haired-blue-eyed Leticia climbing up to the roof. She had on a one piece cardigan that was a fall getup. The outfit felt more like one a lady would wear than a princess. Despite having an unsteady foothold on the rooftop, Leticia moved very naturally to Yourans side, silently sitting down. Whatcha guys talkin bout About this gal being the stars I havent the foggiest clue And about that guy being the sun Theyre both fixed stars, so it makes sense in a way Very correct. Sharp as always, Leti-chan Hera said, fluttering over to where the exasperated Leticia was and riding on her shoulders. Gonna ride on her too? I will indeed ride~ But Leti isnt hisbrideanymore Youran seemed to have realized that was a standard. Hera smiled to affirm that she was not mistaken. It is only a matter of time. Besides, all of Taiyou-chans brides are his women of destiny, so if there were one exception where someone stopped being that, it would be dramatic and fateful Uh-huh, sounds bothersomebut I guess thats that Whaddya mean thats that Leticia interjected. Ill say it as many times as ya want, but I aint gonna be nothin like that She is really a bothersome girl I dun want you of all people to be sayin that to me You two really are close As Hera said that, Youran and Leticia both answered immediately. Cant get rid of er is all Cant get rid of her is all Ooo, yeah, you are definitely amazing Nothin amazing bout that Leticia spat out. Looking at her, Hera put a hand to her cheek, making a pensive face before asking. Yuri-chan Yuri-chan, Yuri-chan and Leti-chan. Which of you has greater power Power? You mean authority Yes indeed Hera raised a hand in high spirits as if to say whoo-hoo. It was a mannerism she was always doing, much like her. Wouldnt it be Leti? Though shes rotten, she is after all a princess of a country. Incidentally, whats the current population of Phili? Still hasnt crossed the current threshold? Not yet. At this rate its estimated to increase past that after three years What about that Japanese visa exemption you mentioned before Were talkin bout testin that come next year. Japanese peeps can enter in without examination, and they can stay up to three years Wasnt it indefinite? We intend to do that in the future, but right now its just a test case Wed definitely like to make it appen though. Once we can finally accumulate five million for the cost of livin in Phili, livin in old agell be easier, and plus we just love Japan in the first place. People of retirement age can immigrate to a country where Japanese is the official language with a cheap cost of livin, and on top of the fact that our beloved Japanese people will be movin in for us, theyll be droppin money on the middle-class level. Its a win-win relationship Any resistance Just a small portion. Nothin on the level of affectin the general situation. The most that could appen with em rioting would be assasinatin me or my sisters I see, then Id best make various preparations in my own way Youran and Leticia. Contrary to the gorgeous appearance of the two beautiful girls with their shoulders lined side by side on the roof, the exchange they were having was dubious. That was still Youran and Leticia with their relationship and appearance, but right now there was someone else amidst them, far from the usual world. Leti-chan Leti-chan, is Phili an interesting place Interesting? In what sense of the word? I mean as in if everyone can go there and have fun In that case, I guarantee it. Its a southern island where everyone speaks Japanese. Think of it that way and there aint be no problems Its enough of a resort land to where theres a saying: Hawaii to the west, Phili to the east Ooo, then we must all go on New Years All Yes indeed. Go as the Taiyou-chan House Well I dun mind thatDD Its really alright Whaddya mean? If you dont realize it, Ill tell you right now. The household this gals referring to includes you as well What ya sayin And hey, havent you been saying this and that about destiny? Surprised at Yourans words, Leticia looked at Hera. Yes indeed. It is September right now, so I do believe that Leti-chan will fall in love by about New Years. I do believe that with the growth Taiyou received from Yuri-chan, he will woo you Ya say some convenient things Maybe around Christmas, right? What does Yuri-chan think Not at the athletic or cultural festivals? Seems like this idiots gonna continue being an instructor for a bit longer, so I feel like shed fall for him around then He will woo her at the campfire of the first night Yeah, maybe Sayin whatever ya feel like Leticias face was exasperated. All Hera talked about were various situations in which Taiyou wouldwooLeticia. Youran would point out various things as well. I am suuuper excited about what will happen. I would like to quickly see the sight of all Taiyou-chans brides assembled together The seven brides Yes indeed But even with this idiot and Shirokiyami entered in, theres only six. What about the remaining one? Do you know who it is? I know not. He may have met them before, or he might bump into them around the hallway sometime So you dont know either Youran thought, ignoring Heras feign of ignorance. Wonder what we should do Whaddya mean what should ya do? I mean maybe we should do something about it Haah First offMaybe we could do a beauty contest or something Youran smiled broadly. Chapter 242: Hera / The Classroom in the Morning Chapter 241: Hera / Conspiracy Chapter 243: Hera / Growth and Stagnation Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Ive always liked Hayakawa-san! Please go out with me They were in the classroom in the morning prior to homeroom. With it being her day shift, Kotone had arrived at school the earliest. That was the message sent to her smartphone via mail app. The person who had sent it had a name she didnt remember, nor was their number registered. So from Kotones viewpoint, a person she was completely unfamiliar with had confessed to her. I indeed saw thaaat Hera-chan Despite Hera calling out from behind, Kotone wasnt surprised in the slightest. The elusive fairy would appear out of nowhere when there werent any people around and talk to her in a carefree manner, so having been around her for a while, Kotone had already grown used to it. The actual astonishing thing would be if she talked to Kotone in front of others That was a confession, right Yeah, I think so Again? Yep, again Kotone nodded with a troubled expression. Oritate Academy did not prohibit the use of smartphones within the school building. Instead, it endorsed their usage, preparing a system that could be used even on the academys side of things. Due to that, the academys students were doing various things on their smartphones. Even confessions were not done by love letters, meetups, etc, but rather largely via smartphone like this one. Regardless, Kotone simply had been confessed to a ridiculous amount of times. It was comparatively larger than even the rest of the female students, and she was a cut above even the other two sisters. She did not find that particularly agreeable. Impressive as always, Kotone-chan. Getting confessed to is like breathing air for you There is a legendary person within the academy whogets confessed to seven times a week. If youre comparing getting confessed to with breathing air, you must be referring to them Ooo, such an amazing person existed? Yes, they do What will Kotone-chan do about this confession Of course I will reject it I dont mean that. I recognize you will reject it While floating in the air, Hera put her hands on her hips, speaking while pointing her index finger. It was a self-evident truth that none of Taiyous brides would accept any other male, so she was saying that the question wasnt that. I wish to know what way you will reject them What way Kotone tilted her head. Her expression wanted more of an explanation. Yes indeed. Via letter in the shoe rack? Call them into the classroom? Will you end up digging into them on your way back becauseit would be embarrassing for my friends to gossip about me Not sure about that last one, but all I have to do to end this is send an Im sorry to them By send, you mean the smartphone Yes Kotone nodded. Her expression questioned why Hera was asking. Ooo, so high-tech. To think that its come to where you can just reject a confession with your smartphone and leave it at that. What a time we live in Hera-chans younger than me, so why you are saying things like some old-timer I indeed wonder why. Sometimes Taiyou-chan says that as well Indifferent to Hera tilting her head, Kotone typed in her answer to reject, right afterward putting her phone away and starting on her daily work. Incidentally, it feels like Im always encountering Kotone-chan when someones confessing to her It doesnt happen that much though Suzune-chan and Kazane-chan dont really have it happen to them all that much, so why does it only happen to Kotone-chan Thats because Suzu-chan and Kaza-chan dont get confessions much either Kotone said, making a half-angry half-lonely expression. It was the kind of expression where one was angry but had given up because there was no point in letting it out. Is that really so Mhm. Speaking by numbers, Im the most, followed by Kaza-chan and then Suzu-chan by a wide margin Thats the order, hm? Yes Hmm, so it doesnt go by how tall you are For whatever reason, no The three mismatched sisters. They were triplets with the precise same faces, yet the three of them for whatever reason had a clear difference in their heights. Kotone was 150cm, a height that was neither tall nor short for female high school students. Suzune would enter in the slightly small category, at 140cm. Kazane looked utterly like an elementary schooler, at 130cm. They were identical triplets, and yet for some reason the difference in their heights was clear. Of the three, the one who got the most confessions was the tallest and eldest, Kotone, followed by the third sister Kazane who looked like a total elementary schooler, whereas Suzune between them for whatever reason had had far fewer incidents. Come to think of it, Kotone was popular even before she got with Taiyou You thinkso? Was there ever someone amongst them who wanted all three sisters Kotone gave a slight bitter smile. There was not. Although there was just one person who came close Ooo, who are we talking about? WellDD Hayakawa-san, morning! Youre a transcendent three times cuter today as well I see The moment Kotone was about to answer, the door to the classroom opened, and her classmate Nakajima Katsuki entered. He was the boy boasting the greatest knowledge about others in the class, and had always been talking to Kotone and her sisters in this manner. Its him Hera had gone quiet at the appearance of another person. Kotone conveyed this to her in a small voice and then began chatting with Katsuki. Katsukis selling point was his friendliness and lack of reservation, but because of that, he didnt approach people in a romantic way. To Katsuki, everyone was classmates, and friends. Nothing more, nothing less. He was that kind of guy. Now for the journal Kotone put her phone on the terminal that was built into the podium. Having the day shift, she logged in using the smartphone as a key, aiming to attach the journal into the terminal. Peeking in at that, Katsuki opened his eyes wide. Whats this? That Natsuno is absent today Yes Kotone slightly frowned. Though she had the daily shift and no more than two people had showed up at this point in time, she had entered in Taiyous absence ahead of time in the log. Chapter 243: Hera / Growth and Stagnation During gym class Split into gender-based groups, the girls were taking swimming lessons at the pool. This would be the last pool class for the rest of this years summer. Those girls were wearing monochrome navy blue swimsuits with nametags in their chest area. As of the present day, this was an endangered kind of item, but just like how the school still had bloomers, these maniac-lover articles were still in use. Wearing said swimsuit, Aoba swam the normal amount of distance that the teacher had instructed, afterward climbing up to the poolside, sitting on the ground, and taking a breather. That was when Hera came flying in from the schoolhouse, landing on her shoulders. Aoba-chan, are you sure you dont want to change into a new swimsuit? Huh? Why? Aoba asked. It was a low enough voice to where it wouldnt draw any attention. Aoba-chans name has gone all tight Hera was pointing out the nametag on Aobas chest. The tag that hadMiyagiwritten on it was stretching to the side. Aoba-chans boobs have indeed become big Mhm. Seems like they got bigger over summer break Wait, that must be thanks to Taiyou-chan, huh? Uhh Aoba was at a loss for words. Her chest becoming bigger was thanks to Taiyou. It was something that she didnt see any point in being declared out loud. Immediately, Aobas face became red with embarrassment. She wasnt composed enough to be able to remain calm with Hera messing with her or retort with a joke. For better or for worse, she was a 16 year old girl. Hera spoke to her again. Aoba-chan has now become number one I have? Ah, right Yes indeed. Number 1 amongst Taiyou-chans brides Not Kotone-chan No, no. Aoba-chan is the number 1 Really Aoba put a hand to her chest. Her face seemed somewhat happy about that. It went without saying that Kohakus chest couldnt grow due to being an Eternal Little. Youran had only just become abride, so she had not yet begun to grow. Kotone seemed to be the only one out of the three sisters who had the symptoms, yet Aoba was the one developing. At the time when they had gone to the hot spring some months ago, Aoba had been the most concerned about the tiny size of her breasts out of all of Taiyous brides. They are indeed impressive boobs! I must say I am jealouuus Come on, dont stare so much Aoba hid her chest with her arm. Hera was a non-human existence, and on top of that the same gender. There were plenty of reasons to not care, but she was still embarrassed about having her breasts stared at. Whats wrooong, Aoba? She suddenly heard a voice from the side. It was a familiar, carefree, jovial voice. Looking up to see where the voice was coming from, she saw Akiha wearing a swimsuit of the same design. In contrast to Aoba, she was energetic, and on top of that, she had amazing, voluptuous proportions accompanying that. She was standing with hands on her hips, and her beautiful features made it easy to mistake her for an idol. Since she couldnt see her, Hera closed her mouth. It was a adorable mannerism where she hid her mouth with her hands. After glancing to confirm that, Aoba turned back to Akiha, answering. Its nothing Really? Sorta seemed like you were chatting with someone. Was someone over there? Akiha said, gazing in Heras direction. Hera was still there, floating in front of her eyes, but Akiha couldnt see that at all. As evidence to that, Hera flew in aޡorbit in front of her and made silly faces staring her down, but Akiha didnt react at all. Maybe someone was spying on you No way You sure? If they ever do, let me know and Ill get em good Seriously, Im fine Kay She wasnt being spied on by anyone in actuality, and Akiha couldnt see Hera, so she went along with it and sat next to Aoba. The two best friends sat on the sun-blazing concrete side-by-side. As they were sitting, Akiha stared at Aoba. She stared at one specific area. Staaare What is it, Akiha? Aobayour boobs got big You too!? Ah, so they really did huh Yeah Aoba nodded timidly. She wanted to say something to steer the conversation elsewhere, but Akiha was the kind of girl whod pursue something once she gained interest, so just admitting it right here would decrease the damage. Aoba knew that, so she had admitted it meekly. Its cuz ya got groped right Aoba was stumped at this exact conversation continuing. And the most troubling thing was the fact that off to the side, the invisible Hera was snickering. She wasnt a big fan of answering the question, but if she didnt then things would get annoying, so Aoba timidly nodded, admitting it. Yeah. Ithink so Wooow, I didnt know that sort of thing makes them bigger I dunno. I mean, it might also not be the case But they really got bigger. And after you were groped Y-Yeah. True Aoba nodded, looking down. Her face was hot. At this point even she could tell her face was probably red. Hmmm Akiha had her arms folded, thinking about something and groaning. Whats wrong, Akiha? Mhm, now that youve got to this point, I think Ill assist ya Eh Yeah, big is best Ill grope them and make you even bigger Whaaa, n-no Im fine Oh cmon cmon, dont be shy. Its just out of friendship right? Akiha pressed in closer to Aoba with a carefree smile. She moved her fingers rapidly, as if saying Im gonna grope ya nooow. Wha, quit it Akiha Aoba let out a loud voice and resisted, but it didnt cause any disturbance. This was a pool with no one but girls, and Aoba and Akiha were known to be best friends. Even if she didnt like getting her chest groped, it was seen as skinship between best friends, so no one saw it as a big deal. There actually were several girls looking their way, but if anything they were cheeringDo it some more!. Kyan! S-Stop it Akiha All is well, all is well UghStop screwing around like that StillAoba, at this rate I bet youll get even bigger EhY-You think so Aoba, who had disliked what Akiha was saying until now, stopped moving. She gazed at Akiha with a certain expectation. Mhm, yknow, like this Anh You became bigger and softer, but this areas still hard as lead. That means ya still got a ways to go Hyah Hmmm Ahngh Man, I think you can go two cups bigger NghG, Gosh darn it Aoba had been enduring it, but as expected couldnt keep at it, flinging Akihas hands off. SeriouslyGive it a rest, Akiha Whaaa Dont give me that whaaa Come on. A girls just giving her help And I dont need said help Aoba said, and Akiha seemed to be irritated at that, but those words ended it. She quickly switched the topic to something else. Her best friend Akiha loved messing with her. Although that was why Aoba practically hadnt realized. Hera-chan Hera in the corner of her eye was making an odd expression for some reason as she covered her mouth. Aoba was rather curious about that. Chapter 244: Hera / Fairy-san Fairy-san Chapter 243: Hera / Growth and Stagnation Chapter 245: Hera / The Greatest Pleasure Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama After gym class, there was a slightly longer break. Aoyama Akiha did not return to the classroom with her classmate Aoba, instead climbing the stairs by herself. Once she reached the top, she swung open a door whose knob was brand-new, emerging on the rooftop. Her body was immediately greeted by a pleasant wind caressing her. It was the kind of wind that blows with the changing of the seasons, refreshing for both body and soul. While receiving that, she stepped out onto the roof. Oh, someones here already? Akiha raised her voice. Ahead of here on the fence. There was a girl she was unfamiliar with. The girl was not wearing the mandated school uniform. She had long white hair reaching the back of her knees, which contrasted with a black gothic dress. It was questionable whether she was even a student or not. She was positioned atop the fence, a certain distance from Akiha. She was standing on the fence, feet together. Whogoes there The girl turned around murmuring once she recognized Akihas voice. She was a mysterious girl who had a vacant expression. Akiha walked over to where she was, answering. Im Akiha, Aoyama Akiha. Its written as Blue Mountain and Fall Wave Nice tomeet you You phrased it as a question? While giggling, she stood before the fence, hoisting herself up. She didnt actually stand next to the white girl, but sat cross-legged in her usual manner atop the fence. Youve done thisbefore Cause Ive been coming here often. You? Occasional, ly. Because I likehigh, places Just like me Akiha giggled again, proceeding to ask again. So whats your name Yu, ri The white girl answered after thinking a bit. Why do you not even sound sure BecauseI havent used it, lately Wow, seriously? Is it really, okay What is Akiha asked with a puzzled face. Itsno, thing Kay. Anyhow, how do you write Yuri? Like the flower symbol ٺϣ Its difficultto, explain So its one of those super difficult ones She said, and Yuri curtly nodded. Just like me. Mine, Akiha, is normal-sounding, but it gets confusing once you put it into kanji. My name became this way cuz my dad was a chinese classical literature freak. How bout you? An unavoidablereason I see Akiha giggled. She wasnt sure what that reason was, but she didnt care much. She was the type of person to clearly separate important and trivial things, which was why she didnt particularly care. The wind here feels nice, doesnt it Mhm See, I come here when Im happy as well as when Im depressed. Having the wind hit me here is what gets me going ThereThe, re Yuri said, patting Akihas head. Her eyes were boundless, but her hands were gentle. They felt like the hands of a mother comforting her child. Akiha made a wry smile at that. So you automatically assume Im depressed MhmBecause your ki is, down Ki Ki Ki? You mean THAT ki? The kind of kiwhere you can slice wooden chopsticks in half with, paper You can just detect that sort of thing? Mhm Whoa, aint that impressive MhmIts, amazing Ahaha, amazing amazing Akiha laughed in a carefree manner, and Yuri showed she felt similar. After that, neither one of them spoke. Akiha was sitting on the fence, and Yuri was standing on it. The two girls let the same wind blow against them quietly. Suddenly, Akiha seemed to remember something, asking her. Yuri, got anyone you like Yes, I do Ooo, what are they like Yuri turned her head, thinking. She looked around restlessly, showing that she was thinking about Akihas question. Idiot Idiot Mhmid, iot An idiot, huh? I like those kinds You, do I do O, kay Yuri nodded, and silence drifted between them right afterward again. Akiha was starting to get a good feeling about this atmosphere. If she had met her earliershe thought. Hey hey, thats where youre supposed to ask me too Yuri tilted her head. Ya know, Im saying things in an insinuating manner. Arent you supposed to respond with something likeAnd who do you like?orYou fell in love with someone who isnt an idiot?? Iam, supposed to Thats the idea You wantme to ask, you? Well Im not gonna force ya O, kay Silence once again. Okay okay, just ask. Youre probably annoyed with me acting like a tsundere but ask me anyway I dont evenhave, to Huh Cause Iknow who, you, like. A fairytold, me Didnt know you were that sorta girl Yuri tilted her head in response. That sortagi, rl The type that talks about fairies and all that There isa, fairy Kay then Yuri spoke of a fairy. If such a thing really existedDD. If its really heremight be nice It, might Yup. Like, I could say Fairy-san Fairy-san, convey my feelings for me since Im too cowardly Akiha said, smiling mischievously. That smile also looked like it was somehow lonely and resigned. You are reallyokay with them, doing that If they really exist Okay Huh I willlet Fairy-san, know Yuri, are youactually an eccentric girl I leave it to youFairy-sa, n Yuri said at last, softly leaping off the fence. She had actually leaped off of the roof. HeyDDWait, she landed just fine Akha, who had panickedly looked down, was astonished at the white girl landing nonchalantly. However, she ended up just accepting her as one of those girls. She just had something about her that made her accept it. Satisfied, Akiha looked up at the sky while sitting. Fairy-san, eh? She muttered. GeezYami-chan, you are so irresponsible Hera had been listening the entire time. Chapter 245: Hera / The Greatest Pleasure Chapter 244: Hera / Fairy-san Fairy-san Chapter 246: Taiyou / Ace and Joker Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Seriously, what does she expect me to do? While staring at Akiha sitting atop the fence, Hera complained. There was no doubt she had been talking about Hera. But what in the world did Shirokiyami mean by I leave it to you? She didnt get what she had been entrusted with or what she should do at all. Should I convey her feelings for her? Should I have Taiyou-chan tell her? Should I become a letter and have it sayOpen Me While flapping in front of Akihas eyes, she continued to discharge complaint after complaint. Initially she had played around with various ideas, but they gradually decreased in number. That was because of Akiha, sitting before her. Hera loved to chat, but she was no good at talking to herself. It was like trying to play verbal dodgeball without having the actual ball. She simply could not keep talking. Hmmm, what should I do? Aoba Akiha muttered to no one in particular as Hera was folding her arms and cocking her head. Aoba-chan Hera asked, but expectedly there was no response. She thought momentarily that Aoba might have come, but that didnt seem to be the case. Hera could pretty much sense the distance of those whom Taiyou kissed. She could tell that Aoba was on the bottom floor, further away. Basing this on experience, she knew she should be in the classroom and did not come here. Then why? She wondered, when Akiha opened her mouth again. Natsuno Taiyou Ooo, so you call him by his full name? Hera said, waiting for who was next. However, Akiha said no more than that. Even when the chime rang for the next class to begin, she didnt move from there. She sat cross-legged on the fence, simply staring straight ahead Hmmm, seems like there isnt any point staying here There wasnt any sense that Akiha would say anything more, so even though she knew she couldnt hear, Hera saidBye bye indeed, flying away from there. She slipped through the wall, going back to where the girls in the school were. Aoba was in the the classroom. She had changed back from a swimsuit into a school uniform, concentrating on the lesson in her seat. She tried approaching her, but she only answered with a smile, so Hera went to the next girl. She made it to Classroom 1-A. The three sisters Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane were likewise focusing on class, mouthingLater, whereas Kohaku excitedly waved Hera over. She still couldnt speak to her during class, but Kohaku would do things like prod at her with her fingers or stroke her in the palm of her hand. It felt like something a human might do with a dog, and Hera briefly frolicked about with Kohaku. At length she also exited 1-A, detecting the next girls location. Shirokiyami was quite far, and it was highly likely that she had left the school premises. Meanwhile, Youran and Leticia seemed to be in nearly the same place; apparently together. Where are Yuri-chan and Leti-chaaan? Hera flew in the direction that she sensed. Flying through the wall. At length, she entered a room of thick making; different from the rest. This was called the board chairmans room, which you could tell was of a higher class. Youran and Leticia were facing each other there, discussing something. If Hera were the type to read the mood a bit more, or hide herself here, she could have likely eavesdropped on something. It is indeed hello She spoke in a jovial voice, flying over to the two of them. Can you knock when entering the room? Whaaat, why must I? I am so close with Yuri-chan after all Close in what way? Leticia said, exasperated. So what did you come for I came to playyy. Everyone is busy with class, so I am suuuper free Umm, Im busy too Leti-chan Me too. Ya realize instructors are purty busy themselves, right I see. That is indeed a shame What about playing with Adashino Oh yeah huh, Pochi-chan exists Hera clapped her hands together. She had remembered the girl who had inherited the big breasted blood of the Juunishimas. It was true that Pochi would be free, so shed probably tag along with her. After thinking that, she thanked Youran for her suggestion. It was at that moment. Oo, ooooo Hera suddenly got really excited. What? What happened It has come come cooome, indeed What has? Thaaat, you know, that Something had welled up from within her. It had been accumulating in her heart, but it was now released. She had felt this about ten times. She could sense that it was deeply related to her raison dtre, reason for livingDDa level-up. Somewhere far off, Taiyou had leveled up. Ooo, I was summoned this time Jovial, Heras body disappeared into the black hole, sucked into nothingness. It is indeed goodbyeeeDD Hera had been summoned by Taiyou. She was sucked into darkness with Youran and Leticia staring puzzledly. The next moment, she was in front of Taiyou. Inside the living terrace of Taiyou Castle Half-naked and covered all over with bandages, Taiyou was also wearing brand-new sneakers. Before leaving she had instructed Taiyou to grind repetitively byTying and untying shoes. That had accumulated exp, and he had leveled up. The moment she came before Taiyou, Hera had spun around in the air, speaking in a jovial voice. Tererettettettehhh?Taiyou-chan has leveled up That was everything that connected her to Taiyou. It was a moment of ecstasy received from Taiyou that was far superior to any sex. Chapter 246: Taiyou / Ace and Joker Chapter 245: Hera / The Greatest Pleasure Chapter 247: Taiyou / Oh, are we being invaded? Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama He tied the shoelace, and untied the shoelace. He tied the shoelace, and untied the shoelace. He tied the shoelace, and untied the shoelace. Taiyou was all alone in the afternoon living terrace of Taiyou Castle. As Taiyou was silently raising his level, the Level Fairy Hera had warped before him. Hera spun around in the air, posing with her fist thrust in the air. Taiyou secretly called that The Levelup Dance. Tereretettettehhh?Taiyou-chan has leveled up You finally came. Is it 17 now Yes indeed. Lets do an ability cheeeck Yeah, bring it Taiyou punched the palm of his hand. This was by now a familiar, intimate exchange He felt the kind of relief that one might feel with marriage after having been together for many years, as if to sayHey, go ahead and take this. As he did that, he chasedDDafter the numbers drifting inthe area between the eyes and the back teeth, aka the back of his mind. His points were essentially what he had predicted. His power especially had been preserved in a high area, which made him feel like he could even go to a bonus stage and do time attack with breaking cars with his bare hands. He was thinking it was best to somehow use it against Shirokiyami. Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan Heras voice broke through his thoughts. As he looked at her wondering what was up, he saw her face gazing worriedly at him. Whats wrong Taiyou-chan, your bandages are red. I think blood is coming out Huh Oh, youre right Once Hera had said that, he looked at his body. There was a slight amount of blood staining the bandages wrapped around his upper body. After treatment, the blood should have stopped, but his wound had apparently opened up again unnoticed. Still hadnt stopped completely, eh Will you be okay Well, I wont die at least Taiyou said, tracing the sliced wound from above his bandages with his fingers. It was in a soft manner of touching, yet not touching, like when he slept with his wives the first time. Nevertheless, the kind of intense pain that made him feel his face was being pulled apart coursed throughout his entire body. Ow ow ow Taiyou-chan? Could you actuallybe a masochist The hell did that come from He lashed back at the sudden comment with a quip, but that ended up bringing further pain. Taiyou held down the area around the wound, glaring at Hera. The hell are you saying? Cause you are grinning while touching your wound. That has to be a masochistic tendency No, but well, its true that Im happy So you really are a masoDD I am NOT Further pain raced through his wound for talking so loudly. However, he was somehow happy as of now. He was even aware that there was a smile on his lips.. Hmmm, then why are you so happy Im sure you get it, but this is the biggest wound Ive had since I first met Shirokiyami Yes indeed. It is indeed the biggest wound since meeting her Ah man, ever since thenwe stopped being enemies, so she held back against me a lot. Honestly, she probably didnt have to even go that far She is the strongest in the world after all Yep, that she is Taiyou and Hera nodded together. They would know, having fought numerous times, even with the fairy Heras assistance. Shirokiyamis power was worlds away from his. Plus she can cut steel and leave behind afterimages Yes indeed Anyhow, leaving that as it is Taiyou said, returning back to his main point. I told her earlier that Id rather have her not hold back even if I end up getting badly injured I see indeed. Which is why youre like this Yeah. This attackis proof that I cornered her to a degree Taiyou said, nodding. He could tell that the corner of his mouth was rising more and more. At that moment, Taiyou had definitely put pressure on Shirokiyami. Since he couldnt even scratch her normally, he used a dirty trick to where she let her guard down, putting his everything into one attack. Shirokiyami didnt look to have much resistance. The fight should have been won with one galaxy-sized punch. She had in fact made a very stiff face. If that attack had hit, by nowDD Even so, he couldnt defeat Shirokiyami. Not even his fist could reach her. She had immediately gone into attack mode and sliced him. And he had suffered a great wound and lost. However, he had been able to make her change expression. He had been able to draw out a full-fledged counterattack. Albeit for an instant, he had certainly put pressure on her. Taiyou was madly in love with Shirokiyami. To him, even that one moment made him happy enough to jump for joy. Hera saw that, making an unusual tranquil smile. She spoke to him. Taiyou-chan, you really do like Yami-chan No duh Then youd best defeat her quickly. Defeat Yami-chan and have nice flirty moments Right. And for that, I gotta get stronger and stronger. I dont think such an ambush will be possible againfeels like the path I was on just got more thorns in it Taiyou felt a bit of regret as a result. Maybe I shouldve stepped on the brakes Why is that I used my last resort after all. I cant use it more than once, so I might have succeeded if I had tried it after further raising my level I see indeed Hera understood. Right afterward, she made her usual carefree smile. Then I must also become stronger and stronger Huh I will get strong and be of aid to Taiyou-chan. I will become the anti-Yami-chan trump caaard Im counting on ya, Joker Yes indeed Taiyou and Hera high-fived each other. Chapter 247: Taiyou / Oh, are we being invaded? Chapter 246: Taiyou / Ace and Joker Chapter 248: Taiyou / A Little Trust Here and There Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Incidentally, Yami-chan said something odd Something odd Hera then told him. She told him everything she had seen from beginning to end that occured on the school roof. Very impressive description After he had heard everything, Taiyou gave his opinion. Was it visual enough Yeah. Akiha was sitting on the fence, and Shirokiyami was standing to her side, right Yes indeed Ive seen it from both sides, so I can really picture it. And once I picture it its just fabulous I see indeed You dont really get it do ya Taiyou asked Hera. He hadnt felt any understanding in her jovial, carefree answer. No, I do think that its fabulous when Taiyou-chan is together with his briiides No, I dont mean anyone specifically. It could be anyone really. Visual-wise Uh-huh Well I could care less. The real thing we need to focus on is what Shirokiyami said Taiyou tried to organize what he had heard in his head. He had admittedly anticipated this in a sense. If he were to compile the information Hera had brought back after spying and what had happened until now, one answer floated up. It was still but a possibility. And he didnt want it to be anything more if he could help it. Because if that were true, Taiyou and Akiha would end up as rivals. Rivals in a love triangle for Aoba. He didnt think Aoba would be moved in any way, nor did he intend to let it happen. It was just that Aoba thought of Akiha as her best friend. This is where the issue is Taiyou muttered. It is Yeah. Akiha brought Aoba over here right Hmmm, oh, you mean when she ran from home Taiyou nodded. That was when Aoba had still beenMiyagi-san. Aoba had run away from home when the number of mothers had increased, and Akiha had taken her here for whatever reason. If his assumption was correct, just what would that mean? I want to investigate more Investigate what? You may leave it to mee Nah, I dunno about thaaat Excuse me? Is Taiyou-chan making light of me? Even though I can do espionage the best Thats true in its own way for you, but If all he needed were the facts, he might leave it to Hera. After all, even Shirokiyami at one point hadnt been able to detect her presence. However, from what they had just discussed, it was evident that she was detached from human emotions. Or I could have you look and make the calls myself What will I be looking for? Hmmm Taiyou thought about what would be best. That was when a chime rang. When it rang, he saw a figure beyond the glass to the entrance. Who is it at a time like this Shall I go look No, dont worry about it Taiyou smiled wryly. Just as he had meant by sayingdont worry about it, there was no need to go so far as to use Hera right now. Taiyou put on the clothing he had discarded on the sofa, standing up and heading to the entryway. When he opened the door, he saw unexpected visitors. Mother-in-laws Two of Aobas three mothers, Nazuna and Mio were standing there. Though Taiyou now had four brides, these women were the clearest definition of mother-in-laws to him. Taiyou thought it a little strange. He had four brides, and yet only one of them had people he could call his mother-in-lawsbut there were three of them. He chuckled a bit at this unexplainable situation. It has been a while. Has something good happened recently Nazuna asked him with her usual aloof vibe. No, not exactly. Anyhow, please come in Indeed, thank you for having us Thank you for having us Mio with a sour look followed after the placid Nazuna like a servant as they entered. She hadnt lately been saying anything directly to him, but even so, it was clear that she did not think highly of Taiyou. Mio-san is like a father Taiyou said as he showed them to a sofa. Father Yeah. The kind of father who saysYou wont have MY daughter Yeah, I do feel the same vibe``please do sit Taiyou sat in his usual spot, motioning for them to sit as well. Only Nazuna sat, whereas Mio preferred to stand behind her like the maid she was. Taiyou had always thought that relationship was fantastic. Thanks. Yeah, pretty sure that Mio-san still doesnt want to let her daughter go That is not true Wha- Yes, even I can tell But Mio-san is the only one who is against it. Both me and Atsuko-san concur, so relax If I recall, you had a parliamentary system Indeed. Putting aside one case, the three of us decide all the important things with majority rule. Weve done that for around twenty years One case Taiyou wondered what that was, but neither Nazuna or Mio seemed to budge. It didnt seem to be anything important, so Taiyou decided to let it slide. More importantly, why have the two of you come here? Usually no one is here on a weekday Aoba-sama has contacted us. She wishes for us to see how Natsuno-sama is faring Mio-san UnderstoodNatsuno-sama Yes Please strip What Taiyou couldnt believe what her mother-in-law was saying. Chapter 248: Taiyou / A Little Trust Here and There Chapter 247: Taiyou / Oh, are we being invaded? Chapter 249: Natsuno / Half a Return Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama What was that She said to strip Nazuna answered in a composed tone. If it were one of his brides, he would have absolutely no problem with it, but this was the mother of said brideDDin other words, the existence known as a mother-in-law. It was wrong in many ways for someone like them to look at him naked. What are you saying? Taiyou repeated himself with a different implication. Strip. If you will not be so kind as to do it If I will not He gulped. Unexpectedly, Nazuna with her usual faraway vibe had been emitting a difficult-to-define pressure. She spoke out cooly. Mio-san will strip instead Eh Thats fine, right Mio-san? What on earth are you saying? Taiyou still couldnt say anything else. That was just how unclear Nazunas words were. If you will still not strip If I wont strip Then I will strip in front of Taiyou-kun Uhh no waitDD The moment he tried to interject, he heard a bang from the entryway. When he turned around, Akiha in the school uniform was standing there. Huh? Why are youDD Taiyou was surprised that she was here instead of school. Which was why he was too late to grasp the current situation. Akiha had an angry look on her face, walking over determinedly to Taiyou from the entryway. She swiftly lifted her right handDDand then swung it down. Smack A dry, piquant sound rang throughout the living terrace. Akiha had slapped Taiyous cheek. Ironically enough, that helped him catch up to what was going on. Akiha had only heard Nazunas last comment. I will strip in front of you. She didnt say it in an erotic manner, but the action mentioned was bad enough in and of itself. Youre despicable No, I mean shes myDD Nazuna-san is your mother-in-law, right. Harems are fine and all, but can you at least have some decency in your choices N-No, like I was saying Someone like you doesnt deserve Aoba Akiha said, not listening to any of Taiyous explanations. She then twisted around and walked briskly out of Taiyou Castle and away. The door was slammed shut. That left Taiyou and the two mothers in law. So what were you planning to do? Nothing at all So now you decide to be serious More importantly, would it not be good for Taiyou-sama to do something about that If anything, I have no need to do anything Oh Nazuna tilted her head in puzzlement. There isnt anything that can be done about that. In a situation like this, the worst that could happen would be Akiha dashing over to Aoba and tell her we were doing strange things, but would Aoba actually believe that You have some self-confidence there Not at all. Not in myself, but in her Taiyou pointed at himself and the two mother-in-laws in turn. Would Aoba believe that you guys would have anything to do with another man Anyhow, quickly discard your clothing Thats mean! Veering the conversation off-course like that Mio in her maid outfit took out various belongings. Bandages, then things like antiseptic solution and crude medicine. They were all evidently things to treat outer wounds. Whats with all this Aoba has contacted us, saying that Natsuno-sama has been greatly wounded and that she only gave you light treatment Aoba said that Which was why we came. Because Mio-san is skilled at treatment of wounds It is something I have honed for the sake of everyone Everyone Taiyou parroted her words. There was no need to ask what thiseveryonewas referring to. Just like her, Taiyou had his owneveryone. So strip. Ill treat Taiyou-kun So you remembered that Taiyou spoke not to Nazuna, but to Mio. Yes Is it a difficult thing Each and every one is a special case Mio said straightforwardly only to Taiyou with a cold expression. I memorized various things to deal with a wide range of situations, so it took some time Could you teach it to someone What do you mean He means that it would be handy to have someone like that in his family No, actually Taiyou denied what Nazuna had said as he smiled bitterly. That isnt it. Im not asking just because it would be convenient Then, what do you mean Aoba contacted you, and Nazuna-san brought along Mio-san, and you came here. Right? Yes Aoba trusts in Mio-san. So rather than a doctor, she said Mio-san would be better Yes And Nazuna-san wouldnt rely on someone like me, but rather on Mio whenever someone in the family gets hurt What are you getting at Trust Taiyou said with clear intonation, directing those words to his mother-in-laws. At times like this, just rely on this person and you should be fine. I see that sort of trust between you allId also like to have that in my place. So as soon as possible, Id like to steal that idea Nazuna and Mio looked at each other. Nazuna had the slightest confusion, while Mio made a complicated face. Is that so? Yes, please He put his hands on both knees, bowing deeply. I dont want the fish themselves, but rather the method of how to catch them. And that method happens to be the trusting relationship in the family Perhaps we should let Natsuno-sama know? That is also fine, but there are ones more suitable. Im talking about the Hayakawa sisters: Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane Well, you sure dont waste time I refer to the three of you asOgibo-san (mother-in-law). If you want me to restrain myself, I will do so Mio made a further mixed expression at Taiyous words. Thought wed just help out and be out, but this is an interesting turn of events Nazuna-sama What shall we do, Mio-san? After Nazuna asked her, Mio heavily nodded bitterly. Chapter 249: Natsuno / Half a Return Chapter 248: Taiyou / A Little Trust Here and There Chapter 250: Natsuno / Sharp-Eared Yami-chan Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Natsuno-kun, can I have you for a second? It was nighttime at Taiyou Castle, and they were in Taiyous room. It was a Japanese room with eight tatami mats, just a bit wider than the other rooms. That was where Taiyou was relaxing as Aoba sought him out. What is it? Taiyou asked, motioning for her to come closer. Aoba had been standing at the door, so now she entered the room, sitting beside him. Right here Aoba was about to say something, when Taiyou spoke before her. He pointed repeatedly in front of himself, sitting cross-legged. Pointing at the top of his knees. While her cheeks were flushed, Aoba timidly moved over to where Taiyou was, sitting in the center of the ring that his feet were making. She snugly fit. Taiyou enveloped her shoulders in a gentle hug. So what did you want to discuss Taiyou asked her naturally, chatting her up. So its about Youran Youran? What about her I heard from Kohaku-sanShe apparently said she wanted to make Natsuno-kun the king Yeah, that she did. Seems she wants to make me theKing of Juunishima Okay then What about it Yeah, so I was wondering how I might assist with that Huh Still hugging her, he peeked her face in from the side. Assist Mhm You wanna make me the king or whatever too Not really. Ah, I dont mean that in a bad way. Im not saying I dont care about Natsuno-kun I know While smiling, Taiyou poked his head into hers. There was no pain. The skinship was itchy, if anything. I get that, but I dont get why you want to assist Well, Juunishima is Yourans hometown, right? I know its on a different scale than us, but thats her real home, right? Real home, ehIts true you could think about it that way Yeah. I dont know how Youran herself feels, but when it comes to real familyI just feel like, I wanna help, yknow? Makes sense When it comes to real family Aoba had condensed everything about herself with that one statement. By this point, there were practically no ill feelings, but that didnt change the fact that the term real familyheld a special place in her heart. Alright, so assistance Mhm. How about it? Aoba asked. She slightly leaned against him. She was depending on him, pestering him. Taiyou felt that. Pestering, eh? He repeated that in his mind. He had once thought it to be ridiculous for ones loved one to pester the other, but he was no longer of that opinion. Plusshes not even doing it for her own sake It wasnt for her sake, but for Yourans. Taiyou suddenly remembered something. What does Aoba think about Youran Whatdo I think? I mean straight up, do you like her or dislike her I stilldont know. We havent known each other for long after all I see But But Aoba stirred within his arms. She was more relaxed than earlier, entrusting her body weight to Taiyou. All of it. If its someone who likes Natsuno-kun, then I think I could probably like them Because they like me Mhm, because they like Natsuno-kun. I think that sort of person might be okay If its someone with the same interests as you, you can trust them. I wonder about that What do you mean Hmmm Taiyou tilted his head, smiling. He understood the sentiment of wanting to trust those who share your tastes, and even nearly agreed, but would that truly hold the same weight when it came to love? At the very least, Taiyou didnt consider that to be common sense. But Taiyou didnt pay it much heed. Life is full of unknown things in the first place. Unknown things had increased at a particularly explosive rate after meeting Kohaku. After receiving additional instruction from her, he had become further unconcerned about it. Which was why he decided not to care. Instead, he decided to grant it. Alright, lets think about it together. Cause I actually dunno what to do either, so lets enlist Kotone, Suzune, Kazane, and Kohaku for assistance Kay Nodding vigorously, Aoba conveyed her joy. Taiyou was becoming happier and happier. And I have one more thing I wanna ask you. Or rather, Id like you to work with me With me? Kay, Ill do whatever, so ask away Its about what Youran said to me. Or rather, asked me foruhhh, or threatened me? Eh? Wh-What did she say Yeah, about that Mhm Actually, you see M-Mhm Taiyou put on airs with a grave tone. Aoba was lured in by that, holding her breath in anticipation. Taiyou was inwardly chuckling. Hed been able to have his fill of her cute side, so he figured hed disclose it about now. She told me to pull your ponytail Eh Said for me to pull it You meanmine Yeah, this ponytail He pinched the tip of her hair, not quite pulling it but tugging it. Youre going to do that She apparently wishes for it.Havent the foggiest idea of why though Taiyou inwardly questioned, then spoke again. So she was wondering if Id help grant that Mhm. Please do Aoba timidly nodded in his arms. She got up, making it so that he could pull on her ponytail. Taiyou gently pulled on her sweet, lovely ponytail. That was all it took for her to jump. That was overwhelmingly cute to Taiyou, and he became eager to do more. Natsunokun They would then proceed to have reckless sex. Chapter 250: Natsuno / Sharp-Eared Yami-chan Chapter 249: Natsuno / Half a Return Chapter 251: Natsuno / Second time in Three Months Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama He was thirsty, so he left the tired-out Aoba in the room and went to the kitchen to drink water or something. That was when he ran into the three sisters and Shirokiyami. Perhaps because they had just gotten out of the bath, the three sisters flushed cheeks and cherry blossom-painted skin were captivating, and Taiyou could feel his heart pounding. In addition, behind the sister trio was Shirokiyami in white pajamas, equally cute. So cuuute They were so cute that Taiyou couldnt help let out his honest thoughts. You think that too, Taiyou-san? We were thinking the same That this cute appearance fits us The mismatched three sisters, Koto, Suzu, and Kaza sang a chorus of the soul. Taiyou unconditionally agreed with what they had said. Yeah, youre super cute. I agree that it fits you That isnot, true Shirokiyami denied with her peculiar way of breathing, turning the other way. Her sakura-colored skin increased its redness further, and Taiyou felt that was even cuter. She held a complex toward her long white hair reaching behind her knees, her white skin, as well as her red eyes, so in order to supplement that she normally preferred to wear jet-black lace dress. A black dress for a pale girl. That was beautiful in its own way, but Taiyou still thought that white fit her better. As if that were the way it should be. If I said thatnot sure whether shed get angry, cry, or cut me down Taiyou was inwardly sweating cold sweat. He would rather none of them, but crying was definitely the last thing he wanted. You are thinkingstrange, thoughts Am not Liar Not lying Taiyou smiled broadly. Just thinking youre cute, is all Her face even redder, she reached down to her lower body area, but let go as she suddenly realized something. She made an extremely disappointed face. Oh yeah huh, cant brandish a katana like that. Only from under your skirt, was it? A maidenseti, quette Mhm. Strove to remember it, right? Yes Shirokiyami slightly nodded. Normally, when she were in her black lace dress, she was able to pull out her beloved sword,Heaven Reversal. It was almost like a party or magic trick, but she specifically called itEtiquette of Beautiful Sword-Wielding Girls. And as it would seem she could not do such a thing without her skirt, her current pajama apparel made it impossible. Knowing that, Taiyou thought to himself Can I defeat her right now It was normally quite reasonable to assume that a beauty without her sword is a mere beauty As long as it doesnt hitit isnt, an issue Plus you can create afterimages and offshoots It was naive for Taiyou to think that way. Even without a weapon, that movement of hers that surpassed human intellect wasnt going anywhere. That movement that allowed her to immediately appear behind you, leaving afterimages. That wasnt something reliant on a weapon. It was her own skillDDher own ability. Even without taking out her weapon, Taiyou could still not hit her. As he was cooling down, giving it up, the three sisters finished their own cooldown, speaking to him. UmmTaiyou-san We just feel we should Apologize ahead of time HmmApologize See, tonight Well be sleeping together So Taiyou-san, we cant The sister trio said with apologetic faces. He wasnt immediately sure what they meant, but he quickly realized that the sisters and Shirokiyami were sleeping together. That was why they had gone into the bath together, now in pajamas. Nothing more, nothing less. Could this be what they call a pajama party or girls gathering Yes Okay Taiyou nodded, motioning to get out, but as he was about to turn around, he grasped his jaw, thinking. Can I join too Wha Shirokiyami was the one with the reaction. She stirred slightly, opening her eyes wide. Taiyou once again saw an opening. This was probably the most vulnerable she had been since they had met each other. But Taiyou discarded such evil thoughts, speaking. I wont try anything. And even if I did, Id be physically suppressed. It just really sounds interesting, and I was wondering what you do You were wondering We dont do anything in particular though We simply chat and then go off to sleep Mm, but it still sounds sorta interesting Well, were fine with it Kotone said as all three sisters looked at Shirokiyami. They seemed to be seeing if she was also okay with it. I dontreally, care Its alright Mhmits, fine. If you tried anything weirdI would just cut you, anyway Haha. Well, Ill just do my best not to get cut In that case Taiyou-san, please enter the bath Ill go in with you, okay? Huh As Taiyou was inclining his head, wondering, Kazane ended up continuously pushing him from behind into the bathhouse. Thirty minutes later, they were in the sisters room. An oddly refreshed Taiyou and a tired but satisfied Kazane entered together. Kazane was in the sisters matching pajamas, while Taiyou was wearing something similar to sweats. It was no secret why Taiyou and Kazane looked that way, but for some reason, Shirokiyami made a sour face. Whats wrong Pervert Huh You did somethingrather, extreme Well, yeah Taiyou smiled wryly, looking at Kazane next to him. Even if she were small, it was immediately clear that her face was sexually excited. No Huh Not about thatI meanthis Shirokiyami looked not at Kazane, but at Kotone and Suzune who had been together. Upon closer inspection, they had the same faces as Kazane. Theyve beenlikethis Oh Taiyou clapped his hands. He recalled them being able to convey feelings even when apart. The feelings gained from what they had done in the bathhouse had been conveyed via telepathy, and Shirokiyami had noticed. Eroticmon, ster I dont deny it How many times do youdo itper night What You alsodid itearlier Whaaat Cause my earsare quiteadept Wait a sec wait a sec Taiyou panicked. Did it earlierears are adeptso that means Itsokay What Because I cancover theentire building Thats NOT okay at all!!! He screamed, enough for his voice to crack. S-Soafter all this time Ive beenhearing all of it Uwaaaaah Taiyou wanted to die. Its fineI dont, care But I freakin do Ihit the wall when it happensso Im fine If it makes you go that far, then just become mine Thatsunrelated Hey hey When you say you can hear it Just how much As much, as right now Uwaaaaah Highly interested in asking Shirokiyami, the three sisters were ready to begin the girls gathering. Taiyou was embarrassed enough to where he wanted to escape. Chapter 251: Natsuno / Second time in Three Months Chapter 250: Natsuno / Sharp-Eared Yami-chan Chapter 252: Natsuno / The Harem Sleeps Together Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama A reform, ye say Youran was visiting Kohaku in her room. Loli Baba tilted her head at the twintailed girls proposal. Why might ye be saying such a thing Well isnt this place just an old apartment Ye be right She hadnt said it very nicely, but Kohaku showed no signs of anger. As long as it was clear that she spoke in terms of buildings, it was a mere fact. One of the unique traits of an Eternal Little was that they possessed the rationale to accept facts as facts. The walls and everything are thin, and it just feels halfass for whatever you try to do. Like when youre making love Though she wasnt an Eternal Little, Youran was able to suppress her emotions when negotiating. You might say that in this moment, she had no girly embarrassment. Aye. I do sometimes hear seductive voices through the wall Right? Rather than leave that sorta thing halfass, I figure you might as well either totally seal all sound or leave everything completely open Hm, I forgot that ye had that personality. No matter what ye do, yer choices always be extreme Dont think that really matters right now. So isnt this your place Aye, but I already relinquished it ta Danna-sama Im obviously dropping all pretense Youran said, glaring. What might ye mean Obviously, just like how you wanna be ordered around, he also wants you to decide some things and take the lead That seems ta be the case So you DO understand. Hmmm Yourans glare intensified. So you understand that but dont intend to do that? Dont tell me that you wanna push everything on him because itll be easier for you I wont be living much longer. I at least want ta spend the rest o me life quietly by the man I love If youre serious about that then I WILL try to chase you out and drag the others into it If ye be doing that, be ye not in danger first? Im fine. You might not realize it, but I correct myself when flaws are pointed out That be a sight to see if ye can do that So I have just one policy: pay back what hes done for you. Thats it I be doing that, like with this Taiyou Castle I WILL get mad if you keep this up Youran scrutinized her. Her expression showed a change from exasperation to anger. I think not Kohaku broadly grinned. I get it. This be merely Danna-sama granting me selfish wish taofferta him Right. Glad you understand Be that as it may, there not be any fundamental way ta return what I received. What do ye intend ta do in that regard I could care less about that That was what she said, but contrary to that, Youran was not outright denying her. Obviously, the other girls around him intend to return even more than the favor. Even without fundamentals, they just start doing it when told I see. Ye said the other girls. What about yeself I dunno. Obviously, in a sense you and I are the same. You gave him this place, and I said Id make himKing of Juunishima. Obviously were the same way Aye, we be the same Receive Juunishima, and then do something in exchange for that. I cant even begin to imagine See, I really do think that at that point Id have to become his in the next life``make a vow to give him my very soul, even though it still wouldnt be enough. Its on that level I see. Aye, much affliction Welp, I dont really care about that either She dismissed it negligently this time. Well, it be solving itself Will not solve itself`` Be solving itself Kohaku said clearly. Ye have six comrades. If two heads be better than one, six heads be even better. That``be not anything ta worry about Huh Youran turned the other way. She was embarrassed. So going back to the conversation. The reforms here Hm. Ye be wondering whether ta close things off more or open up things more, aye? Yes For reference, which be ye thinking is better When I think along what I mentioned``the first objective involving making love, Id say closed off Ye not like the sound of princess sleeping with His Highness If I could I would. But hes retired Ye truly be straightforward Kohaku stifled laughter. Should I not be Nay, I think it endearing. It be good to show yer girly embarrassment in front of Danna-sama What, and put on a show Of course not Kohaku grinned broadly. It merely happens naturally before Danna-samas presence. The maiden in yer heart be awakened all on its own Hmmm Youran said in a bored tone, returning back to the original conversation. So which one do you prefer I prefer an opened atmosphere, to the point where everyone other than the one speaking in a coquettish voice can enjoy listening to it with some early afternoon tea I get that too, but I dunno about doing that every day It be everyday life already, so why not? We obviously dont seem to agree here I wonder what we do in this instance. In Aobas family they be deciding via majority rule Well, I dont really intend to settle things here Hm? Ye be not coming here with that intent Kohaku was puzzled. Its your place, so I just came to convey this to you first. And though I wont be deciding anything right now, from now on, Id like to use you regularly as a springboard for discussion when making decisions. You and I are the most intelligent ones in this house after all Hold yeself in high esteem, eh? Dummy Youran spoke with an exasperated face. Calling those of thebridevariety smart is no compliment, duhAnd by how youve been acting all nonchalant with our conversation you obviously feel the same way Aye. I bet that we be fighting over who be the least cutest in this case And I dont think analyzing it would make it any cuter Ye be doing it too, eh? Youran smiled wryly. Her face showed that just as pointed out, she indeed wished to do that very thing. She had a considerable complex with that. A personality that would leap from extremity to extremity constantly. Before becoming Taiyous, her emotions rampaged, and she continued to reject him. But now that she had become his, her logic had taken over and she would always end up thinking too much. She thought of that current self asnot cute, harboring a complex. But she did not know that Taiyou was the kind of man who would be further drawn in by such acomplex. Kohaku knew that, but didnt mention it. After all, she too thought Youran to becutein that state. After seeing it rise to its peak, she thought to convey that to Taiyou. Kohaku knew that wasnt very cute of her, but she was fine with that. Harboring complicated mental disturbances, Youran stood up, starting to walk over to the door, when Zugaan. An explosion enough to shake the building occurred. It was a large explosion enough to erase Yourans scream that she let out simultaneously. The explosion had begun diagonally above the back of Kohakus room, and in an instant, chips of wood flew around, dancing like smoke. Once the fumes had cleared, the forms of a cowering Youran and a protective Kohaku who had put her small body in front of Youran to shield her could be seen. While protecting her, Kohaku looked at the gaping hole that had opened up the room. What be happening She muttered. The cause was soon clear, once she saw the source of the evil beyond the hole: a boy and girl. A girl with long white hair was attempting to angrily cut him down. It was rare to see her in her white pajamas. The only boy in this house was on the defensive, continuously backing away while dodging her slices. Oh, so thats what it isahh Kohaku nodded, satisfied. She watched as Shirokiyamis slashing attack split the wall, turning it further into fine dust. Her attack went into a frenzy as it went about destroying the building. Did Danna-sama attempt to assault her in her sleep, or what? Kohaku murmured, clearly enjoying this. Carefree, not concerned at all about the face that her house was being destroyed. She had the complete opposite reaction to Aoba and the sisters, who were flabbergasted at this unladylike conduct coming from the other side of the broken wall. H-Hey Suddenly, Yourans voice was audible. It was a weak voice, different from usual. Hm Come on, Im fine Ooo, aye, that be so Kohaku remembered, moving away from Youran. She had been covering her up until now. Youran, who had been protected, cleared her throat and spoke in a composed voice. Now we REALLY have to reform this place quickly Aye Well at least we now have a course of action. Guess its not a bad thing Aye Kohaku giggled while Youran had an exasperated look on her face. They would not open the house more, nor would they close it more. In the end, the phrase that rose into both of their heads wasJust make it sturdy. Chapter 252: Natsuno / The Harem Sleeps Together Chapter 251: Natsuno / Second time in Three Months Chapter 253: Natsuno / Just Sleep Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama A half-destroyed Taiyou Castle was visible in the residential district at dawn. Youran and Kohaku were staring up as the three sisters and Aoba dealt with the onlookers and neighbors who had gathered. And then there was Taiyou, huddled over the asphalt in a seiza position. The building had become like this because of Taiyou and Shirokiyamis fight, but Taiyou was the one who had caused it. It was because he knew this that he was kneeling and bowing his head before Kohaku. Im really sorry that this happened, Kohaku-san I do not really care, but at least tell me how this happened, matey Yeah, same here. Usually you have enough power to deal with her, but this is newdid you do something to piss her off Oof Bulls-eye Kohaku said, glancing around as if searching for something. And then her gaze became absorbed into one location. Standing there was Shirokiyami clad in white pajamas. The way she was trying to hide in the shadows truly made it look like she was apologetic. Looking at her and then looking at the half-destroyed Taiyou Castle, Kohaku spoke. But wow, this be a wreckage worse than the typhoon from earlier At this point, I think reforming is outta the picture. We gotta build it up from scratch That too, but Hm For the time being, Id say we need a place to sleep tonight. We must find a hotel Whatre you saying? We already have a great place Huh Where might that be Over there Youran said, jerking behind her with her index finger. It was a building next to Taiyou Castle that had been recently constructed. It was the place where an important extraterritorial foreigner lived. Leticia H Kelarz. Leticia, third princess of the Phili kingdom, was living in Japan. In addition to the neighbors, maids and special forces had shown up to see what was going on. The only different thing about them was their clothing. Kohaku saw that, clapping her hands in exclamation. So well be staying here a bit They were in an extravagant reception room inside Leticias estate. Princess Leticia, the owner of this mansion, and Youran, her best friend, were facing each other. Behind Youran was the Natsuno household, watching closely over the proceedings. I dunno what the heck yer spoutin. The hell happen? I dont know anything either, other than that he attacked Shirokiyami Attacked her? Thats it Yeah No way! Were talkin bout that Shirokiyami. If she were attacked itd still be childs play. Sure he didnt do anythin else As Leticia said that, everyone in the area gazed at Taiyou. Kohaku, Aoba, Youran, Leticia, Hera. Everyone gazed at Taiyou and peered at the mismatching sister trio, who had been there with Shirokiyami when it had happened. As if asking What on earth did you do? Ummwell Taiyou was at a loss for words. It was quite the sight to see him fidgeting for once. U-Umm It isnt Taiyou-sans fault Ummuhh The mismatching sisters attempted to cover for him, but werent able to say anything. I still dont understand anything, but I can surmise the gist of it, aye Yeah, the gist is that he did something stupid Taiyous shoulders got even smaller as he heard what Kohaku and Leticia said. So what do you say Ya dont hafta stay here. I got an even better place for yaa place uninvolved with family matters No, I dont really care about that. Will you let us stay? Or not? Which one? Youran pressed her friend. The heck you plannin? Uhh, nothing? Just demanding a nights stay and meal Favors arent somethin to be demanded Then think of it as repaying previous favors Lovely personality ya got there Yeah Both you and me have enough debt to each other to make a livin off of We did Haah Leticia said, sighing. Okay, you can stayon one condition One condition No destroyin houses Thats what youre concerned about? Youran burst out laughing. She walked away from Leticia over to the girls. Returning to Taiyousbrides, she entered the throng. Dont worry. Well deal with him, so you wont have to lift a finger Then alright And theres a little something I need to discuss with you Discuss Yeah, just the two of us, where no one can overhear. Any good place for that Over here Leticia began walking, leaving the room before her. Youran turned back to Taiyou and the others and spoke. Then, Ill go ahead and talk with Leti. If it gets late then you guys can sleep before me She said, chasing after Leticia as she exited the room. The rest of Taiyous family left in the room, a maid soon came in to guide them to their room. He wasnt sure whether it was Leticias orders or the maids own judgement. Taiyou and the others were led into a suite room that was a size bigger than a king sized bedroom. Even if Taiyou and his brides were to all be up at once, this gigantic bed left ample space. Wowww, thats even bigger than ours Aoba saw it, letting out a voice of admiration. She went to the bed and pushed down on it to feel it. Kohaku came beside her. Oh? Might there be something similar at your familys house, Aoba? Yeah, for my father and mothers to use when sleeping together. Its not this big though So does that mean You alsouse it for when You do it The three sisters attempted to ask Aoba but left out all the important bits as they faltered. Nope, apparently not. Just when they sleep Just when they sleep, huh` That be mighty intriguing Kohaku shuffled to the bed, copying Aoba by touching it. Which means that gigantic beds be not for sexual activity, but purely for everyone to sleep together on, aye? Mhm, exactly So youve slept together with them before, Aoba-chan Hera asked, inclining her head. No, never. Its reserved for Father and the others This be becoming even more intriguing Yes Doesnt this remind you of a sancturary or something Quite possibly. What do ye think of us following the example of our elders and trying the only sleeping thing out? So well be imitating our harem senpais` Yes, lets do it The three sisters said all at once, dashing to the bed first. They discarded their shoes, rising onto the bed. Aoba followed them, and then Kohaku after her. The females were all on the bed, staring at Taiyou from above. Come quickly! We want you here too! Come here and sleep together with us. The females all had the same idea, gazing at Taiyou. Seeing this sight, for some reason Taiyou found himself hesitating. Chapter 253: Natsuno / Just Sleep Chapter 252: Natsuno / The Harem Sleeps Together Chapter 254: Natsuno / Reality and Miracles Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama What ails ye Puzzled, Kohaku asked. For some reason, Taiyou was hesitating to go up onto the bed. Danna-sama There arefive people here, arent there? Wha- Kotone and the others reacted to Taiyous words. The three mismatched girls astonishedly saidWha-in unison. There were five people hereDDthree people other than Kohaku and Aoba. Normally, this would be a no-brainer. However, that would mean that Taiyou had counted them asthree peoplefor the first time. Hence their astonishment. What are you saying, Natsuno-kun Cause this is the first time Ive slept with this many people. Whether it be over here or over there Taiyou said with a bitter smile. His expression was a smile. But that smile seemed to look to the girls like there was fear mixed in. Im sure you all would understand since weve slept together before, but at most Ive only done it with one or two. Three or more is a first for me Are your eyes and heart confused? Danna-sama Yeah Taiyou nodded. Three in his eyes, five in his heart. Oh, but my heads fine, dont worry. Im aware that Im a bit confused. So maybe thats exactly why? What do you mean This is bliss. This is happiness that all of the men in the world90%, or maybe even 100% of them would be envious of. This is like the stuff of miracles that you probably couldnt even reach if you started over in life. I think so. He said as a smile of self-depreciation rose to his face. Because its my first time sleeping with more than three people, I guess I was reminded that Im really happy. That this happiness is miraculous. And whether I have the confidence to continue this miracles from now onI was wondering about that for a moment there Come on Taiyou-san, you can definitely do it Absolutely Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane insisted; a chorus of souls. You say that, but Taiyou frowned further. A shadow crept up behind him as he did that. Whatre you grumblingDDabout! Uwah Feeling a strong impact on his behind, Taiyou staggered. That caused him to stumble forward, falling onto the bed where everyone waited with a thud. Wh-Who is it? He turned around, looking up. There he saw Youran, who should have been in another room with Leticia. She seemed to be putting a hand on her hip, looking down at Taiyou. It had been a while since he saw those cold eyes. Why are you heredidnt you have something to discuss with Leticia I did, but it didnt go like I thought it would, so I came back. AnyhowDD Youran looked at Taiyou with even colder eyes. What are you, stupid? Ooo, that is indeed a fantastic lineDDmph Hera wanted to say something, but Kohaku sealed her mouth. Now that interruptions were gone, Yoruan continued. Why are you harboring such obscure worries at this point in time? Well its just Taiyou attempted to make some sort of excuse. Wordlessly, Youran took out her self-defense gun, thrusting it at Taiyou with cold eyes. After a moment, her finger pulled the trigger. It was a small gun that specialized in not being detected by any sort of sensor. The bullets that came out ripped through the air faster than the speed of soundDDbut faltered as they made contact with Taiyous body. Long-Range Void. It was one of Taiyous skills, and the lead bullet twisted from the laws of physics fell atop the bed. The hell was that for? Well this doesnt work on you. Not even rocket launchers would work Yeah The look he gave her seemed to ask And so what?. Its flawless, right? It is, yeah, but why does that matter? Then your harem is also flawless. So itll be flawless even until you get your seven brides. Thats not some miracleDDitsflawless, guy Taiyous eyes opened wide. Yes We also Think that way I agree. Though miracles be romantic, a flawless destiny sounds even more magnificent I came with you in the first place because you were like this, Natsuno-kun. Other than the beginning, it was no longer a miracle with my time Taiyous brides all said those things. They all had different things to say, but the one thing they united behind was that this was no miracle. And hey, you didnt dodge it this time Oh, yeah There was enough time from when I pulled out my gun and fired. You couldve easily dodged. But you clearly didnt. You have confidence in that skill, so why are you worrying about odd things? Its stupid Stupid, you say Yes, stupid Oh Taiyou smiled bitterly. True. It was pretty stupid. Just as Youran said, fretting over that sort of thing at this point was stupid. Taiyou closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Thinking of what had happened and what was yet to come. He opened his eyes, looking at all the girls, then spoke. I wouldnt be surprised if the same thing would repeat itself three times What Look, guyDD Youran looked like she was about to erupt again when Kohaku cut her off. Ye mean once the fifth, sixth, and seventh Shirokiyami get added Yeah Taiyou nodded. Yourans anger got smaller and smaller by the minute because she understood what he was getting at. Instead, she became exasperated. The kind of exasperated feeling that is close to fondness. Youran spoke while feeling that. Okay. Then Ill just kick your ass again when that time comes Could you maybe not? But youre gonna worry again Yeah, I will. SoDD Taiyou reached out, grabbing Yourans hand. He pulled her close to him. Her dainty body fell and he caught it, falling with her onto the bed. From left and right, as if getting the clue, Aoba and the three sisters came closer. And Kohaku used his thighs as a pillow. Everyone huddled close to Taiyou. They all clung together on the bed. That was when Taiyou spoke. Lets do this again when the time comes. Lets make sure that its no miracle Okay I will teach ye the true reality Ill teach you about harems And Ill have my gun prepared They said as they pressed into Taiyou. They slept together that night, but did nothing else, simply enjoying it. Chapter 254: Natsuno / Reality and Miracles Chapter 253: Natsuno / Just Sleep Chapter 255: Mothers / Athletic Festival Warriors Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama It was a space with nothing inside. A space with vague pink, nothing clearly in focus. Taiyou was standing there, but he didnt think about why he was. Because they had appeared before he could. A bunch of game systems had appeared before him. Home consoles, mobile consoles, computer, smartphone Every game system you could think of was just floating midair. Taiyou remembered all of them. Things that he had used onceNo, he used them regularly. Whats wrong, chaps? You dont have to be down yet. Breakfast isnt finished We are aware A frigid female voice answered him. She spoke like a guy, and it was clear that she was a strong-minded woman. The voice came from one of the smartphones. The smartphone turned into a fine powder, the apple smashed. The phone melted, becoming light particles, until it took on a human shape. The shape of an armor-wearing female warrior. At the same time, the other game systems took on human forms one after the other. They were all characters that he had seen on the other side of the screen. If you guys just come out at once, itll overload the system Taiyou said it like it was common sense. Something that fit for this ridiculous scene. The female warriors answered him. We have come today to declare our parting Parting? Are you taking a trip to hell or something? No. This is where we truly part. Youve taken good care of us, so we were always watching over you Then why dont you keep watching over me? Those who have fulfilled their obligations cannot stay in the same place for too long. We are on the miracle side of things. Now that a flawless destiny has been born, we cannot continue to be here or else it will violate the divine providence of nature Wait! Are you seriously going? Taiyou began feeling anxious. He extended a hand out to stop them, but that hand wouldnt move. Not even his body. Goodbye The bookworm returned to the game systems, becoming light. Goodbye The attractive, lively girl returned to the portable game system, becoming light. Fare thee well The fox girl returned to the computer, becoming light. Thank you for having us And lastly, the strong female warrior. She also returned to the cracked apple, becoming light. He tried to yell out, but not even his voice worked. In front of Taiyou, the light became one. Light that once marked the beginning of life. But birth and destruction are opposites of the same coin. The lights bonded together, becoming one, and thenDD WaitDD His voice came out, and his body moved. What he saw next was an unfamiliar ceiling, and his own arms reaching up to it. Unlike earlier, this was the overwhelming feeling of reality. As if this were actually reality itself. He let down his lightly shaking arms, and clenched his quickly-beating heart from the outside of his clothing. One minute. This was reality, and the thing from earlier was a bad dream. It took him a minute to realize this. Whydid I see that kind of dream It was a dream bad enough to drench his shoulders with sweat. His throat was parched, so he got up in order to do something about that. DDBut he couldnt actually get up. As he tried to get up, he finally realized that everyone was clinging to him. Kotone, Suzune, Kazane. They formed the kanji , clinging to Taiyou from the left. Kohaku. She was taking advantage of her small frame, sleeping headfirst in Taiyous chest. Aoba, Youran. They both had their hair down and entwined, holding hands to the right of Taiyou. Having the girls cling to him like this, Taiyou couldnt move. This was no miracle. This was ultimate destiny. As his heart began to feel warm, Taiyou remembered the contents of his dream. Looking through his fingers, he desperately stopped the memory, pinning it down. The disappearing game consoles, the particles of light. DDHera It was extremely natural for him to then remember the level fairy. Because it was nearly the same as when she had appeared. A voice had sounded in his head, light had come out from the game systems, and it had accumulated to form Hera. That linked with his dream. Unpleasant thoughts ran across Taiyous mind. Unrealistic miracle. Hera was a miraculous creation to Taiyou. This cant beDDhe thought. At that moment. Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chanDDOho, you are awake The miracle showed up like usual. It was so normal that it felt like his strong emotions from earlier had gone to waste. If this were a comedy, then this would be where Taiyou made a fool of himself and the audience below the stage roared with laughter. You little Hm What is wrong Nah, nothing Taiyou said nothing. Hera did nothing wrong. He was the one who had seen the dream. The level fairy before him had done nothing wrong. That was why he had swallowed everything he meant to say. So whats up? You came in quite boisterously Taiyou lowered his voice. This was out of consideration for the girls who were still asleep. Well you see, you see, Yami-chan is super interesting Well yeah, thats always the case for her In many ways, added Taiyou. She is even more interesting right now. You should see for yourself Yeah, but look And guess what guess what, I indeed think she is full of openings Huh- Taiyou reacted as soon as he heard full of openings. Defeat Shirokiyami and get her. This was like life and death to him, so he couldnt just ignore what she had said. Seriously Thats how it looks to me I seehowever Why dont you go Someone said to Taiyou as he hesitated. Clear-headed words coming from within his arms. It was Yourans voice from her usual twintail mode, though she didnt currently look that way. Once he looked at her, their eyes met. Then he realized. That not just Youran, but everyone was awake. Kotone, Suzune, Kazane, Kohaku, Aoba. Just like Youran, their eyes were open and they were gazing at him. You guys were awake? Well yeah. But hurry up. I doubt that Shirokiyami would have that many openings, but this might also be the chance of a lifetime Indeed Right now, Taiyou-san I think you might have a chance in this instant The girls spoke, urging Taiyou. Brides one through four were all telling him to go get the seventh. What a bizarre relationship. But, is it guaranteed? Haah The heck are you saying No, its nothing Taiyou shook his head, getting up. Not feeling dejected in the slightest, they also moved away from him. Then, Ill be back Taiyou said, leaving the room alongside Hera. With the guidance of the fairy, they moved along the hallway. Looking at her ahead, Taiyou made sure of something. Hey, you wont disappear, right? What indeed I asked if you wont disappear I cannot be killed by anyone other than Taiyou-chan. Not a young master, not an exorcist, not Yami-chan. Nobody else can kill me, indeed` Guaranteed Yes indeed Hera answered promptly. Without any hesitation. Yeah? Good Good. Taiyou truly felt that. She was not absolute. She was a miracle. But even in the miracle exists the absolute. That was already enough for Taiyou. Taiyou concluded this by pushing this slight anxiety to the bottom of his heart. Chapter 255: Mothers / Athletic Festival Warriors Chapter 254: Natsuno / Reality and Miracles Chapter 256 - The Mamaz / Lunch Box Tasting Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama It was a Sunday with clear skies in the middle of October. It was the day of the most excitement for every year. The athletic festival. Oriyakata Academy split people from the high school level into red and white teams, having them compete in a variety of events, gathering points from each, and then ending with the overall results. This was a traditional competition that existed in most schools. Next up is the three-legged race. Competitors, please assemble before the stage. I repeat. Next up is the three-legged race. Competitors, please assemble before theDD With the announcement from the member of the broadcasting committee, who already was debuting as a voice actor while in high school, the students all came to gather in the specified location. There they received the explanation from the management member while taking ribbons to tie their feet together. Taiyou and Kohaku were standing there. Taiyou was wearing your average half-sleeved long pants gym uniform, while Kohaku was wearing the rouge symbol for the red team on her bloomers. Though her body type didnt have much in terms of curvature, it was exhibiting a criminal scent from it. Heres the ribbon. Tie your feet together Okay Whats wrong Realizing that the glasses-wearing management member was staring at them, Taiyou tilted his head and questioned her. Is everything alright Im the one who wants to ask that Taiyou smiled wryly, answering. He wasnt stupid. He knew exactly what the girl was asking. The cause was right next to him. Come on, Danna-sama. The ribbon Yeah Taiyou was 175cm, whereas Kohaku was 130cm. Their heights having a difference of 40cm, it showed clearly with the length of their feet, and in Taiyous case it reached almost all the way up to Kohakus shoulders. This really didnt seem like it would work for the three-legged race. But Taiyou wasnt the one who had desired to compete. When they had the selection, Kohaku went ahead of him and asked for them to be a pair. Umm, Kohaku-san? You sure we can do this Its fine, dont worry No, there are quite a few issues. And that ones old Kukuku, with this I can be close to Danna-sama in broad daylight Well, I figured it was something like that. Thats the only reason, so you didnt have to say that. I know Hm Ye say something just now, Danna-sama? I know you heard that Taiyou quipped loudly. In a sense, that might have been even worse than directly responding to him. Alright, then lets at least go slowly. Also, when counting, itll be one for the inside and two for the outside. Sound good? Aye, no problem Lord help me over the fence He was so anxious that his quip turned into a Kansai dialect expression. And just like that, they tied their feet together, got together with the other contestants, and moved to the start line. Good luck, Taiyou-san They went past the three sisters, who yelled encouragement. They were at the forefront of the masses, so the three of them spoke at once like usual. Youran was also there to the side. The mismtached triplets, and the attractive twintailed girl. Just like Kohaku, they were also in bloomer gym outfits. Natsuno-kun This time, Aoba called out. She was also wearing a track suit, but with short pants and white kneesocks below. She was the only one in a different class than Taiyou and the others, in the white team, so she wore that uniform. Her trademark ponytail swaying, she crept closer to Taiyou and whispered in his ears. Good luck Since she was on the opposite team, she couldnt just yell out her support. You didnt have to do that In a sense, she was the most normal amongst all the brides, so she was serious about it. Taiyou liked that part of her. As he was contemplating on sneaking into her room tonight Danna-sama, yed best focus right now Mm? Leave Aoba for later. Right now, I be the apple of ye eyes, lad Right in front of himDDtheir promise. Right Taiyou nodded, gripping Kohakus shoulders and firmly bringing her closer to him. His promise with them, that he would love the one right in front of him just for that moment. Taiyou would always do his best to keep that. Reaching the start line, they began one after the other. Until it was time for Taiyous team to go. Taiyou and Kohaku went along with the other participants, standing at the goal line. Take your places, annnd start! Bang! Rang the starting pistol. һDDHey, Kohaku-san Taiyou called out to her and tried to step forward, but Kohaku did not budge. As everyone around them dashed off with good timing, Kohaku showed no sign of moving. The Taiyou-Kohaku pair could not start. Their circumference grew noisy, and the broadcasting committee grew excited as if this were the cause. Kohaku-san? Whats the matter? We came this far, so now wed best aim for victory, aye? Thats fine, but itll be impossible at this rate. See? Look how far ahead they are It be fine. All we need do is this Kohaku said, half-flipping her body around Taiyous waist. Her inner foot still connected, she hung onto Taiyou like a child. And she left the free foot floating in the air. As if hopping on one foot. Now, run, matey Eh Come now Pestered by Kohaku, Taiyou ran. He ran even with one foot tied. Since Kohaku was essentially on one foot, he half-dragged her as he ran practically like normal. Of course, this made him fast. Their pair rushed ahead of the others, making the goal. It went without saying that the management committee branded this is a violation of the rules, giving them last place. Although he had sunk down from the three-legged race due to Kohakus poor (but apparently fulfilled) plan, Taiyou did excellent in everything else. In the pole pulldown, he continued to support the pole while protecting it from the attacks of the other classes. In tug-of-war he positioned himself at the rear, not allowing the rope to be pulled even one millimeter all the way to victory. And then at the greatest climax of the morning with the star event, the cavalry battle, he was supposed to be the horse, and yet he just rushed in on his own and stole victory by making everyone fall off their horses, even though all he had to do was take their headbands. Taiyou made a marvelous show. He stacked up points not just for the red team he was with, but for himself as well. The dark clouds did not converge upon him until lunch break. It was when he was sitting on the blue sheet with Aoba and the other brides in a corner of the area, opening the bento. Seems like youre doing pretty well, stupid son Three women had arrived. Atsuko in denim pants, Nazuna in her one-piece outfit and garden hat, and then the ever-restless maid Mio. Aobas three mothers had showed up in front of Taiyou. Chapter 256 – The Mamaz / Lunch Box Tasting Chapter 255: Mothers / Athletic Festival Warriors Chapter 257 - The Mamaz / Winners Stand Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama Atsuko, Nazuna, Mio Taiyou looked up surprised, no way, he never thought these women would show. At this exercise festival, only 30% of the parents showed up to watch. But even thought it was a day off, all those parents that did show did so at the crack of dawn. And since it was a high school, there was a difference in commitment between those that came and didnt, as the parents that didnt come never did to things like this, or were late, or you couldnt imagine them coming. So when it was the middle of the morning, the mothers didnt come. Thats why Taiyou thought they wouldnt come that day. The Mamazwhy? Their real daughter Aoba thought the same. You could see her standing on the blue tarp, surprised, the three mothers looking at her. Just as Atsuko said, since theyre having this event, we should at least show up to cheer them on. Yes mother, but why from midday? Sorry, Aoba. I was feeling a little off this morning. What? Are you okay? Yes, quite fine, Im always like this. Nazuna smiled fleetingly as Taiyou watched closely. She was always like this since he met her, but this was the first time hed seen her mention something about being sick. Maybe if my wifes someone was like her thenTaiyou thought that far, well he didnt want to do anything wrong, so he shook his head and put his thoughts away for later. Taiyou stood up and gave her his seat. Please, maam, sit right here. He let them sit in the place that his wife and them had grabbed under the cool shade of the tree. Even thought it was October, Oritachi City still felt like summer. The place that the wives were still sitting around he gave over to the mothers to sit on. Thank you. Thanks, lad. Atsuko and Nazuza sat down right where Taiyou had stepped away from, with Mio standing behind them. Just as usual, the three ladies had no equality when seen from an outsider. Oh, looks like our stupid son is eating something nice. We havent eaten though. Taiyou sat and grimaced facing Atsuko and Nazuna. Atsuko was looking at the lunch boxes the wives had prepared. There were enough for four there, the boxes and insides each being completely different in a line. What is this, theyre all so full. Well, just enough for everyone here. Taiyou grimaced as he said this. Well, not really, Taiyou said in addition. It would be a bit too much to explain everything. However, Atsuko laughed through her now at the situation. Are you mocking us, young one? We know whats going on here. Know whats going on? MaybeTaiyou thought. And they answered exactly in the way he was thinking. These lunch boxes were made only so the wives could feed a man. How do you know? Is there something different about it? Well, we know. Oh, yes no comment. The wives all said, however, only Mio made a somewhat indirect comment. Yes, we know. Of course you do. These are made from the heart, after all. Thats not how I made mine though Taiyous wives felt the same too. It seemed that only the tsundere Youran said differently, but Mio and the other women seemed to agree. So, stupid son, who will you eat from? Not which box, but who Atsukos question made Taiyou grimace again. I dont know. You dont? Why not? Honestly, no one told me who made what. I guess I just have to eat and compare. Hmph. The standing Mio reacted to Taiyous words. She flinched and furrowed her brow. At the same time, Atsuko and Nazuna laughed. Then they smiled and looked at Aoba. Aoba, you thought this up. How did you know? What do they mean? Time for some box-tasting. Atsuko said as she grabbed the lunch boxes and slapped them down all in a row. We did this many years ago, we would all make a lunch box, have someone taste it, and then try to guess who it was that made it. We still do it sometimes. Thats why Aoba brought all of them. Taiyou seemed to understand their explanation. He understood, and again made a pained smile. Is that so? But you cant get us to understand something like that so abruptly. They understand. They do. Most certainly. Atsuko, Nazuna, Mio. All of them answering together. Yes, if this was what Aoba was intending Mio put additional pressure on the situation. And then Atsuko, adding on playfully, said to Taiyou. Mio will explain the whole process. With that done, well be fine as if the lunches are tasted, their creators will be found. Exactly as youve said. Yes, exactly. Atsuko said, and stood. Well then, fool of a son Are you ready? Youre already going to be surrounded and cuddled by these girls right? Well cheer you on. And Ill pay for everyones dinner too, so make time for it. Understood. Taiyou nodded. Now Nazuna stood, and said in a quiet voice Natsuno-kun? Yes? Mio said all that about us but, you only have to guess Aobas. Nazuna said, and Taiyou responded with a surprised face. No, Im fine. Wha? I think I or someone should guess who fixed the meal better, I guess. Nazuna was a bit taken aback, but Taiyou was ready to proceed with the guessing. Chapter 257 – The Mamaz / Winner’s Stand Chapter 256 - The Mamaz / Lunch Box Tasting Chapter 258 - Mamaz / Obstacles Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama All of these women collected in front of the same man caused cases like this that were rare among normal society. Even if it all went well, it was still the same if it went poorly. And in the Natsuno family, the biggest example of that was Youran Juunishima. As Shingetsu no Kami, she didnt deal with it. The other women didnt forgive her for that, and she didnt care if they did. Hey As Taiyou watched the mothers leave, Youran called from behind him. He turned, and she was holding her lunch box in front of him. She had called him, but her gaze was turned a bit away from him. If you dont eat this the afternoon competitions will begin soon. Oh, yeah. Taiyou nodded, but he didnt seem to move. Whats wrong Natsuno-kun? Wont you feed me? Feed you? Ahhh He opened his mouth and put it toward the group of girls. And mischievously, he swished his tongue around inside his mouth. Well, if my husband is going to request such a thingId be happy to give it! Really? Natsuno-kun hasnt done things like that lately. Oh yes, compared to when we first met him. Kohaku, Aoba, and the three sisters said in order. The words had a feeling of love more than they sounded, but the three didnt move to feel Taiyou. Only one girl was tricked into doing it. Okay, Ill do it then. Look! Youran said bluntly, while holding chopsticks extended she picked a lunch box, grabbed some rolled omelette, and pressed it towards Taiyou. It was a large cut of rolled egg, and you could see it was rolled layer by layer in the pan much like a rolled cake, cool and soft. It was made for a lunch box, with a very high quality egg. It was a rolled egg that with one look seemed made by someone with skill. What? Go ahead and eat. So that is your lunch box? Wha? ah! Youran noticed it in the first thing Taiyou said. She was jolted, and saw the rolled egg that she had in her chopsticksthey were both examining the lunch box she had made. Unlike the other girls, he had fooled her into showing him which lunch box she had made, and the usually calm and controlling Youran realized her mistake. She turned red out to her ears. Y, you fooled me? Yeah. Taiyou quickly acknowledged. Did all of you notice? Yes, theres no way Im going to get fooled by that. Nice to not be trapped. Um, my father used to do the same thing to my mother long ago. Sorry Ugh Her face was aflush, and her twin tails were shaking. She stayed like that a while, and then turned to Taiyou. She had teared up a bit. Just eat it, okay?! Sure, sure. Taiyou said, and he chomped down on the egg. Ughno moreJust eat it all. Youran sulked at him. Yeah, its good. Thanks, Youran. He, heh heh. Of course it isI used the best ingredients. Youran turned away from him, and Taiyou and the other girls snickered at her. That evening, they had the winners stand for all the athletes. It was built on top of the platform for the morning opening ceremonies, and behind a folding screen shadows of people were seen waiting. A ways away, there was a female media announcer in the corner with a microphone in front of her. She walked to the mic and said in a lovely voice: Next is the individual award, In third place is Kyosuke Mikuriya. Here! He called out and walked up on the platform. Get out of there Altered Beast! Sister-lover! Bzzzzz! The students yelled out cordial comments as the second place was awarded. Individual award, second place: Raiako Tenchi. Meooow. The girl in second was called and went up the platform. Nyoooo! Nyoooooooooo! Nyoooooooooooooooooooo! Amidst the strange voices, the first place was then called. And the first place goes to, Taiyou Natsuno! Hey Taiyou left the group and went up onto the platform. People shouted insults at him too, but he didnt notice. Right in front of him was the screen with people behind it. Other students, Mikuriya and Tenchi had no idea who was behind it, but Taiyou knew. Behind the screen was Youran Juunishima, who had just changed. She was the director of the event and had come for the presentations. With the media announcer, Youran gave awards from third to first place. Since she was giving them from behind the screen, only those awarded could see her. Oh, wow! Meeeoooow! Mikuriya and Tenchi received their awards with a loud surprise. Taiyou felt proud after hearing their reactions. Youran put off that much of an impression, her beauty, and her aura. Taiyou knew it, knew it well. He knew what she appeared like in her Shingetsu no Kami mode. Thats why he was proud. If you were to define it, it was like childish possessiveness, at least thats what he thought. First place to Taiyou Natsuno! Thanks. Called by the announcer, he stood in front of the second place girl and in front of Youran. Her hair was down, the Shingetsu no Kami. He naturally bowed his head as Kohaku had taught, a correct bow. Youran Juunishimi Shingetsu no Kami, or just Youran. Their difference of status made him want to bug her. But because of that difference, he still honored it. She was that kind of girl, he said, and he was satisfied with their relationship being that way. These top three will get Filly Empire Exchange Student Points. Well announce their place in scores combined with the midterm test points. Seventh place, Kyosuke Mikuriya gets a point After getting his award, Taiyou walked away from the stage and the announcers voice. At the bottom of the steps was something hidden from the students view. There was one girl standing at the bottom. With shorts on and white knee socks, was Akiha Aoyama. Chapter 258 – Mamaz / Obstacles Chapter 257 - The Mamaz / Winners Stand Chapter 259 - Mamaz / Four Enemies Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama hey. Even though he was surprised to see her, he greeted her normally. He had heard the story from Hera already, but in front of the person, he wasnt going to show he knew. Long time no see. Akiha acted normal as well. There was a bright smile stretched across her face. A smile just like Yourans, and like usual, it had an unsurpassing charm of catching you up in it. It was enough to catch Taiyou for a second as well. Yeah, long time no see. Congrats on winning the individual award. Thanks. Youre going up the ranks of the exchange student race, so things are going well? Yeah. The exchange student race. When Leticia arrived as a teacher Youran created this plan in front of all the other students. A year ago, a point system began for all the events at the school, and whoever gathered a large amount would be exchange students to the Filli Empire. Because of that plan, yesterdays mid-term test and todays exercise event got the students super interested and they worked their hardest. (Even though Taiyou blew out the others today) The existence of the exchange student race had no relation to Taiyou though. The reason he worked so hard was for his women, for his four wives to see him put his heart into it. Honestly, he had completely forgotten about Leticia. He was about to say something about that, but evaded it instead. How are you doing. Just as usual. I see. Just then, the words between them halted. The second and third place students walked off the platform, glanced at Taiyou, and then joined the other students. Even then, the two had nothing to say to each other. It was an awkward silence, and Akiha could feel the pressure in it. She smiled as usual, but her eyes looked filled with aggression when she gazed at Taiyou. Finally, Taiyou said something. The reason why is because he knew he couldnt leave it like this. Why are you here to see me? Have something to say? I was going to talk to you about Aoba. Wait, last time was a mistake, I was hurt, and the mothers were caring for me. I know that, really. They explained, and it wasnt that big of a mistake. Taiyou thought that she was lying. At least that moment was a complete mistake, and she was angry then. But, he said nothing, and the conversation became tedious. So what is it about Aoba? I cant entrust Aoba to you. What? I cant entrust Aoba to you. Akiha said the same thing again. If you cant, then what? Taiyou tried to get her upset. First of all, you have no right to say that. Youre just her friend. I knew youd say that. Akiha laughed with a grin. Not a smile, a grin. A grin that always fit her. Thats why Im doing this. Im not letting you have her. A line that was a proclamation. A line that was a bit strange. However, a line that changed the position of things. That meansyoure Yes. Akiha nodded, and once again, said what she needed to. Im going to take Aoba. Taiyou made a pained face. The story he heard from Hera, and the truth that made him look away. And the fact that he couldnt run from this. So, youre saying youre in love with Aoba. Yes. Or like? Love. You said that directly. Ive had to think it over. Seems you did. Taiyou sighed. However, to have someone say that to me like thatyou know theres no space between Aoba and I to wedge into, right? Were very close, married too. Taiyou had given several reasons, but one, Because Im a man.he didnt say. He didnt think it was a problem for love to exist from woman to woman. If he did, the problem would then become from one to many As in lesbianism, as opposed to polygamy. in society, the more accepted of the two happened to be lesbianism. And in that case, it would weaken Taiyous position. So what are you going to do? You cant do anything. Thats not true, stupid son. Wha? A womans voice broken into the stalemate between them. As soon as he turned, I knew exactly who was talking to him. As he looked, it was Atsuko, Nazuna, and Mio all together. The three had come from behind the morning ceremonys platform, and stood before Taiyou and Akiha. Mothers-in-law, what are you saying? Thats not true. Taiyou, you said theres no way she can wedge into your relation, right? He has a good relation with us mothers as well. I said it, so what, then? Taiyou asked them, and had a bad feeling about the response he was about to get. The timing that they arrived, and their ability to barge into his conversation. He also thought that they had the one answer that he hadnt thought of. We mothers are on Akihas side after all. Wha?! After a Miyaki Family Formal Conference, we voted for her, 2 to 1. WHAAA?! Die. Mio had to have been the one that started this, right?! Taiyou shouted with a loud voice. Thus, Taiyou was in the greatest pinch he had yet encountered. His wifes mothershad now turner their unlimited power against Taiyou. Chapter 259 – Mamaz / Four Enemies Chapter 258 - Mamaz / Obstacles Chapter 260 Winning Conditions / Growth Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama It was evening on the road home from the school through the Oritachi shopping road. Taiyou and Aoba were walking side by side in normal clothes, while Hera sat on Aobas shoulder. After the exercise festival, they had showered, changed, and now they were bathed in the smell of shampoo. And so like that, war was declared against me. Taiyou told Aoba what had occured behind the platform. He didnt know how much Aoba knew, but he downplayed Akihas emotions while explaining what happened. He untied the earphone cord in his hand. Then put it untied into his pocket, where it tied itself up again, and then he took it out. He kept doing that over and over since the night before. Geezmy motherswhat are they thinking? Theyre all trying to drive me away, someone told me a long time ago that driving away the son-in-law is a mothers dream. I heard that directly from Atsuko. Youve heard that, right? Yeah, people told me that, from a long time ago. Aoba frowned. Thats whyher face seemed to say. And whats this 2 to 1 thing? Who was the one against it? Among them it was probably Nazuna, by process of elimination. Mio hates me, and Atsuko just likes all the commotion it causes. Dang mothers! Geez! So, what are you going to do, Aoba? You know more than anything, desu. Hera. Taiyou was about to turn the conversation in that direction when Hera barged in. He grabbed tight to the earphone cord and glared at Hera, but he didnt mean much by it. Yes, I know. Aoba? You knowknow about Akiha too? He hadnt made sure, so he spoke ambiguously. Yes, I knew. That Akiha likes me. I see. Yes. Aoba laughed and smiled with a tinge of bright discomfort. In a few words, it was a complex expression. When you feel that you know someone likes you and that person isnt a virgin, its usually the truth. is that a line from someone? You knew? Its not something youd say, so I thought maybe someone told you that. Aoba nodded. Kohaku. You can forget that C shes just playing a joke on youshe lost her virginity at 83! Well, I think shes right. Wha? Because I noticed it too, from when I had sex with you. Now Taiyou had the confused expression. If that was the case, it was quite a simple explanation, but talking about something like this in a shopping street with so many people around made one feel embarrassed. And, I kind of knew. I love you Natsuno-kun, and you love me. My father loved me too She took a short breath, and then continued. I knew that Akiha liked me too.. I see. Taiyou and Akiha didnt speak for a while. They turned the corner, entered the main shopping street, and walked towards their goal. Then Hera opened her mouth. Well, then we have to think of a way to crush Akiha, desu. Crush? Thats a bit too much! But, if we dont, its dangerous, right?! Aoba might get jumped on by her, desu! That wont happen to me, right? But, shes going to remove the obstacles right? Theres at least the possibility, desu! Well And Aobas mothers have nothing against yuri love too! Aoba closed her mouth. She imagined her mothers, and it might be possible, her face seemed to say. I thought so too, but, I think itll be okay. Why do you think that? Because theres no way Im letting go of Aoba. Taiyou looked down at the tied up earphone cord, and made his decision. No matter what, no matter what I have to do. Natsuno-kun Thats fine, desu. But Hera made a face like she didnt understand for a bit, but, then just whispered Oh well. I guess we just have to think about a way to crush her! Desu! Stop with all the crushing! Taiyou shouted back at her. Its just the same thing. No, no, no, the goal is different. Goal? Yes, desu. You dont leave Aoba no matter if you win or lose, but if you lose then things are going to be rough between Aoba and her family. So you have to win, and you have to win in a way that the other side cant make up excuses for it, desu. Sometimes you say some smart things. I always say smart things, desu. You just cant understand them, Taiyou. Thats not true. Taiyou said decisively. Well, at least we have to do things the right way. Yes, desu. So then Hera flew from Aobas shoulder, and next to Taiyous ear, just so he could hear. You need to level up. Thats what Im doing now, right? No, no, no Hera grinned at him. Your next level is 19, and the one after that 20. Yeah, after 19 is 20. So, he said with a question mark on his face to Hera. Youve forgotten, Taiyou, 20 is a multiple of 5, so you get a new skill then. Ah. He nodded while whispering. Then he remembered something similar. No, he thought again. That reminded him that when he got a skill, usually youre able to use it right then. At least all of his memories told him that. Chapter 260 Winning Conditions / Growth Chapter 259 - Mamaz / Four Enemies Chapter 261 Winning Conditions / Thou Art Forgiven Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama Well, Natsuno-kun, wait here. At Oritachi Station there was a large building that was linked to the station. Going inside, there was an escalator that you could ride to your desired floor. Reaching there, Aoba turned and told Taiyou to wait. Her flopping trademark ponytail was so cute in a feminine wayTaiyou thought silently. Are you going to be okay? Yeah, just shopping, Im fine alone. You can wait for me, Natsuno-kun. You want to raise your level, right? I can come along a bitI mean, if I do something separate, theres no reason we came here together Then Ill go for you, Ill be your representative. I dont know what you mean by that. Or that it meant nothing, Taiyou thought. Thats not so, I always go with you in my heart. Pretty much together always, as we share the same heart. I guess you can use something like that when were far apart. Thats why Ill go with you and itll be fine, desu. He ignored Heras response and said: Since youre so willing to give in, having you go along with her makes me worry even more. Wha! Thats rude, desu. Hera put both hands up and growled at him. Okay, well then Ill find a place to sit and level up, so Ill come back and tell you when were ready to join you again, desu. Yeah, thats fine. Taiyou nodded and watched Aoba and Hera leave. He looked around him and walked to find a place to sit. He walked around the store and found a bench next to the bathroom to sit, sat, and took out the earphone from his pocket. The cord was pretty jumbled up, so he went to untangle it. A repeated, meaningless task. No, all the meaningless tasks had ended. One might say that about leveling up, but you could feel something welling up in your heart as you did it. The first time he felt that was digging a hole in the park, and he could feel it as he dug. Lately that feeling had given him pleasure. If one were to give an example, it was like having a boner and walking around, letting it rub on your pants, something like that. Because I leveled up, that simple feeling changed, I guess. Taiyou spoke to himself alone. It seemed clearly different than before, and it was interesting. either way. He thought, and made the decision. Its not that there wasnt a basis for it, he was following a precedent. Taiyou, up until nowuntil Hera appeared, had cleared several dozen games. And it wasnt that the had beat the end boss and seen the ending that cleared the game, but it was getting your character and everyone in the party to the maximum level. Thinking about it, thats how he felt about games. Getting the level as high as possible, leveling upfeeling that small pleasure in the body from all that level you accumulated. And in the later half of the game leveling became difficultand the pleasure increased. Even though it was purely psychological, it was still pleasure. In other words, since you leveled up, the feeling would change. In other words. I wonder what happens in my later half. All the things he did to get to level 19. What he could feel now, was that 99 was the max in most games, and the feeling of passing into the 90s. Whether it was real or not, thinking about it made his expectations swell. At the end of the game its like five times as strong, or to the fifth power. He smiled at himself. He felt the throbbing pleasure in his body just from remembering. He focused on leveling up. He untied the cord, and coiled it up. He untied the cord, and coiled it up. He untied the cord, and coiled it up. Repeating over and over. Finally, it became dark in front of himand the next instant. Owwwwwww! The same time his sight became dark, as sharp pain attacked his eyes. Something was covering his eyes, and he had no idea what was happening. Good, you noticed, desu. Hera, what are you doing? I called you over and over Taiyou, and you didnt respond so I had to do something, desu! So you poked my eyes?! You could have been a little nicer! You were slouched forward so I couldnt kick you down there, so I had to go with the eyes, desu. Thats even worse! Taiyou yelled at her. We wondered which pain was worse for a second. Theres something way worse, Taiyou! What? Aobas mixed up in something, desu! Whats that?! The pain quickly disappeared. He opened his eyes and looked at Hera. She was floating in front of him with an upset face. It wasnt one of her jokes. Where? Over here, desu! He ran after Hera. He broke through other customers and past the registers. Finally, he found Aoba in a cafe inside a department store. There was a man and woman in front of Aoba. They seemed in their 20s and workers, the woman had tears all over her face from crying, the man was angrily looking at Aoba, and was shouting. Youre not part of this! Mind your own business! Taiyou stopped, he had come to help, but what he saw stopped him. He felt deja vu, as something like this had just happened before. This reminds me Without thinking he felt some nostalgia that almost crushed the whisper he was about to speak. Bastard! The man was in a fury and raised his hand. An open hand, while Aoba glare unhesitantly at him. Taiyou dashed at the man. The 50 feet between him and the man were covered in an instant. He got between the man and Aoba, grabbed his slapping hand, and stopped it. Chapter 261 Winning Conditions / Thou Art Forgiven Chapter 260 Winning Conditions / Growth Chapter 262 - Winning Conditions / Akihan Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama W, who the hell are you?! The man had a questioning voice and a hurried look and tone. Taiyou gripped onto his wrist, so hard that the mans hand started to turn white. His face writhed in pain. Taiyou said with a straight face: I think this girl did something wrong, so Ill apologize for her. Sorry. Natsuno-kun Aoba wanted to say something, but Taiyou waved her off. And Aoba then closed her mouth. Taiyou looked back at the man. Sorry. Stop this! Its not you but that girl Sorry. Bastard! Sorry. Taiyou simply said sorry each time. And as he said it, he put more and more pressure on the mans arm. The third time he said sorry, the mans hand turned from white to red. Above the hand that Taiyou was holding the man with, the man tapped as if to give up. He let the man go and the man rubbed his wrist. He looked at both Aoba and Taiyou with an angry glare, said I wont forgive this and ran out the room. The woman with him, who was probably his lover, ran after him. The onlookers around them then broke up, and Aoba and Taiyou with Hera holding her hand to her mouth, were the only three left. Taiyou turned to Aoba and asked her. What was all this about? Um Aoba drooped her head, and had trouble telling him. Taiyou then turned to Hera and asked. What happened? Um, desua battle. A battle? Yes, desu. A commonplace battle because the man had slept with the womans younger sister. Theres nothing commonplace about that! I mean, it does happen often, right? He responded with a challenge, but then thinking about it, conceded. Then he looked back at Aoba and remembered. She had done the same thing before. You did the same thing at school Uh. You shouted You cheater! at your man, and then almost dropped out. IIm sorry. I caused trouble for you again. No, that kind of trouble is okay. Taiyou grimaced a bit. As long as you do it in a place I can reach you, its fine. Huh? If anything happens, and it happens at a place I dont know about, thats the only time its going to bother me out of regret. Well, its not important now. No matter what happens, as long as I have the power to protect her, Taiyou thought. The goal was clear, you just had to find the means. Thats why there was no confusion, and for Taiyou that was enough. So, are you finished? Y, yes. Im done shopping. I see, then lets go home. Sure. They both walked out and returned the way they came. In order to get to the bottom quick, they took the elevator down. He pushed the down button, looked up, and checked where the elevator was now. Then, he felt something soft press up against his back. Aoba was holding him from behind. What is it, Aoba? Sorry. No, its just I havent grown at all. Huh? Youve grown so much Natsuno-kun, and Im the same as before. He didnt know what to say in response at first, but he looked for the words quickly. What would a normal woman want to be told in a time like this? Would she want agreement, or disagreement? Would she want to be cheered up, or be broken down? Aoba was a normal woman, but she had one thing very different from other women. That was that she cause Taiyou to make mistaken decisions. And who saved him in that case was a small fairy. Aoba-chan, Aoba-chan, is that so wrong? Wrong? What do you mean? Aoba-chan, youre Taiyou-chans wife, right? Upon hearing Heras words, Aoba made a face that said, So? Hera continued. You cant just apologize and beg when you want something as a wife, right? In times like this, you have to apologize with your body. My body? Yes, desu! Im sorry master, please punish a naughty little piggy like meyou wont be forgiven until you say something like that. Hey, wait, dont throw weird stuff into the mix. I have to do something like that? Dont believe her Aoba. Theres no reason for you to do stuff like that. If she did beg me like that, Id have trouble, Taiyou thought. Aoba thought a bit, and then responded. So punishment is necessary. What? If I dont get punished, Ill do the same naughty thing over and over. I see. Aoba nodded, and seriously thought she would. There was no reason to deny that humans learned from the process of mistakes and punishment for them. That would cause growthand though it was a fuzzy growth that didnt involve growing experience, it did fit the category of something a man would like. Goals and means, there was no reason to refuse them. I seeso then lets do that. You can but first They heard a voice behind them. He remembered it, the voice of the young man. He turned to look, and it was Katsuki Nakashimas amazed face. Chapter 262 – Winning Conditions / Akihan Chapter 261 Winning Conditions / Thou Art Forgiven Chapter 263 - Winning Conditions / Night with the Kiyagi Family Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama Nakashima. Taiyou was stunned at his friend suddenly appearing. He had composed, cold eyes like Taiyou had never seen before. Or, instead of being cold and composed, more like ready to punch a wall or something like that. But after considering what Taiyou was doing, the reason was obvious. Natsunowhen did you turn into this? Huh? I heard that youre not even ashamed at getting fresh with a girl in front of people any more! Well, this isnt exactly getting fresh He tried to make an excuse, but he noticed something ridiculous. While all this had happened, Aoba had embraced Taiyou from behind, and Taiyou naturally had put his hands over Aobas that were embracing him. It seems that it was nothing other that getting fresh with a girl. Its different than you were before, you used to be so dazzling! Dazzling?! Yeah! Never needing a girl, only in love with your experience level! You used to say I dont ever remember saying that. But now youre at 100%, desu. Hera said, and Taiyou glared at her. Katsuki couldnt see Hera, and since Taiyou wanted to get to the point, he had no response. Finally, Aoba let go of Taiyou. Her ponytail shook as she embarrassingly moved behind Taiyous back to hide from Katsuki. Well, then Ill Theres nothing wrong with that, Aoba. Taiyou halted a bit and got serious. Katsuki, seeing Taiyou straighten up, frowned a bit. I mean, Taiyou, there IS nothing wrong with that. What? Its just love, right? Youre doing that because you like each other Oh, yeah Then keep on with it, you should keep loving until that whole global warming topic that seemed to have disappeared lately becomes serious again. I believe that you can do it, Natsuno. Being believed in to do that, though Taiyou made a pained smile. It was a bit embarrassing to be looked at by those cold eyes, but that straight way of cheering him on just added to it. Being told that so suddenly, there was no way to respond. They left the building, and Katsuki Nakashima walked along with Taiyou. Perhaps because Aoba was embarrassed she walked several dozen feet behind Taiyou silently with Hera. However, You really have changed. Changed? Yeah, changed. Compared to beforewhen you broke your smartphone, you were a totally different person then. Taiyou was jolted a bit. He was talking about the time Taiyou had broken his phone and Hera had suddenly appeared. Taiyou had truly changed from then. Youve got much more physical ability, and youre popularand your face has even changed. It hasI wonder? Taiyou touched his face all over. He couldnt feel that any change had taken place, though. Changed. But Katsuki responded with a decisive word. Yeah, you had a kind of kid-like face before. You mean like a baby face? Stupid, none of us have a baby face at this age. Not that, but something more like a frightened child. I wonder, but I cant tell at all, myself. Taiyou said, and it was half as he had said, and half something he realized. He didnt know what a frightened child looked like, but he knew what one felt like. Like when his hard work was for nothing, and he ran away from trying to level up was something like a frightened child, he felt. So, next is Akihan? Akihan? Akiha Aoyama. Akihan. I see, thats her nickname, Taiyou thought. why are you asking me that? Taiyou asked to Katsuki. I saw you, I was there at the school then. I was helping the committee there. Are you putting Akihan in your harem? Thats not it. Being seen there like that meant that he couldnt just dismiss what happened, so he decided to be honest about the exchange instead. She told me I wasnt meant for Aoba. ah, because she loves Aoba. I understand. Katsuki said, and looked back at Aoba quickly. Yeah, its a mess. So she said you werent meant for her. Then what? I dont know. Dont know? Shes trying to challenge me, or she wants something, but I have no idea how shes trying to fight me over this. I know its just going to be a mess though. Yeah, she really is a drastic girl. I guess so. Taiyou said in return. He didnt know that much about Akiha, so Katsuki asked again. You didnt know? Even though youre such a bigshot. Yeah. Taiyou nodded, and looked straight at Katsuki. Tell me then, if you know, Taiyous eyes seemed to say. Seeing Taiyous pleading gaze, Katsuki giggled through his nose. Okay, then Ill tell you everything about Akiha. Katsuki said. Chapter 263 – Winning Conditions / Night with the Kiyagi Family Chapter 262 - Winning Conditions / Akihan Chapter 264 - Winning Conditions / Date Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama It was night at the Miyaki home. Mio left from Nazunas room, and started speaking with Atsuko in the hall. Atsukos back was against the wall, which she then stepped away from. She had the look that she was worrying about someone. So? She couldnt sleep. She looked a bit pale, just as usual. Well, its fine if its like usual. At Mios words, Atsuko seemed relieved. Just after leaving Taiyou, they had taken the sickly woman home, Atsuko is always being worried and having a depressed expression. After coming come, it seemed that Nazuna had finally stabilized. From the three women of the Miyagi home, Nazuna was the weakest. She was usually quite ill, and so to a degree Mio and Atsuko were used to this. If she was at her usual, then there was no reason for Atsuko to be worried. Atsuko began walking first away from Nazunas room. Mio, in a maids garb, walked the same direction a step behind. Im very sorry. If I had noticed Nazunas health problems a bit earlier No reason to apologize, Mio, Ill take careof her today. However Dont oppose me Mio, If one of us were to be opposed like her, then there would have been no need to go to the park. 2 to 1, with Mio being the one opposed. Well, since we decided majority rule among us three, its fine the way it is, though She stopped momentarily, then continued. If were going to talk about whos in the wrong hereout of the ones that joined Akiha in her request, I did so just because it would be interesting and that makes me the worse one. If you say that, then Nazuna will be angry. I know. I wont say that to her, but I didnt stop us from going out like we did today. Even so, I will apologize on my own. Okay. Atsuko and Mio, both seemed a bit down but not gloomy. Nazuna was sick and weak, but it wasnt an illness that they had to worry about. She had a weak body, so she just needed more rest than most people. Atsuko sat in a chair while Mio stood beside her. It was the usual way the women spent their time at the Miyagi home. The night breeze caressed the two women. Mio. Yes? Why didnt you join our ploy? To go along with Akiha? Mio, dont you hate that stupid son of ours? No, I dont. Oh? I despise him. Oh, that much? Atsuko put on a surprised face. As she said, she expressed shock at Mios words. So then why didnt you join us? Aoba actually does love that boy, at least, she does now. I was thinking of how to separate that feeling for him. I see. And And? I realized that it was impossible to separate their feelings for one another. Any difficulties they have will simply make their relationship stronger. Theres no reason to participate in something that would do that. I see. Just like you, Mio. Why did you go along with it, Atsuko? Do you like himyou call him a stupid son so much you must have some like for him. You said drive him out, after all. Atsuko snickered happily. Mio, you should hurry and join us, its fun, right? Ill see when I get there. You really are Japanese. Atsuko snickered again. Well, even with that asideits half fun to mess with our stupid son, and half of it is a kind of training in a way, I think. Training? Have you forgotten? After we got over our hardships, it seemed like our connection deepened. Just like the difficulties that make your relationship stronger. Maybe its just me, but I really think thats itthose times felt really good. So I thought Id make an obstacle for him. Was Nazuna thinking the same? I dont know. Atsuko put her palms up and shrugged her shoulders. I dont know what the woman is thinking, shes always so secretive. Other than loving Tojiro, have you ever seen her reveal any secrets about herself? none. Right? Shes like that, so of course I dont know. yes. Mio nodded and Atsuko continued grinning. There was a silence between them. After a bit, Atsuko acted as if she remembered something and clapped her hands together. Okay, enough of the gloominess. Did you see it Mio? Being forcedit seemed, but the tension between the two finally seemed to lighten. It seemed a natural thing. Mio had adapted herself to this, as Mio seemed to frown at the question. She twisted her neck, and responded. What do you mean? Our foolish son, with SIX wives. Yes. Thats double of us, right? The three girls with the same face, the one that looked very young, yeah, and that twintail, that was the first time I met her. Yes. She tried to look normal, but shes lived a pampered life somewhere. Yes, she seemed from a noble family. Her position must be above Tojiro. Now all of them are madly in love with our idiot of a son. It seems that way. I went there with the desire to mess with him somehow, but I couldnt do anything. It seemed there was something a bit disdainful about the place, since they all seemed they were about to get hot and heavy with each other. I was quite surprised about theirdangerous balance? Even though I thought they all had a good relationship, or rather, expected it. Yes. So, did you notice? That young looking girl? She was just standing there, observing us. Observing? Yes, observing. Atsuko nodded to the questioning Mio. You didnt notice. Yes. I see. But, oh well. That girl, even though the others around were laughing and surprised, she was just standing there, stoic. And thenshe was watching the three of us. I seeI didnt notice that. That stupid son of ours is doing quite well, I thought. And also Atsuko continued to talk about their time at the sports festival. Mio nodded and acknowledged with small yeses and nos. The night continued on at the Miyagi home. It was the same night as many before. Oh yea, Mio, would you make a bet with me? A bet? The subject suddenly changed and Mio was surprised. Yes, a bet. Atsuko again laughed, and like a woman, a mischievous look crept into that smile. That because of this, that Akiha girl will fall for our foolish son Chapter 264 – Winning Conditions / Date Chapter 263 - Winning Conditions / Night with the Kiyagi Family Chapter 265 - Winning Conditions / Theres no XXXX Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama The next day at the Oritachi Station turnstile. Aoba and Taiyou arrived 15 minutes before the appointed time, but Akiha was already waiting. Taiyou was a little surprised, but Aoba didnt really seem to notice, as the two ran up to each other. Akiha was there with her usual smile of wild abandonment and Taiyou didnt miss seeing the slight dark light that seemed to radiate from Akihas eyes. He didnt miss it, but he didnt identify it either. Something like that Taiyou simply let go as having another meaning. Good morning Akiha, did you wait long? Good morning. I did wait, about 11 or 12 hours. WHAAA?! I couldnt wait since you called me last night! Light the night before a field trip? Ah, you were there from then. At first Aoba was surprised, but then she noticed it was Akihas joke, and then was relieved. The close friends both laughed lightly at Akihas joke, and Taiyou joined in after the joke. Sorry after all that happened the last day, and you being tired, to call you here so suddenly. Its fine, I wanted to go out somewhere anyway. Really? Well its a weekday holiday since the holiday fell on the weekend, right? Pretty rare thing so Im not going to just stay cooped up in my house. Yeah, thats true. About as common as getting a day off on another schools day of establishment. But, Akiba, you usually skip classes and go somewhere anyway. Aoba said suddenly, while Akiha turned pale, laughed, and said: Thats not true, Im an honors student with a sparkling record! An honors student doesnt go on the school roof and walk on the fence! Shhh, thats a national secret! Some cheap secret! You cant let anyone else know about what I do there, okay! I know about it. Oh geez, now I have to erase the evidence. Taiyou, Aoba, and Akiha. All exchanging occasional light smiles, Taiyou bought the tickets, gave one to Aoba and Akiha, and they all passed the turnstile onto the platform. The platform was clear on this weekday after rush hour. There were a few students in regular clothes ready to enjoy the day off, but otherwise it was quite empty. The three walked to the front of the platform and waited for the train. Even so, youve got some husband, Aoba. Husband Aoba said with a flushed face. Hes your husband, right? yes. Aoba nodded, and in that instant Akihas expression changed a bit, as Taiyou decided to watch the two. Akiha didnt notice that Taiyou was watching and simply continued. Yesterdays exercise festival. There were some betting among the students, and one bookie made a lot of money, you heard? There was a huge dark horse that showed up and won the individual first place award. The dark horseyou mean Natsuno-kun? Yeah, everyone bet on that Nyooooo girl and the sister-lovin boy that ended up second and third. Last years festival, the Nyoooo girl won first and the sister lover won first at the middle school. There was only one guy that bet on Natsuno. What, one bet on him? Yes. Natsuno grimaced. Aobas surprise was understandable. Up to six months ago, Taiyou had only been playing games and was pretty much accepted as a gamer nerd. That reputation had changed bit by bit, but not enough that someone would bet on him right before the sports festival. But still, someone did. Aoba and Taiyou had both been very surprised when they heard about it before Akiha told them. Thats where this money for the trip comes from, girls. What? So you bet on yourself, Taiyou? Aoba was surprised. It was a predictable thing, but it wasnt Taiyou. No, it wasnt me, it was Kohaku that bet on me. Kohaku did? Yeah, she thinks very carefully. Even though shes only just transferred, she knows far deeper about that school than me. I see, sounds like Kohaku though. Aoba understood. Kohaku is that lotita-looking student? Loli-GILF. Taiyou corrected her statement. Shes nearly 90 years old. NO WAY!? You know about the Eternal Little? Taiyou explained about the Eternal Little to the surprised Akiha. Growth ends at 10 years, and life continues as is for such a woman. Only one in a million have such an existence, but the negative is living as an Old Maid, Taiyou explained to Akiha. Wow, are you eating up a woman like that too? Eating up? Taiyou grimaced. It was a straight and raw expression from Akiha, but the expression wasnt making Taiyou uncomfortable. Instead of eating, it seems more like Taiyou was the one getting eaten, at least the impression was much stronger that way. It was like that since they met, the time that she suddenly attacked his lips. Without any prior embrace, she just attacked him. I was surprised to hear that was the first kiss. What? Did you say something? No, nothing. Taiyou turned his neck and tried to play it off. He tried to turn the conversation away from Kohaku and to himself. Well, even so, you must be happy to be thought of as so awesome. I want to be someone that everyone can be proud of. Everyone? Everyone. Taiyou pointed at Aoba. Aoba, and the other wives that werent there. That was the everyonehe was talking about. As they talked on the platform, the train came, and the three boarded it. So, where are we going today? The door closed, as Akiha asked as if she just remembered. It wasnt that she forgot what she wanted to say, she just never said it. Even if she asked at first, she thought she would go with them and the topic would become cloudy again, so she just went along without asking any details. (Maybe because Aoba is here?) Taiyou thought so, but after looking, it didnt seem so. It was the way Akiha asked questions, looked. She wasnt challenging their relationship. He didnt know where, but there was no point he saw there. Yeah, it was written on her face. Instead of a challenging appearance, he simply smiled and answered her. Amusement park. Chapter 265 – Winning Conditions / There’s no XXXX Chapter 264 - Winning Conditions / Date Chapter 266 - Winning Conditions / Fun Date Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama The weekday amusement park wasnt completely open, but it was quite empty, and there was no life and seemed devoid of activity. The clientele seemed mostly adults, all couples, and there were a few families with children that had taken the day off as well. In the midst was an even rarer guy with two girls. Taiyou, Aoba, and Akiha C a trio. Okay, you got to put these on your wrists. After paying the entrance fee Taiyou held the rubber wristbands out for the two girls. Aoba and Akiha took the bracelets and put them on. This keeps track of everything we buy and we pay it all off as we leave. I see, so Ill pay you back when we leave, okay? No need. I have the money today, okay? Really? Its not me actually, but Kohaku. If I dont use up all the money she gives me, like any elderly person shes going to get angry. True, my grandfathers the same. Okay, I see, then Ill leave it all to you. Akiha said and nodded. So where should we go? You like the extreme rides, right? Taiyou said. He expected that Akiha would be that type. Of course. I always think a rollercoaster would be so much better WITHOUT a seat belt. Thats crazy! Youll fly off! The centrifugal force will keep you in, right? You can free fall without the belt on. Thats after the centrifugal force though! When youre going up youll get launched! Yeah, well I was thinking of trying the bungee jump, without the band. Youd just fall to the ground! Its okay, Id let you do it first. Are you trying to kill me?! After a brief, pleasant exchange the three looked at the map and headed towards the rollercoaster. The rides they passed by were pretty empty, but the rollercoaster as usual was quite popular. After waiting behind in line for 10 minutes, they finally reached the ride. Okay, Aoba and her husband No, you two go together. What? Akiha was surprised. Since the rollercoaster was two seats next to each other, it would be natural to put Taiyou and Aoba in the seat togetherbut Taiyou stopped this and made Aoba and Akiha sit together. While Akiha was confused, they both go on the rollercoaster together and the safety lock went CLUNK. Sir, get in behind them. Nah, no need. What? Taiyou started to walk away and Akiha was even more confused. Ill be waiting around there somewhere. Taiyou said and waved as he left the roller coaster. Aoba was a bit surprised, but Akiha was shocked. The two rode together and the rollercoaster started to move. He watched them moving away and Taiyou remembered what had happened last night. Last night at his castle, in Kohakus room. Kohaku, completely naked, had alluringly looked down onto Taiyou from above. They were connected, the two, and they talked after their passionate lovemaking in a calm conversation. Youll have a flower in both hands tomorrow. Both of them have thorns too, you know. Im almost reluctant to do this. Akiha Aoyamainstead of her attacking you as an opponent, why not take a shot at her instead? I know all that. Taiyou looked at Kohaku, Just today, she had made Taiyou invite Akiha, so that the next day all three could go to the amusement park together. Even though Akiha had declared her love, it was with Aoba who Akiha didnt like, but loved. The three in one made the situation tumultuous. It was a very Kohaku-ish plan, but he couldnt see why she was planning what she was. What was she going for, Taiyou wondered. I wonder what Kohaku is trying to get me to do? In one expression, a coup de grace. Coup de grace? Aoba is not going to just leave her husband, so the battle would be pointless. youre right. If its pointless, we must conclude it quickly without extending it. She will hate you if she cant put an end to your lovey days with the girl she likes. Stop using that word loveyI just dont like it. How about Supa-Love then? Thats not as bad. Yeah, its just a problem of how it sounds. Taiyou said. He didnt want to make his love for Aoba seem less, but that word lovey just seemed to turn him off. Sometimes words just mess with you. A normal occurrence. A classic tale. Just two words, their meanings almost the same. But even those two words have different images, one is a minus, one a plus. And in the same way, that word lovey was not one he liked. That was all. Well, Im all for a short fight. And I want to be the one in charge of it. I dont want those mothers-in-law involved, because it gets really tedious if I dont take the initiative. So, which are you planning to do? Which? He looked at the naked Kohaku and had no idea what she was trying to say. Will you totally dispose of her, or bring her in? Thats what I mean by the word which. Taiyou couldnt answer. He didnt want to totally dispose of her, but even the meaning ofbring her inhe didnt understand completely. We watched the roller coaster undulate among screams as he remembered his conversation with Kohaku. Kohakus question, two possibilities. About them, he thought Which onehmm He sighed and whispered. Since Akiha didnt use her usual phraseI wonder if I can dispose of her Chapter 266 – Winning Conditions / Fun Date Chapter 265 - Winning Conditions / Theres no XXXX Chapter 267 - Winning Conditions / Revenge Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama Welcome back. Taiyou was greeted by two girls below. The surprised Akiha was still smilingbut her eyes werent. Was it fun? It was! My ears are still ringing, though. Aoba screamed like crazy the whole way. Liar! I hardly screamed at all! You did, you did. I could hear you from down here. Geez! Natsuno-kun at least back me up! Hah hah hah, okay, where next? As he said that, they all walked along looking for the next attraction to ride. Their eyes fell on the spinning coffee cups ride. There were seats inside the coffee cup, and by spinning the middle handle the seats would spin around and around, making a fun ride that would mess with your sense of balance. Lets ride this one. Sure. Aoba nodded and then they all walked into the attraction. They all three gazed at an empty cup. Okay, then Aoba and Akiha together, and Ill ride this one. Youre not riding with us? Akiha said. With what happened before, her eyes suddenly shone with a look of caution. Taiyou smirked. Its okay, youll see why I dont want to ride with you. Well, Aoba, lets get in this one. Sure. As Taiyou had said, the three split into two different cups. The music started, and the attraction began to spin. A big spinning coffee cup C Akiha and Aoba both started to spin it. Watching them, Taiyou started spinning his cup as well. Wathoooom! And then in an instant: Fatal Blow! Just Stupid Strength! Taiyou put power into his body and began to spin the cup. Though the coffee cups spun on their own from the machine moving them around, the power that Taiyou was putting into the spinning showed from how he was spinning the handle. The coffee cup that Taiyou was in was spinning three times faster than normal. Wow! Taiyous so fast! So that was why Akiha gazed over at him with a grimace. But still, on that day, it was the first time she smiled without any hostility to him. It was a grimace, but there was no malice in it. Maybe there was shock mixed up in it, but either way it was fine, as Taiyou started spinning the cup even faster. Im goingto spin the world! As Taiyous physical power increased, it seemed his power of balance didnt match. With the music over, Taiyou emerged stumbling from the cup. Are you okay, Natsuno-kun? Kinda. Because you got all fired up spinning that thing. I mean, it WAS great, you were spinning like a top. I was a bit worried about you Natsuno-kun, I heard the employees shouting about you during the ride. Wha? What did they say? Taiyou said with a shocked face. Um, is he going to be okay? Can the cup take that speed? And so on. I was spinning like Gelman Ninja out there. Taiyou laughed, he had wanted to clown around on a ride somehow, and it had worked pretty well. Okay, what next? Taiyou asked, and the three walked around the attractions. Sky swing, biking, and go-carts. The three rode them all together, and had a fun time. During it, Taiyou was observing Akiha. She was having fun, and maybe with Aoba, but since she had been hostile to Taiyou at first, she had lost that attitude and was now just having fun. If thats soTaiyou thought. Next should beyeah. He looked at the next attraction, grimaced, and stopped. This attraction was the standard for helping one progress on their date. It was normal, but also a bit raw. A haunted house. A haunted house? No, lets not do this. Why not? You dont like haunted houses, Natsuno-kun? No, I mean A memory was reborn of Taiyous childhood. He had been to a haunted house before only once as a student. That was during kindergarten, and right after he had entered he heard the couple in front of him scream and from fear he had bolted from the haunted house. He had entered, and without seeing a thing, ran. From then, he had never been to a haunted house. of course, he had then become obsessed with games, and so one could he had no relation to amusement parks as a dating spot. If you want to go, then you two Aoba, over there. Ah, got it, Akiha. Akiha and Aoba had signalled to one another and surrounded Taiyou, putting each of their arms around his. With a beautiful woman on each arm it was like two blessings at once, but the story wasnt going to progress like that. It was the story of two women dragging a man into a haunted house that he was afraid of. W, waitI cant go You dont want to? frankly put, I Then you want to go in alone? Aoba and I follow you. Nonononono Okay, lets go! Okay! Akiha and Aoba both shouted in good spirits. Waitwaitwait, I dont think I can take this. Hee hee Hah hah hah Taiyou was dragged into the haunted house by the other two, and he seemed to lose all that made him a man. The two being very pleased at this was the one thing that saved the situation. Chapter 267 – Winning Conditions / Revenge Chapter 266 - Winning Conditions / Fun Date Chapter 268 - Winning Conditions / Good at High Places Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama Akiha on the left, Aoba on the right. With a flower on each arm, he entered the haunted house. Still he had some fear entering the haunted house. His speed of walking naturally became slower. What? Are you scared? Akiha asked. There was a tinge of malice in it. Yeah, I am. Taiyou clearly admitted, and his voice shook. Usually at this point he would act tough, but that toughness was now very far away. It was necessary to understand his position in for its ways and means. Even so, it was still a bad position. He understood why he was doing this, but the fear overwhelmed it. CLUNK, a sound. Something came out from the well in front of him C a (doll) of a woman in white robes sprung out from the middle! UGYWWAAAAHHH! Screams, not from the girls, but from Taiyou. Hah hah hah hah hah Akiha laughed happily. Just look Taiyou, its a doll. I know that already, theres no ghosts and this is just a haunted house Suddenly logical words came from nowhere, but his voice was still shaking. Whatever, lets just go. Noooo. We have to take our time and enjoy it. Right, Aoba? yeah. She took a breath, and answered. She thought of something for an instant, and then agreed with Akiha. From his appearance, she felt a little bad for Taiyou, but because it was all so fun, she reacted that way. Natsuno-kun, take your time. Agh. If you want to go ahead, let go of us and go on. Akiha laughed again malevolently and Aoba as well, enjoying the sweetness of it all with a little regret at his fear C like salt on a watermelon. Letting go of him would be easy to do. It would be easy with his power. He had two choices he could make, he could keep his arm around these flowersno, at this point it was more like a crucifixion and be dragged through the haunted houseor he could let them go and do it alone. Those were the choices. For an instant he short circuited. He let the two go for an instant. Aoba was shocked, and Akiha sneered at him. He didnt have time to think about their assorted expressions as he simply squatted and grabbed both girls around the waist. Kyaaa! Wha? What are you doing?! He didnt have time for words or explanations. He simply sprinted with both of them in tow. Whoaaaaahhhhh! It was a war crymaybe with a bit of fear mixed in, but he ran along the haunted house route in a mad dash to the exit. NNatsuno-kun! hah! Instead of having the slightly worried look that Aoba did, Akiha laughed out loud over Taiyous shoulder. He had no time to think of her reaction, he simply scrambled out of the haunted house with both girls in his arms. Huffhuff Under the autumn sky, Taiyou slumped over and caught his breath. He looked totally exhausted physically, but it was mentally. He had dashed several hundred feet with the two girls in his arms and not really felt the physical exertion in doing so. It was the haunted house and the mischief of these two girls that had exhausted him. Here, Natsuno-kun. Aoba held out a paper cup. A red cup with a white logo, an international one that you see everywhere. Inside was obviously a certain brown drink with carbonation. She had been considerate and bought it for him. He took it from her and downed it at once. Gulp, gulpahh Thank Aobathat helped. Sorry about that. We were having too much fun with you. No, its okay. Im sorry to be the wet blanket for your fun. But Its okay. Youre right. Akiha suddenly interrupted. Her face was between a smirk and shock as she looked at him and continued. Are you a little too scared? Its all fake. Cant help it. Scary is scary. Its not very manly, can you protect Aoba like that? Hey, Akiha I can. He interrupted Aobas reaction at Akiha saying too much, and Taiyou answered. He answered while looking straight at her. He wasnt acting, but being truthful, as he looked at Akiha. I do what I say I will, even though that sounds like a cliche. Even though it wasnt cool to see me like that. He wasnt pleading. He understood what he was saying, as he would do whats necessary, even though it didnt sound very cool. She was about half right, but the important part she missed. To be honest, Taiyou thought Ill do whatever is necessary when I want to. Without a goal theres no reason to do it, is what he meant. Akiha. As they glared at each other, Aoba broke in. She used a rarely heard, sharp voice. Could you two stop? Were at an amusement park. Yeah, youre right. Akiha quickly backed down. Then the three began looking around the attractions again. From then there were no real problems, just a purely fun trip. It wasnt as good as the first rollercoaster, but Taiyou took a step back and let Aoba and Akiha have fun together. Akiha noticed this and when she met eyes with him again and again made sure her eyes said I know. Taiyou wondered what those knowing eyes meant, and since he didnt really know what she wanted to say, he quickly gave up trying to interpret it. The reason why is because they were having fun. He had noticed this and the fun had made him understand. They girls were having a blast and he had fun taking a step back and watching them. Kotone and them are like that too. Yeah, its fun watching Kohaku and Youran too. Youran and LeticiaI wonder how that would look. Taiyou said without thinking. Kotone and the others from one birth. Kohaku and Youran. Youran and Leticia. All had special relations and it was fun watching them go at it. Well, not allfor example, Kohaku and Leticia didnt have that good of a relationship. With that in mind, the two girls in front of him seemed to pull on his heartstrings. Aoba, would you like some ice cream? Ice cream? Oh, that place over there? Yeah, doesnt that look interesting? It looks like a lightsaber. Light? I dont know, but its impressive, the ice cream part is five times longer than the cone. I wonder if its the same as the picture. Hey, could I have a vanilla? The two were bantering back and forth as they went up to the store. One of them bought a vanilla, the other chocolate. They came out just like the picture, and as they held the cones the soft serve ice cream itself almost looked like a weapon. They talked about it, those two, while eating. Taiyou simple watched. After eating the ice cream, the three walked together. A Ferris wheel? Taiyou said, and stopped. Yeah, getting on? Sure. A ferris wheel. Are you scared of heights? No, in fact I would walk the fence on the roof like I said. Youre right. They followed the attendants directions and waited for the ferris wheel car. There was a family ahead of them, and they put just the children on the car. The attendants warned them, but the parents said, We told them just to not try and stand up. As they were debating over this the ferris wheel continued to rotate, so the children were seated and the attendants backed down. Thank you for waiting. It was Taiyous turn, and the attendant opened the cars door, and asked Taiyou to step in. Let Aoba step in first. Let the girls in first, Taiyou thought, and then was pushed from behind. He was thrust forwards. He tried to stop from falling, and right next to him, he saw Akiha fall into the car next to him. Here, now get in. Aoba said, and pushed both of them in. Taiyou and Akiha were pushed in the car, and Aoba stood outside. Aoba? Akiha and Taiyou were surprised. The door was shut and the car rose in the air. Aoba was on the ground and waved to Taiyou and Akiha. It was all a surprise, Taiyou having no idea what was going on and all he could do is watch Aoba fade away in the distance. Chapter 268 – Winning Conditions / Good at High Places Chapter 267 - Winning Conditions / Revenge Chapter 269 - Winning Conditions / Handbag Gondola Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama She got us. Thud, Akiha said as she sat down in the seat again. She had her arms crossed as she gazed out at Aoba with a smile. That smile was at that somethingthat Taiyou had felt between Aoba and her, Taiyou thought. This, isnt your workI guess. Yeah, I was surprised too. But maybe Kohaku is involved in this, I guess. Yeah. Akiha nodded, and shuffled over to the opposite side of the car, facing me. Aoba was watching Taiyou as he got farther away, waving her hand, as Akiha sat across from him. How long does this take to go around? Maybe 20 minutes. Thats what the sign said. Okay. Did you have fun today? Is that why you invited me? A question to my question? Taiyou laughed. Thinking about the girls relationships now, he knew that he wouldnt get an answer, so he answered about them both. WhyI guess I dont know now. What does that mean? But, I can say that it was fun. Youre just flattering me. No? Taiyou opened his eyes and said with a surprised appearance. Really, it was fun. I meanits almost like Im thankful. Thankful? Are you being sarcastic? No, just thankful. Because of you, Aoba had a great time today at the park. For that alone Im really thankful. So you used me as a pretext for Aoba to have fun? I guess so. Well, whatever. Akiha looked away out the other side of the car. A gondola with glass covering its upper half. As you were taken up, you could see more and more around you. After only seconds the huge attractions in the park seemed to glide away, becoming smaller and smaller. What came bigger was the real diorama around them. A ferris wheel Hm? A ferris wheels the most normal out of all the rides, at every parknot even just parks, but sometimes on department store buildings. Yeah. Looking at everything around you, I guess you know why. Yeah, you do. Taiyou nodded, and pointed to where he was looking out the right side. You can see the rail of the train over there. Yeah, I can. That must mean, Oritachi is over there? No, the opposite way, I think here. From here you can see the ocean is way over there, right? So I guess this way is north. I see. The two said, and watched the scenery below them open up. Finally, the car reached its highest point, and began to fall. The opposite of the way up, everything got farther while below became bigger, as Taiyou watched. Just then. CLUNK, and the gondola shook. He lost his balance and grabbed for something close to steady him. What the? Itit stopped?! Akiha had noticed quicker. She looked out the ceiling of the car and said. It stopped? Taiyou looked out the gondola. They simply sat and looked for five seconds. It is stopped. Yeah, youre right. They both nodded to each other. The scenery didnt change, nor did the positions of the other cars. The ferris wheel had clearly stopped. Everyone, something has arisen in the operation of the ferris wheel, and we need to stop it briefly. Were sorry, but The announcement came from the cars speaker, as the attendants voice continued. Whats the reason, I wonder. Who knows? Taiyou shrugged with his hands up. Even though he tried to look calm, his heart was pounding. That maybe something happenedfeeling you have, that makes your heart beat quickly. Huh? Akiha seemed to jump up from her seat. She had noticed something, and was staring out the car window. What is it? Huh? He looked in the direction Akiha was pointing. The gondola ahead of them, just a bit lower than Taiyous gondola. The one where only the children were riding. Ah, that one ahead Isnt that dangerous? Yeah, its shaking way too much. They looked closely at the gondola. Just as their parents had said, they had stayed seated looking outward from the gondola, but now that it had stopped, they were stumbling around in panic. Because of that, only that gondola was shaking far more than the others. Taiyou and Akiha had no idea how much a car like that could take. However, it was dangerous as far as they could see, and it was a sight that made you worry. this opens, right? Akiha touched the roof and said. Just like the sunroof of a real car, it was made that you could flip open the ceiling. Wait, what are you doing? hup! Akiha moved without answering. She opened the ceiling, and her light body moved outside the gondola. As soon as she was out, he long and beautiful hair was carried by the wind. It was wind strong enough to knock you off balance. Youre not thinking of jumping over there? I am. Wait, stop! If you fall, youre going to die with a splat! Its okay, Im good at high places. No, wait Akiha went to jump, and Taiyou went to grab her, buthe stepped back just before he did. If he could totally grab her, he would, but if he just only able to grip her clothes with his fingers as she jumpedthen Imagining that, he experienced a mixture of his crotch getting hard with a fear that she would fall if he did such a thing. That moment of indecision led him to step back. And in the moment, she jumped from off of the ceiling. Chapter 269 – Winning Conditions / Handbag Gondola Chapter 268 - Winning Conditions / Good at High Places Chapter 270 - Winning Conditions / How Nice Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama As soon as Akiha jumped from one gondola to the other, the gondola that Taiyou was in shook. First up and down, then left and right. It might have been that closest gondola and the shock it took when Akiha jumped to it. Thatidiot. He got his balance back, went to the window, and checked on Akiha. She had opened the roof and was now inside the other gondola. He couldnt hear her voice, but he could see her from through the glass. The gondola had stopped, and the children who had panicked from begin left alone in a stopped gondola were now greeted by a kind older girl, and had calmed down. The gondola ahead of him stopped shaking. Phewdamn, she put herself at risk. He sat back as his heart slowed downjust then. Suddenly, the other gondola went CLUNK. Akiha! I felt that fear in my body again, and called out Akihas name. Inside the gondola, you could see Akiha holding the children. On of the connectors to the gondola had broken, and it was helplessly hanging from the ferris wheels body. There were small noises of stress creaking from the connection area. Everyone else had noticed the gondolas creaking as well. What nowthis is bad There was not a moment to waste as Taiyou followed Akiha, opened the roof, and got onto the ceiling. The gondola that Akiha was in was only held by one loose connection. And anyone, even far away, could tell that it was soon to break. As soon as Taiyou reached the roof: CRACK The sound of breaking metal and the gondola began to fall freely. Make it in TIIIIIME! Taiyou jumped from the gondola. He kicked off the roof and jumped to the gondola Akiha was in. It was a distance he could normally reach. Akiha jumped there, and reached it. Since he was jumping downand the gondola was already falling. He couldnt get there in time, just an instant before he could have reached it. Cant reach it! His neurons began to operate as the gondola fell in slow motion. HERA!! Tah dah! Ramming SPEED! Wha? Oh, okay, desu! Hera was lost for a second, but then at Taiyous threatening look did what she had to. In the next moment she shoved him from behind. From her push he sped up. Get there! He had sped up, and while chasing it grabbed onto the frame of the gondola. He gripped it with one arm solidly, and with the other he grabbed the frame of the ferris wheel. Ugh! In an instant, his whole body felt a huge shock. A shock that felt like his whole body was to be pulled apart. UWHOOOOAHHH! After that, Taiyou put all his power into his body. Just supporting the gondola was enough to make him feel like his body was being pulled apart, but when he flexed, that was a different story. He stopped the gondola completely from falling as Taiyou was connected to both the gondola and frame. It was one hell of a sight. A thousand pound steel car held by one hand, and the young man holding it. Commotion arose from all around him. Taiyou-chan! Are you okay? Yyeah Oh, it really is my Taiyou-chan SorryI dont have time to speak Oh Taiyou looked strained. He was putting power into his arms, and that brute force was the hardest thing to do. Before Hera appeared, it was hard for him to even buy a 40 pound bag of rice and go home with it in a bag. It wasnt that he couldnt hold it, but the heavy bag would dig into his flesh and it would hurt. Taiyou breathed out, and in, and said to Hera. Hera, please tell this to Aoba below. Im okay. I know she must be worried. Okay, desu! And when youre donego to Youran. Youran? Yes, tell her what position Im in. How I look and where I am. Okay, desu. It was an easy to describe emergency, so Hera left without a question. She flew up in the sky and disappeared. After Hera flew past the gondola, a voice arose from inside. Hey, are you okay? It was Akiha. She was asking through the roof she had opened with a worried expression. She was his enemy in regards to Aoba, but now she was genuinely concerned. Im okay, I think. Just dont let them shake it. Okay, I wont. And after thinking, she said. Hey, do you want us to come to you? Here? Yeah! Instead of holding that gondola, youd just have to hold us. Taiyou nodded and thought it made sense. No. Just stay there. Why? Its harder to hang on to a bunch of things. I can handle one heavy thing. You know that right? But then Its okay. Taiyou said strongly. And because those kids are already really scared. Okay. She nodded and went back to the middle of the gondola. Taiyou relaxed, breathed, and held tightly onto the gondola. The weight would be okay. It was enough that he could handle. Until the ferris wheel moved again, until he was back on the ground. It took around 10 minutes that Taiyou was left hanging there with the gondola. Chapter 270 – Winning Conditions / How Nice Chapter 269 - Winning Conditions / Handbag Gondola Chapter 271 - Winning Conditions / Sprout Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama The ferris wheel began again to move in a clockwise direction, as everyone was slowly brought back to earth. The minute the gondola touched the earth again, Taiyou, relieved, released his grip. Somehow he was able to get them back to earth safely and that reassured Taiyou. However, he thought it was a bit early to relax himself, as he said to himself, so he continued to stay tense. The gondola is down, stop the ferris wheel once more. The ferris wheel operator said, who appeared near his side, and Taiyou responded. No, its okay, you dont have to stop it. But sir, the gondolas coming down afterwards will. Ill do what I have to, just watch. Taiyou put it down in his own timing, and grabbed on to it again. Akiha, get off, hurry. Okay. Akiha took the kids and got out of the gondola. There was no haste or confusion on their faces. Taiyou looked at them and thought Just like Akiha, and then hefting up the gondola, dropped it in an open place next to the ferris wheel. After that, the next gondola in the rotating ferris wheel continued through where the previous one was. Phew After all that, finally, Taiyou relaxed completely. Im totally spent. Thanks, Natsuno-kun. Are your arms okay? Just as expected, Aoba ran up to Taiyou, appreciative of his efforts. Taiyou smiled at her and kissed her lips. Now its okay. Geez! Natsuno-kun, theres nothing okay about what happened. Well then I guess it was okay to begin with. Hows your hand? Are you cut somewhere? No, thats fine too, loook. Its all red, you should put some ice on it. Wait here, Ill go get some. No, I need to move toolets get away from here. Huh, ah, okay. She was lost for a second, but looking around, she knew why Taiyou said what he did. Taiyou had done a super-human deed by grabbing onto and holding the gondola all the way down. Simply because the ferris wheel was in a high place in the park and everyone saw and was paying attention to what Taiyou did, now there were many onlookers gathering around and surrounding Taiyou. Lets go. What, but? Hera? Taiyou called Hera as she warped there. Yes, desu. Did you tell Youran? Yes, desu. Youran-chans message to you, Ill do something., desu. Just like Youran, Im glad I told her what was going on. Youranmaybe will destroy the evidence? I dont know, but she may do something to fool herI think. Taiyou smiled. It was a smile he had because he could completely trust Yourans ability as a woman from the bottom of his heart. Shell do fine, I think. Youre right. Now, Aoba agreed with him. As one woman of the Natsuno household, she knew she could trust Youran as well. Well, then lets go. Okay. Akiha nodded calmly. After she said a word or two to the parents of the children, she caught up to Taiyou and Aoba who were walking away. Three of them, walking side by side. It looked like the onlookers were going to follow them, but they passed by Taiyou and stopped near a few people that were explaining what they had seen. One of the people stopping the onlookers with the story was one of Yourans workers, so Taiyou just let her be as he walked away. After walking a while, Taiyou found some chairs in front of a store to eat at, and slumped in his chair. You must be tired. Aoba again thanked him for his hard work, and Taiyou responded with a smile. Ill get something to drink, Natsuno-kun, what would you like? Something with fizz and sweet, anythings okay. Okay, just wait there. Aoba ran off to the store there, and brought back the largest Cola that they had. Taiyou took it and drank the whole thing down at once. Phew You want another one? No, Im okay. Okay. The two calmly talked as if nothing had happened. Akiha watched the two carefully, and asked with a bit of a confused face. Aoba, youre acting like nothing happened? Huh, nothing? Ive been watching you C youre not angry or worried. I watched your face until our gondola was dropped on the groundyou looked like some wife greeting her husband home from work, just a normal-looking face. I guess youre right. Were you worried or anything? No. Aoba bent her neck a bt as if thinking about it. Now that you mention it, I guess not. You guess not? Yeah, I didnt. Why?! Well, because Taiyou was there. Aoba smiled with her response, and Akihas eyebrows furrowed. I mean, it was a big accident, but it was something within Natsuno-kuns reach, so I thought he would be able to handle it, I guess Thats it?! Yeah, I guess so. Hey, let me say something. Akiha had a frown like a scowl, and Taiyou broke in to say something. And it was kind of my fault too. I wanted to be in a place where I could help Aoba too, if Im there I can help, right, so I got mixed with this whole ferris wheel thing. Thats it?Akiha said. Well, if thats all I can say about it, I guess so. Yeah, and if Natsuno-kun says hes going to do something, hes going to do it. Especially something important like this. Like this?!Akiha said, confused. For example, making sure that were all loved. I mean, in an important thing like that, Taiyou does what he says he will. I think the phrase I say is Do the best I can do Taiyou made a bit of a pained smile. Not love all them at once, but love the one in front of you the most. And do the most he can when hes within reach. That promisewas what he said waswhat hed do the best he couldto protect. But, because he was able to do it again today, Aoba had her trust renewed in him all over again. This thing, this even. Akiha still looked a bit confused. I see In an instant, Akihas face looked a bit lost in a mix of emotions. Just like one person imitating several, her face changed again and again. They didnt know what she was thinking, but she was going through a lot of thoughts, that was for sure. And after a moment of that, Akiha opened her silent mouth. It sounds wonderful. She finally said. Chapter 271 – Winning Conditions / Sprou t Chapter 270 - Winning Conditions / How Nice Chapter 272 - Winning Conditions / Princess Maker Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama Taiyou was taken aback. The words he expected were not the words said. Thats why he was at a loss. Noticing this, Akiha put on a questioning face. What? No, I guess, nevermind. What? If you want to say something, go ahead. Your favorite phrase againI guess. My favorite phraseoh, yeah. Aoba thought a bit, and slapped one hand in another. You mean the wordwonderful?! Yeah, that. Then, shes right. Rightwhat? Taiyou turned his head a bit. The way she said it was slightly different, though. Thats wonderfulandIt sounds wonderful. With that much of a difference, even thought it was used the same and with the same positive nuance. But still, it sounded a bit different to Taiyou. Natsuno-kun being weird again. Aoba said with a snicker. Well, anyway, after all that, Im never coming to this amusement park again. Its not that bad, right? Somehow that was all a trick to impress me?Akiha said. Yeah, I think that it was just Youran messing with usitll probably be okay after this. Well, then who cares? Right? Akiha smiled and said with a light shrug. After seeing her also give a mischievous wink, she seemed much more lively that usual. After seeing this, Aoba seemed to get energized as well. Yeah, youre right. Lets just have fun! Yeah! Natsuno-kun, are you okay with that? Huh? Oh, yeah, no problem for me. Then lets go! Aoba said, and grabbed the standing Taiyou by the arm. He was still thinking things over, but he wasnt going to hold back if Aoba wanted to have fun. He stopped with his worrying and decided to have fun in the park today. After that, nothing extreme happened, they just had fun in the park together. Aoba and Akiha, the two happily together, enjoyed going from attraction to attraction. Taiyou thought that it was no different than how they usually were. Two close friends, Aoba and Akiha. If there was a change in them that he saw, when they went to ride a new attraction, if it was one where they had to ride two people with one staying behind, it was sometimes Taiyou alone, sometimes Aoba alone, and sometimes Akiha watching the couple. Each of the three, changing roles as they changed rides, one watching while the other two rode. The skycycle that Aoba and Taiyou rode together was thrilling because Taiyous ability to get the speed to a thrilling level. The Mirror House that Taiyou and Akiha entered together let her to tricking him into finding where she had disappeared to, again in a mischievous way. At the merry-go-round, the two girls were pushed in by a enthusiastic Taiyou, as Aoba and Akiha rode the same horse together round and round. Taiyou watched, and laughing, took pictures with his smartphone. They kept going around the park, and after riding all the rides, the day had finally ended. Taiyou and Akiha sat together on a bench. Aoba had gone a long way to find a toilet, and left the two alone. The park was about to close, and all of the customers were leaving group by group out the exit. Akiba snickered to herself. You brought me here to help Aoba have a good time, right? That was the plan. Well, Aoba really did, I can promise you that. You know she did? Weve been friends a long time. I know when shes really having fun. Well, then good. Taiyou nodded, and then said: So, did you have fun? Why? Well, we havent known each other long, right? I dont know if you had fun, so I thought Id ask. Thats not what I asked. It doesnt matter if I had fun or not, right? She was right, he guessed, after all, he had told her that himself. After she said that, the conversation came to a close. But he didnt want it to end, so he decided to make an apology for what one of his wives had done. Kohakus a tough person sometimes. If you cant entertain a woman, youre not a man, or at least she thinks like that. Yeah, she seems like the type to say that. I mean, no joking, but it would be rough if you didnt have a good time here. And if I didnt? I guess that would mean overtime until you did. Taiyou said jokingly. So youre saying we cant go home until I have fun? Thats it. Then relax, I had fun. Really? Yeah. Akiha said, and winked. To be able to hang out with and have fun with Aoba for a dayof course its going to be a blast. Really? Yeah, but, there was one bad thing about it. What? The fact that Aoba couldnt ride the ferris wheel. I invited Aoba to the schools roof before, but she never let me balance on the fence. After a ferris wheel I thought she would, so I was expecting her to ride, I guess. After saying that, Akiha looked off at the biggest, most noticeable attraction at the park. After the accident, all the riders had gotten off and the ride was closed. Youreally like high places, right? Well, people always say stupid people like high places, right? Really stupid people dont call themselves stupid, then. Somehow, they had a conversation like this before. I guess I had a really good time, so relax. Really? Thanks for waiting. While they were talking, Aoba returned. They walked together again, left the park, and went back to the station. After they arrived and were about to go home Ah, dang it. Akiha said as if she remembered something. I have something I have to do. What?! Aoba was surprised. Shocked, actually. Sorry, Aoba, I got to do what I got to do. WaitAkiha?! See ya. She lifted her hand, spun, and sped off in a rush. With no way to stop her, Aoba and Taiyou just watched Akiha speed off. What happened to Akiha? it wasstrange. Yeah, different than usual, even for her. He said, and Aoba nodded, even if it was a small one. Different than usual. Yeah, different than usual. Taiyou thought so, and had been thinking it all night. Thats wonderfulandIt sounds wonderful. Taiyou had been thinking about that difference all night. Almost as if she wanted to say something else Chapter 272 – Winning Conditions / Princess Maker Chapter 271 - Winning Conditions / Sprout Chapter 273 - Winning Conditions - Doing IT Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama Im going to kick your ass someday. Night, in the apartment building. In a room using the total floor of the top of a tall apartment building, Taiyou felt it looked like a complete house the first time he went inside, while Kohaku and Youran grimaced at him. Taiyou was talking trash to Hera in this living and living room terrace that they were using while the Taiyou Castle was being rebuilt. He wasnt really angry, but he did look quite stunned. Because Ill do anything for you, Id let you kill me over and over, but if you killed me once that would be it, so its impossible, desu. Dont joke around. Youre doing this on purpose. What do you mean? Dont act stupid. I mean leveling up. Level up. From when Hera arrived, he was able to do it. He would do things over and over that had no meaning in the real world, and from that he would level himself up. Normally it would have no meaning, but with this foot tall fairy beside him, he would become stronger while leveling up. There was an exception to the leveling up. Normally when one digs a hole and then fills it, or unties and then reties their shoes, with the common point only in multiples of five that never had such a meaning before. From level five onward he could kiss a girl. From level 10 he could make love to a princess. Just like that, every 5th level, with a girl, he could do something new. Now, he was getting ready to pass level 20. What happened to you leveling up? Hera, tell me once more what I should do. Um, first you take a girls clothes off, desu Then? You take them off and then put them back on, desu. And next? Once theyre on, you take them back off, desu. Arggghhh! Taiyou shouted with both hands in the air. What is it Taiyou-chan? The moons not out and you havent grown a tail, desu. Im not a huge monkey! Not that, youve got to be messing with me! Messing with you? I mean, this is what you have to do, desu. Stop that! As if I could?! Taking clothes off and then putting them on, of course its impossible! Why? She responded with a tilted head. Looking at her, she was asking innocently, with a naive look on her face. She really looked like she didnt understand. I, I mean. What is it? You can just repeat that over and over, right? Taiyou-chan? Um Um? Hera looked confused. Seeing that, Taiyou snapped. If I take her clothes off, Im going to want toyou know. oh Hera clapped her hands together. Its obvious, right? There are only four of them I can do that with. Of course Im going to want to do it if I take their clothes off, right? I guess youre right, now that you say it, desu. And more, even if I can be patient, maybe she cant hold back either, right? In front of a guyin front of me, naked, a girl cant just do that calmly, right? Youre right, desu. If youre naked in front of the man you love, I guess you would get turned on. It was a frank way of putting it, but it was what he needed to so, so he suddenly said. Geez, what the hell Um, its hard to do it in multiples of five too, desu. Even on level five, a person that cant never can, desu. you said that a long time ago. He remembered to way back. The necessary action to get to level five was to kiss three times. Just then Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane were there, so it was easy to clear it. This time Hera said the same thing, people that cant do it, never can. He understood. Once Taiyou thought that he was the type of person that never could do it. Doing it five times (in several meanings) was difficult, and this was already pulling at him. I meantake off clothes, then put them onI cant just do that all day. Yes you can. He heard a voice from behind. He turned, and there was the twin-tailed Youran. She had an autumn-colored top with the usual hotpants. She heard all the commotion and had come from her room calmly to see what was happening with Taiyou. I can, what do you mean? Take off clothes, and then putting them on after you take them off. Is there anything else he has to do? Nothing, desu. Hera quickly answered Yourans question. Well then its easy, Ill let you do it. You will? Yeah, look. Youran said, and then put both arms out to her side. She opened her legs a bit, making a spread-leg T-pose. Taiyou guessed that this meant Take off my clothes, but honestly, that took 30 more seconds. Hhey?! What are you doing? Hurry. No, hurry, huh? Taiyou, what are you doing? And you, Youran? From outside one of the three sisters entered, the littlest, Kazane. He could see from her eyes that she was surprised. But, Youran stayed calm as usual. Do it. Whaaa? But Kazane is here. So? All you have to do is take off my clothes and put them back on. Whaaaaaat?! Taiyous going to do it here?! No! Not that! Dont look at me that way! Kazane was clearly taken aback. She had a face sayingthis, in the living room?! Okay, hurry. Go, go, go! Desu. Taiyouwell, if thats what youre doing, than I The voices of all three together. While Taiyou was unaware, things were about to get a little crazier. Chapter 273 – Winning Conditions – Doing sIT” Chapter 272 - Winning Conditions / Princess Maker Chapter 274 - Winning Conditions / Wings of Light Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama Taiyou grabbed Youran and took her into the girls room. But, it almost felt like he was the one being dragged in here. Almost like someone in a back alley getting dragged away, like that. Panthuff From the living room to the bedroom, and not even more that 20 feet, made Taiyou lose all his wind. Since he was so psychologically drained, Youran attacked him once again. Come on, hurry up. Are you going to do it, or nor? Haaa.Dont say do it Taiyou sighed, and asked a question. Are you okay with this? I meantaking your clothes off and then putting them onits more embarrassing than normal. Im different than others. Youran smiled, and it was one very rare for her, a calm smile. This is the weird place for me. Back in my real home, I let all the others take my clothes off for me. Others? Like this. As she said that, again, she put her arms out and stood. She looked the same as when they were in the living room, and Taiyou relaxed when he understood what she meant. Oh, I get it, Ive heard of that. For a high-class princess, you get others to do your work for you. I forgot that I heard about it. When we all got in the bath together, you heard it from Kohaku, right? Hm? Oh yeah, you werent there. What do you mean? Nothing, its a girls se-cre-t. A secret Taiyou laughed to himself. It was strange, but it lightened the mood, he guessed. Because of her upbringing she was used to this, and thats the reason somehow that this was a girls secrethe guessed. Or maybe it was all the girls. Anyway, he still thought it was funny, and now he was ready. Okay, so I can depend on you? Sure. Well, before that Taiyou spun himself around. Hera was there in front of him. She had passed through the wall, and she wanted a front-row seat to watch. Go ahead and start, dont mind me, des! Taiyou grabbed the fairy, who was trying to play it off like a joke, ran to the end of the room, and threw her out the window as far as he could. Fly awaaaay! Whaaaaat, dessssssu? Only her voice remained, as the little fairy became one far-away star in the sky. He shut the window, closed the curtains, and turned to Youran. Then he grabbed her clothing. Ok, lets begin. Okay. She took a very natural posture, and let Taiyou go at it. She was perfectly calm about being undressed, and the one undressing herTaiyou was still pretty nervous. First he took off her top, and then next her hot pants. Next, the light blue bathing suit she word as underwear that he was actually used to, he took it off. Finally, he looked at the garter on one of her legs that she put on as a fashion, and stopped for a moment. What is it? Well, I was wondering if I have to take this off too. This, you mean the garter? Yeah, I wonder if I should call Hera back and ask. What if you just take it off? This is underwear after all, and if you have to take EVERYTHING off and put it back on, than this is included, right? This is underwear? Taiyou was taken aback. Its classified as such. Is that so? Well, then Ill take it off. Taiyou said, and then silently pulled the garter down her leg, and easily pulled it off. Then Youran was completely naked, the same as she was born. Next you have to put them on. wait a second. Hm? Youran tilted her neck, Taiyou went around to her back, and untied the ribbons holding up her twintails. Fwuf, her long hair spread over her back. I see, you have to take them off too. Just in case. But you have to put them back on, it might be hard for you. Can you do it? Ill be fine. Taiyou quickly answered Yourans question. It was an answer that seemed like a double entendre. After answering, Taiyou looked here and there around the room. Yourans room, it had less things in it than one would expect, but on the other side of the room was a very expensive powdering mirror. Taiyou went there, and retrieved a hairbrush. Youran saw it, and her face changed to a smile. What do you intend to do? something or other. Not just something or other. No, really, just something or other. Tiayou made a pained smiled, and answered. She tried to stop him, but it really was just a whim of his. Getting her naked, and looking at her naked with her hair down, made him want to do that. He took her hairbrush, and began running it down her long stream of hair. Fwiifff There were no knots in her hair, just a beautiful cascade of it down her back. You have such beautiful hair. Its even more beautiful than the day that I met you. Of course it is. Youran answered in an unexpected way and she jumped and covered her mouth. She had said something she didnt need tois how she looked. Of course it is? What? Taiyou looked at the side of her face from behind. What do you mean? Itsits nothing. It might be nothing, but, the way you said it makes me want to know. Dont worry about it. Something you cant tell me? Uh Youran stopped. The way you asked was wrong, so the way I answered waswrong. If you say it in a provocative way like that, than saying nothing about it afterwards is even more wrong. Uh Go ahead, say it. He brushed her hair, and pushed her to answer. Youran continued to fidget. She was perfectly fine with showing her naked body, but there was some other reason for her embarrassment, and so she continued to fidget. Well, dont say you didnt ask for it. I did. He responded with a light smile. Just after that, he did regret asking for it. Of course Im going to look good for you. Ive been fixing myself up like this because of you! What? Because youre always wanting sex and so on, thats why I make myself look good! Is that what you want to hear?! She said it in a way that sounded harsh. And her bodyher completely naked body turned pink in a light blush. Taiyou realized he had gone too far. If she says something like that to me, of course its going to blow all logic out the window. Two hours later, Taiyou realized this and got angry. Chapter 274 – Winning Conditions / Wings of Ligh t Chapter 273 - Winning Conditions - Doing IT Chapter 275 - Winning Conditions / I Cant Fly Holding You Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama Late night. Though he had to go to school tomorrow, he still continued trying to raise his level. Since he used to level the hell out of games until the late night before, what he was doing now just seemed a new cycle of the same thing. He put clothes back on the stripped Youran. Top and hot pants, garter, and finally the twintail ribbons. He had no idea how many times he had done this, but he felt like he was becoming a pro at it. He held the ribbons while skillfully banding the flowing hair into a tail, making one twintail flow from her head. As he was tying one up, he said. Hows that, it looks really good on you. I guess, I mean, by now, youre better than me at doing it. Yeah, if so, then Ill do this for you daily. No, if you have sex with me while youre fooling with my hair I wont be able to take it. No, no, no. Taiyou said to her as she looked over her shoulder at him. Are you saying you wouldnt do it? II guess not? Okay, then say it. How many times did you have sex with me tonight during this? Times? Say it. Three? He took that side of flowing hair, tied it up in a twintail, and answered Youran in a whispering voice. Yes, already tonight, Taiyou had done what he wanted with Youran thrice already. But, thats because you were naked, it had nothing to do with hair. Like Pavlovs dog. Youran said in a disaffected voice. Three times, after untying that last ribbon you keep on forcing sex on me! But Im not a dog! Well, it seems like youre certainly in HEAT! No! Just untying your twintails isnt getting me turned on though. Well, then fine Youran said, making sure that Taiyou would stop beating around the bush too much on the topic. Taiyou mumbled Its not thatover and over while tying up her twintail. The second he started tying up the other side Dah dah dah daaaah! Taiyou, youve leveled up! Hera said in the air as she warped in the room. She flew in a circle, and did her usual level up dance. Finally, Taiyou said with a sigh, and then breathed a sigh of relief. I was waitingHera? Why is your face so red? Yeah, are you okay? Taiyou asked, and Youran also. For some reason, Hera, who had just appeared, was red faced. It was so red the two realized they had never seen her like this. Im fine. This is just a sunburn, desu. How the hell did that happen? Its night? Okay, moon burnShingetsu (new moon) is here so it fits, desu. Shingetsu being here isnt going to make your face red. Anyway, Im okay, desu. Hmph, okay then. Hera responded, and Taiyou agreed. Her face was still red, but the way she talked was her usual. At her worst she had an annoying high spirit to her, and that hadnt changed about her at all. Either way, Taiyou decided to ignore it. Well, since Ive leveled up Yes, desu. Your skill, what shall you do? Deal with status? Skill? Or Youran? Why me? A double meaning, that meits impossible for him to level up on you, I mean other than the fact hes already gotten his stuff all over you Stopthats enough. Ill take status and and check it later. I dont think therell be a big change. But tell me what skill I get. Sure, desu. This time you can choose from three, desu. I bet the three will be the same this time too. That would be correctplewwwhh! Hera was answering him when he slapped her across the room. Listen, if theres only one then just tell me. Okay, desu, you get the skill Seven Wings, desu. Seven Wings. Thats a pretty direct name, just hearing it and you can imagine what it is. Yeah, something with a relation to you girls, like the idol imagething. Youran and Taiyou nodded to each other. Since they had an example to speak about, they could speak theoretically about it, so they were quickly able to imagine the skill Taiyou received. If they thought about the name itself, and looked at Hera as they spoke, they knew there was no doubt as the little fairy floated smiling back at them. So, what happens? Its easy, you can imagine it in your mind. Since Youran is next to you nowimagine that Youran was riding on your shoulders. Hmp. Taiyou nodded, and closed his eyes so he could imagine better. Then just as he was told the image arrived in his mind. Youran on his shoulders, an image of her on his right shoulder. Just like that. Hearing Yourans voice, he opened his eyes. She was already looking at his back, and looking at where she was, he turned to look behind him. There were white, shimmering wings there. Like the wings of a swan, godlike-bright, layered wings. It was a far better skill than Taiyou had imagined. Just like that. He and Youran said the same thing together. Chapter 275 – Winning Conditions / I Can’t Fly Holding You Chapter 274 - Winning Conditions / Wings of Light Chapter 276 - Winning Conditions - Deciding Again Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama So, what can these wings do? What are you saying, Taiyou-chan? Hera laughed, amused. For a great a perverted man, these wings are made to fly, desu. Fly? Yes, desu. You can fly, desu. Hera spoke as if this was obvious. And Taiyou grudgingly accepted it. More important than that, if I couldnt fly, then Id wonder why the hell I had them in the first place. Try flying. In the room? Taiyou grimaced. Go ahead, this room is pretty big. I guess youre rightokay then. There was no reason to refuse, so Taiyou decided to try it. So, what should I do? Um, I guess I could tell you, desu. Hera hit her cheeks and thought. How can I explain this, her face said. I guess it feels like moving your sixth fingers, desu. I dont have those though. But you do, in a way, desu. Hey, you know how some people can move their ears and make their nose twitch and so on? Maybe something like that. AhI think I know what you mean. Taiyou understood after Youran provided a follow-up explanation. It pretty much meant that Taiyou would have to flex a new part of his body. Taiyou tried to imagine it, the way that Youran had imagined it for him, through nerves and muscle as one part of his body. He imagined his wings flapping. Them flapping and him slowly rising off the earth. Wow, just like my Taiyou-chan, desu! Hera said happily, as she flew around Taiyou. In the same way as her, he rose off the floor with his wings. First, he rose about a foot. Im flyingwow. Hey, can you move around? Like this? After saying that, Taiyou flew straight backwards. His wings flapped, and his wings when swissssshh in the air. I can do it, this is eas As soon as he said that, the wings disappeared from his back. At the same time, he fell from the weight of his body. He was only a few inches off the ground, but the fall also made him lose his balance. Whawhat the? Its because the amount of wings you have disappear from distance, desu. Distance? From the source of the wings (your wives)desu. Ah, I see. Theres a range. Now it seems around six feet. So I guess if its just me its six feet. Youre probably right. You want to try? From one wing to four, we can see how much all the wives can make. No He touched his chin and thought about it. No, lets save it until tomorrow. Everyones asleep already. You can wake them up. Hera! Okay, desu! Youran nodded and Hera disappeared through the wall. No, theres no reason to wake them up. Its not like I have to find out now. Are you that stupid? Youran looked disappointed again. Everyone knows youre trying to level up, right? Yeah, I told everyone. So, everyone knows youll get a new skill at level 20, right? Yeah, I guess. So then Youran said, and then sighed. Taiyou, did you really learn a skill? So, husband, what skill is it? Hera said we need to help you with something. The three sisters, Kouhaku, and Aoba. All of them had arrived after being called by Hera. It was quite late at night, but they were all there, ready, and not sleepy at all. They all looked ready to see what had happened. Everyone They all know whats going on, so of course no ones going to sleep soundly. Youran said, and Taiyou felt embarrassed, but also full of emotion and thanks. From the roof of the apartment building, the night sky was filled with blowing wind and glittering lights, and seemed strange. If a wife was to be there with him alone, he could talk with her while looking at the night sky. Taiyou thought so as he went out on the roof, but then stopped the thought, and focused on testing his skill. The skill itself was simple and he understood what he had to do. First is how you generate it, when there are more than one person generating the wings, we just have to stand next to one another and touch. Like this. Kohaku said and joined hands with Youran. Seeing that Taiyou generated two pairs of wings. Ill make three pairs. And well make four, Thats pretty much it. Now somehow we have to find the range of theno using us, we have to find out how much the range increases. The range was about six feet for one pair of wings, so two should be 12, and four 24. I wonder if each person increases it by a powermaybe something like that. Since there was no way to express it in real life terms, Aoba couldnt say what she wanted to clearly. But still everyone nodded. Anyway, I think the final stage should give him a radius of almost 500 ft that he can fly in. Sorry If you count us as one person. If you count us as three, its more like 1500 feet. The three said in chorus, while Kohaku, Aoba, and Youran all extended their fingers to the triplets lips to quiet them. Dont worry about that Kazane. Yes, Suzune, you alone are one person. It would be weird to consider you three as one person. Everyone All three seemed encouraged. Seeing this, Taiyou held them all close. Three wives cheered the other three up. Taiyou felt a limitless happiness. So, one more. And perhaps the most important one. Kohaku said, and the wives all nodded. As everyone was watching, Kohaku went close to Taiyou and touched him. That second, the wings on his back disappeared. When I touch you, they disappear. that means you cant hold him and fly, desu. Taiyou grimaced. It was quite a strong skill, but for some reason, it was a skill where he couldnt do something important. Chapter 276 – Winning Conditions – Deciding Again Chapter 275 - Winning Conditions / I Cant Fly Holding You Chapter 277 - Execute! / The Wives and their Conversation Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama In the night sky, Taiyou lifted off the top of his designer apartment building. 400 feet off the earth, and about 45 feet off the roof. He flew in the sky with his fairy beside him. So this is the sight you always get to see. I havent seen it that much though? Huh, even though you can fly? Yes, desu. I always have to look after you. Dont lie, you can fly anywhere you want so you do it all the time. Im being honest, desu. Whenever Im away from you Im always thinking about you, even with this million dollar or so sight, I dont really think much of it, desu. Million dollaror sois it? Taiyou looked down at the spreading scene and cringed a bit. Oritachi, Seikaen, Wazashika The foot of Tsugai mountain wasnt part of the city so the view was okay, but looking down at it now from here in the air was quite stunning. It was several levels more than that million dollar view she was talking about. Even though she had said or soas well. Of course, because youre so much better and more valuable than that amount, desu. I wonder. Anyway. Taiyou looked at the scene without looking at Hera. Thanks, its all because of you. He said clearly. Taiyous words expressed a flood of emotions. And Hera, just as usual, responded simply accepting them. Youre welcome, desu. That was quick. Because I do everything for you, its obvious that Ill keep doing whatever for you too You really like saying that over and over. Yes, desu! Im not just trying to praise you or anything, Im just saying the truth, so even if it sounds like Im praising you it feels like nothing really Thats a mixed up statement. Taiyou tapped the top of Heras head. He was far off the earth, so it was a tsukkomi, but not one too. It was more like a loving tap. Sometime Id like all of them to see this. Taiyou whispered, and Hera looked on silently. It was a strange moment, and it felt like some kind of silent conversation. But there was no response. What did it mean? Maybe it was impossible, or maybe there was a deeper reason in it. Taiyou didnt know, he didnt know, but he thought he didnt have to. This time, was a mistake I guess. A mistake? Yeah, it happened when I made ranged attacks uneffective. Why do you think so? Hera asked, and Taiyou shrugged, almost in self-ridicule. Back then, when that sniper hit me from far away, I could have stopped it with that ranged attack blocker. Yes, desu. This time too, if I had leveled up by the time I went on that ferris wheel, I could have used the skill. Now that I think about how dangerous it was, it would have been easier and safer. Youre right, desu. All the time, the skill is something thats convenient, and if I use it it will help me get through stuff quickly, at least it has that kind of smell. This time it feels like I made a mistake and didnt do it in time, and it feels like that strongly. Hmhmm Thats why, yeah, I was thinking I need to speed up the pace of my leveling up, and I feel that I have to strongly too. Taiyou said, and shrugged once more. So then, until you get to your highest level, you cant beat Shirokiyami too. If I do, then I can beat her, right? Yes, desu. I think you can beat her if you max out your level, desu. I can guarantee it, desu. If so, then I have to speed up the pace. You keep on saying that, but you still go slow, Taiyou. Ugh. She hit me in a painful place, Taiyou said with a groan. Just as Hera said, he kept on deciding to do that, but then after a while hed forget. However, there was an excuse for all of this. The thing (or things) slowing him down were his wives. He would think about capturing a wife, and then forget completely about levelling. He knew it to be true, but he could never say it. If he ever did, then he would use it as an excuse to his wives. He thought that was about the uncoolest thing he could do. Just thinking about it was uncool, and actually saying it was worse. So thats why he never said it. In exchange, he just said what he would do. Im fine for now. Really? Thats the only thing I cant trust you about, Taiyou. Im fine, look, Im doing what I can for everyone. Taiyou said, and looked down. He could see his wives 45 feet below. They were holding hands, and looking up. Even away from them, he knew they were holding hands. The fact that they all were together and providing him with power, and he would see that because of them he was full of it. Then he would add three more. Including Shirokiyami, three others. He would have to work hard to get his level up, he promised himself, as he and Hera went back to his wives. (First will be) Chapter 277 – Execute! / The Wives and their Conversation Chapter 276 - Winning Conditions - Deciding Again Chapter 278 - Walking Abreast Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama Today and this morning, there was something that Adano was after but its been rejected. After Taiyou arrived on the roof after flying, in Yourans room. She was video chatting along with one of her operatives. It used the whole wall, and it was like systems that would project your chatting partner to human size, however, because the person Youran was talking with was an underling and not Leticia, she didnt need to use the hotline and the connection was bad. Even from that scratchy display, you could see that the girl Youran was talking to was scared. Youran had her hair down in Shingetsu no Kami mode as she talked to the operative. Did you find out who the attackers are? From the remains, its thought that it is Sakura. Do you know for sure? Yes, we have proof of it. I see, how ostentatious of her. What was that? Nothing. Ill take care of this. Dont give any other orders other than to increase the guards, just in case. It will be done. The girl on the other side of the chat bowed deeply. After hearing other various reports, Youran cut the video chat. She returned to being alone in her room. Theres no way she can go on like this, Sakuras not that much of a fool. She wont plans within plans or do something so tedious. That means simply someone faking it. Youran held her chin and spoke in a tone between her own and Shingetsu no Kami. She also had the habit now of forming her thoughts as she spoke. If thats what shes doing, than its a question of who. Adano wouldnt fake that its Sakura, so its got to be someone thats trying to make it look like Sakura. She whispered as she tried to form in her head who would have done this. Sakura was Sakura, and she had her place in Juunishima. Since she was the child of a concubine she had no succession rights, but she was still the true daughter of her father. Because she had that connection to her position, there was reason for her to have a grudge. I must do something. Youran whispered again, and though of a plan. Just as she was coming up with something, there was a knock knock on the door. Two knocks, so it wasnt Taiyou or Kohaku, she thought as she answered. Who is it? Kotone. Come in. Youran said as the door opened and Kotone appeared with a tray and teacups. She walked in the room, and put them on the table before Youran. I made some tea, please. Thank you. Youran said her thanks in a voice softer than her previous one. Anyone would have to say that if they knew Kotone, she was easy to startle. Youran had never been a girl to speak so softly before knowing Kotone. When she was Shingetsu no Kami, of course, was just an act from the girl who usually had twintails. Only when she was with her friend Leticia was she able to be herself. Being relaxed like this was the calm Youran that had been born just recently. Mainly it was with the other wives that she showed this manner. What were you doing? Hm, oh, talking to one my my operatives. Is that so? About Adano. Oh, how is Pochi doing? Fine, something came up though she said she wanted to see Kohaku again when she was, so I was giving her something to do that would keep her busy. Well, you shouldnt be too harsh Sorry, Im harsh on my own family. What? But I wont treat you like that. Okay Kotone acted like she understood but didnt. That reminds me, this is the first time you allI mean, you have spoken to someone alone, right? Though Taiyou didnt notice it, Youran used the word alone purposefully. Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane accepted all three of them being referred to as one, but Youran used it to distinguish the three of them from one of them. As she was now. Kotone didnt seemed bothered by it either, but in the same way had a face that said Now that you mention it Well, I really havent had a chance to be alone recently. Ah, but, maybe Ill have more later. Hm? Why do you say that? Well, thats still a secret from Taiyou. Kotone put her finger to her lips and smiled mischievously. Lately, weve been pretty comfortable being alone. Hmhm? Sorry, could you be a little easier to understand? You were fine about it before. Well, I mean, all of us have evolved a bit, I guess. Kotone said with a smile. Not discouraged by Yourans voice, her calm smile seemed to show. Evolved? Until we met Taiyou, our connection allowed us to feel what each other was feeling. I heard that. So, just like when you were a kid, youre able to speak with telepathy. Youran said with a sip from the teacup. Like usual, the tea Kotone had made was very good. No, weve evolved even past that. Wha? Her hand on the tea stopped. Evolving from telepathy, Youran was surprised, and yet interested. Before we felt italmost like a phone being picked up, the connection that I had with Suzune and Kazane, but now it feels like were always connected. Hmmm I can see and hear what Suzune and Kazane are seeing and hearing. Um, its like seeing an image with a new eye. Kotone said as she knocked on her head just above the ear with her fist. Its just like seeing with a regular eye. If you all stand side to side, can you get a 360 view? Yes, we tried it. It was kind of funny. thats amazing. Youran said with a laugh. Not trying to cover for anything, but actually envious of Kotone being able to do that. Amazing? Yes, hes weird, but you three are weird too. Why, how can you do something like that? Its normal right? I mean, were tripletsfrom one soul. A genius or the main character from a fairy tale might call that normal. Like hitting a ball over the plate. Ah. Its amazing. But, we think its because of Taiyou. Since he sees us as one, and treats us like that, I think weve become like this. That makes him pretty amazing too, even with as much as I know about you, I cant just treat you all as one person. Yes, thats all, were just thankful. Good. Oh, we hope you are too. what? Youran suddenly made a pained face. But something inside of her felt warm. Goodwe hope you are too. That exchange made her heart feel warm. Oh, Taiyou-chan. Hm? Kotone looked to her side and whispered. Youran was surprised, and looked there. But there was no Taiyou. Youran remembered the exchange and asked. Hes in the other room? Yes. Taiyou had entered Suzune and Kazanes room. Chapter 278 – Walking Abreas t Chapter 277 - Execute! / The Wives and their Conversation Chapter 279 - Complex Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama Taiyou knocked and entered. Suzune and Kazane were in the middle of the room in their pajamas. They may have just gotten out of the bath, as the smell of shampoo and clean pajamas filled the room. It was a soft smell, and a calm air about the sisters. It was their temporary home, but it made Taiyou feel like he was in his real one. Suzune and Kazane stood and turned to Taiyou. What is it Taiyou? I had something to ask you He said, and looked around the room. There was something strange in the air about this room, and he could feel that it was because Suzune and Kazane were there. Something for us? Hm? Oh, yeah Another ambiguous response, and a look at the sisters. Taiyou? Ah, maybe youre looking for Kotone? Um, nouh Taiyou shook his head and looked at them. Straight at them, and then asked. Um, why did I come in here again? What? No, I mean, I just remembered, it was some important reason that I cameand I cant remember it. Hee hee. Weve seen this before. Was it something you wanted to say to us? Yeah, theres no doubt. Taiyou nodded. Including the not-present Kotone, he knew that there was no mistake there was something that he had come to talk to them about. Now he couldnt remember. Well, Taiyou, Ill make you some tea, and you can drink it and think it over. Here. Kazane took Taiyous hand and took him to a seat, while Suzune made some tea. A room and not in the Taiyou castle they were used to. Suzune heated the water up in an electric pot, and prepared it for tea. Taiyou sat on a pillow on the floor, while Kazane sat across from him with a smile. Oh yea, this is a different conversation Taiyou said, and bowed. Instantly, one wing appeared from his back. I knew it. You knew what? Suzune returned and gave them all tea. Taiyou took the tea and drank. He felt every corner of his body and through his heart, and answered. Somehow I felt Kotone here. Maybe its just my nerves, feeling Kotone. I wanted to try this. As he said this, his wings vanished. He just wanted to put them out, but with no reason to use them, he put them away. Suzune and Kazane smiled at each other. They slid closer together. Taiyou put his arms around them and held them close. They had a calming smell about them. Taiyou asked them as they rubbed up against him. Are you two wearing perfume? No, not at all. I dont like perfumeare you saying we should wear it? No, the opposite. I like the way you smell now. We found this recently. Le Lake Via, its a shampoo. Hm? Nicecan you get this everywhere? Is it a limited product? Yeah, just a normal product. Suzune and Kazane had a look of Whats the big dealon their faces. Well, use this for a while. I like the smell. Sure! Understood. Yeah, just inside. If you go outside you can use perfume, or maybe you should. Really? Yeah, I want my wives to be cute and beautiful, and I want them all to be proud that they smell good, right? Enough with the jokes, Taiyou. It wasnt a joke, Taiyou thought. Somehow it was a real desire of his, as he was happy to see the three so beautiful as his wives. Of course, he was against any other man trying to touch them, but watching themhe was happy if they saw them and thought they were beautiful. The feeling of a kid showing off his best toy. His wives were what made him happy. Suzune and Kazane said so, and they looked pretty content with it. He felt love for them and kissed them. But just kisses. The sound of two wet kisses, and nothing else. Holding them, he didnt go any farther. He wanted to enjoy the calm air a little longer. Suzunes hand moved. Her wrist and then fingers went over Taiyous chest, over his clothes, and touched him. It was a bit ticklish, but it felt good. Following Suzune, Kazane did the same. Touched his chest, a little scratch. And then they were both using two finger like legs, walking over his chest. Taiyou put his mouth close to the legs. He started moving his mouth as if he was going to gobble them up. Kyaaaa! Hes going to eat us! Suzune and Kazanes fingers ran away. And Taiyous mouth chased them to gobble them up. They all played tag on his chest. Oh yeah! After a little time, Taiyou seemed to remember something. What is it Taiyou? I remembered why I came here. Taiyou said, and turned a serious face towards Suzune and Kazane. What do you two think about Akiha? Chapter 279 – Complex Chapter 278 - Walking Abreast Chapter 280 - Bosom Buddies Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama Ah What is it? Kotone made a bit of a troubled face. Youran put down her teacup and asked her. Um, Taiyou asked a question. A question? Yes, what do we think of Akihaquestion. I see. Youran put the teacup to her mouth again and snickered. I wonder if shell be the fifth girl. Um, it seems that Taiyous still a bit worried. Thats why he asked. I bet he doesnt know his question has leaked this far. Youran snickered again. So, what do you think? She might be number five, if the trend continued. I think its fine. Kotone said, laughing. And without the least bit of delay, she answered Yourans question. Shes very good friends with Aoba, and, it seems that Taiyou likes her. I see. What do you think? Me? Youran again snickered to herself. I really dont have much reaction. I guess if you forced me to say, Im for his decision, I guess. Taiyous decision? Yes. Oh, Dont tell him, he gets upset when we take advantage of him. I dont think Taiyous that type of person though. But hed get mad right? Dont you think we deserve a little more manly of a guy if were all waiting on him? Ummaybe a little. Kotone reluctantly nodded. But, I think Taiyous fine the way he is. I was just speaking about my own image of him, I mean, were the reason he has all that skill, right? At least half of it. Umwhen he has the ability of the idol imageand the ability to fly. Right? When I see that myself, I think he should do a little more to help us out sometimes. Its obvious, right? His final objective is to beat Shirokityami. He has to get a lot done before he can beat Shirokiyami, the Warrior of Clear Shadows. So, support us? How will he do that? We have to do stuff everyday in order for him to remember skills, right? Yeah So, of course hes got to do the same with us, right? Youran took a breath, and returned to the conversation. Well, I guess Taiyou can try and see if Akiha is okay, okay? Really? Well, he cant bring her over on one try. That happened with Letty once, and theres the chance he may totally mess it up. Ah Kotone said as she remembered back. Her face said now that you mention it Leticia H. Kellers Once during the summer vacation, when Taiyou counted his idol imagethere were four wives there, and for some reason he miscalculated and instead took Youran as his wife. Even with it happening once, it was still an example of him messing up. Taiyou and Leticia had kissed, many times. And Taiyou saw that kiss as the best kiss he ever had. That means if Leticia was an example of him messing up, then Akiha could end up the same way. Thats the basis for Youran sayingHe can try and see. Akiha Aoyama. Youran thought about her. Aobas close friend, so she knew enough about her. Not just her height and weight, but her interests and family make up, even the number of times she had sex, Youran had researched and now knew about her. She didnt tell Kotone (she did to Kohaku), but there was one qualifier for being a wife of Taiyou. Whether or not you were a virgin. Also, there were several other conditions, but that was the only way to Taiyou. Akiha had no sexual experience with men, so there was no reason for Youran to discount her. What is it? Hm, nothing. ReallyI think Think? Umwell, dont get angry if I say this Say it! If I dont like it, Ill get angry. But I said dont get angry at me!! Kotone said in a loud voice. I will get angry, I always get angry at things I dont like. And I get even angrier when you have something to say and dont SAY IT! Uh So say it! Kotone hesitated, and it was fun for Youran to bully her a little bit. Okay. Just now you made a really lonely-looking face. Are you thinking about Taiyou? Lonely? For him? Youran thought to herself and went Heh, in a quick laugh. Hes moving on to his next girl, so maybe Im lonely about that? Um, yeah. Wha?! Youran flicked Kotone in the forehead. It was pretty strong and she didnt hold back, so Kotone put her hand on her hear and teared up. Theres no way Im going to think like that. Really? Could you think like that? No, of course not. Well, then Im the same. Okay! Kotone nodded strongly, but then tilted her head. So, what is it then? Akiha Aoyama, shes a lot like me, I was thinking. What? In my past, I hate thinking back and considering all the stuff I had to do to get to now, is how were similar. The edges of Yourans smile seemed to lilt, somewhat cynically. Chapter 280 – Bosom Buddies Chapter 279 - Complex Chapter 281 - True Confessions Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama But do you, Taiyou, really like Aoyama? Suzune asked, and Kazane looked directly at him. There were only the two there, so there was little sound of their souls chorus in the question. Suzune talked normally, and Taiyou though, and answered: I dont knowI dont know, but, I wonder. You wonder? Idont hate her. Yeah, thats no doubt. Taiyou nodded soundly. He couldnt totally say he liked her, but he definitely didnt hate her. He couldnt hate a girl that was free-wheeling. Is that so? Suzune asked, and moved closer to Taiyou. As did Kazane, as she rubbed her cheek on his chest. I love you, Taiyou. I do too, Im happy that I met you, and I thank God that we met all the time. Me too, Im happy that I met you. Im thankful for this destiny. I think you should start to like Aoyama. You do? I do, and Leticia. Hm? Why did you mention Leticia all the sudden? He tilted his head after hearing that name pulled out of the air. He looked both at Suzune and Kazane, and answered. Um, is that what youre hoping? Of course it is, right? Suzune and Kazane continued as a reminder. You are able to have two more wives, right? So were saying that both Aoyama and Leticia should be them. I know that I was talking about Akiha, but why Leticia all the sudden? Well, because Leticia also is in the close friendsgroup. Suzune said, and Taiyou perked up finally knowing what they were getting at. Close friends. Akiha and Aoba. Youran and Leticia. With that connection, they brought Leticia up for him. When close friends like the same personnormally its a tragedy, right. But, you break through that tragedy, Taiyou. I think. Yeah, normally it becomes a battle, when two close friends like the same person. Its true, a real tragedy. Taiyou realized they were right in what they said. He understood well, it pretty much always becomes tragic when two friends like the same person. But in a country that allows a husband with multiple wives or a wife with multiple husbands, you can resolve it pretty easily, but in a country like Japan where theres only monogamy, it always becomes a tragedy. From what I heard from Kohaku, it seemed like there were many like that long ago. Long ago? How long ago? Medieval times and before that. Taiyou said, and the two talked with Taiyou about it. For example, if a poor girl marries into a rich family. Then she lives in a good family with a good husband. Then, she introduces her friend to the same fellow. They have the same experience of being poor, and by doing so she kind of helps out the other poor friend she has. I see. I understand. Well, it seems the most common pattern is sisters doing it. Because sisters are born in the same poor homebut its possible for friends as well. Youre right! Suzune and Kazane said together. Taiyou didnt say other information in the story he heard from Kohaku. The story of the same man marrying sisters, and the reason. It was important to have a successor back then, as without a direct blood connection you lose the right to speak or even the ability to flourish as a family, back then. In order to give birth to an heir, one would need the same blood, using those sisters as an example. It was easy to understand, and a man like Taiyou could understand it quickly. However, these two girls didnt expect him to talk about that. Youran would enjoy that story very much, but the three girls had no reason to be interested. Taiyou, what are you thinking? You look like youre pondering something. nah, nothing. Taiyou smiled and didnt continue. He didnt expect to talk to them about this, and he had no intention to. How he felt right now, he just calmly returned to thinking about how well the room smelt. When one of the girls were alone with him, he liked to just enjoy the feeling, and kind of zone out. Thats why he didnt continue. Instead, he began speaking about something else. I was just thinking about how much I loved you. Youre joking. Yeah, we know right away. Im not joking, really. I was just telling you some weird story about something Kohaku told me long ago, but because Im talking to you now, I stopped. Thats why I made that weird face. Well, thats okay then. Yes, well listen to anything you say. Fine. Thats why I love you so much, it makes me so happy, and Im fine with that. Okay. Sure, After a moment, the two nodded. I love you Taiyou. I love you Taiyou. I love you too. The held him, saying the same thing. After exchanging those words, they both looked very cheerful and happy. Thats because he said he loved them with no joking in his voice. Because they would laugh at him whenever he said that to them (though Youran would become a bit put off by it), he would tell them that with no hesitation. Not just that he loved them, but when he would get like that, he would never hesitate. It was connected to his wives happiness. Because of his first, Aoba, he had thought a lot about this, but now Suzune and the others reinforced it. Suzune, Kazaneand youre listening too, Kotone. Sure! For Akiha and Leticia, lets put our power together and see what happens! Chapter 281 – True Confessions Chapter 280 - Bosom Buddies Chapter 282 - Love Grows Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama Wow, beautiful. Yup! Aoba and Akiha stood looking through the window glass and were struck by the beauty of the scenery. They were 15 miles from Oritachi, in Sendai City. This city had the most population, and it was bustling. They were on the top floor of a skyscraper, in a restaurant. Taiyou had invited Aoba and Akiha there. They were in a very large private room, in a very expensive place. He looked at the two looking out into the night sky, and remembered when he and Aoba had first arrived at his castleit was all so nostalgic. Customer, would you like your meal now? The waiter asked, and the seated Taiyou placidly nodded. Yes, please. Just a moment. The waiter bowed, and the two girls returned to their seats. When they sat down, another waited pushed their chairs into the table without a sound. Wow, this is something. Hey, Aoba, do you come to places like this often? Atsuko and the others like places like this, you know. My mothers come to places like this, but this is the first for me. Oh, really? Akiha looked a bit surprised. They told me that in the future, you should take the people you like to places like this. Well, I know, but Atsuko and the others can be a little cold. They were always like that.Akiha said. So youve known them long?Taiyou asked. Yeah. Akiha smirked at him and threw up a peace sign. It was very much like her to overreact to a simple conversation. I even had a time when I was living with Aoba. Ohwhen was that? When was ithey, Aoba, when did I start living with you? I think around first grade, I cant recall. Was it around then? Yeah, I guess so. Or maybe around kindergarten. The conversation between the two began to blossom. That reminds me, why did you invite me here? Same as last time, is that okay? Well, before was an amusement park, but now you should be alone with Aoba. Is that bad? Is this a set-up? You guessed it. Taiyou thought a bit. Instead of beating around the bush with a girl like Akiha, it would be better to be straight with her. He took the wine glass the waiter had provided and sipped from the grape juice inside, and said: I want you. For my fighting strength? What fighting strength?! Taiyou reacted loudly. His head even hurt a bit. Today, he had come to persuade Akiha. He asked Youran to set up this expensive place for him, and then used Aoba as bait to get her there. It was a beautiful view, and expensive restaurant, then, I want you. So anywayfighting strengthyou Aghthis is Akiha, so just say it, Natsuno-kun. Also, its not entirely separate from the idea of fighting strength either. Thats among us in the family though. What, what?! So you really do want fighting strength? Akihas eyes sparkled, and she was hooked. As a reaction, Taiyous head did start to pound. Why are you getting excited all of a sudden? Well, because its interesting, right? Any way you look at it. So interesting is the important thing? For me it is. I know, but, too bad, its not. Taiyou held his breath a bit, and made a serious face looking straight at Akiha. It had nothing to do with interestingI just want you. He used the same words, and this time with emotion. Lets just be friends. Akiha said with a quick bow. That was fast. AobaAoba are you okay with that? Well, thats a dumb question, youre Aoba, after all. Yes. Why do you think that way? Why me? Ive thought it over. Taiyou looked straight ahead, with a piercing gaze looked at Akiha, and said. Why? There are two answers to that question. One is because youre close friends with Aoba. Because Im friends? What does that mean? You just want to have sex with two close friends? I didnt think about that. No, I, my harem has women that stick together strongly, and what makes that happen is that they all do their best to strengthen one another. I think thats very important. I want to make that connection as strong as possible, and the links as close as I can. Even if one connection is cut, another one forms in time for the other to heal. I see. Akiha understood. After seeing Aobas family, she would understand it, Taiyou thought. And one more reason. Yes, what is it? Because I really do love you, I noticed. Whaa? Akihas composure seemed to crumble. Her bright and cheerful face was taken aback, and now replaced by something close to surprise. I thought about it, and I noticed that I really do love you. I know I should think more about it, but instead I decided to just lay it all out on the table. Wait, I thought, am I really in love with this girl? I realized. What are you saying?! Yeah, I love you, I guess. Just a normal conversation. Whaaaaaa? For a second Akihas face became as red as a boiled octopus. She jumped up, and her chair fell with a clunk. AAre you being honest, Natsuno-kun? Yes. REALLY? Akiha asked him again. Really. Taiyou smiled and looked at Akiha. Akiha Aoba. I love you, honestly, and Id like you to be mine. He said while gazing at Akiha. In front of one of his wives, he proposed to her best friend. Chapter 282 – Love Grows Chapter 281 - True Confessions Chapter 283 - A Wise Man Said Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama For a few second, Akiha froze into a statue. What the hell just happened, was her expression as Taiyou continued to gaze at her, and she thought. Had she ever seen a scene of someone being so shocked they couldnt think before? This was the first time. For Taiyou, she was cheerful, free-wheeling, considerate to friends, and willing to brave danger to help children, and Fragile Hearing that whispered, Akiha turned and glared at Taiyou. No need to say something like that. Taiyou looked at her with an apologetic gaze and then looked straight at her again. Okay, okay, that fragile thing was a joke. Just then, after being so shocked by Taiyou that time itself seemed to change, Akiha snickered and a smile came to her face, then she said: Even more important than that is food, right? Such a great place, they must have some awesome food. What kind of food? Croatian? Taiyou wanted to yell, Why the hell would it be Croatian, at her. But he didnt. He just looked straight at her, and it was a look that he was determined to transmit his love. No doubt, he was in love with her. Not because Kotone and the others said to, not because of Aoba. After spending time around her, he just naturally came to think so. I love you. He said again. I love everything about you. Dont say stupid things. I love you Ill get pissed. I love you. WHAP! Akiha hit the table and stood again. A knife and fork flew off the table. The waiters around stood, but didnt move. It wasnt time for them to react. They simply acted as if they had no notice of their customers private conversations, and brought the food into the room. Dont make fun of me! Why? What do you mean, why? Is it so wrong for me to fall in love with you? WellI mean. Akiha looked over at Aoba. I said I was a lesbian, rightshe said with her look. Ah, theres another reason I love you. Wha? I just noticed, but I like to see my wives get along well. Just a while ago, Kohaku and Youran got in a huge fight, and I was having fun watching them. The way they go at itI could watch that forever. What? Youre contradicting yourself, I thought you said you like to see them get along?! Natsuno-kun, you need to explain more. Aoba lightly chided Taiyou. It was what a wife needed to do. Let me explain, Taiyou. You know Kohaku, right? The eldest one. Then theres Youran, and they both are very smart and quite experienced. Those two were discussing asset management. Asset management? Yes, they were discussing about how to get Taiyou more assets, and they fought over legal matters, and wow was it a fight. It was funny, they both were super pissed even though they were saying the same thing. Yes, Kohaku said it was for Taiyou and Youran said it was for the family, and because they said it in that way the difference between that made them get in a fight. I think the first one that noticed was Youran, right? She always has the habit, just like I do, of talking about goals, and because of that Kohaku then noticed as well. After that the conversation really sped up between the two. WellI mean it doesnt sound like it was about asset management. Yeah, it was about creating venture capital. Yeah, Aoba doesnt know what was said because she slept halfway through, but Youran wanted to make the base of the capital in Juunishima and merge it with her own. Thats something she would do. Yeah, she would. The conversation between Taiyou and Aoba really heated up as they remembered what went on. After a brief pause, Taiyou turned to Akiha, and said: Having someone that you can fight with well, and then when the fight is over talk about without caring what was said before. Id be very happy if my wives had a friend like that as well. Its too bad Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane dont know what Im talking about, as they dont fight. I heard about that, not fighting? Someone told me its Something like the left hand fighting the right hand. Yeah, I was told something similar. When I kiss those three its like The top lip kissing the lower one. Thats a strange example. Well, theres three of themat least thats the story. Because of that, I came to love them. Just the same reason that I came to know you through Aoba. Theres a proper reason. So you want to persuade me with THAT? Aoba, go outside for a bit. Sure. Aoba stood up and kissed Taiyous cheek and left. She called the waiters out with her, and only Akiha and Taiyou were left. What is this? Akiha seemed to express, and Taiyou took a deep breath, and said. I love you. !! Akihas composure changed, and it was to the most extreme one yet. Lad-dum! The sound of a heartbeat, the both could hear it. (Ah) Taiyou groaned softly, and Akiha finally felt his love. The one phrase he said, helped her finally understand. She could finally feel his unlimited love for her. Chapter 283 – A Wise Man Said… Chapter 282 - Love Grows Chapter 284 - Best Friends Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama Love the wife thats with you more than anyone. That was the agreement between Taiyou and the wives. No need to love wives equally, but love the one that youre with the most. While thinking that, the wives thought the same, and Taiyou made sure to do it. After Aoba left, Taiyou felt his feelings surge, and he went to profess his love once more. Not to a wife, but to one he wanted as a wife. More than anyone in the world, I love you. Thats how far his feelings for her had risen. It wasnt a lie, and he wasnt just saying it. He really loved Akiha then more than anyone. And he was shaken as to whether Akiha had felt it. Wwhat are you saying? I love youIve been saying it from the start. So you sent Aoba out so you could lie like that to me? Does it looklike Im lying? He stood from his seat and went next to Akiha. He put his arm on her shoulder and CLUNK, her chair fell as she sprung upwards. She backed her way to the window, as she had an expression she didnt want Taiyou to see. But Taiyou didnt back down. There was no time for argument now, only I love you. he wanted Akiha. No closer. Without paying mind to her refusal, he walked closer, until he was with her at the window. He held her wrist and pushed her up against the glass C she was turned toward him. Their bodies were almost like a couples entwined bodies on top of a bed. Heystop! Let me go! Do you not want me? Of course I dont! I only want Aoba I wont give Aoba overas a wifeor a lover. Taiyou said clearly. It was a clear refusal on top of the confession he made. With the emotions between them running wild, Akiha swallowed her breath and waited. However, as a friend, or maybe with you as an addition. For her, andfor me. I understand why you want me for herbut why for you? Because I love you. He said, and got even closer. He approached to kiss her. For an instant, Akihas expression seemed to change. Confusion, abandonment, then, reaction. STOP IT! Guwaaff! She kneed him straight between the legs. He was completely unprepared for the knee, and took one right in thearea. That unsympathetic knee that seemed to travel upwards and rip his organs to shreds made him grab his balls and squat. He looked up at Akiha with eyes tearing up. She had turned away again, and he couldnt see her face. Aki !! The next moment, Akiha sprinted out of the room. The door flew open, and she shot out the room. Akiha? Natsuno-kun? Chase her. He said to Aoba as she entered the room. What? Chase her. You dont have to bring her back, just be with her. What about you, Natsuno-kun? Tah-dah-dah! Hera appeared in the air after being called. Ill take care of myself here. ok, got it. Aoba nodded and her ponytails whipped around as she spun and ran out of the room. He watched her disappear out of the room and then Taiyou went WHUMP and fell spread eagle to the ground. HahIm tired. Tired? Yeah. He nodded as well as he could laying on the ground. Tired of having women Im trying to convince sprint away from me like that. Youhave experience from Youran doing that as well, desu. I guess I do, dont I? Can you still get her? Taiyou-chan? Hera looked down on the prone Taiyou. He looked at her fluttering and the ceiling above her, and thought. Can I still get herthat was the question he didnt know the answer to. Akiha and Youran, just as Hera had said, both had fled when he had tried to convince them to be his wife. However, the reasons were quite different, as Taiyou had noticed recently. Youran had been overcome by his strength and practically pushed into relenting (and by doing this, he succeeded), but Akiha was just like that earphone cord in his pocket, an entanglement that you couldnt solve just by brute force. This is tough, what should I do? Are you going to give up? Taiyou didnt know. He didnt feel like giving up. He had told her he loved her over and over, and honestly, because he truly had fallen for her. From just a liking, to a pure, honest love. Yes, he truly did love her now. To give upthere was no way he could make that choice now. However, he was still a little lost. Especially since she had disappeared now, again, the confusion returned. Like the mixing of oil and water, the stirring had stopped and the two again separated. Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan. yeah? I know that you always get angry at me, but this time dont okay? What? Why thatout of the blue? Will you promise me youll listen and not get angry? just say it. If you give up now, the game is over. Taiyous eyes opened widely and then he laughed. Hera had really chosen words thatwell, sounded like Hera, and it helped him get ready for what was next, words that were specifically chosen that sounded like those handed down from great minds. Taiyou put his hands out and Hera flinched. Thank you. Usually he would slap her around a bit, but this time he didnt. Instead he patted her head, and stood up slowly. Chapter 284 – Best Friends Chapter 283 - A Wise Man Said Chapter 285 - Two Alone in a Secret Room Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama Thank you, I never thought that youd save me with your that again. My this? Yeah, your cheerfulness, I guess. I see, desu. I guess that its my only saving grace, desu. Is that all you got? He responded calmly, as the two left the room. Okay, where to go? If you want Aoba, shes above us, desu. Above?! Even higher? Taiyou looked up at the ceiling. He wondered how he could get any higher, but with Heras wife perception, there was no doubt where Aoba was. So Taiyou looked for a way up. Outside was the same deep carpet as the room. He found a waiter outside, and asked, Excuse me, is there a higher floor? On the top floor theres a beer garden. A beer garden Theres no roof. lets go. He had a bad feeling about this, but he stood in front of the elevator with Hera. It was a very tall building, so the elevator took a lot of time. Taiyou started to get impatient. You want me to check out whats happening now? Please, if its something bad, come back here quickly. Roger, desu. She bowed and disappeared through the ceiling. Taiyou watched her go, thought a bit, and got out his smartphone. He looked through his address book for the right address and called. Watcha want? It was her private phoneso Leticia quickly picked up. Can you talk? I can now. Youre best friends with Youran, right? Yeah. Leticia took a breath and answered. He was appreciative that Leticia didnt ask why but answered straightly, and asked again. A long time ago, was there something between you? I guessin a way. And thats what caused you to be fond of her? Like? Love. The same old conversation. Not like, love. With that question, Leticia provided an answer. Geez, I guess shes a real idiot, and Id do anythin for her, but its like and not love, I guess. I see. Yeah, but Hm? There are some people like that in the world, ya know. And I betcha that Akiha Aoyama is one of em. Thats some direct statement, are you watching all this? There was a reason before why they got friendly, ya know. It was a story from when she was the fourth wife. She knew something was going on between Aoba and Akiha, and had checked it out. Is that all ya gonna ask? I was thinking since youre the same type that I would get some advice, on how I could get her to fall for me. Then I cant be of any help, sorry. No, thanks. Taiyou said and was going to hang up. Oh, yeah, Natsuno. Yeah? Leticias tone changed, almost like the teacher voice. It was a clear and calm voice, using proper language. He could feel change of aura through the phone. Its already late, so if youre done, just go home. Are you listening? Go home. Could this be Leticias naivety coming through the phone? A mischievous joking line. Im your teacher, have you forgotten? That level of line. Teacher? Yes, what is it, Natsuno-kun? I think that I may have fallen for you, teacher. Yes, I know. Okay, teachergood night. Good night. After that, he hung up, and put the cellphone in his pocket. The words that he said to herhe didnt know how real he was in saying them. Ill deal with that later. Taiyou whispered and prepared himself for what lie ahead. The elevator still hadnt come so he gave up and took the stairs. You use stairs for an emergency so he ran up them He opened the door and he could soon hear a conversation. Aoba, would you run away with me? What? Run away with me? Taiyou froze where he was. He didnt expect to hear this conversation now. (NoI may have thought it might happen.) Somehow, the consciousness of it may have never materialized into words. He knew that somehow, since Akiha loved Aoba, she might try to push Aoba into doing that. (Just like her to go this far.) He was holding onto the doorknob still, wondering what to do. Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan. Hera flew next to him, and put her finger to her lips with a gesture of shhhhh. We should let Aoba herself respond to this. Just let Aoba do it. Taiyou solemnly nodded. It was rare for Aoba to strongly say what she felt because thats the way she did things, but he was going to watch anyway. Hey, Akiha, II really thank you. Aoba? I really thank you, Akiha, for everything. When I met you, you talked to me first, and then we were together for so long after, everything. Well, same with me. But Aoba stopped her words in the middle. Her voice was kind, unbelievable sincere. Too sincere, Taiyou thought. But what do you think Im the most thankful for? The most? Umm, when my mothers were all in a tizzy, and you came to Taiyous place. Because of that, I was very happy. I think you might regret it, but I am really thankful for that. If you hadnt done that, I think I would have been without Taiyou and the others. That was That was definitely an intersection in my destiny that only came once. An intersection in my destiny that only came once. He could understand why she was thankfulif he had let her go then their destinies would be totally different. Butwhy this story now? Taiyou thought, then, Thats why I wanted to respond to you. Respond? Akiha had a confused voice, while Taiyou felt an unbelievable hostility fester right behind him. Chapter 285 – Two Alone in a Secret Room Chapter 284 - Best Friends Chapter 286: Adults and Children Translator: Ranzan Editor: ryunakama He had felt that hostility before. A hostility so familiar that it almost had the comfort of home. Thats why his reaction was slowslow by a hundredth of a second. And in that hundredth of a second he made a fatal mistake. Piercing Sun Hearing that tone he remembered, he felt a piercing strike to his head. The next moment, his consciousness had fallen into the shadows. ```Ah! The moment his consciousness returned, Taiyou quickly opened his eyes. What had just happened he remembered, Shirokiyami had attacked him from behind, and so he looked around. huh? Even so, he was more surprised. It was a hard place to comprehend. First, nothing was there. Linoleum floor, stucco walls, and a soft LED light. Just that. Nothing else. No furniture or items, no windows or doors, just a room Wait a secondwhy is there no door? Im the one that wants to ask that question. Huh? He was surprised and turned to the voice. Akiha was sitting against the wall, cross-legged, looking at him. In that moment, Taiyou was a little relieved. She had sat cross-legged on top of the fence above the roof often. That posture, in a strange place like this had some familiarity to it, so he relaxed a bit. Youre here too? I woke up before you, so I was counting out my multiples to keep me busy. Are you Indian all of a sudden? I was thinking of counting the wrinkles in the ceiling, but since the ceiling is so plainly clean it would be impossible. Why are you trying to count that? I mean, this room, it makes your eyes hurtyou cant even really sense distance. One side is 10 meters eachI counted. Taiyou drew his eyebrows together and looked around the room again. Just as Akiha said, if you looked closely, each side was about 10 meters, and it was in a square. He saw she didnt have anything with her so she probably paced the room out, but he thought it was about how much she had calculated. Reallynothing here, huh. Taiyou stood next to the wall and knocked on it with the second knuckle of his middle finger. There was a sharp sound, but no response. It almost sounded like he was knocking on cottonsomething like that. He bent down and got into position. He made a fist and delivered a swift hook with about half his power. That fist was enough to break concrete with a thickness of a meter, but this wall absorbed it, and nothing happened. It was astonishinga wall with no reaction. What is this? A dream? Dream? Yeah. Nothing herein this room. Its unrealistic. Hmmm. Akiha stood up and walked over to Taiyou. She stood before him. Owww.owwww!! She threw a peace sign which she then stuck in his nostrils and dragged his nose up. It was something celebrities and people with strange interests didwith things like a nose hook. Taiyou knocked Akihas hand away and put his hand over his nose while tearing up a bit. Whhnnt arnn youn doinnng? Ah hah hah! Did it hurt? Yeah! Usually you always squeeze someones cheek! Either way it hurts. Akiha laughed to herself. She knocked the wall here and there as she walked around the room. With a little dance, a skip, she circled the room. Youare sure enjoying this. Yeah, its fun. Why dont you have some fun? Im not going to. This is trouble. Its definitely abnormal, so why not have fun? Taiyou wondered what he should do. This room seemed unnatural, in addition to Akiha seeming so happy about it, and it was one reason why Taiyou was so confused. Hey, can I check? Hm? We both were on top of a building right up to now, right? I dont know what happened right up to now, because my watch and phone, and anything I could check what now is has been taken from me. Akiha was smiling as she said this, as she indirectly answered Taiyous question. They had been on the building togetherin other words, this was an extension from when Aoba had been arguing with her. It wasnt a dream. If so, then why are you so happy all of a sudden? Well, being in such an interesting place like thisis it wrong to have fun? More fun than being with Aoba? Nobut if this is something that Aoba plotted then I understand. what? What does that mean? Taiyou indicated with a sideward tilt of the neck. Aoba said itThank you for bringing me to where Taiyou isits the same right? Then and now. Me and youshut in the same way that Aoba was with me? Yes. With Shirokiyamino, this place,if someone were to prepare it, then Youran would be included too, right? But it also seems like Kohaku. Your wives are really crazy girls. One of your friends is among them, right? Ahah hah hah, I knowI know that the most. Akiha put her arms behind her back and leaned against the wall. She continued smilinghappilywith a smile on her face that simply showed pure glee. Aobas a weird girl, I know that the best. Shes a weirdo that just tries to act normal. dont think shes some cute wolf in sheeps clothing. Taiyou gave up and sat cross-legged against the wall. He put his elbows on his knees and his hands on his head. Across from him, Akiha sat. You shouldnt let your guard down. You too. Then, both of us. What do Aoba and the others plan to do with us? Maybe theyre going to make us fight out a battle royale. The one that wins gets to leave, maybe something like that. Oh, I got it! Akiha clapped her hands together and smiling, looked at him mischievously. Maybe the winner gets to be Aobas loverthats it! Then you wont win, if it comes to that. You never know. Im willing to do anything if its for Aoba. Then you wont win, if it comes to that. He just said the same thing over. That was his true feelings. He would use any means for those he loved, so there was no way that Akiha could win. Whoayou sound tough. So why do you like Aoba so much anyway? Its kind of an uncomfortable story, butyou want to hear it? I dont think the reason why you like someone would be an uncomfortable story, but, okay. What, even with a stalker? Yeah, stalkers make people uncomfortable. See?! Akiha interrupted and then laughed to herself. Her laughing was cute, Taiyou thought, and then asked. Then let me hear it, the weird stalker story. Okay, well it was when I was ten Akiha, with a smile, and without holding back, told Taiyou the story of how they met. Chapter 286: Adults and Children Chapter 285 - Two Alone in a Secret Room Chapter 287: Taiyou and Akiha''s Room Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama I was neglected, you see Huh He felt as if his head were slammed into a counter as a greeting. He felt like how youd feel if an unexpected anaconda came out from a bush as you prodded it. Seeing Taiyous reaction, Akiha laughed and continued. Ahaha, its not how you think it is. And Im not trying to console you or anything HuhThen For exampleRight, so when I was about 5, my dad collapsed at home. It was quite the commotion until the ambulance cameThe cause was nutritional deficiency Nutritional deficiency? You mean he was not eating enough See, Dads always been a scholar who plunges himself into his research, and while he does that he forgets about his surroundings. I dont remember everything, but he had come across old Chinese books and was continuously reading through them. And he forget to eat or sleep, so lights out for him Uh-huh Taiyou wasnt sure what to say. So since hes that kind of person, of course he wouldnt think enough about helping a child. So it would be classified as upbringing abandonment, but I dont resent him or anything. More like Yeesh, this guys done for. Cause hes a friggin idiot. Happened more than just once Certainly sounds like it would Riiight? Akiha giggled. Uhh, but what about your mother She left before I realized it Akiha once again giggled. With her usual brisk, carefree smile. Saying things like Dont make me live with a Chinese maniac like you! before leaving. Although it was actually classical Chinese Thats a rather strange way to put it You think Well I guess Im a little strange too Truly strange people wont call themselves strange Hm No, nothing Taiyou had suddenly remembered when they had first met. She had been sitting on the fence of the school roof. He remembered her saying Idiots and smoke love high places. And so I met Aoba around the time my dad fell. I think it was because Aobas family was all there for Nazuna and her illness Ah, did I hear that before? It gave us the opportunity to hit it off, being children of the same age. And so weve been together ever since Wow, I didnt know that Grasping his chin, Taiyou nodded, convinced. However, he quickly stopped. There wasnt anything particularly potent about what he had heard. Whats wrong Well, I get what youre saying, but this is about you and Aoba meeting, right Yup, darn skippy` So? So Dont gloss over it. You havent told me a single freaking thing about why you started liking her Oh right Akiha made a face as if saying What, ya mean THAT?. She giggled, looking up at the vacant ceiling, then spoke. Im not sure about that Not sure I just ended up liking her before I was aware of it. Isnt that usually what happens Is it? It wasnt that way for you I feel like there were always more clear-cut reasons in my case Taiyou said, also looking up at the ceiling. Kotone, Suzune, KazaneKohaku-san, Aoba, Youran, Shirokiyami He said, counting, then looked back at Akiha. And then you So there have always been reasons of some sort for me Kay, looks like we arent meant for each other. Bye byeee I didnt even start, idiot Taiyou made a wry smile. But it was also pleasant. If we go by this, then you and Aoba would also be unfit for each other. The reason she began liking meaccepted me, was because I had already made a harem. Accepted me because I had already made a harem that wouldnt burden her like her familys harem did But who cares? You should care With love, you can overcome anything She clenched her fists persuasively. It didnt sound like a joke. She was serious. It sounded like she legitimately believed that love could overcome anything. Its gonna be such a drag to convince you otherwise Thats cuz you cant Then, what if I said thats fine the way it is Huh Akiha made a blank face. She clearly had no idea what Taiyou meant. What do you mean thats fine? You mean youre gonna back off No I will not. I love Aoba, and there is no way in hell that Id back off like some loser from a mobile phone novel Then what are you talking about? Be the bride of Aoba and I What Akiha became further perplexed. It was like Taiyous proposal was in a different dimension and she couldnt keep up. That expression of hers was also quite lovely, but why not enjoy that more later on? So theres this female author named Shirai Ayame. You know her The person who got the Chiriumi Award Yeah, that person. Apparently, they like something called the sibling bowl Siblingbowl Akiha repeated in monotone. Yeah, no way youd get that. Its exactly how its written. Sibling as in brother and sister, and bowl like the kind you have at restaurants. Its one of those types relating to parent child bowls or sister bowls, etc So, bi Akiha asked, and Taiyou nodded. I read this in some interview, and they saidI have a husband. I also have a wife. Husband and wife are siblings connected by blood And so theyre telling others to do the same I may have actually misunderstood. I thought that I had to degrade your love for Aoba to merely liking her in order to make you a bride. But now that I think about it, there wouldnt really be a problem with you still loving Aoba. Just now, I realized that the important thing is you eventually growing fond of me and getting along with everyone else Well? No problem there right? Taiyou asked as Akiha stared straight at him. As per usual, her eyes had a fierce light in them. And Taiyou gazed back without flinching. As if insisting on his own feelings. Inside this separated space, this room with unknown time, where there was nothing Amidst the silence like the halt of the worldThe two of them gazed at each other. Staring, questioning each other. I dont wanna After all that, Akiha answered. Opening her heavy mouth, she conveyed her decision to Taiyou. Cmon, this is totally the part where you normally say Kay. Not like theres a better choice I dont get any of that stuff, and I dont wanna Welp, I didnt think youd accept anyway You didnt Hell no He grinned, twisting the corner of his mouth skillfully. Liking someone aint such a cheap thing Youre one to talk! You just blurted out that you like me But my feelings for you arent cheap Taiyou rested his head in his arms, falling straight backwards. As he stared up at the ceiling, he thought about what to do next. Chapter 287: Taiyou and Akiha’s Room Chapter 286: Adults and Children Chapter 288: Fantastic! Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Apparently, they had dozed off unawares. Eyes half open, he looked up at the ceiling, hearing sleeping noises next to him. Slowly looking sideways, he saw Akiha sleeping in the corner of this vacant room. She was on her back, hands folded around her navel area, sleeping silently. One hell of a sleeping posture Taiyou muttered, getting up. It was like seeing a vampire in a casket or at least someone buried in a grandiose tomb. Taiyou scratched his head looking at her. How much time had passed since then? In a space with no phone, no watch, no windows, no doors- nothing, his sense of time was utterly screwed. As much as he felt a day could have gone by, it also could have hardly been an hour from what he recalled. Perhaps a normal human would give up here, but Taiyou had a trump card; a joker. Hera Ta-ta-daaa The fairy that was summoned warped in midair as per usual. But for an instant he wondered if she might not show up, but Taiyou was relieved when she did in fact appear. You indeed called me, Taiyou-chan? Yeah. I have something to ask you Unlike Hera and her normal tone, Taiyou whispered in a low voice. Got a lot I wanna know. Where are we? What happened to the others Hera I am indeed sorry Hera slumped midair, bowing. It was not like her usual carefree self, but with an expression of absolute apology. Sorry? What do you mean I have indeed been threatened. I am not to say anything regarding this place to Taiyou Threatened? By whom? I am indeed sorry. I cannot indeed say that But you can just ignore them Well, about that Hera didnt usually look this sad. If I break what theyve instructed, a punishment awaits me Punishment Yes indeed. Yami-chans lariat Oh, that Taiyou recalled when he had fought Hera who was possessed by the manmade magic sword, Blood Soul. Shirokiyami had hit her plenty of times. She had hit her, sent her flying, caught up with her, hit her again, and repeat the process at high speed. From the sideline, it looked like a tennis lariat, but done only by Shirokiyami. If I ignore what she has instructed, then I have to endure that punishment for 24 hours No way shedAh wait, she might very well be capable of that Yes indeed. She already did that to me nonstop for 10 minutesso dizzy Yeah, but you dont suffer any damage You indeed do not understand, Taiyou-chan Hera suddenly had a fit. Thats endless pain without being allowed to die. Taiyou-chan, you do not understand that OverboardBut if thats the case, then she wont be harsher than necessary Taiyou secretly thought. A large amount of money was necessary to mobilize Shirokiyami. Hiring her for one day would amount to about one million in cash. Taiyou had experienced that before, having paid her himselfHe still had some debt. And then there was Hera, fearful and in a bind, but not thinking at all about resistance. If this were anenemy, then Hera would devote herself to attempt resisting. Even if Shirokiyami were her opponent. The person he had once paid a million to for a day- also someone who Hera had not perceived as an enemy. Youran, then The remaining possibilities would naturally come. Taiyou could be at ease if Youran were involved, regardless of her intentions. Oh yeah, can I ask about levelling up Levelling up Im trapped in here anyway, so wouldnt it be a good use of time to level up I indeed see Hera thought briefly, then answered. Please wait a bit. I will ask if its okay to tell you Okay Taiyou nodded, sending Hera off. The 30 centimeter fairy slipped through the wall, exiting the vacant room. Taiyou glanced at the sleeping Akiha. She had her eyes closed and didnt seem to have awoken. (Please sleep a bit longer), thought Taiyou inwardly. After a minute, Hera returned. Sorry to keep you waiting So Yes indeed. I have gotten permission to tell you Alright. So what should I do Uhh Hera spun around looking for something. Over there He followed where her finger was pointing. At that moment, the area that had been a wall changed. A square hole opened, and ring-shaped things were thrown into it. The hole immediately closed. I didnt know there was a hole Uhh, I heard that its a place to bring in things like food I wonder if I could get outNah, probably pointless to try. They locked me in here, so its probably expected that Id try to escape Taiyou said, sighing as he picked up the ring-shaped things. Looking closely, they were rubber rings. Nothing peculiar. Two rubber rings. And what do I do with these Cross them together to make an 8 Like this? Then squeeze it and untie it Okay, I get it Hearing her explanation, Taiyou sat on the ground, beginning to level up. Kay, you can go now. Itd suck if Akiha were awake while you were here I indeed understand. I will come again once you have leveled up. Because that was the only thing I was allowed to help with Alright. See ya Seeing Hera off again, he set to focusing on the rubber rings. Tying them, untying them, tying, untying. At least he had something to do with these two rings. (This happens a lot though), thought Taiyou. He did it mindlessly. His hands grew more mechanical, and his thoughts went off in another direction. He thought of ways to get out. Although he figured there wasnt much point. Youran was certainly involved, but Aoba was the one who had allowed it. Judging from what Aoba had said in the hotel before he fell asleep, she was one of the main culprits. Which meant that Aoba wanted this. With a male and female of the same age trapped in the same roomit was easy to imagine what would happen. Forcibly make a fait accompli? He felt his brides were telling him to do that. Ah, what should I do About what Youre awake huh He looked in her direction. Akiha was lying down, facing his way. Yeah, for a bit. But what did you mean by what should I do Well, I figured out how to leave here. I was wondering what to do about that Are you going to try and knock me up Taiyou slowly shook his head. Chapter 288: Fantastic! Chapter 287: Taiyou and Akiha''s Room Chapter 289: Kindred Spirit Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama You think I cant control my sexual urges or something No, but youre a male and the same age You might wanna know that boys at apparent age are pretty delicate Hmmm Akiha answered without care. Okay, but what other methods are there besides screwing me Dont dodge the issue Taiyou smiled wryly. Ill make you mine from the heart. I doubt anything else would work Yeah If Yourans involved then thats gotta be the caseCause shes the kind of girl to say things like Imma make my bestie your slave She sounds funny. Introduce me after we get outta here I think youd get along, and I mean it Any other way Probably He said after sighing. You could also try and utterly hate me (Yeah, thats right), thought Taiyou. He had only just realized, but as soon as he knew Youran was involved, his thoughts finally caught up. She would do nothing impossible. She clearly separated objective from method. In other words, she would choose no method with a 0% chance. Which meant that since they were trapped here, Youran did not think it that Akiha had zero potential. He had no way of knowing what she had sensed from Akiha as a female, but that alone was enough. Well I already super hate you There are others besides me who disagree Yeah well they need a reality check Even though one of the culprits who locked you in here was your best friend Aoba Not having a reality check is cuuute No cmon And what have you been doing Hm Oh this Taiyou showed her the rubber rings. But thats all they were, so Akihas face grew more and more blank. Rubber rings I have time to kill, okay? Hmmm By the way Taiyou suddenly wondered what would happen if he told her about levelling up. He had increased his level due to the sudden appearance of a fairy. This made him stronger in real life as well. He wanted to find out how Akiha would react. By the way, what If I said I could get stronger by doing this, what would you think Whaaa Whaddya mean whaaa? So thats why youve been the hot topic lately? Cause of rubber rings from the future Interesting imagination you got there. Wait, youre just gonna believe me? You reek of seriousness. I could see it on your face just now Myface Hey, can I become stronger by doing that too Huh? No you cant. These are just regular rubber rings. I do this procedure and then get power from the level up fairy Aww, if only I had a smartphone on me The hell would you do with that Start with 911 Figures You seem calm Well yeah. My heads fine But dont drunks say the same thing about not being drunk Point taken Taiyou gave a bitter smile. True; the more dangerous people are the ones who claim to be sane. So even as he smiled bitterly at Akihas quip, Taiyou was inwardly happy. Because he was making another memory with her. If you arent pulling my leg, show me the fairy The fairy Yeah, if theyre real I can show you, but But Akiha tilted her head, as if asking why he shut up all of a sudden. Id rather not elaborate yet Heheh, so you cant Thats not the issue Taiyou shook his head. He made an even more bitter smile. He made a sour expression. So why? I reeeally dont wanna do that right now. Once were out of hereputting aside how we manage that, Id be down What are you even saaaying? Well, I guess it wouldnt hurt to tell you Taiyou said, halting his hands, and spoke again once he had faced away from her. Only those whove kissed me can see that fairy What Just as I said. I swear it is. The people who kiss meWhether accidentally or on purpose, only people whove touched lips to mine can see her. Thats it What about indirect kissing Probably no good. Has to be lip on lip Whaaa But we dont have toDD Lets do it then Whaaat Taiyous eyes opened wide when Akiha said it so casually. His face showed his shock. Why that reaction? Why not? Got lots of time But that makes it okay I wanna see whatever Aoba canshe can see it too right? See it? Theyre pretty darn close actually Then show me Alright Taiyou thrust the rubber rings into his pocket, approaching Akiha. He suppressed his feelings. He chased out any notion of love or hate from his head. Thinking only of kissing to get her to see Hera. Akiha shut her eyes, raising her head. And they had a kiss, only with lips touching. DDngh That moment, an impact raced through Taiyous body. He had tried not to think of it, but of course there was no way he could shut his thoughts off while kissing. It was a kiss with a girl he liked. Taiyou regretted that the situation wasnt different. And then he would end up regretting something else. So, the fairy Wait upDDHera Ta-ta-daaa I am your personal fairy, and I have indeed come forth Ooo Akiha raised her voice. It was clear that she could see Hera. It really is a fairy. Fantastic Taiyou could not believe his ears, and he became jealous of the small fairy. Chapter 289: Kindred Spiri t Chapter 288: Fantastic! Chapter 290: Blood-soaked Fists Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Thank you indeed, but Aki-han is more fantastic Nahhh, Im normal, normal. More importantlyUhh, whats your name I am Hera-chan. Hera or Chan is also fine But youre totally the fabulous one here, Hera-chan. I mean, youre a fairy. You are totally a fairy Thank you indeed, but I still think that you are the fantastic one, Aki-han The girl and the fairy were meeting for the first time and had already hit it off big time. Thats craaazy. I had no idea fairies existed in this world. Hey, can I touch you You sure caaan Ooo, youre soft and warm like everyone else That is because I am a fairy Ohhh. Hey hey, whats up with these wings? One of them is in tatters Taiyou did that. Domestic violence is the testament of ones looove Fantastic How the hell is that fantastic Taiyou immediately retorted. This incoherent, unpredictable phrase.Fantastic. He felt like she had reverted back to when they had met. Akiha and Hera. The two of them had hit it off before he knew it and were getting along. As if they had been best friends for a decade. Can I have a moment Hm Ahh sorry sorry, what was it again These things Taiyou took out the rubber rings, showing himself tying and untying them. Yeah yeah, I remember now. So uhh, how are those related to Hera-chan To make a long story short, doing pointless tasks helps me level up and actually get stronger ability-wise Ability Hera Yes indeed Hera answered, twirling around in the air. Ooo, there arenumbers? Ever played a game Same idea. Thats my current power level in numerics Whoaaa And you can see her anytime now, by the way. When you wanna see her, you sorta have to look between your back teeth and eyeballs Lets see lets seeWow youre right, came right back! And thats that Wow, okay, didnt know Indeed Amaziiing. Hey, can I do that too? The level up thing I am indeed sorry, but since I only belong to Taiyou-chan Aww, too bad Despite saying it like that, Akiha didnt look too displeased. Seeing at how quick she was to adapt, Taiyou felt like he had truly met her past self again. Because she hadnt been so focused on Aoba until recently. But okay, yeah, I get it Akiha said after laughing. Then you couldve just called it training. Leveling up is too indirect of an explanation Then you wouldnt understand, silly. Calling the act of tying and untying rubber rings training doesnt exactly sound right either Yup, I dunno Oi oi (You just switch what you say that easily?) thought Taiyou. But well, that was the kind of girl she was. He could accept that. As to which version of her was the real her, he wasnt sure, but deep down, he was confident that she did as she pleased. Wow, you showed me something super fantastic. Thanks Akiha said, winking. Youre welcome Hey hey, whatre these lower skills? Long-range Negation? Idol? Yeah, its just as the name suggests. Long-range Negation is a skill that nullifies guns, missiles and all that Nullifies Yeah, Im fine even if shot by a gun. If I recall, it works against flamethrowers as well I can confirm that missiles are nothing to him Oh, right right. The time I was shot by a helicopter? The heck? What kind of fantastic adventures have you been on? Akihas eyes sparkled, getting invested. Taiyou recounted everything before now. Hera appearing, raising his level. Saving Kotone and her sisters, meeting Kohaku. Making the two of them his brides, infiltrating Juunishima, saving Youran. He told her everything revolving around Hera and his brides. He told her what was going on with Aoba behind the scenes. It took a while, but Taiyou took his time in this closed-off room with no sense of time. Akiha listened to this all the while with the utmost interest. That is something else. Like, youve been through some crazy rich experiences You think Well that makes sense. Juunishima and all that isnt something a normal human would go through ever Hey hey, that trailer you mentioned earlier, wouldja let me ride on it? With Aoba? Sure, I dont care. Welp, its just a little driving Ooo Akihas eyes opened further. What? You just casually mention driving! Thats fantastic It really is`. Its already fantastic when he races it straight through the road, but its even more fantastic when its in town Town Whys that Because Taiyou-chan will pick up the whole trailer and take it up stairs, etc With people in it With people in it, indeed Fantastic Whats up with thaaat What Got a problem Nah, its just Taiyou couldnt put it into words. The cause was evident. As soon as she met Hera, Akiha had burst forth repeating fantastic, which gave him mixed feelings. It couldnt be helped. He had hoped for that fantastic, bargain sale-like situation, but But okay. If you can do all those fantastic things then the competitions already over Akiha fell backward with a thud. The inside of her skirt was probably visible. Competition Didja forget Aoba Ohh, right You seriously forgot Well, all I could think about was making you like me Hmmm She got up, sitting cross-legged. And then she stared at Taiyou. Straight at himwith a seriousness in her eyes he had never seen before. Chapter 290: Blood-soaked Fists Chapter 289: Kindred Spirit Chapter 291: Drive to the Mountain Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Akiha stood up, trailing her hands along the wall as she started walking. She did a lap around the pure-white wall that screwed up both spacial and temporal sense. Taiyou followed her with his eyes, unsure of her intent. Hey Hm We cantget out of here until I start liking you Apparently. Thats at least why they locked us in here That suuucks Akiha said with a sigh. It was the most unpleasant face he had ever seen her make. I dont wanna do that. Being forced to. Cause thats what it is. Like livestock locked in cage and being forced to mate You of all people would say that? After you forced Aoba to come to my place? That was different. I did that to help her get refuge, but I didnt intend for Aoba to get comfy with you Well yeah Taiyou agreed. Akiha did like her, so he had no choice but to admit that they were different circumstances. He looked around the room as he thought that. This room was a prison to lock them in, designed to induce them. Taiyou gradually felt unpleasant as well. Yeah, this isnt good He said, standing up straight. What do we do Lets get out Eh Its as you say. This isnt the right way to do things. Even if you were to fall in love with me like this, my heart would never feel right The Akiha that I know is free. Its fundamentally wrong to force a free-spirited girl like yourself to make a decision while bound like this His back to Akiha, he solidified his resolve as he stared at the wall. So lets get out Is that really okay, Taiyou-chan? Hera asked him. Her face was a little downcast. Are you opposed to it Nope, I only belong to Taiyou-chan, so I support your decision, butI just, I just think this isnt really like you Not like me Yes indeed. You are a person ofObjective and Method, but right now youre valuing the method an awful lotis that really okay Okay. He felt like there was a lot of meaning packed into that word. Words that came from the fairy he had met before any of his brides. I get what youre saying, but youre mistaken Mistaken Yeah, mistaken. Its not that Im prizing the method. Its that the objective changed What do you mean My first objective was to get Akiha. But now its a little different. Its become make Akiha mine Make her yours, you say He could sense Akiha from behind. He could sense slight movement. Taiyou continued. Not to persuade, but to proclaim his resolve. If all I had to do was get her, then this would be fine. Probably the easiest method. If Yourans involvedyep, if I were her, Id slip aphrodisiacs at meal time and force her to be one of us Thats graphic! According to Kohaku, that makes all sorts of things go well. But all that is is getting her. To elaborate, it could very well become aconsenting body but unyielding heartkind of thing. But I realized something as we spoke. I like Akiha when shes free and wild. I want to get all of thatthats how I feel now Taking a breath, he continued. If thats the objective, then this way is wrong Taiyou-chan So were getting outta here Taiyou said, directing his consciousness at everyone outside. You can hear what Im saying, right? Ive made my decision, so open up An imperative tone. Taiyou rarely spoke that way, but his brides desired it. He was counting on that, but got no reaction. No dice. Hera, they looking at us over there Uhh Hera Yes indeed. Theyre all in front of the monitor Yeah? Then I guess thats out Taiyou took a deep breath, lightly clenching his fists. Hey, what now If they wont open it from there, then I gotta pry it open Pry it open? How Just gotta slug it Taiyou said, hitting the wall with all his might. At 80% power. But no results. It felt as if he had only just woken up, his power drained. He had given up at this point earlier, but not now. Taiyou unleashed another punch, hitting the same place with the same power. There was no response, but he kept hitting it. Hitting it, hitting it, continuously. He felt as if he were continuously hitting a thick sponge. Taiyou-chan! There is blood coming out of your hands I aint dying Indifferent to the panicking Hera, Taiyou hit the wall again. He hit the wall without caring that his blood was painting the once-uniform white. Give it anotherDD At that moment, he drew back his hand like a bow to launch another strike. Someone gripped his arm. Akiha had clasped his arm with both hands. Give it a rest Cmon, you got blood coming out. Rest a bit and well think of something else Nah, I think not Why Once I realize something, theres no stopping me. I cant have you trapped in this tiny box But IDD It doesnt matter. I cant endure it. I cant bear the thought of you being locked in Akihas face was full of astonishment. She must have not expected him to say that. He softly removed her hands, taking a breath, then hit it again. Hit it, continued hitting it. The bloodstain on the wall spread, to the point where it was wet and quite literally dripping. Taiyous fist was stained red. He disregarded it and hit the wall. A change occurred. He felt it give. The moment he hit the wall, he felt a difference. Even a wall that absorbed impacts would reach its limit with enough hits. Taiyou had assumed that. Now with a sense of accomplishment, he gained further determination. But he had misunderstood. The anti-Taiyou room Youran had prepared was not so feeble. It was a thing that simply one-upped Taiyous pure power. He had only felt it give because he had one-upped it in terms of power. He had overcome its limits. Intent on continuing to hit the wall, Taiyou did not notice. That theidolmodification had suddenly increased, and that he had unconsciously exposed wings from his shoulder. That there was heat in Akihas gaze. His fist had broken through the wall. Chapter 291: Drive to the Mountain Chapter 290: Blood-soaked Fists Chapter 292: Atop the Trailer *TEASER* Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Beyond the broken-down wall was a long hallway. No doors, windows, or anything. Just a long hallway that turned at the very end. Despite leaving the room, it was still unclear whether it was morning or evening, but Taiyou did not care. He did not currently have the leisure nor the need to think about such things. He only thought of the girl by his side. Lets go Turning around, he extended a hand to Akiha. She blankly replied, Go? Where To search for the trailer Eh Didnt you want to try riding it? I want you to try it too. So lets start by looking for the trailer But Taiyou-chan, your handDD Yeah, lets go Cutting across the worried Hera, Akiha replied with a smile and took Taiyous hand. He broke into a run in the hallway, leading her. Akihas hand was soft. He could feel her body heat, which made him a little excited. He felt like they could go anywhere like this, but then something blocked their path. Around the corner was Shirokiyami. Pure white hair and skin, contrasting with a jet-black dress. She stood there with her vacant gaze, taking the longswordHeaven Reversalout of its pure wooden sheath. You, huh? Didnt think wed jump to the last boss like this I am notthe last boss. I am the evil masterminds lackey Youve been hired after all The daily life ofdaily, employment And in your case even thats a ridiculous high level Whos that Hands connected, Akiha asked him from the side. You never met before This is Shirokiyami. Shes currently living at my house, and Im trying to get her to be my seventh bride Without hesitating, Taiyou said the seventh right in front of the partner he was trying to woo. This would usually be unpleasant to anyone, but she already knew that Taiyou was building a harem, plus Akiha was not normal in the first place. She didnt care about that. Hey, could ya make way I wonderwhat I should, do Hm And what even is your job If the fairy came with youI was to punish, her Thats all Thats, all Not bad You dont, mind Oh, just talking to myself. Ive seen through their intentions I, see Alright, Hera Yes indeed Let Shirokiyami punish you So you want me to die Youre not gonna die, silly, as long as it isnt me Oh, right You get it. Anyhow, go ahead and do that. And you just do your job MhmI, am Hera cackled, going toward Shirokiyami, who unsheathed her sword, launching Hera away. He had seen this before: One-Man Lariet. Ahahahaha`, but I have 108 different countermoves for ping-pong` But I can onlysplit into 18people Quipping Thats a lot, Taiyou pulled Akiha by the hand, slipping past both of them and continuing down the hallway. Hey, whys that other girl the seventh? Arent you just at 4 right now? Its a long story, but theres a certain scenario I have to uphold Scenario? I level up like crazy and defeat her with the power of 6 brides. If I dont defeat her, she wont be mine Then just beat her right now You dont seriously think thats possible, do you Taiyou jerked his finger backward. After seeing Shirokiyami and her nonchalantly performing the inhuman lariat, Akiha immediately looked like she understood. Well thats outta the question According to Hera, maxing out my level, with the help of all the brides I should win Oh? That sounds hard Nahb its nice and easy. I just defeat her at my best. Simple. Welp- Taiyou changed the subject. Forget about her for now. What matters is how I can persuade you. I wish you were that simple A lot of girls dont like being compared Yeah? We dont do that here, so I dunno As they were conversing, they came outside. The morning sun beamed into their eyes. It seemed to be afternoon, but he didnt know which days afternoon. Taiyou didnt have time to ponder that. He continued without even peeking at Akiha. After a bit, they could now see a familiar town layout. It seemed to be the city they lived in: Seikaen Town. (In that case) Taiyou dove through his memory, walking to the twisting path. It was a thin path that hardly anyone knew about. After they had traveled along it, they reached an old, privately managed general store, and next to it was a trailer, parked casually. Obaa-chan, can I use the trailer? Getting permission from the old saleslady who he knew from childhood, he stood in front of the trailer. Then he spoke to Akiha. Go ahead Okay Seeing that Akiha was in the trailer, Taiyou pulled it, immediately dashing full-speed. Ahahaha, this is crazy awesome You think Yeah, this is my first time riding in such a quick trailer For nowwanna get on the highway and start from Wazashika Ahahaha, but thats the ocean! Isnt that a bit uninspiring Its usually the ocean at times like thisBut yeah, it is uninspiring. Then lets go up a mountain Tsugaiyama Tsugaiyama Taiyou nodded, hauling the trailer and running to the visible mountain. Reaching the base, they went up the rugged mountain road. Wooow, this is so coool, fantastic! Going faster than it was supposed to, the trailer gave those riding on it a rollercoaster-level thrill, swaying up and down like crazy. Akiha was overjoyed. Gripping the edge, she gave a hearty laugh each time it shook. Look at you go Stop making fun of meee No, I mean in a good way Ahahaha, thaaanks He had gasped all the way up this twisted mountain path when he had gone there for a field trip as a child, but they had finally made it up. Leading the car, Taiyou had easily brought them up to the top. Kay, were here! I dont remember any of this Been a while since you climbed up Tsugaiyama Yeah, the last time was like, for an elementary field trip You mean the one where in the middle of it all, 4 people just casually disappeared and caused an uproar Yeah yeah, that one. Where no one could find them and they suddenly show up after three days I heard they were spirited away, but is it true? I wouldve scoffed at the idea a while back, but once you know about HeraThinking of all the still-unknown things in the world, I cant deny things like that anymore Ahaha, what an admirable comment! Yeah Hey, come up here Invited by Akiha, Taiyou set down the trailer, climbing into the load-carrying tray. Alone with Akiha, they each sat on the opposite edge. This was to keep the unsupported balance. For some reason, I am just in a suuuper weird mood right now Weird Yeah. As if Ive known you for a long time or something Well thats cuz even though weve never been in the same class, weve always commuted together, especially when big incidents occurred, so our memoriesDD No, not that Eh (What do you mean?) he looked at Akiha. Their eyes met. Chapter 292: Atop the Trailer You meanyou knew me a long time ago Wellll, not quite that either Then Taiyou tilted his head. Not metaphorical nor literal. Then what could it be? He was certainly justified in wondering that. Yeah, I dont get what I mean either. I just feel like Ive known you for a long time ago Thats just like you though Not a compliment? In a good way Were you always so difficult to communicate with? Youre no different though Briefly gazing at each other, they both burst into laughter. Aha, ahahahahaha. This is so weird Heheh, yeah, it sure is Thinking about it, we havent talked like this in a while. Vague conversations without substance Did we used to Yeah, Kohaku-san likes this sorta thing, but Youran dislikes this sorta thingDD Taiyou stopped, tilting his head. Oh, no, thats not it, huh? Yeah, thats not it What Taiyou looked straight ahead. He gazed at the townscape from the vantage point of Tsugaiyamas peak. He hadnt realized it until now: Talking like this, he came to the realization that he truly had changed. What what, stop teasing me and speak up Its nothing important Then tell me! Here, coochy coochy Akiha tickled his side with her finger. He felt both ticklish and in pain. It was a strange sensation. He-, hey quit it, stop it Then tell me! Poke, poooke Who are you trying to act like? Seriously, its nothing important. I just got more used to being straightforward. I can now say openly what I like Akihas eyes widened, then she made an odd face. I guess once I started honoring the promise to love everyone individually, I just started naturally saying I love you and it started affecting me Maybe your girls are happy. Always hearing that from you. Usually people dont say it You dont either Its harder in my case. I cant justspeak so casually to Aoba after all But I might envy that aspect of you. Cause there are times when I feel like vocalizing it too much leads to it having less of an effect Aw maaan, I just totally got comforted by my rival Akiha said, dangling her feet from the trailer. Taiyou pondered what it was like to not feel frustrated in these situations. He attempted to deduce something, but quickly stopped. Do you not like reassurance? I do not Then I wont do that. In exchange Inhaling air, he said it over again. I like you Sounds a bit hollow You may be right. But I intend to take a fierce lead from now on Taiyou waited for Akihas answer. It would be easy for him to insist. Both physically and emotionally. He could force it, but he chose not to. He already took her out of that room, so he didnt force itnor did he want to. After a bit, Akiha looked straight into his eyes. I still like Aoba Ah Whatever you say, I like Aoba, I love her. For the rest of my life. No matter what happens, that will never change Okay Hey, wanna hear a story about Aoba Bragging about her Yeah, let me brag Im not even surprised Taiyou chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. Lets hear it. Or, please, tell me. About Aoba in the past Akiha began speaking. Her encounter with Aoba, how they became close, and their lives after becoming close. And then, their everyday lives after she began viewing her romantically. She told him in great detail. On top of Tsugaiyama Peak, Akiha spat out the feelings she had harbored for so long. Soon, Akiha began speaking less, but her emotions grew stronger. She expressed the contents of her heart in rich detail to Taiyou. The sun descended in the west, and their surroundings were enveloped in darkness. Not even an outstretched hand was visible. DDSmooch As soon as she stopped speaking, he felt the sensation of lip touching lip. A wet noise hit his ears, and the sweet scent of her nasal cavity tickled him. Taiyou quickly understood that was a kiss. But he was perplexed. Why did she kiss him? That girl, standing right next to him AkihaDD Shh This time, her fingers touched his lips. Dont say anything He shut up as he was told. And then the lips grew heavier. It was no mere kiss. It wasa kiss that pushed strong feelings onto him. His arms hanging, Taiyou responded with his own lips, putting them between hers. Untilthe kiss broke. Their lips separatedDDalong with Akiha. DDngh Gripping her wrist as she moved away, he pushed her down. He pinned her down on the trailer. And kissed her. Holding her body down and pushing his lips into hers. He pushed his own strong feelings onto her. Chapter 293: In the Darkness Normally, humans have 90% of their sense dominated by sight. Anything else is decisively small, unless youre an exceptionally sensitive human. But that already leaves out a staggering amount of blind spots. Nearly all humans realize that when their vision is blocked for the first time. This is Taiyou thought as their lips converged. Deep in the mountains at sunset, the night of a new moon was beginning. Amidst the darkness where he could not even see the girls face, he detected it with his keen sense. Akihas respiration, her heart, and her feelings. They all transferred to him little by little. He closed his eyes. It didnt make a difference either way, but he did so on purpose. He tried to get even closer to her heart. Akihacan you feel what Im feeling? He asked in his heart, though she probably couldnt answer that. Pressing his lips firmly against hers, she released his wrist, entwining her hand around his fingers. Akihas fingers had come first, of her own volition. Their fingers entwined, the bases heated and tickled the heart. They kissed. The heat in their lips was enough to burn them. It directly shook his brain, melting his rationality. Even with their lips connected, even being this close Akiha was still far away. It was vexing to be so far away despite moving beyond her lips. It was maddening. Puhaa Haahaa Their breathing halting, the kiss was broken off. The saliva connecting them reflected the slightest light of the stars, faintly illuminating Akihas face. He saw but for an instant her expression. The countenance of a female. It was the face of a female Taiyou knew very well. Still, she felt far off. Far offto the point where he wondered how she could be so far. Akiha He yelled out her name, pressing his lips further in. Not enough. Still far away. His head felt like it was going mad, mad from all the frustration. He wanted to decrease their distance even more. He wanted to rip away the invisible wall. For that to happen, If this persistsDD In an instant, Taiyou thrust Akiha away. It had floated up in his head: The most fearsome thought process in his life was so blasphemous that it brought him to his senses. His sweat grew cold at once. He shivered at the sudden change in ardour. Whats wrong Akiha asked puzzledly. Did I do something weird Eh Is there somethingweirder about me than the other girls Akihas voice was gentle and despondent. It was odd for her to speak in such a worrisome voice. It was the very voice of an anxious girl. He felt useless. Taiyou desperately denied it. No, thats not true at all. Its not you, its me Then, why Is it something you cant say I cant Why not Its too disgusting Taiyous mouth felt heavy, whereas Akiha had regained her composure, inquiring in her usual blunt tone. What? You mean the sorta thing where you wanna rape the hell out of me Far worse Taiyou breathed, swallowed saliva, and answered. Far more repulsive Far more repulsive? What could that possibly be I wanted to make you sloppyI felt like I wanted toget close inside In an erotic sense In a grotesque sense He answered, shaking his head. It had popped into his head not even for 0.1 seconds. He desperately chased it into the open. It was unforgivable. Not by society, but by his own standards. He could not approve of hurting those that he loved. I didnt know you were that kind of person No! Thats not true. I just felt like you were far away and wanted to feel you closerThats all Hmm, well aint that fantastic! Huh That means you love me so much ya wanna kill me No, thats not Then, you hate me so much ya wanna kill me? I would never hate you Taiyous voice grew unstable. No matter what, it was inconceivable that he would hate her. Even if the earth and sky were to flip around. So thats, like, because you felt I was far away Lets just forget that you heard thisDD Did you really feel that way Akiha pressed. It seemed that she would not let him go. Yeah In that case He heard a sound. The rustling of clothes. She pulled his hands, inducing him to touch her skin. It felt like silk, and soft like marshmallow. Through experience, Taiyou quickly figured out what that was. Akiha Come closer, feel it morecome further in She said with a gentle, whispering voice. And if you still feel like Im far offthen go ahead DDAkiha He could no longer stop. His feelings poured out, and he covered Akiha. A full-body rain of kisses fell amidst the darkness. The distance of their heartsDD Chapter 294: Wall He heard the sound of rustling clothing. Reluctant to part with the leaving warmth and ruminating upon the lingering fragrance, Taiyou looked up at the sky from where he lay on the trailer. There were no clouds, no stars, not even the moon- this was the unique sky of the city. He stared straight at it. What are you thinking about? World peace. Youve gotta be kidding me. Akiha giggled. Men just think about world peace at times like this. We question why war hasnt ended yet. Things like that. Im sure girls would find it strange. You mean that so-called Sage Time? Basically. Then it progresses to Ninja Time, Confucianist Time, and Servant Time. Ahaha, the hells that? Then, is there also a Doctors Time? That would be before doing it. Doctor play. Well when I was a kid, I played doctor with Aoba. Akiha said, resting her body on Taiyous chest. It was the kind of pose that shed make in her own room, resting her upper body on a cushion. She sort of expected more of an arm pillow, but figured that this could work just as well. Playing Doctor, eh? I bet if you said that to Kohaku-san, shed be overjoyed. She likes that sort of thing? Id say shes pretty close to you. Whaaat, but Id rather play Geisha. Never mind, youre exactly the same. Whaaat, but why? Pillow talk. Their conversation didnt consist of sweet nothings, but instead had a fun atmosphere. That was probably highly affected by her personality. Heeey, do I still feel far off? Yup. Still? Yeah, still. Whaaat, really though? With the elbow that she was using to lean on him, she rubbed it against his chest. Rather than being that of male and female, their skinship was closer to that of friends or family. What to doStill wanna mess me up? Not at the moment, as Im thinking of how to make the world peaceful. Ahaha, looks like I was saved by world peace. That might just be the case. Taiyou moved his arm around Akihas head, pushing her body closer to his in a hug. Come to think of it, whats up with those wings? Wings? The wings that came out of your shoulders when you hit that wall earlier. They were like an angels, all white and shiny. Taiyou furrowed his brow. He himself had not noticed anything like that at the time. And why would it happen at a time like that? Taiyou thought to himself, getting up. Separating himself from Akihas body, he urged those wings to emerge. Wings sprouted out from his shoulders, resembling an angels set, illuminating the area with white light. You werent kidding Yeah yeah this this, I didnt know you had angelic wings like this! I sure can. Right nowup to five. Fantastic! But why five? Where did such a half-assed number come from? The number of brides. Eh? I only have so many wings as the amount of brides. Thats the gist. Taiyou said, looking at Akiha. Illuminated by the white light, Akiha looked prettier than before. Kotone, Suzune, Kazane. He said, bending one finger. Kohaku-san, Aoba, Youran. He said, bending three fingers. And gazing at Akiha, he bent one more. You. Me too? Are you against it? No, but I just have mixed feelings Incidentally Taiyou said, hugging Akiha closer. His wings immediately were extinguished. When a bride is nearby, my wings can form, but directly touching them makes them vanish. Which means that those wings earlier were my wings, and also yours. A brief silence drifted over them in their embrace. Akiha revolved her arm over to his shoulders and spoke. She spoke softly as the mountain returned to darkness. But am I still far away? The tone of her voice had dropped. Eh? You just said earlier that thing was mine. But am I still far away to you? Well What must I do to help you feel me closer? Do I truly need to let you mess me up? Will that help you feel me closer? Akiha I still like Aoba as of this moment. I still do. Eh? So am I far to you? As long as I like Aoba, am IC No! Taiyou let out a loud voice, cutting across what she was saying. That wasnt what he was getting at. That had nothing to do with it. In order to convey that not through words, but through his feelings, he embraced her more firmly. Id never feel distance because of something like that. Then why? What should I do? She spoke with firm emphasis. The cheery pillow talk from earlier felt like a lie. What sort of face was she making right now, as she spoke in this manner? He felt like there was pressure in his chest. I dont know, but now I feel like it also might not be so bad to feel like youre far away. What are you even saying? Kotone, Suzune, Kazane, Kohaku-san, Aoba, Youran. There are a variety of girls around me, and theyre all different types of girls. When Im with more than one of them versus when Im alone with each of them, I have a different way I interact withCwell not quite He took a breath, changing his words. I love them in different ways. Of course physically, but also inwardly. For example, the way that I interact with Kohaku-san and the way that I interact with Youran are fundamentally the opposite, so I adapt. So I think Ill find a different way to interact with you too. In that sense, feeling like youre far offeven feeling like theres a thin wall between us that Im trying to hit, that might just be the treat I get to experience when Im with you, I think. Sowhat Im trying to say is that if anything, the distance between that wall feels lovely. Comfort? Empathy? I swear that I mean exactly what I say. And you just expect me to accept that? If you cant, then lets go together to find something that you will. If Im with you, it might just be that more fun to go looking for a way to knock that wall down. And you seriously feel that way? I sure do. He put power into his arm in order to convey his feelings to her as he hugged her. Wont you enjoy life with that wall? Together with me? Together? Together. After a pause, he spoke full of feeling. Always. Chapter 295: Those Who Wait For Someone Chapter 294: Wall Chapter 296: A Mere Woman Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Youran-chan. Aoba. They were on the roof of their temporary residence at the apartment. Youran was standing in the wind when Aoba came to visit. She stood next to her as they looked down at the night city. The two of them, with twintail and ponytail, let their hair flutter in the wind. They were gazing at Tsugaiyama. What were you doing here? I was looking at him. Oh, since Natsuno-kun went to Tsugaiyama. I didnt so much as think that he would actually be able to escape from that room. My plan should have erased that possibility. But Kohaku-san said that when you say things like according to plan, thats an immediate flag for things to not go according to plan Sounds like something shed say. Hey, what would you have done if Natsuno-kun hadnt been able to make it out of there? Would you have kept them locked up? I was planning to use a drug. Drug? An aphrodisiac. Youran said it casually, but Aoba was astonished. This was, after all, her first time hearing this. Aphrodisiac? You mean what I think you mean, right? Yeah. I wouldve either dispersed it via the ventilation duct or mixed it in with their food, but I was gonna use it one way or the other. But is it really okay to force things like that? I feel like all that would do is make Akiha more stubborn. Do you ever get turned on, Aoba? Eh? Aobas face went blank again. Yourans choice of words was always so extreme. Turned on Like your body suddenly feeling hot outside, or a sudden thrill in your heart, those sorts of things. Its happened in my case of course. Even when hes not there, the slightest thing can make me remember him and get turned on. Sexual excitement, in other words. Well Aoba slightly hesitated, but Youran wasnt the sort of person she could hide things from, so she answered honestly. Well yeah And what do you do at those times? I endure it as much as I can and do everything Im supposed to do before going to meet him. I thinkIm the same. And even when you get aroused in front of others, its not like youd be cool with getting it on with just anyone. Even if you feel like it, it wont be directed at anyone but the person you like. Yeah. I have the sort of drug that would easily make anyone feel that way. For as gentle as it seems, it lasts super freaking long. Super longjust how long? A month, unless they have sex before that. Whaaaaat, I didnt even know that drugs could last so long There are those kinds. Youran sighed, continuing. Chapter 296: A Mere Woman Laalalalalaalaalaa! Lalala, laa! Suzune and Kazane were walking downtown at night. They had gone shopping, with shopping bags in hand. They seemed to be in high spirits. Walking right next to each other and humming, they were headed for the apartment where they were temporarily staying. Heheh, heheheheheh! Oh dear, Suzu-chan. If you grin that much then theyll take you into custody for being so suspicious. Youre the one grinning, Kaza-chan. Waaay more than me. [Yeah, youre both outside, so be careful.] An inaudible voice reached both of their ears. It was Kotone, who was not here, but in the condominiums kitchen. The three of them had gained a telepathic connection as a result of being triplets. Especially as of late, they had begun to hear it as a voice. Also, not just that You say that, Kotone-chan, but youre grinning too, arent you! Suzune pointed out. Not only could they hear each others voice, but they could also share their vision. It was a very difficult concept to understand for those without such a power, but it might be easier to think of it like someone who is born with six fingers. People without such a thing wouldnt be able to understand, but someone who actually has six fingers would feel it to be normal, moving it as another part of their body. The girls were the same way, being able to share their vision, hearing, smell, and so on. That was why Suzune and Kazane were able to grasp what sort of expression was on Kotones face who is just short of one kilometer away. [Well it doesnt matter for me! Im in the house after all.] Well were fine too! Yeah! After allyou know When Kazane said that, Suzuneand the far-off Kotone all grinned even more. Great job as always, Taiyou-san. Suzune said, representing all of their feelings at once. For these girls who desired to become part of a harem, Taiyou was absolutely their soulmate. In fact, they felt even more strongly about this than the other brides. More so than Kohaku, Aoba, Youran. And more than Akiha, who had just joined. They felt more strongly about this than anyone. Cause he already got the fifth after all. Although we know about six of them, technically. [Sooo just one more. I wonder what kind of person theyll be like?] Maybe weve met them before. Or maybe weve never. The three sisters thoughtfully discussed this sixth person. As they did so, they started thinking affectionately about Taiyou. I am so happy to have met Taiyou-san. Oooo, I hope Taiyou-san comes back quickly. I want to meet him as soon as possible. I want him to spoil me rotten! [Not right now, Kaza-chan! Right now, Taiyou-san and Aoyama-san are having their private time.] Exactly. He can pamper us whenever, so we can wait a bit longer. First lets allow Aoyama-san and Taiyou-san to have plenty of quality time, then when they get back, we throw a welcome party and get to know Aoyama-san. Then, after that- I know, I knooow. Chastised by her two elder sisters, Kazane pursed her lips. The two of them continued walking to the condominium. When they had returned to the entrance, a black-painted car arrived at the same time, and a woman got out. Oh? Seeing the two girls, her eyes grew wide. It was Sakura Juunishima, her hair in a chignon and wearing a suit. This was the woman who had once tried to kidnap the three sisters. Good evening. What brings you out here at such a time? Suzune asked in an extremely calm tone. They had quite the connection with Sakura, but for the triplets, it was by this point in time a good connection. They considered her to be the cupid of their lives who had entwined them with Taiyou. Its you girls. Everything going well? Yes, thank you. Were living comfortably with Taiyou-san. Oh, thats very good to hear. May I come in with you? Sakura asked as she pointed to the building. Her asking for permission was unimaginably different from how she had initially acted. Yes, please do. Ill make some tea for us. Suzune and Kazane said, entering the condo with Sakura and waiting for the elevator. Kotone, who was in the room ahead, knew of the visitors arrival, so she proceeded to get things ready. Is New Moon-sama here? Yes. Actually, everyones here other than Taiyou-sanAh, it seems that Youran-chan is on the roof. Is that so. I would like to talk to her in a more comfortable setting, so might I wait in the room for her? Well, sure. Its just, Youran No need to fret. You girls are senpais to her anyhow. The two of them thoroughly understood the meaning of the word senpai, but they denied it. It has nothing to do with being her senpai. There is no upper or lower status amongst us. In the sense that we are all Taiyou-sans wives, were all equal. You really feel that way? Eh? Oh, Im not trying to press or anything. I just meant exactly what I asked. I was curious as to if you were thinking along those lines. Sakura said, and Suzune and Kazane smiled simultaneously. Yes, we are. Actually, I think that everyone thinks that way. New Moon-sama as well? Eh? I wonder if she views things the same way. When Sakura said that, Suzune and Kazane exchanged glances. They had felt some ulterior implication in those words. But regardless of what her intentions were, the answer to that question would be no different. At least, to the three sisters. Yes, she does. Really, now. Umm, thats because Youran-chan is an amazing person, isnt it? Yes, to put it concisely. Her poweris comparable to the king of a small country. Is that right? You dont seem to be all that shocked. Maybe you dont quite get the picture? No, we get it all right. Its just Yeah Exchanging glances again, they grinned. To us, the most important thing is that shes one of us- Taiyous brides. We dont make a big deal of anything else really. He truly is an amazing person. I only know of three other men who have had women say such things about them. Well yeah, hes Taiyou-san after all. Yes, because hes Taiyou-san. Im envious of you folks. Sakura crossed her arms, smiling graciously. The elevator came to them, and the three of them got in together. Chapter 297: Warning Oho, quite the interesting combination. Kohaku said when she came back from the roof. In the living room, Sakura and the three girls were facing each other, drinking tea as they chatted. It was a mellowed-down atmosphere, like that of good friends. Ah. Welcome back, Kohaku-san. Kotone said, and Suzune got up, heading to the open-type kitchen. They could see her pouring a cup for Kohaku. Kohaku sat facing Sakura, then spoke. What were ye talking about? A bit about Unchanging. Oh come on, Sakura-san. Kazane made a slightly pouty face. The so-called Unchanging keyword was the reason why Sakura had tried to kidnap the three sisters way back when. The three sisters pouted at her using that as a joke, and Kohaku giggled. What a fine topic. No matter what age women be, they must always act their part as women. If thats the case, then youve been a woman for a while now. In such a short time, I almost couldnt recognize you there. Aye, I be in the midst of love. Not drowning in love? That be only the difference between winning and losing. I be tagging along with Danna-sama, so I have no intention of losing, lassy. But they do also say that whoever falls in love is the loser. Since youve lost by that logic anyway, why not profit further and drown? Indeed, albeit recently, I have come to understand that philosophy. It truly does seem that humans cannot understand until they get in such situations. Well, ye seem to have quite the grasp on all of this Overly-theoretical, I am. Kohaku and Sakura were engaged in a conversation that no one else really got. Suzune inquired after she had returned from the kitchen to place Kohakus teacup down. Umm, what exactly are you talking about? Ah, it probably sounds like gibberish to ye lasses. See, we know a woman who once said, I dont lose, because I am amidst love. Nor do I win, for I am drowning in love. Sakura continued after Kohaku. It felt like they were reading the top part of a verse together with a bottom part. Even after hearing all that, the three sisters were still perplexed. Well, let us not dwell on other women. More importantly, what errand have ye come for today? Theres something a bit serious I must discuss. Are Natsuno-sama and New Moon-sama here? Youran be further up, but Danna-sama be currently busy, and I know not whether he will be returning even tonight. Ill go call Youran, then. Kotone said, and the three sisters exited the living room together. After seeing them off, Kohaku asked Sakura. I noticed that ye started to refer to Danna-sama with sama. He is New Moon-samas spouse after all. Then, might I take it as meaning that ye no longer oppose him? Unlike when she was merely bantering, Kohaku cut right to the chase, the polar opposite of roundabout, playful words. Sakura replied with a serious face. For the meantime. The meantime, eh Yes. But I hear that Pochi was attacked. And I heard that it was a simple misunderstanding. The evidence be far too obvious. Youran thought the same, which be why she took ye out of the equation, but there also exists the possibility that ye knew she would do that and used it to yer advantage. Thats very true. Kohaku and Sakura stared at each other, eyes locked, not saying a word, as if an underwater fight were unfolding. Eh, not that I care. Are you sure? I know that Im one to say this, but in the end, nothing was proven, right? Even if ye had plotted something, that in itself was fine. Actually, I might prefer it that way. Why is that? Kukuku. Kohaku purred with laughter. The loli baba made a smile unique to those who have experienced life to the fullest, full of pleasure. She spoke as she smiled. I will not tell ye. How cruel of you. Kukuku. The door to the entryway opened, and Youran came entering in. Having been notified of Sakuras arrival, she had brought her hair down into New Moon Director mode. Sorry to keep you waiting. Dont mind it. Sakura stood up, gracefully giving a respectful bow. It was a cold, formal gesture. Youran sat on the sofa, motioning for Sakura to sit down as well. You may sit. Thank you very much. And shall I take me leave? Actually, it would be preferable if you could remain here Hmm. I apologize for intruding at such a late time. I believed it good to directly report here, so I came unannounced. What do you seek? State your purpose. Tsubaki-sama has escaped from her house confinement. Mm? Yourans eyebrows twitched upward. Kohaku also stopped smiling, replaced by a serious look on her face. Juunishima Tsubaki. A relative of Yourans, as well as one of her political opponents. What is the meaning of this? I recall there being a strict order to confine her to scrupulous house arrest. Yes, she seemed to have outside connections. All of those keeping surveillance have been done inWeve been outdone. Saekusa? Or perhaps it was Anna? Youran said. She had first thought of Tsubakis two subordinates. I do not know. I know where both of them are, but they have no alibi. Youran, does that bring bad tidings? Tsubaki harbors a grudge against me. Aye, even I can see that much. That woman is a snake. Once she begrudges someone, she never lets go. That sounds mighty troublesome. Kohaku rested her shoulder on the sofa behind her. That is all that I have to report. I hope that it was of use. Okay, thank you. After Sakura walked out, Kotone, Suzune, Kazane, and Aoba came into the living room. Haaah, well thats a drag. Indeed. Then itd be a good idea for Youran-chan to stick around with Natsuno-kun for a bit. Eh? Indeed. Though I know not when he intends to return, it should be safe for ye to remain by Danna-samas side. But if I do that- Youran was about to finish, then shut her mouth. The three of them were looking at her with argumentative eyes. After thinking a bit, she opened her mouth. Okay, Ill- The moment she was about to nod, the door opened with a click. Chapter 298: I Want To Fly With You Chapter 299: Ring of Blood and Soul Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Taiyou and Hera had entered the room. The two of them traversed the living room at a brisk pace, stopping in front of Aoba. Aoba, Id like you to come with us. Sure, but where? Hera, which way? Over this way, in the direction of the verandaaa! Alright. Sorry everyone, but Im gonna borrow Aoba. Taiyou took Aoba by the hand, opened the window frame, and went outside. The refreshing wind of late autumn was blowing by, and the strong sound of wind unique to multiple story buildings like this one could be heard. Natsuno-kun? What are we doing here? Make sure you hold on tight. Wha? Whaaat? Taiyou held Aoba up in his arms, treating her like a princess and holding onto the back of her knees. Here, right? Youre a little off, actually. Abouttwo meters to the left. Gotcha. As Hera had instructed, he moved two meters to the left, hoisting himself onto the verandas handrails. Heeey! What are you doing? Accompanied by the other brides, Youran reacted the most expressively. See ya later. Taiyou ignored her, leaping off. The brides let out screams, and even the usual composed Kohaku was surprised to the point where she found herself glued to the handrails. They all looked in the direction which he had embarked. Taiyou fell toward the ground, carrying Aoba. When he had begun hardly scraping the groundCwings stuck out. They were wings of light; the miraculous power that had been bestowed to Taiyou from his wives. Thanks to said wings, their fall had stopped two meters above the ground. What? Whats going on? Theyre Aki-hans wings. Hera, who had stayed behind, explained to them. Aki-han is standing a bit further ahead of where he jumped off, so the moment that he comes within range, he is able to grow wings and fly. I see. So he can do that as well, ja. Eh? Oh, so basically, only the people he touches cant activate the effect. Yes indeed. He is holding Aoba-chan, so he cannot bring out her part of the wings, but as he is not touching Aki-han, he can grow out her part of the wings. That be very enlightening. Kohaku grinned. The three sisters understood the meaning of that smile more quickly than anyone else. So he can fly while carrying us! If the other four hold hands Then Taiyou-san can fly while carrying them up to 16 meters in the air! Aye. Which means that at the end of it all, hell be able to fly up to 64 metersCabove ground, that be around 20 stories that he be able to fly and carry ye landlubbers. Thats so cool! The three sisters exclaimed in joy. Next to them, Youran pouted, lips pursed. Seriously, why dontcha just SAY something next time. I thought someone was trying to mess with me. I am indeed sorry. Hera replied apologetically. She didnt seem to have any bad intentions. Ugh, no its fine. But is it alright being here? Taiyou-chan and Aoba-chan, combined with Aki-han. Id just be super in the way if I were there. I, didnt expect you to be so good at reading the mood. Indeed! Read! The! Aiiir! There is no such phrase. //note: she said the literal English words Youran said bluntly. At the base of the building, Taiyou landed on the ground, putting Aoba and Akiha together on the trailer before setting off elsewhere. Everyone who saw the sight felt something warm spread throughout their chests. Even after having said all that she did, Youran was no exception. Kukuku. Kohaku suddenly snorted with laughter. Whats up, Kohaku-san? Did something Funny happen? Nay, I just thought that maybe all our fears were groundless. Fears were groundless? Juunishima Tsubaki escaped from her confines and fled elsewhere. I had worriedthat she might try and do something, but that whippersnapper be the last thing I care about! I guess what Im trying to say is, might everything be resolved as long as Danna-sama be here? No way We think so! Youran hesitated, but the three sisters answered all at once. Right? But what about ye? Well, its not like I dont, but When she was further pressed, she finally nodded. She still wasnt entirely upfront about her feelings for Taiyou whenever he came up in conversation, so this was understandable. Right now was no different. She had only conveyed her true feelings once Kohaku had pressed her. But I be quite jealous as of right now. That be like being hugged by Danna-sama while bungee jumping. Youre into bungee jumping? The key be hugging with Danna-sama. Have ye not ever wanted to enjoy a thrill or two with him? We Have all the time! Super super super all the time! As expected, the three sisters had latched onto that. Perhaps I shall pester Danna-sama about it tomorrow, ja. Oh, but I be first. Whaaat No fair! How about whoever gets to him first? Well, if thats what ye want Kohaku twisted the corner of her mouth into a grin. Someones already done that, ja. What? Yuri-chan looks fidgety. I-I am not! I dont even care about something likesomething like Youran couldnt even fully deny it before fully shutting up as she peered down from the handrail. She gulped. In the wind enveloping the building, it was a loud noise that everyone could hear. Ahahaha, Yuri-chan, youre so honest about your feelings. Except shes not. Come to think of it, thats true! Ah, so troublesome. She be a troublesome lass alright. Well, Im sure that Danna-sama has taken a liking to that part of her as well, ja. Wh-What the heck are you talking about? Look, IC Now then, I believe we are due for some more cups of tea. Oh, please pour some for me as well, desu! Okay. Kohaku and the others made their way back to the living room in a pleasant mood. Hey, dont just go ending the conversation on how weird you think I am! Come on! Youran chased after them. The girls in the Natsuno household were as friendly as ever. Chapter 299: Ring of Blood and Soul Chapter 297: Warning Chapter 298: I Want To Fly With You Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama After school, a car came alongside the road as Taiyou was walking out. It was a tinted car that he could immediately tell was bullet-proof. One of the thick windows was rolled down, and inside he could see Sakura. Sakura-san. It has been a long time, Natsuno-sama. Might you have some free time to spare for a bit? Uhh, sure. Okay, then. The door to the car opened, and Taiyou got in. As of late, he had grown quite accustomed to riding in cars with exquisite interiors. Inside, Sakura was facing him with her back to the front of the car as it rode onward, implying that he was the center of attention. Taiyou pretended to not notice this when he spoke, however. Thank you very much. Its nothing, but what did you want? You didnt wait for Youran, but rather chose to wait for me, so this must be a unique situation, right? Yes. I have something that I would like to entrust you with. Entrust? But before thatDo you recall Blood Soul? Taiyou furrowed his brow at Sakuras words. His memory of the event was revived. Blood Soul? Of course he recalled that. It was the name of a plan that was deeply involved with all of his brides. Of course I do. Ah, I do apologize. Sakura made a graceful bow. It was hard to believe that this allegiant(is that meant to be elegant? Not sure so didnt want to change it incase) gesture was that of the Sakura he had met so long ago. And what about this Blood Soul? Dont tell me theres another problem I would like to confirm this with youwas the last time that you were involved in that plan when you fought with the manmade magic sword, Blood Soul? Yeah. The sword that sucks the blood and soul out of its opponents, exchanging it into power for its holder. A fusion of the areas of science and the occult, Blood Soul. I was secretly researching the technologyplease do keep this a secret from New Moon-sama, if you will. Youre notgoing to? Please do not misunderstand. I have no intention of opposing New Moon-sama. Then why? I cannot tell you the reason. Then why bother telling me that? You came all the way here to meet me. He didnt get what Sakura was trying to accomplish. I came here to hand you this. Sakura took out seven small, square boxes. What are these? Rings. Sakura opened one of them, showing Taiyou. It was an orthodoxly made ring case. There are seven in total. Enough for all of the wives you currently have. Kotone, Suzune, Kazane, Kohaku-san, Aoba, Youran, Akiha. Yeah, thats seven. Indeed. But what exactly do we use these for? Well, it seems that rather than concealing it, I should express my true intention. Sakura said with a slight wry smile. I would like to have your assistance in an experiment. Again? Taiyou frowned further. The word experiment brought back that one case with the three sisters. Of course, if you refuse, then I will rescind the offer. However, I thought you to be the most capable this time around, Natsuno-sama, out of all the people I know. Sakura stressed the Natsuno-sama part. As if that accent had some earnest intent mixed in. Not anyone else? Just me? Yes, just you, Natsuno-sama. What kind of rings are these? He asked her after taking one case. So, the Blood Soul as a weapon sucked the blood and soul out of others in exchange for power. Right. In the same manner, but with feelings, it sucks them out of the person using them and converts them to power for said person. Out of the person, for the person? Yes. I dont really get it. What exactly are you trying to say? To explain it a bit more plainly Sakura sweetly smiled. It is made so that it converts the feelings of the person into power. Thats the exact same thing you said a moment ago. Feelings are limited to good feelings. These are experimental goods, so they are further limited to being categorized as love. You wont bite, huh? Taiyou breathed a sigh. If she wouldnt say the answer of what he was trying to ask, then he would try to lead her to the answer he wanted. So, this love? What specifically would it be converted into? If I were to say it in a Taiyou-sama mannerism, defense. Defense? Yes. To put it more bluntly, the more that someone loves you, the more firm the defense. Uhh, that sounds like some ridiculous capabilities. I would like to remind you that last time you encountered that sword, it had already passed through that ridiculous threshold. Thats very true. Taiyou remembered what had happened that time. The magic sword, Blood Soul, that even Hera had had a tough time against. It certainly did have some ridiculous stats. Compared to that, maybe these rings that converted love into defense werent all that bad. And youre saying that everyone needs to wear these? Yes. It would be enough simply to test out how well they work and what sorts of effects you can help them manifest. Even though Im supposedly the most well-suited for it? Harem. Sakura said, holding up her index finger. Having multiple women at once, and on top of that, paying equal attention to themI know no other person like that. Just you, Natsuno-sama. Arent you forgetting about Yourans father and Aobas father? I have yet to meet Miyagi-sans father. And New Moon-samas father is out of the question. Out of the question? Though he did have many women birth children, he is not skilled at such a thing. At least in the case of my mother and New Moon-samas mother, they detest each other. My bad. Taiyou apologized. No, I just wanted you to understand why I asked you of all people. But okay, then I think I get why Im good for the job. That is what I decided. So I just have them all wear these? Yes. There are names written on the back of each case. Oh, youre right. Taiyou turned the case over. The one in his hand happened to be Kohakus. I prepared each of these according to everyones biological information. All they have to do is put them on and it will automatically take their feelings and convert them to power. Any side effects? All I can say is thatthere will be nothing in the way of your daily life. So I guess Id only use them in the case that I needed defense. Taiyou actually surmised what she was trying to say. He gazed at the ring, thinking about it briefly. It was a ring that took feelings and made them into power. Even if there were demerits to this AlrightIll take them. He nodded, accepting them from Sakura. Chapter 300: Velomobile Chapter 299: Ring of Blood and Soul Chapter 301: Pat Pat Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama On Sunday, the Natsuno household was gathered in full force in the parking lot of the condominium. Taiyou, as well as his five brides, were all in plain clothes, staring at the vehicle that had been brought to the spot. It was about as big as a minivan, but oddly streamlined to the point where it felt like it came from the near future. And whats this? A bicycle. You call this a bicycle? Taiyou replied to Youran, eyes wide open. Sure, the vehicle in front of them was uniquely made and didnt seem like a normal one, but there was still a frame, and even the space inside of the airtight vehicle was reminiscent of a regular one. It still didnt look like a bicycle, but upon further examination of the drivers seat Look, there are pedals. Yeah, the driver handles that. All by themselves? Yeah. Its a trial product I had made for you. et tu, Brute? Huh? Ah no, its nothing. Taiyou shook his head as he made a wry smile. From the side, Kohaku then joined the conversation. That be a velomobile if I ever saw one. Yeah, it is. Velomobile? To sum it up, it be a bicycle with a roof attached. Natsuno-kun, they mean this. Aoba showed Taiyou the screen of her phone, which displayed a large amount of images of search results. Amongst them, bicycles in a capsule shape were pretty much all you could see. Oh, Ive seen these before. Okay, so this is one of those velomobiles. Yep. With gas prices rising and more and more people clamoring about being eco-friendly, these have come into fashion as of late. There have even been electrically assisted ones selling quite recently. Not so eco-friendly anymore, eh? Well yeah, cant argue with that. Youran lightly shrugged her shoulders, continuing. Anyhow, I had one of those order-made for you. If everyone squeezes in a bit we should all be able to fit. Everyone? Seven people. OkayIncidentally, you didnt have anything strange put into it, right? Strange? Youran stared in puzzlement. Her face showed that she really didnt understand what he meant. Oh, its nothing. More importantly Regaining his composure, he looked at the vehicle. The streamlined frame moved just by him touching it a little bit. It seemed to be quite light. How do they even make this thing? Theyre using the same technology that was used for human-powered aircraftBut who cares about something like that? Who cares, eh Take a look. Youran jerked her chin, and Taiyou followed the direction. The brides had become excited to the point where they opened the door, hopping inside. Although it did seem a bit cramped with six people inside, their boisterous noises made even that aspect seem fun. It was true that Taiyou was fine with anything as long as they were having fun. Still, why suddenly make something like this? Dont you remember how I rode in your trailer several times? True, you did. And from what Aoba says, you even pulled a human-powered car, right? That I did. He remembered the time when he had gone to Juuni Island. And so when I heard that, I just thought that rather than having it run on gasoline or electricity, it might be more fun to have it run with your power. I see. So thats why its a bike. Taiyou was satisfied with her explanation, since he pretty much understood what she was saying. Even in his case, it was fun to go around everywhere pulling the trailer as the wives rode on it. He had even thought of borrowing a three-wheeler and going on a trip somewhere with everyone riding in the luggage carrier. Youran had already made something with those functions. Thanks for that. Its not like that. I just wanted to go for a ride. Yeah? Then lets go somewhere right now. Ohhh, sorry, Ill pass on that. Theres something I had to do today. Really? Yeah, gonna go to Juuni Island for a bit. Dont worry about saving food for me, as Ill be back late. I also have some minor business, so I cannot go, ja. You too, Kohaku-san? Aye. I shall go to a memorial service for a classmate of mine. Oh, and I dont mean based on me appearance, but me actual age. Kohaku said as she chuckled. The lad was a skirt-chaser back in the day, so me and the other scalawags will be going together to chastise him. Yeah, for some reason, old folks tend to have a better time at funerals when it involves all of them. Taiyou wryly smiled. Being a minor, he wasnt even near that point in his life. Aoba and I will be somewhere too, actually. Sorry, Natsuno-kun. You guys too? Yep! Gotta go on a little date with Aoba. Akiha said with a beaming face. Make sure you return her, kay? For sure, for sure. Im already yours, so whatever is mine is also yours. Uhh yeah, I do like how you phrased that, but Im still not giving you Aoba. Taiyou said, lastly looking at the sister trio. He thought they might be busy as well, but Well go. This might be the first time that weve gotten to be alone with Taiyou-san. Hey, lets take turns in the passenger seat. Then, lets head off, I guess. The mismatched triplets suddenly burst into excitement. Seeing them like that, Taiyou found himself happy as well. As the other busy brides saw them off, Taiyous group got into the car. The door closed and foot on the pedal, the car lightly glided off. Wow. Lighter than I thought. Is it really? Kotone inquired, being the first to sit in the passenger seat. Yeah, I thought it would be a bit heavier, but it was way lighter than expected. Isnt that just because youre strong, Taiyou-san? Nah, it isnt much different from pedalling a regular bicycle. Thats incredible! As they said that, they came out onto the open road from the parking lot. But I guess we still have to stick to the streets. Yes. Its a bicycle, but it definitely cant go on the sidewalk. From the outside it looks just like a car. Hey, everyones looking over here! Kazane said. Pedestrians from all around were looking their way. It was after all a car frame with a strange, streamlined design; kind of hard not to look. Now then, where to go How about straight? Kotone said. Straight? Yes, straight. Just keep going straight and only turn when you have to. Something along those lines. So just go on an unplanned route? Okay, I can roll with that. Sounds interesting. Nodding, he looked at Suzune and Kotone and sought their approval. Of course. Yes! Of course there was no way that the psychologically-connected sisters would have any objections. Their aimless trip had begunShortly afterward, a patrolman had stopped them for questioning with an extremely complicated expression on his face. Chapter 301: Pat Pa Here, Taiyou-san, please hydrate yourself. Kay. Kazane extended a sports drink with a straw in it from the passenger seat. Though small in stature, her appearance was none other than a modest wife. Nodding coolly as he leaned in to put his mouth on the straw from the driver seat, Taiyou also looked like he had achieved the presence of a husbandWell, if it werent for his feet hurriedly pedalling. But wow, this pedal is in a super easy-to-reach area. Although I probably couldnt pedal while sprawled over. Thats apparently a recumbent type. Recumbent? As he turned to the side, he saw Kazane searching with her smartphone, sport drink placed to the side. Yes, theyre like large-scale bikes that allow you to relax your back while riding them. Ohhh, come to think of it, Ive seen them around town once in a blue moon. Im guessing theyre pretty major overseas? UmmYes, that seems to be the case. Yeah, I thought so. Cause everyone I saw riding those things were foreigners. And then we have, birdmen? Apparently, those human-powered aircrafts are made in a similar way. Yeah, Ive seen those on television before. Makes a lot of sense. Interesting, thought Taiyou to himself as he continued pedalling down the public road. He glanced at the other girls. Kazane was next to him, having swapped seats with Kotone behind her, and then Suzune, who was eager to join him for her turn. The act of powering a car with girls on it had some sort of sexual stimulation to it. Taiyou-san, it seems that wed come out near the ocean if you took a left up ahead. Kotone said. She also had her phone out, acting as their navigator. Ocean? You girls wanna see it? Yes! The three sisters said all at once. It was late autumn, so the sea breeze might be a bit cold on the skin, but if that was what they wanted, then it was unavoidable. Taiyou cut to the left with the handle at the intersection. From between the buildings, the endlessly outstretched form of the oceans water horizon showed itself. The blue sea sparkled with the reflecting rays of the sun. All of a sudden, the three sisters were even more excited. Amazing! Were at the ocean, at the ocean! So bright! Hey, theres something resembling a ferry over there. The ocean, eh? Maybe I should have Youran make another one of these vehicles in ferry form. That sounds interesting! But but, are you sure that a normal ferry wouldnt suffice? Mhm, it would be best to have one that has rooms for everyone to ride on. Yeah, I feel like she also had one of thoseHeck, I wouldnt even be surprised if she had a private jet. Private jet? Try searching private jet. The three sisters all began searching as soon as Taiyou said that. So cool, this is like a living room, and theres even a sofa. No, this ones cool, Koto-chan. Its like a dining hall. Not even close, Suzu-chan. Look at this and how the surface area is wider than the furniture. Well boys really do like these types of transportation with rooms and everything. Every so often I think about using these to go on trips. TripsThats great! Hey hey, Youran-chan had a ferry, right? And that ferry even had a car inside of it, right? Yeah, a wagon- no, I think even a bus could enter it? And I bet if we rode in a vehicle with rooms, it would be super fun to do a lap around the world. Cross the ocean, embark on land with the car and see various places, and then get back in the ship and go to the next country. That seriously excites me. Yeah, thats a rad idea. Taiyou and the three sisters talked about exciting ideas as he drove. They were trying to imagine in in their heads as they discussed it. Just the thought of everyone travelling together aroused their excitement. Kaza-chan, its about time to switch. Okay. It was now time to switch seats, and Kazane moved to the back seat while Suzune sat in her place. Halted by the traffic light, the car stopped. As if taking advantage of the movement, Suzune pressed in on Taiyous shoulders. She seemed quite thrilled to do so. Well, not just her. Kotone and Kazane looked pretty happy as well from the rear view mirror. Even at times like these, the three of them shared their pleasure. Taiyou reached out, brushing Suzunes lower chin area. Suzune twisted in a ticklish manner, and Kotone and Kazane let out a mm sound. Firmly patting her head, Taiyou ran his fingers through her hair. The girls loved having their heads being firmly patted, just enough to where their scalp was being pressed against. A sweet atmosphere enveloped the car. The flushed faces of the girls emitted pheromones, filling the car. Being a young man, of course, Taiyou wasnt able to remain unmoved. Though he was only patting her head, he also began to feel a slight arousal. Ahwhy have you stopped? Well, the signal turned green. Oofsuch a shame. Haha, but well continue this later. Taiyou said as he laughed, lightly pounding her head. Suzune and the others seemed disappointed, but said nothing in particular. In this sequence of events, they all had an unspoken understanding: saying that they would do something later was not just a spur of the moment; they all loved skinship, so if they said it would happen later then it seriously would. At every coming signal during the drive, he continued to pat each of the three sisters heads as they took turns in the passenger seat. Chapter 302: Payback Taiyou was sitting on the wharf with Kazane on his lap, listening to the sound of the waves. Kazane was pressing herself against him, letting Taiyou pamper her. If people see us like this Huh? They might think were father and daughter. No way. Brother and sister at most. I dont look nearly that old. But doesnt it look that way when you do this with Kohaku? Ohhh Taiyou made a small wry smile, recalling Kohaku. Being an Eternal Little, she was over eighty years old, but her outward appearance had stopped at ten years. That wasnt just for her height. Her stature, skin tone, and her mannerisms were all that of a typical ten year old. Even just looking at her sitting down without saying anything, everyone who saw her would have no choice but to say that she looked like a young girl. She enjoyed being pampered by Taiyou and sitting on his lap. Yeah, with her we definitely look like father and daughter. I wonder why? Probably because she knows her facial expressions. Her height is about the same as yours, but she is seriously good at making that unique cherubic expression. Yes, that makes sense. Although nobody realizes how erotic she really is. Shes erotic? Yeah. For example, when she sits on my lap like this, she makes really childish facial expressions, right? Yes. Well, in this position with that sort of facial expression, she nuzzles me under my chin with the top of her head. Uhh, like this? Hearing Taiyous explanation, Kazane attempted to replicate it. It was like a kitten was rolling around while being pampered. Pretty much spot-on. Nowall you have to do is act like were in bed together. Oh, I see. Kazane expressed her understanding by changing the rhythm of her movement. In an instant, the atmosphere shifted from that of a brother and sister to the obscene air of a couple. It wasnt so much her movement that had changed as it was the glamorous aura emanating from Kazanes body. It was enough to knock out a virgin in one hit. So like this? Right. And do it with a childlike, cherubic face. Taiyou said, showing Kazane his smartphone after taking a picture of her. Her eyes in the picture appeared intoxicated, like she was in heat. Of course, this wasnt a bad thing. They were in the midst of enjoying a good bit of flirtation. Which was why she was bewildered. Thats what Kohaku-san is like? Yeah. Thats crazy Yeah, its from all the experience shes built upAfter all, the wisdom of age includes all the good things as well. While listening to the sound of the waves, the two of them engaged in conversation. The autumn sea breeze was a bit cold on the skin, as anticipated, but with their bodies exchanging warmth, it was more like their bodies and hearts had increased in warmth. Hey, look! Theres a lolicon over there. All of a sudden, there was an unpolished voice breaking into their world. Taiyou raised his head and looked for the source of the voice, seeing a group of two men and a woman standing there. None of them were all that far off from Taiyou and Kazanes age, but for the men, from their tone to their walking to their clothes, everything was shallow. The woman was in a more relaxed appearance, but had a shallow expression on her face all the same. Youre right! This dudes a lolicon. This stuffs a crime right here. High-schoolers being lolicons are way worse than old men who are lolicons. Yeah, super unhealthy. The men said to each other, coming his way. Kazane looked sullen and started to stand up, but Taiyou pushed her back down. Taiyou-san Lets go. Where are Kotone and Suzune? I called them just now. They will return shortly. Lets get out of here once they get back. They said while waiting for the other two to return, focusing on ignoring the men. The two men were fairly perplexed at how neither of them were reacting. When the woman gave them a look, the two of them spoke again. Lolicons are just no good, yknow? But whats really no good is how they always end up throwing away the females. Right, right. Theyre pretty much treated like old women when they get into middle school. But what you really wanna say is that youre more like an old geezer, yeah? They sneered at them, but there was still no response. That was when Kotone and Suzune came back. Now, all three of the mismatching triplets were gathered, sharing the same face but being different sizes. Noticing this, the men flinched for an instant, but soon resumed hurling abusive words at them. Oi oi, whats that, Kintaro Candy (**cylindrical candy made so that Kintaros face appears wherever it is sliced**) ? Not even close, man. Theyre like those figures with different sizes that you see at windows. Window something? Lets go. Now that everyone was here, Taiyou pushed the shoulders of the angry triplets and made to head out. Youre freakin disgusting. - The woman murmured. At that very moment, the fire of anger was lit in Taiyou. He turned back, glaring at the woman. Her smooth face was twisted in a sneer. Right? Creepy. The hells that? Their DNA get all screwed up? The men spoke likewise, sneering at the three sisters. Taiyou walked casually up to the men. Taiyou-san? He blocked out the puzzled sound of the three sisters behind him. Oh? What, what? You wanna go-mph We wont lose to a frickin lolico-ugh? Their words were interrupted mid-speech. Expressionless, Taiyou kicked the ground and charged at the two men, grabbing hold of their faces. He tightened them in a vice, gripped them, and lifted them up. The men grabbed Taiyous wrist, struggling with their feet. Was it you? Wh-What do you- Did you say that just now? The movement of the pinned men stopped for an instant. Their eyes burst wide open, their faces glazed with fear. They were scared stiff by Taiyous cold, penetrating voice. Hmph! Taiyou proceeded to pump power into his hands. Creak, groan, snap. He felt the sensation and heard the sound of the bone from their faces cracking. Agh IsntIz isnt Crumpled on the ground, the two men writhed in agony. As they did so, Taiyou kicked them into the ocean, turning next to the woman. His anger had only increased. Wh-WhatWhat do you want? You said it first, yeah? Eh? You said that these girls are disgusting before anyone else, didnt you? S-So what? She glared at him even though it was her fault. It was enough to make him seethe with anger to the point where simply hitting her or cracking her bones would not suffice. Sure, the men had jeered at them, but that was ultimately because the woman had instructed them to do so and they had sprung at the opportunity so as to please her. It was obvious just by watching them. This woman was the root of all this toxicity. As he thought that, his anger intensified. I wont forgive you. Wh-Who cares if you dont? What are you gonna do about itC? What was he going to do about it? Taiyou repeated the question to himself. When it came to doing something about it, the question had shifted inside his head to What was the best way to make this woman suffer?. Soon, he collected his thoughts. Taiyou approached the woman, lifting her up by the collar. And just like that, he stole her lips. Behind him, he heard a shriek that was rather uncharacteristic of the three sisters. Chapter 303: Seven Needles Thud! The woman was thrust away. At that same time that she fell back, the woman put the back of her hand over her mouth, glaring at Taiyou. Granted, this was a reasonable reaction to curse him for the sudden assault. Taiyou didnt care about that, however, since he was the one who was angry. Hera. Ta-ta-daaa! Hera-chan has arrived! Eh? Huh? What is the meaning of this, Taiyou-chan? Did you increase the number of brides again? No. I want to ask something of you. Yes indeed. If it is for your sake, Taiyou-chan, then I can go through fire, water, and even the physical reaaalm! Id like you to haunt that woman over there for a bit and whisper in her ear that shes disgusting every time she does something. Disgusting, you say? Yeah, disgusting. Rajaaa! Performing a light bow, Hera then began to hang around the woman. Wh-What the heck is this? What is this? Hmph. Snorting at her, Taiyou turned around. This was around the time that the two men who had fallen into the sea were crawling their way back up, so he knocked them off once more. He then returned to where the triplets were standing. Lets get outta here. No point staying. He motioned to them, but all the three sisters did was stare at him without saying a word. Even once the men had climbed back up from the ocean and the woman had dashed away from Hera in an attempt to escape her, they still said nothing, simply staring at Taiyou. Whats wrong? Kotone? Suzune? Kazane, you too? You guys feeling alright? Taiyou grew worried at their lack of response. He thought that they might have suddenly felt under the weather, but that wasnt the case. They furrowed their brows, staring at Taiyou with very displeased expressions. They werent under the weather; they were in a bad mood. S-Seriously, whats wrong? He repeated what he had said earlier. This time around, he was overpowered by them, slightly stuttering. Dont do that, Taiyou-san. That kind of thing Isnt something that you should be doing. That kind of thing? Taiyou wondered what they meant, but then noticed where they were looking, and he followed their gazes. They were looking at the woman as she ran away. As he observed this, he suddenly remembered something. My bad. What do you mean? The three of them softly asked Taiyou in response to his apology. This was a bit unusual. Normally, they would speak to Taiyou in a chorus, occasionally in louder voices when they were excited. But they had hardly ever responded to him so quietly like this. Taiyou felt a quiet, indescribable pressure build up inside him. It was the kind of feeling when you got bad grades on a test and hid the paper but your mother found it. However, despite this pressure, he couldnt just run away. Taiyou lowered his head once more, apologizing to them. My bad. It was dumb of me to kiss that kind of woman. That was the answer that Taiyou had arrived at. Normally, that would be reasonable, right? His brides were probably angry that he kissed another female in front of them. Which was why he apologized for that. However, he was mistaken. That isnt what we mean. You may kiss anyone youd like to, Taiyou-san. But not like that. Eh? Wh-What do you mean? Taiyou-san, your kiss is an amazing thing. Kotone clasped her hands together at her chest, as if praying. Suzune and Kazane also nodded, affirming the eldest sisters words. When you kiss us, it is such a blissful feeling. It isnt just because it makes us feel like were loved, but because its a kiss that shows us how serious you are. So using your kiss in such a mannerFor payback, isnt suitable for you at all, Taiyou-san. Taiyous eyes became dots at their revelation. He had thought that they were angry at him for kissing another female in front of them, but it was only the way he did it that they were reprimanding him for. It was almost like So its okay for me to kiss other people like normal? Yes! The three sisters said all at once. This time, their voices were back to their normal, cheerful selves. You didnt forget, did you Taiyou-san? Kazane grinned impishly as she pointed her index finger. Were girls who want to be part of a harem. In fact, we want you to find some more good candidates. But Taiyou-san, you already decided that you would go up to seven. Well, I didnt exactly decide that Everything was a result of the reverse revision of idol, but he ended up not mentioning that. They already knew that very well, and he didnt find it worth mentioning. Ruminating over what they had said, he changed his thought process. In that casehe would suggest something. I get what you all are saying, but I couldnt allow that woman to do what she did. Taiyou said, and the three sisters made complicated faces. That lady called you guys disgusting. Disgusting! Not creepy like what the men said, but disgusting. Humans always get hung up over things people say. If she had just said creepy, then I would have overlooked their shallow attitude and done nothing, but calling you all disgusting was uncalled for and I couldnt take it. Get what Im saying? Yes We do. We alsofeel Thats why I decided to put that woman on the spot for a bit. I asked Hera to stick by her side and repeatedly call her disgusting to her ears. And in the process, the kiss would have given her the ability to see Hera, so everyone else would think shes crazy from now on. He said as he imagined how far from grace that woman would fall. Hera couldnt be seen by other humans. At least, not unless Taiyou had kissed them at some point. Nor could they chase her away. So in her case, she would be ridiculed as disgusting for everything she did by a fairy that was whispering into her ears that only she could see. Taiyou felt satisfied when he imagined that. But I still think that you shouldnt use your kiss for something like that, Taiyou-san This time, Suzune had spoken. She and the other sisters were all making painful, saddened faces. Unfortunately, he happened to be the cause. Taiyou felt pain course through his chest. He had just wanted to get some revenge, but if this was the outcome, then he should have been more thoughtful. Taiyou highly valued his objectives and the methods to reach them. It neednt be said that his ultimate objective was to make them happy, always smiling. He had no choice but to admit that the objective this time around had been wrong. So he bowed his head, this time fully comprehending what the issue was and apologizing to the three sisters. Sorry, I wont do it again. I wont ever use a kiss for such a negative objective again. You really wont? Yeah, I promise. He said, extending his pinky for a pinky promise, but soon realized that one finger alone wouldnt be enough, so he brought out his ring finger and middle finger in addition. As he did this, he stared straight at the girls, full of intent. After they gazed at him for a bit, the three sisters entwined their fingers around his. Everyone had their pinky fingers out from their side. Kotone got his middle finger, Suzune his ring finger, and Kazane his pinky. Finger cut-off, ten thousand fist-punchings, whoever lies has to swallow seven needles. Seven? To him, seven needles were far more fearsome and weighty than one thousand in terms of numbers. Yes. If you break it then you have to swallow seven needles. We can prepare regular needles, but We dont know which ones everyone else will prepare. Wow, thats scary. I can totally see Kohaku-san bringing something terrifying. Yep, got no choice but to keep that promise of mine. He joked, shrugging his shoulders. Having reconciled with one another, they stood there for a bit, enjoying chatting and laughter. Chapter 304: Midday Moon Taiyou and the three sisters lined up their shoulders, gazing into the evening sun. They were out in the open cafe terrace overlooking the ocean, enjoying the sea breeze. They were sitting on a white sofa, gazing at the evening sun while munching on sweets. It was a truly peaceful time. The sun is super round, isnt it? Taiyou muttered in deep interest as he gazed at the orange sun. Perhaps because it was emitting a calm light, it appeared smaller than usual, and round as well. I feel the same way. Its normally too bright to look at, but When we get the chance to look closer like this, its super round, yeah. Yep. Oh, and it actually looks smaller than the moon. He said, directing his eyes to the moon, which was comparatively much larger. I actually quite like the moon when it comes out in the afternoon. Why is that? Well, the afternoon is supposed to be the suns time to shine, right? Oh, and I mean the actual sun, not my name. (**Taiyou means sun in Japanese, so thats always the word they use**) He said jokingly as he pointed at the sun. Sure, there are other stars out there as well, but you cant see them, right? The only thing you can see clearly in the afternoon is the moon. Its not like it stands out all that much, but when its there you can definitely see it. Doesnt stick out, but its there all right. The afternoon moon True. It is there every so often when you look up, isnt it? The afternoon moon And I think you girls resemble it. Huh? The three sisters exclaimed in surprise at once. They looked at Taiyou, questioning what he meant. He continued speaking as he split a cake with a fork and fed the pieces to them. Amongst everyone in our family, you probably stand out the least out of everyone. There were some incidents that occurred and there were even those events at the school. But you girls dont really get wrapped up in stuff like that. Thats usually because I help you take refuge or protect the family. Thats true. It happened with Youran-chan as well. And with Aoyama-san as well. We werent able to be of help. The three sisters were in low spirits. He had anticipated this happening, so he gave them all a light kiss. Didnt I say that I was the one who did that? Theres absolutely no reason for any of you to feel down about this. But So I think that you resemble that midday moon. It doesnt stand out, but once you look at it its definitely there. Honestly, just from looking at you, you all should really stand out the most. With all your mismatched sizes, if you stand next to all of my brides and no one speaks a word, you would definitely stand out the most. But you usually dont, which is why you remind me of that moon. Are you sure? Plus if you guys hadnt been here, theres no way that our family would be the same right now. He said as he gazed at the three of them. If Im the sun, then youre the midday moon. Taiyou-san The three sisters leaped into Taiyous chest with moist eyes. He caught the sisters who shared one soul in an embrace. Seems like theres a lot of moons in our family. In his arms, Kotone giggled as she said that. You think so? Of course. Kohaku-san loves the moon and is always trying to imitate it with her hairstyle. And Youran-chan is literally New Moon. So if all three of us are the midday moon, then there are a lot of moons to go around. Ahaha, gotcha, you do have a point. Taiyou laughed pleasantly. Now that they had mentioned it, he really did have a lot of moons amongst his brides. Well after all, you are the sun. I dont know what you mean by after all, but in the first place, if Im the sun, then wouldnt it make more sense for you guys to be planets? Thats a bit difficult. We can only go up to seven, but There are a total of eight planets in the solar system. True. Wed be down by one. Taiyou said, and everyone laughed together. Enjoying an incoherent conversation in the evening sun, he felt a warmth develop in his chest. At length, the sun began to descend, and nighttime approached. The three sisters left their seats for the bathroom, leaving Taiyou gazing up at the moon above his head. May I take your plate, sir? A male employee came his way, and Taiyou nodded, furthering his gaze at the moon. Were those ladies with you your family? Hm? Being asked a question so suddenly, Taiyou inclined his head, looking at the employee. As he cleaned up the plates, he smiled and approached him. He didnt seem to have any ill intent, so Taiyou answered him straightforwardly. No, were lovers. Is that so? And may I ask which one of them? All of them. Even though he was a stranger, Taiyou answered without hesitation. It wasnt something that he felt should be hidden. If anything, by this point he would rather boast about them. On the other hand, he still knew that this was something peculiar in todays day and age, which was why he expected the man to make a strange face in response, but Is that so? Thats amazing. Betraying his expectations, the employee did not make any sort of strange face, instead speaking in an awed tone. Taiyou was surprised by that. Moving his gaze from the moon, he looked at the employee. Is it, now? Yes. Im jealous. Jealous. Taiyou parroted his words. Sure, if someone was looking from the sidelines, they would be envious of someone who has a harem, he thought to himself. As if reading Taiyous thoughts, the employee spoke while wryly smiling. This was quite a while ago, but I once was confessed to by my wifes younger sister. So in other words, your sister-in-law confessed to you? Technically. At the time, we werent yet married, so she wasnt my sister-in-law yet, but she confessed to me. Of course, I turned her down, but she was upset after that for quite some time. After having cleared up all of the plates, the employee continued as he wryly smiled. Its only recently that weve been able to interact with each other as family. Have you heard the reason why she liked you and confessed to you? Yes. The employee made a further strained expression. Apparently, she started liking me because I was a man who treated my wife with care. And I heard this recently as well. So I rejected her because I already had my wife as a lover, but that seemed to only make my sister-in-law further pained. I was not mistaken in what I saw in him and began to like him more and more- -But my feelings will never be reciprocated. Wow, thats pretty tough. Yes. Which is why from time to time, I wonder: Was there perhaps a way to make both of them happy at the same time? Is that right. My apologies for telling you such a strange story. No worries. Then please continue to make yourself at home. The employee said, bowing and returning to the shops interior. As he was staring at him go, the three sisters returned. Were back, Taiyou-san. Welcome back. The three sisters sat on the sofa. The sisters were all gathered, the moon was floating in the sky, and the employee was continuing back to the shop. Whats wrong, Taiyou-san? Are you perhaps tired? Want to rest for a bit? No, Im fine. Shaking his head, he grinned. (Guess its about time), thought Taiyou. Firmly gripping the things he had been keeping hidden in his pocket, he took a deep breath. Nothing would change too greatly from what he was about to do. It probably only had symbolic significance. Still, he was nervous. Probably the most nervous he had been since first meeting the girls. Theres something that Id like to give you all. I figured itd be best to start with you. He held out his hands to the three sisters as they puzzled over what he said. Three small boxes containing rings were handed to them. Chapter 305: Number One And what is this? Kotone inquired. Her reaction seemed somewhat indifferent, but that was probably because she wasnt sure as to what was inside of the case. So Taiyou opened the cases, showing them the interior. At that very moment, identical faces were all painted with surprise. They were bewildered enough to cover their mouths with their hands out of how breathless they were. I want you girls to put these on. Taiyou-sanis this? Could it bethat? That rumoredthing? Yeah, those are rings. One for each of you. Taiyou had brought out the rings he had received from Sakura. He felt a bit of guilt as he looked at the deep emotion on their faces, since they didnt know what events had led to this, but he endured it and then spoke. Id like you to treat these as engagement rings. The three mismatched sisters lost all their words. Taiyou didnt think that they were displeased, though, nor did he think they were too conceited or anything like that. Are you willing to accept these? He asked, seeking some sort of answer. After a bit, the three sisters brought down their hands from their mouths simultaneously, nodding. Yes, with great pleasure. And they extended their left hands. That very moment, their surroundings grew pitch black. Their terrace seats had been illuminated by light bulbs under the night sky, but that lighting had instantly dropped all at once. Taiyou looked toward the shop, wondering what had happened. As he did so, the employee from earlier was looking their way, winking with a thumbs up. The lighting had vanished, replaced by the moonlight. Grateful for the fashionable decision of the employee, Taiyou then turned back to the three sisters. He first took one ring out of its case and took Kotones hand. Pushing the ring through the ring finger of her left hand, the ring fit perfectly, as if it had all been planned. Lets just say that these rings have been reserved. Reserved? Kotone asked puzzledly. Taking out the next ring, this time he took Suzunes hand and slipped it through her ring finger. Actually, its more like these are designed to keep men away. Or like some type of marking. Marking, you say? Taking the last ring, he put that as well through Kazanes finger. Id like to use these as reserves until the day that I can get you all rings that I got with my own power. So please treat them as such. Even without these things, well always be yours, Taiyou-san. Kazane quietly and nonchalantly declared. Her tone itself wasnt strong, but that only made her feelings seem stronger. Yeah, which is why I said marking. Theres no guarantee that other men wont try and plot to forcibly take you all. Thats what the marking is for. Its my way of asserting myself and saying These women are mine. Youd best know what youre getting into if you so much as think about touching them. Marking That makes me happy. Kazane murmured, and everyone rubbed their cheeks against the rings that they had received from Taiyou affectionately. Thank you very much. Ill treasure this for my whole life. I will always, always, treasure it. Well, you dont have to treasure them that much. Once all seven are present, I will hand you the proper wedding rings. So itll just be until then. Yes! Though they had initially nodded at what Taiyou had said, they still were evidently trying to affectionately pat the rings. For a time, that was all they were doing, but suddenly, as if remembering something, all of them looked up at Taiyou. Taiyou-san, is this just for us? What about everyone else? Are theyprepared? Come on, you guys. Taiyou felt teary-eyed. Today, his feelings were at their peak, and he energetically hugged the three sisters. Youre gonna bring up other girls at a time like this? Of course. After all, theyre married to our precious Taiyou-san! We wouldnt feel right about being the only ones to receiveActually, it wouldnt be good at all. Relax. I have enough for five people. Five people Theres us, Kohaku-san, and Youran-chan. And Aoba-chan and Aoyama would be the fourth and fifth. Yeah. What about Yami-chan? The three sisters asked all at once again. It was a reasonable question, and Taiyou replied naturally with the answer he had already planned out. I still haventor should I say, it just isnt the right time to put the ring on her before defeating her. Ohthats true. She still isnt yours after all. But of course I hope it happens soon. Ill do my best every day to make sure it happens quickly. While hugging them, he fell onto the sofa looking up. He gazed at the moon above his head. The girls whispered into his ears. Were happy to have met you, Taiyou-san. Hm? Because you think of us a whole lot, Taiyou-san, and you make sure to think of everyone else as well. Not just us, but everyone. Well yeah. Taiyou smiled, putting power into his arms. You have yourselves a harem, yeah? Thats the kind of household you wanted. And you believe that to be happiness. Well its the job of men to help their loves desires come to fruition. But other people cant do that. They would normally reject what we want. But youre amazing for acting like it was no big deal and granting our wish. Amazing, huh? All I was doing was making the wish of the girls that I liked come true. Yes. The three of them said in unison. It was as if they were saying that that in itself was what made Taiyou amazing. We like you, Taiyou-san. We love you. We adore you more than anyone in the world. And I adore you more than anyone in the world. And when he said that, the three sisters all got in a good mood. He pressed even closer to them. Their mood had clearly gone up when he told them that he adored them more than anyone else in the world. Of course, Taiyou understood the reason. He said that precisely because, in actuality, he loved them the most. Taiyou-san, how much do you love us? I love you more than yesterday. I love you more than anyone else. Heeey Taiyou-san, can I ask you one selfish thing? How about two things? Ah, would three be okay? Well arent you selfish. But go ahead. Taiyou laughed, egging them on. Is it alright if we keep these on at school? Of course. Its to keep other males away after all. Is it alright if we brag about getting these from you, Taiyou-san? Sure you can, but if you dilly dally then Imma do it firrrst! Could you put the rings on us in front of everyone? That isnt too difficult. Could Koto-chan, Suzu-chan and I exchange our rings sometimes? If anything, please do. Cause its probably something that only you guys can do. They made lovers talk under the moonlight. Depending on who saw them, they might very well just dismiss them as being lovebirds without a care in the world. That was just how Taiyou and the sisters felt. Today, more than yesterday. Right now, more than a second ago. Taiyou was always seeking to become more and more in love with his partners, and this was still continuing in real time. This very moment when he put the rings on them was the most bliss moment he had ever had with them from the moment he met them. Chapter 306 – Inside and Outside Taiyou ran into the schools nurses room and found a pained Youran atop a bed with Kohaku caring for her beside. Youran! Hey, dont shout so, husband. She said in a silent, emotionless tone. Taiyou calmed down a bit and groaned without thinking. He shut the door behind him as he walked inside, stood next to the bed, and looked down at Youran. I heard she passed outis she okay? Shes fine. The nurse and a doctor already looked at her, and they said its just fatigue. Shell get better if she rests. Fatigue He whispered, yet felt relieved. All of the tension that prompted him to burst into the room had dissipated. You look relieved, Taiyou. You must have been quite worried. Well, Im always worried about Youran. Shes the one out of all of you thats the most tied up by various things. Youre right. Shes got troubles at home and abroad, that she cant find peace from. At home and abroad? It wasnt a phrase he was used to hearing, so he took a breath and thought it over. I know abroad, but what do you meanat home? She doesnt have anyone fighting her at home. Youre right about that. So? She has no enemies here. Taiyou was silent. Kohaku was speaking in a roundabout way again, and he tried to make sense of it. Well, fatigue is fatigue, Taiyou. Shes still struggling, so give her a while to rest and shell be okay. Kohaku said and stood up. Kohaku? Ill take my leave. You should be here, so that when she awakens, youll be beside her. Thats the best medicine. I see. Taiyou nodded and sat down on the chair beside Youran. After Kohaku left, Taiyou simply sat in the room, watching over her. Her graceful face was flushed red, she moaned now and then, and since her brow was wet with sweat, Taiyou wiped it off when he could. Home and abroadhuh. He gave up trying to figure out what Kohaku had meant by home. He thought that nothing really serious was happening in his own house, even if anything did. Kotone, Suzune, Kazane, Kohaku, Youran, Akiha. And Taiyou. There was no reason for anyone to feel bad about his family. He thought that nothing would rise to the level of becoming a problem, even if there was an issue. The problems were all abroad. Although if the Juunishimas have problems outside of my family, Id like to be of help, but He prayed that he could always be a physical way to resolve any problems she might have, as he looked over her. Soon after that, she opened her eyes. Itsyou. You wokegood. Go back to sleep. He stopped her from trying to prop herself up, so she just continued lying in the bed. Iwhy You passed out from fatigue. oh Do you know why? lack of sleep. Youran quietly answered, as if she accepted the answer. It didnt seem that she was lying. When she lied, she seemed much cooler and more composed. Lack of sleep? So you have a lot to take care of outside our family? Not really. I mean, theres a lot to do, but its nothing difficult. But you have to take care of all of it yourself. Only the final decisions, Im not doing all the other stuff I used to Used to must mean before she became one of Taiyous wives. It was a time when she not only ruled over other people, but she would also disguise herself and liked to leave her palace and do whatever she wanted until she was satisfied. She was a different girl back then. But you ended up like this. Im fine, Ill be back to 100 percent in a bit. Maybe its because youre working too much for me? theres no way Id do that. I guess youre right. I told you I wouldnt. Sure. She said it almost as if Taiyou was a child. It had been a while since Youran had joined the Juunishimas. She had always been with Taiyou. This girl who was given the great name of Shingetsu no Kami of the Juunishima, as she was number two in the rulers of over a million people in Juunishima, and was a ruler. Of course she had a massive amount of work. She was the type of woman that was completely focused on her work, so much so that she would get sucked into it, and since she was so serious about the work she wouldnt let it go, she had hit her limit trying to perform both roles. It was basically a simple story. You should let some other people take over for you. They cant decide those things unless theyre me. Really? Not even other Juunishima family members? Members? Like Sakura? Why would you mention her? Shes your sister, though from a different mother. He said, and she froze up, angry. Youre not going to say anything? No, but I cant trust her at all. Because she could become an enemy? Shes ALREADY an enemy. Youran Shes an enemy. She turned her face away. She turned almost as if looking away in complete objection to him. He sighed a bit and put his hand under her chin and turned it to him. Hey, what are you trying to do? You said that youd make me the king of Juunishima before. why do you bring that up? If so, then listen to my order, and give more of the work over to Sakura. But Youran. He took on a stronger tone, and looked straight at her. Give her the work to do. no matter what? Yes, at least so that you dont pass out from exhaustion, I know youre overworked, and it makes me anxious. Okay, if you say so She said in a pleading way. He silently sighed again. Even though it sounded like he was asking too much from her, it was also clear that she didnt understand why. But she still responded as if she did. At least, to be honest, I need you to give some things to others to do so you dont get hurt. Why? Dont you understand that something bad will happen to you if you dont? something bad? Youran seemed to wince, and then he said, worried, It happens all the time. Like the father that works so hard, when he comes home his own kid asks the mom Whos this old man? thats the course youre on right now. No way! If it happens in our family, think about it. Whenever one of the wives has a kid, theyre going to ask it about you, right? Kotone, Suzune, Kazane, Kohaku, Aoba, Akihaall of them. I dont know anything about those new wives. Ok, then what if Aoba has kids Um We all raise the kids together. The kids look at all the wives as her mother. But then theyll see you as some unknown woman. No they wont! Youran sat straight up. Taiyou didnt want to have to say all this, and now Yourans face was pale. And in addition What? You can spend more time with whoever you give the extra work to. Hearing this, her pale face suddenly turned red. Chapter 307 – Dear Master What are you saying, spouse?! Huh? You dont want to spend more time with her? That She began to speak, but then seemed to stumble over her words. THATS NOT TRUE! Is what she had started to say, but then realized she wasnt totally against it. She moved her lips like a goldfish, unable to find the correct words. Taiyou sat down next to her, and squished her cheeks with his fingers. You knowtheres something I was always wondering. W, what? Why are you calling me spouse all the time? Huh? Like what are you saying, spouse, are you being stupid, spouse, I really HATE YOU SPOUSE, and so on. Ive never said the last one! She denied as strongly as possible. It was cute, so Taiyou softly smiled at her. Really? Well, whatever, thats not a big a detail as you calling me spouse all the time. But you always call me you, instead. Well, yeah, if youre right in front of me, I do. Otherwise I always use your name. What do you do? Like if youre talking to Kohaku and Im not there and something about me comes into your conversation. Um Like, do you say, that guy, or something? Well I mean, its no big deal to me, do whatever, but you could be a little more intimate when you talk to me. Well, I dont know what to say to that. Youran puffed out her cheeks a bit and turned her face away. Her face was flushed red, and where Taiyou touched her was hot. She must have been quite embarrassed. Well, let me give you an example, and you can think it over. Example? For example, I usually call you Youran when youre not around, but maybe Ill call you Ran-chan instead from now on? RRan-chan? Or maybe Yuri-chanlike Hera calls you. Stopreally, I want you to stop. Or maybe Shingetsu-sama? I dont like that either. You really are stubborn. Then Ran-tan? Even worse. My lovely angel Ran-tan Why do you call me Ran-tan?! I guess you dont like stuff like that, huh? Usually Kohaku or Hera would get into conversation like this, Taiyou thought, laughing. Well, lets stop joking then. Just think it over. I just dont want us talking like some kind of old couple already. Youran stretched out and looked up at Taiyou. She looked totally changed, with silent eyes. She must be thinking it over, Taiyou thought as he looked her over. They looked into each others eyes, quietly, for a time. Finally, Youran opened her mouth to speak. If you call me like that, you wont mind? Hm? Taiyou looked at her, confused, wondering what she meant. Im okay with anything. Yeah What, what is it that you want me to call you? Well Say it! Say it, and Ill see how I feel about it. No, nothingnever mind. Ill think of something else. Yooouran She tried to turn away from him, but he put both arms around her and turned her back. He looked straight in her eyes and said, Tell me. Ya She seemed to squirm, uncomfortably. She must be extremely embarrassed to say it, and she was genuinely flustered. Seeing that made Taiyou even more intent on hearing what she had to say. What was she thinking about? He had to know. He got on the bed, crawled over her, and looked down on her. Say it Uh If you dontIm going to do something really crazy. Rreally crazy? He saw her gulp, silently. Yeah, like carry you in my arms and run in the city marathon or something. Whaaaaa? Yeah, even holding you I think I could finish a complete marathon. Well, even holding you, still, all the other runners would do so well, maybe the running and holding you wouldnt have enough impact. It would! It would be embarrassing. Its fine, dont worry. I wouldnt be embarrassed. You SHOULD BE! Maybe I shouldmaybe if I wore just underwear with panties over my face, and then with your wrists tied together, I could run the marathon? I guess that would have enough impact, right? Stop that! If you do something like that, Id die of embarrassment! Then you need to go ahead and say it! Um So you really dont want to tell me? II cant. She glared at him, a bit scared. You were just threatening me, right? You embarrassing me like that in front of others, theres no way youd do something like that. Yeah, not in front of other people Right?! Well, then let me change my approach. Huh? She was confused. He kissed her. Not on her mouth, but just below it. He had kissed her softly on the chin. Wwhat are you doing? Kissing youright? Whyare you doing that? Heh heh He laughed, and kissed her again. Not on the lips, but this time a little off, just on the corner of her mouth. Why are you doing that to me, spouse? Its a kiss, right? But why there? I can keep going With that, he rained down kisses on her. First on her chin and the side of her mouth, her cheeks and the tip of her nose, beside her eyes and temples, and all the places around her face. The sound of kisses filled the nurses office. Her face was covered in a rain of kisses, but there was only one place that he didnt kiss her. Her lips. He continued kissing her, purposefully avoiding her lips. At first it just seemed strange, but after a bit it seemed a switch in her was thrown, and she desired him to kiss her. Even so, he avoided her lips. He completely avoided them, as he kissed her for over 30 minutes. Heyplease Hm? Kisskiss me I amkissing you. Thats not what I meankiss me where youreavoiding kissing me. She was begging him. She had totally fallen into the mood. As he lay above her, he now looked down at her again. Thensay what you were going to say. Um If you do, Ill kiss you. I will, but promise youll kiss me Then say it. My dear Master! Wha? Kiss memy dear Master. He was a bit surprised by her reaction Chapter 308 – Pursuing Husband Wwhat did you say? Please She said it in a pleading voice, not a normal one. Her eyes were soft, and somehow they had lost their strong logical look to them. He had pushed her to this state, but now he looked at her with a furrowed brow. All of this, all of herbegginghad an immense strength over him. Master, dear Master, my Master The same words, repeated like a broken record. She wasnt trying to anger him, and in fact, he had wanted to hear her say it. He kissed her lips with a long kiss. She exhaled with a long breath, and seemed to lose her strength. He sat up and gripped her wrist and drew her up to him. He looked down at her, half-risen, and held her there, looking at her eyes and after a moment seeing the light come back into them. He let his vision wander over her, and then he pulled her close. Her face turned so red that he could almost hear it. Nooo! Wait! Wait! He grabbed the girl quickly before she could get away, and pulled her back. He could tell she was about to run, so he was able to respond quickly. Stop! Let me go! Nothings going to happen if you run away, its better if you just hit me and I forgot everything that happened. Uh She stopped struggling as she understood that it was meaningless for her to run away. Lets talk it over, talk, and well figure it out. Um First, Did you really mean it? Calling me dear Master and all? I cant tell if you dont say anythingbut, I mean, if I think it over He put his hand on his chin, looked up, and pondered it. Suddenly, he realized that there was a sign to what the girl had done. She had said that he would become the king of Juunishima, and said that her dear friend Leticia would become a slave to him. She thought about that as normal. A king and a slave, she had that firmly planted in her mind. Juunishimaand Leticia Youran jolted in surprise. He knew that she had said something that made him understand what the statement meant, to the end. Youve projected all of your hopes on me. Youran? She had turned away and was now looking down, and wouldnt answer. He could see tears welling up in the corner of her eye. Her face looked like she would burst into tears. Hey, hey, dont cry. II dont have hopes like that! She lifted her face, and told him. That was the face of Shingetsu no Kami that he hadnt seen in a while. It had actually been months since he had seen it. She hadnt shown it to him since she had become his wife. It made him remember that nostalgic time before marriage. ..!! Whoa Youran took both hands and shoved him back. In the moment that he thought about how nostalgic and beautiful it all was, she had shoved him away from her. She got out of the bed, and ran out of the room. Youran! He stood up, and chased her from the nurses room, but since she was running with all her might, he couldnt tell where she had run down the corridors. Hey, hey, hurry up, Hera! Tah dah! As soon as Taiyou summoned her, she appeared, spinning in the air. What is it Taiyou-chan? Youve got the face of a husband whose wife just ran out on him, desu! What kind of face is that? A little too specific there! He shouted, and then asked Hera, Do you know where Youran is? You mean Yuri-chan? Yeah, shes below. Below? Yes, desu. Down there. Hera pointed and he could see an open window. He ran up to it and could see the shape of a twin-tailed girl running at full speed from the school. He looked at the school below. A water pipe was bent a bit, probably where she had landed and jumped off. So she bounced off of that thing? Did Yuri-chan run from you? Yeah. Hmshe looks desperate. Running downstairs and not upstairs means shes serious, desu. Taiyou frowned. She really ran from him, and that kind of disturbed him. He spun on his heel and ran down the staircase. Hera, with her gleeful voice, asked while she followed beside him, Taiyou, did something happen to Yuri-chan? Something? I dont think I did anything, but So nothing? If I had to say something, I guess we were just being affectionate with each other. Just like usual, Taiyou-chan, but youre a little too rough for Yuri-chan. Too rough for Youran? Yes, desu! I mean, Yuri-chan hides a lot of things from you Something you know about? I do, but I cant tell you, desu. You cant say? Yes, desu. It would be like taking all the dirty books you hide under your bed and putting it on the bookshelf, desu. Thats an easy to understand example. He went down one floor, and ran out of the school. Through Heras navigation, he was able to get back on the trail behind Youran. She had lied and fled, jumped out of the window in a hurry, and was able to get quite a bit of distance ahead of him, but Taiyou had much more than a normal persons speed. Even if he had to pull a cart or had something loaded on his shoulders, he was much faster than Youran. So he quickly caught up to her. He came face to face with her at the river banks under the Hirose Ohashi bridge that connected Seikaen and Oritachi. Huff.huff I caught up to you Youran was panting heavily for air, while Taiyou wasnt winded at all. Even though he knew that when she ran, he could quickly catch up and get her again, he was still cautious as he approached her. Even if you run from meyou know you cant get far. Thats not trueI Did you run thinking youd never see me again? !! She opened her eyes and looked shocked. Thats why you ran away, right? I told you that it would be better if you just hit me and cleared all my memories away. No matter how much you run, you still said that to me, and I wont forget it now. Lets talk it over, instead. Nothing to talk about. Well, let me say, Im going to keep asking until you finally tell me. Youre my wife, regardless. Ill chase you down whenever you flee. Ugh Youran seemed to tear up, and said, Why cant you just ignore me for once, you can do that, right? I could, but somehow, it seems Ive heard the real you finally speak. Thats not true! It isI bulliedI mean, pushed you far enough, and now Ive heard the real you. And everything that happened up to nowthat was your true voice. I see, well I wont ask the reason. Wha? She was shaken again, hes going to push me this far and then back offher face seemed to say. I wont ask why, it doesnt matter at all. Whats important is the fact that you wanted to call me that. Really? Dear Master. !! Call me Master. If you want to call me that, then do it all youd like. Icant call you that though Chapter 309 – Raid Why? Because She clasped her lips together, and remained quiet. I see, then well do this What? Do you want to call me that, or not? I told you, I just cant call you Thats not what Im talking about. Im just asking you what you want, thats all. Well She held her tongue again, but she looked a bit different than before. Now that he had given her conditions that could only be answered with a yes or no, her appearance seemed to change a bit. That appearance, and the fact that he had thought it wasnt necessary to ask for the reason for everything that had happened up until now led Taiyou to simply wait for her answer. One minute passed, and Taiyou still waited. Three minutes passed, and Youran was still silent. Five minutes passed, and it all began to be entertaining in a way. Finally, after a long silence and both having lost track of how long they waited, Iwant to She had finally given him her answer. I see. But, I cant call you that. I meanits strange for someone like me to call you that. I know. He kind of knew why, and so he nodded. One couldnt think of a girl like Youran, whether she was in her twintail mode or her Shingetsu mode, calling someone like Taiyoudear master. However, On the other hand, I think its better that you did. What? I dont really care either way, even if it is strange. But it wont get you in trouble, so why not? ButI have to think of my role Youre my wife, what other role is there? Her eyes popped open wide. Whats with that look? Why do you have to say it that strongly?! Of all the nerve! Why? I thought I was always like this. Youran cocked her head in thought, but didnt shake it in denial, she just continued to stare at Taiyou, wide-eyed. You want to call me like that, right? Then do it. Dont just get blown around like a leaf. Blown around? Yeah, the fact that you want to call me master. Do you want to call me it as my maid, or as my slave? You said you want Leticia to end up as my slave, so I was thinking that, but I may be wrong. If I say it, will you treat me like that? Ive already decided. What? Hearing this made her eyes open wide again. Ive decided to fulfill your wishes up until you say stop or to leave it alone. Even with something difficult. Even if you want to act the maid or the slave, youll still be mine, so nothing changes. Nothing? Nothing. He answered quickly and nodded. Nothing changes, yes, he had said that. Nothingstrangely enoughwould change with him. Really? Really. You wont dislike it? I might for a bit. !! Dont pout about it! He took her hand. Even so, Ill do it, because it is my wifes request. Dont dislike it then. No guarantees. Then I wont say it. Then I will guarantee it. He quickly responded it her. WHICH ONE?! Ways and means. If I can put your mind at ease, then Ill do anything. I might have to change my principles a bit, even if I have to lie Youre making no sense! Thats how it goes. Youre one dirty girl. ! You know WHAT? Dont make She stamped her feet several times to make the point. FUN OF ME! You dont change at all. Even with everything you get saddled with, you wont say a thing about it. Thats why you get so pissed off when people joke with you. Thats not true. I mean, its cute, but if you run away every time it happens, it begins to make me worry. I wonder if you can promise me that you wont run away. You can kick or punch me, shoot me or even blow me away with a rocket launcher instead. but those dont affect you. In exchange, promise me you wont run. She went silent again, but this time she opened her mouth again quicker, Then !! As soon as she opened her mouth, he moved right beside her with a stomp. Under the Hirose bridge, on the rivers banks. A strange group of men, 10 in total, suddenly appeared. They were all holding weapons and cracking their knuckles, and it looked like they werent friendly. Who the hell are you? They had no answer. But they were hostile. You looked so cute too. You really have some nerve! Youran said, changing from her fidgeting, girlish ways back to a more stately princess. She knew that she needed to relax, now that she was in front of an enemy. Well, compared to Shirokiyami. Youre right. You know who these guys are? You? Nope. Ive got so many enemies, I can never tell. Right. He nodded, understanding. So Yeah? What I was just saying, dont run away anymore. If you run into something like this, even if you run from the frying pan youre going to end up in the fire. Please? okay. She said silently. He smiled at her, and then let go of her hand. Hera. Ta dah dah! Oh, what have we here? Search around here and make sure no ones going to ambush us. Yes, desu! There arein fact, youre surrounded, desu. How many? About 50 in total, desu. I see, seems theyve prepared. He said with a smile. Well, they wont last long. Chapter 310 – A Kiss Yes or No It only took him five minutes to beat all the assailants up. He blasted all those standing in front of him with a massive kick, and then asked Hera to point out where all those hiding where, and then attacked them before they could face him. Because there were so many standing together, he was able to knock them down with on attack, but upon looking at his fallen enemies, he cocked his neck in confusion. Strange What is? These guys have guns. They do, and silencers toothey were prepared. No, seems the opposite. What? Youran opened her eyes wide in confusion. Taiyou picked up one gun that was dropped, put it up to his temple, and pulled the trigger. The sound of the silencer and the bullet that emerged both quickly were stifled, as the bullet fell harmlessly to the ground. I seethose guns cant hurt you anyway. Taiyou-chans special ability stops all long distance attacks. But, maybe they brought them to attack me? Just before, this guy Taiyou kicked an unconscious foe up into the air. He had fallen belly down, and now went up, hit the ground and rolled over on his back. He shot me with his gun, and then was surprised it had no effect. that is a little strange. Have you ever been attacked like this before? He asked her the same question that he did before he fought them. Since the conditions now had changed, he wanted to ask again. Hey, are there any other guys here? None, Yuri-chan. Can you look a little farther, like about a kilometer radius? I already did, theres no one like these guys here, desu. So theyre all beaten. I dont know them TaiyouIve never seen people this weak before. I see. Cant do much more then. Hera, keep your level of caution up for a little bit, okay? Roger. Well, then. He looked at Youran again. In order to get back the feeling they were having before the assault, he looked at her fiercely. Back to what we were talking about, just stop running. Even if you do run, you might hit a group like this, and then it will be a tragedy for both of us. Please. okay. She nodded, albeit shyly. It was because they were both attacked, so she seemed quite obedient to his request. Well, then. What? Taiyou said the same line again. Youran was surprised, what could it all meanher face said, but she soon understood. The conversation was about to go back on topic before the running plea. A maid or a slave, that topic. He noticed that she had noticed. He took her hand, as if preparing to embrace her, and looked straight at her. He said nothing, but pleaded with his eyes. Which onethey said. Yourans face seemed troubled, and though she was a very temperamental girl, she thought about what he was asking her. After a moment, her beautiful face seemed to express a multitude of emotions. can I really tell you? Do I need to get on my hands and knees? Stop mocking me, stupid! I mean it. Im willing to do it if you tell me the truthonce, twice, three, four, five, six, seven times Thats too many! Yeah, it is, desu. I mean, youre going to do the same thing over and over again, so I have to force you until you finally do it. Ugh Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan Hm? Kohakus analyzed why Yuri-chan is doing all this. Huh? Kohaku did? Youran frowned. Um, what she really wants is for you to fawn on SHUT UPPP!!! She shouted in a loud voice, and interrupted Hera. Why are you shouting all a sudden? Nothing! I mean, DONT LISTEN! Huh? What, did Kohaku get it right? NO! Shes TOTALLY WRONG! Wrong, but so wrong its to the level of defamation of CHARACTER! Really? He looked at Hera. I know nothing about it, desu. I see, then next time I see Kohaku, Ill ask NO YOU WONT! IF YOU DO, ITS DIVORCE! Ill go back to my family! That would suck. Taiyou made a pained smile. They had good times and bad, but there was no way he would let them divorce. Okay, I wont ask her. Not about that. Butyou should know. So? There was a reason that she wanted him to know. He simply looked at her, while she was opening and closing her mouth over and over, as she wondered how she could tell him this. So he decided to push her a bit. Okay, Ill give you an easy yes or no choice. Choice? Yes, and Im going to kiss you. He grinned at her shocked face. Im going to give you a light kiss, then you can decide. If you want to be a slave, slick your tongue in. If you want to be a maid, suck in my tongue. Are you ready? He looked straight at her, and waited for her to agree. She nodded shyly, and blushed. He put his hand under her chin and raised her head. Either way, Ill love you the same. He said, and then their lips met. Chapter 311 – Promise Number Two The two kissed under the dim moonlight. The autumn wind had a tinge of cold, but the heat of their two bodies were shared even through their clothes. He pulled the shivering Youran close into his arms. Are you cold? Yes, but Im okay. I see. Ummaster? As if she wanted to see his reaction, she looked up into his eyes, and asked him with a tone of trepidation. Because it was only a few times that he had heard her say that, it was still fresh, and Taiyou enjoyed it. Hm, what is it? Areyou really okay with it? With what? Me calling you like that. Why would I have a problem? BecauseIm Shingetsu no I see. Hearing that, he nodded. I think Im okay with it in front of all the wives, but calling you thatcalling you master in front of others is going to make me feel weird. Then just use it when you want to. Thatsimpossible. Youran looked down and pursed her lips. He was wondering why it was impossible, and then, in that instant, I canthold back She seemed so cute having to explain it all, that he couldnt hold back now, and squeezed her tightly. Kyaa! Youre so freaking cute!! C, cute? What are you saying, Im Well, you have no problem with that, right? Of course I do! You know who I amShingetsu no Kami, right? I lead over a million people as the ruler of Juunishima. But, youre going to make me king, right? Well I mean, its not a big deal to me What do you mean, not a big deal If you call me that, I dont know if Ill be happy or not. You want to, right? Then do it. Youre just resolving a problem then. Yeah, right. Just solving a problem, right. Whats with that blank look? hmph. Then Youran started laughing. Hmhah hah hahahah. Why the laughing all of a sudden? I cant believe youd say something like that so easily. Well, its not a big deal to me. Things just end up the way they are. Yeah, youre right. She pushed her face into his chest, and meekly said, Thank you, I may not be cute, but love me forever, okay, master? Sure. He nodded and held her closer. After a moment, he remembered something. He held her away from him as she looked at him a bit taken aback. I wanted to give you something. Something for me? Yeah, I was going to give it to the others too, but I have to give this to you first. I dont know what you mean, what do you meanmaster? First, here. Taiyou said, and took out a ring case from his pocket, and held it before her. Youran realized what the contents of this box was from the moment he held it out to her, and her face flushed red. Isthis? Half rightits a ring. With that, he opened the case with a clink. It was the same ring he had given Kotone and the others. Seeing it made her face light up beautifully, just like he expected Youran to do. Then she remembered the way that Taiyou had phrased his response to her, and she asked, half rightwhat does that mean? It is a ring, since I wanted to give you a marriage ring, so at least you got that half right. And the other half? Its from Sakura, created with the Blood Soul. Suddenly her countenance changed to something like anger or caution, or perhaps, confusion. It was a face with a descriptionless expression. Why do you have something like that, master? She gave it to me. Why? The previous Blood Soul was the bloodthirsty magic sword, right? You know a lot. Youran responded, as he told her the same story that Sakura told him. The by-product of the Blood Soul was not blood, but the ability to channel ones thoughts into power. With that power in a ring, she had given it to Taiyou. He revealed it to Youran directly without keeping it a secret as he did to the other wives. There you go. I see it as a lifesaver. If this works as expected, then theres nothing else that you all need. Well, I guess so. If it works as you say. Youran took the case in her hands, looking at the ring from different angles. Thats what they told me at least. Its not a physical thing, but as research into the soul or spirit has progressed, one can turn desires into power, the spell casting division of Juunishima told me. Different from the other one. Really? Since you gave it to me master, Ill wear it, but But? I guess I want a real wedding ring too Sure. He laughed and drew her close again. Ill make sure to get one. Ill get one for all seven of you. Just take this as a substitute, until then. Okayso could you She looked the case over again and put it out for Taiyou to take. mastercould you put it on me? She asked him meekly again, so he took out the ring, and put it on the ring finger of her left hand. Chapter 312 – Shopping Together This is it. Taiyou took a step into the club. A cold, unique smell of air conditioning and cigarettes struck his nose. In the store, everyone started looking at him. The reason was the loli baba that was hanging from his arm, walking with him. They were a strange couple tossed amidst the racket that these kids were making. Kohaku looked like a girl of 10 years, but she put off a very strong presence. Everyones looking at you like crazyjust like my husband to attract such attention. No, I think theyre all looking at you. I dont think I could have all the girls faces stuck on me like they do to youyoure the center of attention. Thats a smooth way to say it. Taiyou made a pained smile, and then composed himself. He looked over the place and quickly found his objective. There was a strange presence among the youngsters having fun. The had a presence about them and also radiated strength. There they are. Kohaku said. The two headed to the group together. At the table in the farthest part of the room from the door, three boys were sitting. Taiyou stood before the table and looked down at them. Who the hell are you? The guy on the left said, suspiciously, while giving off a natural hostility. You got a thick skull. What? What are you tryin to say? I have something to tell you, come here a second. Or rather, we have something to ask, right, Taiyou? What the hell are you talkin about? Get out of here with that girl, punk! All three of them glared at him with harsh words and an angry look. Taiyou glared right back at them all. The marble table in front of them went crack and split. Crack, crumble, crumble. He pulled back his open hand, and the table crumbled into peices before them. The boys appearances changed completely. They were shakenand afraid. All the others around backed up like a ripple spreading over a lake. Their enthusiastic mood was replaced by cold silence. I have something to ask you. Could I talk to you a second? speak here. The boy in the center silently said. All of these others are my crewif they hear it they wont get angry. Ok, then Ill tell you straight. Could you leave this town, now? WHAT?! What the hell did you say?! Clank, the boys on the left and right stood suddenly, and everyone else was talking amongst themselves as well. I wont ask how, you can do it on your own, you can move your whole base. But I want you to leave Oritachi, Seikaen, and Gohroku. You bastard The guy on the left suddenly went to grab Taiyous collar. Too slow. A sudden strike. Taiyous uppercut struck the guy in the chin. He was lifted off the ground. Oooh, he went right through the ceiling, Taiyou! Just like my husband! Asshole! The right guy now followed with a punch. Taiyou slid away and punched the guy in the side of the face. He spun in the air like a windmill. Donka crassshhhhhh! The guy fell straight into the remains of the table. The two guys were down in an instant, and everyone around was shouting. Everyone in the store scurried away from Taiyou like spiders. There were only 10 or so left inside. They all looked hostile and were glaring at Taiyou. On the other hand, Kohaku was latched on to Taiyou calmly, and began to speak, Theres a lot that decided to hang around. This is how much we expected from the beginning, right? Yeah, but I thought theyd ALL run away. Theyd be scared of how violent you are, husband. Dont call me violentthat word hurts me. Then maybe you should call yourself Mr. Tyrant? Hello, hes Mr. Tyrant everyone! Dont come up with weird jokes, Kohaku. Taiyou said with a pained smile. Since Kohaku and his conversation was comical, they seemed calm and composed. This made the people around them even angrier. All of them glared at Taiyou at even a more intense level. So youre the leader? He turned and address the one seated youth behind the broken table. I see. So youre thinking you can beat us all alone. There are two of us. You dont need to count the little girl. Okay. Kohakus eyes shimmered. Taiyou wondered what was making her so happy, but ignored her for now. Then he turned and told the youth once more. Ill say it again. You need to leave this town. Sorry, I cant do that. No matter what? No matter what. The youth said clearly. I see, well, then I have no choice. I have to force you out. hah The youth put out his hands and cracked his knuckles. That instant, inside the store and out, there was a wave of people. It seemed that the amount of people in the store multiplied. Well, well, more like 40 now. Seems like quite a few stayed. What will you do, Taiyou? Just step away from me, Kohaku. hee hee She happily continued to cling on to him. Her body clung to him as if to say that even if he told her to leave, she would ignore him. Stop messing with us! Taiyou could see a silent flame of anger burn in the eyes of the leader. It burned, but Taiyou didnt move a muscle. Chapter 313 – Loli-Baba These guys dont listen to sense. Kohaku said as she continued to cling on to Taiyou. No need for them to listen to sense. In order to clean this town up, I need to make this place a safe area for others to live. Thats all I really need to do. Youre right, and since Ive got front row seats to this event, you better show me an impressive scene of your bravery, husband. Thanks for the support. Taiyou said, and looked around him. Just a few dozen minutes ago, the place was alive with conversation, but now it had descended into shouts and screams. Almost all of those he had beaten down still had their consciousness, and because of that, their shouts still rang out. Since I beat up about 30 of these guys alone, it seems that I cant be beat by anyone. Was that enough of a show for you? Hm, a little less than expected. If you couldnt be beaten by anyone, Id expect you to kick at least 100 guys asses first. I dont understand your standards C the numbers you come up with dont make any sense. Taiyou made a pained smile. He couldnt do anything about the number of enemies she had expected. Since he had beaten everyone that had come at him, the rest lost their will to fight, but he still went after all of them and kicked their asses as well. Even with all the unrelated people in the store from the beginning, there was never more than 50 people there. There was no way he could impress Kohaku with 100. Here, you guys. Can you shadow clone yourselves? If you can clone three shadows for each of you then my husband will finally be able to beat my expectations. Dont ask for so much. Who the hell makes a shadow clone just so someone can thrash it? Well, then, my standards were all for nothing. Standards? Taiyou tilted his head in confusion. What the hell kind of standards was she talking about? Yes, standards that live up to last night, when I practiced thinking Man, my husband is strong after you fought like a juggernaut. Now it all seems to be for nothing. What the hell kind of practice is that? Use your time more wisely! An old woman doesnt have much time left for other things. Just the way you said that was weird. What way? Ruff! Please speak like a normal person. Ok! Ruff! Thats not normal! are you really getting excited lately or something, Kohaku? You found out. Of course. For you to be undefeatable with me clinging onmy husband truly is strong. So I guess you do think Im undefeatable. Even though he said it sarcastically, he still felt happy about her comment. She said she had spent a whole night practicing, and now her words, My husband is strong, had a strange force to them, and it filled his heart. Even though it was just a set phrase of hers, it really affected him. It felt good, and he wanted to hear it over and over. At least, thats what he thought. And trying to hide what he felt, he looked around the store once again. Well, looks like were done here, but I should leave a message or something. Good idea. This territory in Oritachi is all mine so I kicked the Jagado gangs asses all myself, that way it has some appeal to it. It will help your famous name become even bigger as the rumors fly. Is there a good way to tell them? You can beat them until they get up, and then beat the crap out of them until theyre run out of town. A little too harsh, dont you think? What are you saying, husband? Kohaku sneered at him. Thats the most basic of basic. You have to do something practical, high class, legendary like that or else. A little scary thoughand just in case I didnt get itwhats practical about it? Well, itspractical She beckoned him closer and Taiyou leaned in, She whispered and told him. She nodded, and just after that she said to him in a loud voiceas if she wanted the others to hear. If you want my second best plan, then you can play whack-a-mole. Until you get these guys out of town, you just beat them up as you find them, and keep going until they all run away. Youre mixing moles with gangsters. But, Taiyou did think this was a pretty good plan. He thought and nodded, and after hearing Kohakus words, the gangsters all around him reacted with an Eeek! Not out of pain, but out of fear. It was just as Kohaku planned, so he thought it worked well. Well, then lets get out of here. Sure, lets go to the next group of thugs place. Kohaku looked over the store and laughed. Sweetly. Even though she looked so young, she still gave off a very powerful erotic feel, and said, When we do find the thugs, if you see one you have to beat three of them, okay? Taiyou was taken aback. That erotic feel. All of the thugs around crawled away, in fear. Eroticism and fear, and able to command both at the same time. The loli-baba, eternal little. Kohaku Azumaya. And again, with her awesomeness filling Taiyous eyes, she turned to him and he said, Youre really something, Kohaku. You should think before you say that line to me. Its not a line. The way you say it, how threateningly, its just how I feel. Hm? What do you mean? Maybe, youre not doing it intentionally? HmI guess the erotic threatening was done purposefully. Really? She said it so calmly, as Taiyou grimaced again. Chapter 314 – Siblings Inside the room, the most noticeable thing was the door frame where the gangster greeting Jingi was written. This was hugely displaced on the wall behind the official desk, and it made one wonder what kind of place this was. Taiyou stepped up to the desk as he was visiting the places boss, Enya Kirisaki. Enya sat looking up while Taiyou stood looking down. He was a man that had just reached 30, while the other was a teen still in high school. They were both men. The only other one there was the loli baba Kohaku, who stood in his shadow like a cat hiding behind him. Im listening, Taiyou Natsuno. You really messed things up, didnt you? It wasnt a big deal. Ive heard youve sent most of this towns outlaws to the hospital already. Enya said with a smile. Taiyou didnt know where that smile came from, but he aimed to find out. So why are you here, Taiyou? Are you planning to do the same to our Kirisaki Gang? I dont want to have to. Well, I dont have to yet. Then tell me why. I dont want you to bother my womenno matter what. Arent you going to tell me to leave the city? It seems that Enya had already heard the story from the other thugs. It had only taken Taiyou a few hours to get rid of the Jagaro gang after beating them up, so he knew what was going on. Taiyou was silently astonished. I guess you heard it already from the other groups telling you what Ive done? Those guys were just low level thugs, though. Oh Enyas brow twitched a bit. So what happens if I refuse? Then Ill have to show you my true power. So I guess it all leads to that, then. The first choice and the final means. Thats the difference. Taiyou took a breath and continued. I know about the Kirisaki Group of Oritachi, even knew about them as a kid. Famous, and famously bad. Thats why I dont want to make a big deal about you. Also Also? I thought that a man worth his salt could see how much he stands to make or lose. Enya simply sat, looking, and saying nothing. Almost as if he could see through Taiyoustraight ahead. Taiyou looked back without shrinking back. No way to look scared, no need to look scared. Thats what he thought as he looked back. I see. Well if I accept your conditions, then you must accept mine. What? Conditions? Become a brother of mine what? He was a bit surprised, so his reaction was slow. He showed a bit of his true nature as he recoiled with a slightly stupid look. He talked over what had happened with Kohaku. Unlike those thugs that hung out here and there in town, this was a real yakuza that was all about business, or at least thats what Kohaku said. He was her husband, but he trusted Kohaku, as much as he could. Because of that, Kohaku and he had a detailed discussion, that they should have some exchange of profits with him to make him leave. If it was just the Kirisaki Group then Taiyou could make do. Even if Taiyou thrashed them, then their bosses would come to get Taiyou and it would mean trouble. So, he decided to let the problem go amicably. But all that was destroyed at once by Kirisakis words. It had gone farther than Kohaku and he had discussed. Taiyou was lost. How about it? How about it If you become one of us, then you can lead your own group, and your girl will be above them too. Then even if those thugs try to mess with your girls theyll have protection. Well He frowned and pondered it. Everything he had heard about the yakuza was pretty much fiction, so he didnt know if it was true. However, with what he knew, Kirisaki was probably right, and he could make his plan happen. Are you for real? Im not going to joke around with some high school kid. If I stooped to doing something like that, Id look like a fool. What is it? Taiyou was lost and couldnt decide. It was a development he couldnt settle in his mind. And as soon as he wondered what he should do, He felt someone behind him. It was much stronger than Kohaku, who was always behind him already. Kohaku said nothing. She didnt even look back. There was no change from when they entered, just her standing behind Taiyou. Just there. Just thatand that was all. (Kohaku) It made him feel great that he could depend on her that much. She was his wife, and his friend, and a teacher in a waythis Kohaku. He remembered all the time they spent together, and he tried to simulate what Kohaku would do in this instance. His heart was swayed, and he in an instant he regrounded himself. He opened his mouth and said with a jest. I dont care about being your brother, but I do want half. He said, and Enya made a strange face, he was surprised that Taiyou had said what he did. But then he suddenly looked interested. You really say what you want. I have my pride as well. Ill split it 80/20 or else no deal. Dont you think youre debasing my pride too much? Im sorry, but I cant accept those terms. It needs to be at least 70/30. Some guts. Not really. They both stared at each other. It was a strange conversation C they tried to feel each other out. After a while, Enya opened his mouth. Youre some kid. And that was his answer. Chapter 315 – A Good Woman Here, drink, brother. In a tatami room, Taiyou and Enya sat across from one another. There was a large boat of sushi as well as other types of food between them, Enya leaned over the table to pour some sake into Taiyous cup. ButIm still underage Well, then let me have it. Kohaku reached out for it with a smile from beside him. She had remained silent while they engaged in serious conversation, and began to speak. Are you going to drink, Kohaku? Heh heh heh, Ive been drinking since before the war. Before the war? Yeah, even though I look like this, I was born before the war. Im an Eternal Little. And, I happen to be 87 years old! The same age as Akashiro. I have no idea who or what Akashiro is, but yes, Im that old. Enya poured some sake into Kohakus cup, and said, I thought you were a good woman. With this kid acting like thisI thought there had to be an older woman behind him. Cut it out with the old woman remark. Call me a Loli-baba instead. Seems like this womans your, buddy. Enya stuck up his little finger (meaning Taiyous woman), and made an out of date gesture at him. Someone young like Taiyou wasnt used to seeing it. Yeah, youre right. I know. You know? But Enya, you just asked how old she was Age has nothing to do with it. Enya grinned at him. Ive been watching her the whole time weve been talking after all. Have you? Taiyou was surprised at looked at Kohaku. I always walk three steps behind him, heh heh, Im a very innocent and kind woman. Do you usually call yourself innocent and kind? My husband knows all about it, hes proud about it too. Kohaku got onto her knees, took the sake flask, and reached out. Ill pour yours. Sure. However, would it really be okay? What would? Me being a brother of yoursyou already have so many under you already, right? Can you persuade them about me? Persuade? Pffft! Enya laughed while Kohaku spit out a bit of her sake. Taiyou thought that he might have said something off. Aint no one in this world thats gonna question his boss, kid. No way. Hes right. If the boss says somethings black, then even his underlings will say sperm is blackthats the way this world works. I know what you mean, but please dont use examples like that. Okay, if the boss says somethings white, then even his underlings will say a niceboards blood is whitethats the way this world works. Sorry, but could you use an example that normal people understand? Shes right, you dont have to worry about it. I see. Taiyou nodded, and understood that there would be no problems. You have five women rightsome work, kid. You think so? Yeah, eat good food, love good women. Its what men were meant to doand that Enya looked at Kohaku, and continued. youve also got five very good women as well. But, I havent said anything about the other four yet. Whenever Taiyou talks about us wives, hes always very proud. Kohaku said. Well, no womans going to take pride in another one. You know well. Its the business Im in. I see. well, all my wives are good women. Good enough to make me seem a waste. Youre wrong brother. Am I? Because youre a good man, you get good women. What I see as wasteful is a woman who has no taste in the men that they love. Taiyou was a bit relieved, and looked at Kohaku. Kohaku just shrugged with a grin. Her smile seemed to say that she didnt really mind this talk. I guess so. Thanks, Kohaku. No need to worry, Taiyou, youre our husband, after all. You lift us up and we lift you up as wellfive times in return. Its a relationship we expect to have forever. thank you. He watched the couple from outside, and the air they were in. After a bit Taiyou and Kohaku looked at him. Just then, Enyas phone rang and interrupted. Its mine. Enya said, while picking up his smartphone. It seemed it was for him, as he touched the screen and then put the phone to his ear. Hello, what is it, dear? Enya had acted so big until now, and suddenly turned cordial. Yes, well, yes. Oh, youre out front? Hm? No, Im drinking with some others, its fine with me, but if youre okay with joining us Taiyou wondered what was going on, as he looked at Enya. Enya looked at Taiyou, and their eyes met. Brother, a girls coming up right now. A girl? Yeah, someone for me. Umshould I meet her? I dont mind at all Okay. He went back on the phone, and said some more, and then hung up. You seemed quite reserved just now, Enya. Ive always been different with ladies. Enya said, and then stretched out his back, and fixed his collar. It seems the lady must be quite the woman, Taiyou thought, and became a bit anxious. After a bit, he heard some footsteps outside the room. The footsteps came up to the door and the sliding door opened. Huh? He said without thinking. Kohaku said, Ohhh. as she sat beside him. It was an interesting guest. My It seems the guest was a bit surprised as well. The woman that appeared opened her eyes wide, surprised. It was Maho Orikawa. She was a CEO of one of the biggest companies in existence. Chapter 316: By The Time They Had Forgotten People born in that year were active in a variety of different worlds: sumo, baseball, politics, businessBut one of the most remarkable of the remarkable individuals in those fields was Orikawa Maho. Her actual father, Orikawa Kotaro, was praised as the god of management, and she was born with a completely guaranteed future of freedom, but she used high school as an opportunity to become an independent entrepreneur, raising her business to become a large, worldwide corporation, boasting as to not have used a single penny of her familys money. She was the founding manager of a company with the worlds second-largest amount of shares in smartphones. She was even called the heroine of the age. Taiyou had known about her before even meeting her, and he hadnt expected to meet her again in a place like this, but he would shortly be even further shocked. Good day, Big Sister. It is good to see you again. Big Sister? Do please stop calling me that. But Big Sister is Big Sister. If I dont call you that, then my other big sister will lecture me again. Oh dear. Ill have to leave it be then. Maho smiled in a refined manner, turning to Taiyou. Do you remember me? Yes, it has really been a while. Ever since we met at that party, no? Taiyou made a slight bow. He was surprised right after he had seen Maho appear, but as she had gone ahead to converse with Enya, so he had been able to regain his composure during that time. Maho settled down next to Enya, facing Taiyou. Completely different from earlier, Enya shrunk to the side as he looked at Maho. Is that person doing all right? Indeed they are. Probably doing too well to the point where theyre difficult to handle. That is good to hear. Orikawa-san, what brings you here? I was informed about a young person rampaging around Oritachi Town, and I also heard that they had pushed their way into Enya-kuns place. I was curious about that. Curious, you say? Taiyou furrowed his brow. He wasnt sure why she would be curious about that. As if he were on to his question, Enya explained from the side. Big Sister is famous in this town, you see. I see. So that was what Orikawa meant, ja. Kohaku expressed her understanding from the side. Indeed. It hasnt been particularly disclosed to the public, but neither has it been concealed. Of course, I left my home in the first place, so I hardly have any connection as of today. I was concerned for the city that I was born and raised in, and thats about it. Aye, why dont we just leave it at that OrikawaOritachiWait, seriously? Taiyou realized it after Kohaku. A woman from a prestigious family that shared the same rare letters as this town. Just like Juunishima, they were probably a family who was deeply related to the region, thought Taiyou. He looked at Maho, who was still smiling in a refined manner. In that case, he could come to terms with this. If all this was true, then there was nothing strange about her coming here. Still, this is quite the surprise. I prepared for some carnage when I rushed over here, but I never thought that Id see you in the middle of a party. Carnage? I take it you like Buddhology? Well, there was a time when I was known as The Delusional Woman. That be a fine name. Personally, Id like to be known as The Eternal Existence, ja. You seem to love these sorts of things as well. Aye, fierce love. Or should I say, FierceLOVE? It seems that I underestimated you. Maho said, smiling as she made a light bow. Taiyou couldnt even understand half of what they were discussing. He only knew that they were doing some sort of play on words, so he purposely didnt ask them to explain. From what I can see here, it seems that my fears were ungrounded. Yeah! The five siblings have now exchanged their cups. Enya-kun, you have a good eye. Big Sister, you seem to be acquainted with Bro, but from when? Enya-kun. W-Whats up? Maho was staring straight at him, and Enya put his hands on his knees, sitting up straight. This little exchange between them clearly showed their status and relationship. I will not mention anything that has transpired in this room. However, you must also not tell anyone about this. Do you understand me? Y-Yes! Enya said panickedly. After that, he shrunk back until she left. Who in the heck are you, Bro? After Maho had left, Enya asked Taiyou with a bit more composure. Who am I? Im just a normal high schooler. No way, man. What kind of normal high schooler brings a girl into an office of yakuza? Aye, he has a point. Kohaku said, and Taiyou grimaced. True, by that point, you really couldnt say that he was a normal high schooler. However, neither did Taiyou think that he had done anything to be asked who the heck he was. No, I really am just a regular high schooler. Maybe a bit abnormal in that Ill do whatever it takes to protect my wives, but everything else is relatively normal. And how did you come into contact with Big Sis? I was invited by one of my wives-not Kohaku-san, to a party a bit ago. And what was their name? A girl by the name of Juunishima Youran. At that very moment, sweat began pouring out of Enyas forehead. It was enough to make Taiyou himself feel painful. W-Whats the matter? Please come sooner next time, Big Sis. Huh? That person mentioned it earlier, so I was wondering who they were talking about, but I didnt think it was someone that freakin outstanding. I definitely cant say I had drinks with you now. If this leaks out then Ill be the one in trouble. Is that so? Geez, I never knew you were that high-up, Bro. Enya gulped down the rest of his sake. Needs to be 73no, more like 2 and 8. Enya mumbled. Now, that had a totally different meaning from before. Practically the opposite. He seemed to be fretting over that, but Taiyou hadnt had the slightest intention of making him feel that way. He was fine with exchanging sake cups. Enya had acknowledged Taiyou, so he was fine with that. Enya-san. Sake cup in hand, Taiyou called Enya. With a natural movement, Kohaku filled his cup to the brim. I dont know what well be able to do now that were officially siblings, but I look forward to working with you from now on. Siblings Are you not okay with that? Alright! Enyas face showed that he was ready. He also took a cup filled to the brim, their cups making a clink sound as they toasted. Likewise, Bro. Chapter 317: First-Rate and Super First-Rate They were on their way back to their temporary condo residence in the night sky of Oritachi Town. Taiyou was carrying Kohaku on his back as he walked, which of course made him look like a young father carrying a little child. On occasion, Kohaku didnt seek something as ordinary as lovers; she would assert that as long as they had skinship, she didnt care what they looked like together. Or maybe it would be more precise to say that she wanted to do just about anything together. It wasnt that she didnt care, but that she was greedy. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that she wanted to be Taiyous everything. Not just a wife, not just a woman- everything. At least, Taiyou interpreted it that way. Amazing, Danna-sama. Today was yer firm victory. You think so? Aye, lad. Ye gave the small fries a beating, those Kirisaki people. But what surprised me more than that was that ye were acquainted with that Orikawa lass. Oh, did I not tell you? Ye do like to keep yer secrets, Danna-sama. I dont think thats very true, but okay. Kohaku prodded Taiyous chest as she continued to ride on his back. Danna-sama, give me yer hand. Hand? Confused as to what she meant, he held out his hand and Kohaku entwined her fingers around his. At first she just had her fingers entwined with his in the so-called lovers connection, but she was gradually rubbing the base of her fingers around, giving him an itchy sensation that worked its way down from his hands, to the elbows, traveling down the body to his crotch. As if directly connected to a hotline, a sweet tingle arrived in that area. Please stop, Kohaku-san. Mm? Why? Were out in public. But I be doing nothing. I only be twirling my fingers around. Although she was playing dumb, her voice was quite enticing, to the point where he could not possibly see her as merely twirling her fingers. It was sweet enough to melt his brain with a tingly sensation. If Taiyou were a bit more wild of a man, he would have probably already taken her into the tall grass and pinned her to the ground by now, and doubtless Kohaku would have gladly accepted such an advance. But Taiyou couldnt go that far. All he could do was -namnam He put his mouth on one of the closer finger joints. He sucked it up like it was ice cream. Mm Namnam, namnam, smooch. He began pecking at her fingers while walking. He could gradually feel her breathing get more ragged. The breath on the nape of his neck grew hotter. He felt fidgety, aroused. He felt like it had to be right now, but resisted the urge, as they were outside. There were several reasons, but the biggest one was that he still didnt feel comfortable with letting strangers see her naked outside. Therefore he hurried on in order to prevent that. He rushed to find a place where he could make love with her in secret. -ngh! Suddenly, his feet stopped. A beam of light pierced through his brain, stopping all of his movements. Danna-sama? Kohaku inquired in a sweet voice. What ails ye, Danna-sama? Orikawa Maho. Eh? I didnt thinkthat Id meet her today of all days. Really, what be the issue? Sorry, but can you get off for a moment, Kohaku-san? Taiyou said, letting down Kohaku and taking out his phone. He brought up Yourans number from the address book. After the dial tone rang once, she picked up. Hello? What is the matter, my master? Youran, today I met with Orikawa Maho. Say what? Youran sounded puzzled, as expected. Orikawa Maho. Shes the chairwoman of that FOT. Yeah, I think I introduced you at that party. Right, and she came to where I was. And what about that? Youve got to know what happened today. I bet you anticipated her coming, yeah? Well yeahOh but I get it, you dont know yet, do you Master? I sure dont. With his phone pressed to his ears, Taiyou indicated with a snap of his fingers that he knew squat. Orikawa Maho is from one of the founding families of this Oritachi Town. You knew about this, which is why you figured she would come over. But one thing you couldnt anticipate was the event of me not knowing. And what of it? What did you say that one time? That one time? That conversation about the first-rate and the super first-rate? Ah Youran was taken aback on the other side of the line, remembering what she had said. So? Master. On the other side of the line, she calmly spoke. Chapter 318: Discourse Between Sisters After hanging up, Taiyou took a deep breath. That was when Kohaku flung herself onto him. Kohaku-san? Perhaps ye should call everyone right now, lad. Eh? What are you saying all of a sudden? Call everyone and have them go someplace fun, that is, ja. But its already midnight. Then a hotel is a good idea, ja. A good hotel that doesnt have the word love attached to it. A window that spreads across the room revealing the night sky, and we have boisterous merrymaking till dawn, lad. Merrymaking? I sorta wanna know, but at the same time maybe its best I dont probe. Well of course I meant an org- Uwaaaa! He covered Kohakus mouth, looking around. Ah. Unfortunately, they had been overheard. Even more unfortunate was that they had been overheard by someone they knew. Namely, a pair of policemen. One of them was the officer who had met him several times in his former hole-digging life. The other one, he had not met before, who was a younger policeman. The policeman that he knew averted his face. However, it wasnt so much to avoid looking at Taiyou as it was to avoid Kohaku. He seemed to be unable to act confident around Kohaku, who he had known since he was a child. On the other hand, the new policeman didnt know a thing about her, which was why he stepped forward to faithfully carry out his duty as an officer. Are you a high school student? What exactly are you doing at a time like this in a place like this? Well, uhh And whos that child next to you? Your little sister? Or maybe- Umm, you see Oi, Miyashita, give it a rest already. But why, Senpai? The young officer replied, to which the main officer was at a loss for words. He had no answer, so the younger one asked Taiyou again. Whats the issue? Is it something you cant answer? Uhh And Im pretty sure that I heard something strange when you were talking. Yeah, that was probably the part about the orgy party, ja. Kohaku-san!? Wha- Taiyou was flabbergasted, the young officer lost anything he was about to say, and the familiar officer put a palm to his face. This truly show three different reactions for three different individuals. W, w-w-w-w. I be having Danna-sama give me plenty o punishment until morning. I was planning to have the sisters come along as well and fawn over the wee lad and that be about it. Have ye a problem? Did you say sisters- He was about to ask what she meant by that, but Taiyou frantically covered her mouth with his hands. It took the officer a moment to process this. Y-y-y-y-you deviant! What were you planning to do to this young-mgh- Even with the street lamps, it was easy to tell that his face was red. His superior had covered his mouth. Hahihohuhunhehuha! Dont mind them, dont mind them at all. Lets go. Hervert! Sorry about all that. Please do enjoy yourselves. Everything good? Yes! Please excuse us. The officer said as he dragged his junior along with him somewhere else. Taiyou breathed a sigh of relief, as he was quite bad at dealing with the police, who he couldnt just fight to resolve things. Well thats no fun, laddie. If it were just the youngun, I couldve messed around with im a bit. Please dont mess with anyone, at least when it concerns the police Then ow about I rephrase this. If it were just the lad ere then I wouldve bragged about ye. And please dont do that either. Id die from embarrassment. And why would you even say things like you did outside? What things? Taiyou grimaced, looking around and making sure that no one was listening this time around before speaking. You know. Orgies, sisters, etc. Hm. People are creatures that are drawn in by words, so if you use that sort of language then people are gonna take it to mean just that. I like all of you and sometimes I want to love on you all together at once. But I dont think calling it an orgy is quite right. Not outwardly nor inwardly. I see. I get the gist, ja. Then that be all the more reason for me to use the term sisters. Eh? Im sure that ye envisioned women who have slept with the same man when I said sisters. Is that wrong? Taiyou was surprised, and Kohaku brought herself closer. She clung to his waist with her arms wrapped around him. Her body temperature seemed like it was hotter than normal. I just literally meant sisters, ja. I think of everyone as sisters, gathered around Taiyou with the same sentiments. Kohaku-san Not in a sexual way. I meant on an emotional level, ja. I understand what youre trying to say. But I feel like thats exactly why we shouldnt refer to them that way. Itll still create misunderstandings. No good, eh? He felt the slightest drop in the strength of her grip. She probably felt a bit down, and he felt pain wrack his chest for making her feel that way. W-Well, nothing wrong with saying it in the house. Not in public maybe, but as long as everyone understands the nuance then it could be fine. So I can use it? Yes, but not in front of strang-mugu- Suddenly hugged from behind, he slouched forward. Kohakus lips pushed at him, and Taiyou was surprised at the sudden kiss, letting her do as she pleased. Thank ye, Danna-sama. I love you, ja. Y-Yeah. As thanks, I would like to service ye tonight, Danna-sama. We just need to get down and dirty, lad. And what might this down and dirty imply? Taiyou grimaced. I know that ye thought one thing when hearing that phrase, but I swear it all be things that ye wouldnt even dream of. In a senseIm looking forward to it yet dreading it at the same time. All ye need be doing is looking forward to it, laddie. The two of them linked arms, beginning to walk. As he felt Kohakus warmth, Taiyou thought about someone in the corner of his head: Orikawa Maho. Chapter 319: The Savage Baba /note: BBA is an abbreviation for Baba, which means granny or old woman in Japanese Whoa! Taiyou was shocked. Kohaku had suddenly started licking his cheeks. W-W-What are you doing Kohaku-san? So this be the taste of a man who thinks of other women, aye? Can you at least make it clear whether youre being serious or its some sort of joke?! Not to mention this be the taste of someone who be thinking about a BBA. You dont have to word it that way! Plus that person is waaay younger than you. Shed be like your granddaughter. Nay, she be a fine BBA. Kohaku grinned. If shes a BBA then what the heck does that make you? Im a Baba. If this were in text, she probably would have put a heart mark next to that. Baba is Baba. I be Loli Baba. And she be a BBA. Aye, no mistaking it. Ohhh, I sort of get it now. Taiyou gave a wry smile. Kohaku loved those kinds of jokes, and he had become a bit learned himself. Sure, she had quite the dazzling figuretruly someone attractive enough to rival his brides, but in the sense that her age seemed to be in her mid=thirties, she was unmistakably a BBA. Or at least in a joking sense. So ye were thinking about that wee lass, Orikawa. Wee lass? Well yeah. Its not that easy for me to get over what just happened. Ye were wondering why she appeared there, eh? I suppose even if I urged ye to stop thinking so much, ye wouldnt budge an inch. Thats right. Taiyou made a complicated face. After meeting prior to this, I did in fact investigate her on the internet. Youran did after all say that she was an amazing personthough I honestly already knew her to be a famous person. She is after all making the majority of smartphones in the world. That be very true. Among those Apple folks, she be at the top of the world as far as I be concerned. Yes. Shes that incredible of a person. So although I was surprised that she was at a party of celebrities that Youran took me to, I didnt think of it as an issue. But Ye think it to be weird that she comes out right now, eh? However, it be true that Orikawa be one of the main celebrities of Oritachi Town. It was even that way back in my day. Kohaku said, searching with her own smartphone. She showed the search result to Taiyou as she spoke. See? Pedia-sensei be saying similar things, ja. Thats true. And shes known Kirisaki-san from way back. A famous celebrity in her hometown, and a secret yakuza in the same hometown. Even their ages be similar. It wouldnt even be a surprise if they were connected. I only suggested that we charge into Kirisaki-sans place. Even Kirisaki-san didnt contact anywhere before we exchanged sibling vows. Why not let everything be coincidental, natural? There be nothing strange. No, thats exactly why theres an alarm ringing inside me. Well, maybe thats because Youran mentioned it to me before. And what was that, ja? Lucky things continuously happen around me. But theres actually someone behind all that and theyre trying to hide it from me. After several years pass, I find out in a natural way. Apparently thats how it is for all the elite. I see. But that doesnt even happen for the super elite. They knew about Youran as well as my relationship with her, yet they did nothing at all. They did nothing to butter me up, nor did they do anything to bring me down. Its like were only connected by pure coincidence. I see. Now heres where my pet theory comes in. Only accomplished individuals can separate their objective from their methods. There is no way that person would appear before me without any objective. Even though there be a possibility of it being a coincidence? Well sure, if that was all it was Yeve become quite the skeptic as of late, lad. Maybe youre right. Taiyou made a complicated face. Indeed, he had become quite doubting. Hm. Well, I dont mind it if ye are that way, Danna-sama. Well just have to do something about that, eh? Something? Indeed. Something. Like what? How about we give that lass Orikawa a good surprise and show up wherever shes eating dinner? Well yes, it certainly is about that time, but do you even know where she is? Well figure it out, lad. Now, let us be off. Kohaku said, spinning around. That very moment, Taiyou felt a thud in his chest, as if he had been struck with a hammer. Sparks flew before his eyes, and his head swayed from side to side. (Did Kohaku-san cause this?) The minute he turned around, he saw Kohakus face from the side. That image burned into his retina. The expression she was making gave him quite the shock. The shock was too much, and for a moment he didnt know what it even was. Unable to comprehend exactly what was going on, it was all he could do to stand upright. Danna-sama? Kohaku stopped, looking back. Her facial expression was the same as always. There was nothing strange about it. But that was precisely how he knew that her face for that instant had been completely different. Kohaku-san. Hm? What ails ye, lad? Do ye want some boobs or something? Kohaku joked around, no different from usual. But all that did was make that moment he saw contrast even more. Taiyou raced through his thoughts furtively for an instant. Just what was that? Why was it powerful enough to sway his heart? What was the meaning hidden in that expression? Loneliness. Something illogical in his consciousness guided him to the correct answer. Loneliness, pain, helplessness. He had seen a culmination of all of that in her face that one instant. Kohaku-san! Kya-! Pulling her hands, he gave her a firm embrace. Kohaku released a shriek that was unusual for her but very endearing. W-What, ja? What has happened, Danna-sama? Lets do it right now. Eh wot? Right now! Nooow! Do it? Do what? Cards Sex. Taiyou said it clearly so that there was no room for misunderstanding. Kohaku was surprised. W-What is the matter, Danna-sama? Were ye not concerned about that lass? I could care less about that. Id rather make love with you right now, Kohaku-san. But- Then Ill violate you. Fuha!? If you dont let me make love with you I will violate you. Yup, sounds good. W-Wait just a minute, Danna-sama. We cant just go doing that right-hyan! He lifted Kohaku up, walking off rapidly. His nasal breathing was not rugged purely because of arousal. Da-Danna-sama? Im really sorry. Eh? I will use all the time tonight for your benefit. Whispering in her ear, Kohaku slightly nodded with damp, glistening eyes. Chapter 320: Under the Moonligh Are you not cold? Mm-mm. I be so hot from Danna-sama that I could get burned. Oh my Godyou are such a character. He embraced Kohakus small body under the moonlight. She said that she could get burned, but if anything, her body temperature made him feel like he was burning. Not only that, but their feelings were burning hot. Large droplets of bullet-like sweat dripped down from her bangs, falling onto Taiyous collar. The moon be beautiful this night. Yeah, well I cant see it. Heeey, Danna-sama. What? I love ye. Yes, I know. More than anyone else in the world, ja. I know that too. Yer the first one I ever loved. Now thats something new. Taiyou was astonished. He never had any inclination of prying into her past, so he had never had such a conversation with her. It would be crazy to have nothing happen in over 80 years of life. She had told him before that he was the first person that she offered her everything to, but Taiyou hadnt thought that it also included love. Assuming that she had been through a lot only made this revelation more shocking. Indeed, I just decided that now. So that was what she meantHe smiled wryly. Indeed. I have just determined where love truly started for me, ja. And doing that has helped me find out that Danna-sama is the clear winner for first love, ja! Well, I am truly honored for you to say that. He didnt make any exaggerated response, thinking it to be insensitive. To think that I was able to be your first loveI must be the happiest man on earth. Then I be wanting ye to do ye best, Danna-sama. Make this love bear fruit and carry it out for the rest of ye life. You can count on me. He tightly hugged Kohaku. Their two naked bodies pressed together. The evening wind in the fall was chilly on their skin to be sure, but they paid it no heed. Suddenly, Taiyou remembered something, getting up. Mm! I dont want ye to go, ja! Kohaku said, half-pouting. Im not going anywhere. Theres something that I need to get. And what be that? Wait a moment-Here, its this. Taiyou took out a ring case from his discarded clothing, holding it out to Kohaku. This is for you. Oho, for the triplets and then Youran, I see. Kohaku said after some momentary surprise. Taiyou was shocked. You heard already? Nay, it was just that those two have been rather merry as of late and I was wondering as to why. It seems that my question has been answered. Well, its great and all that its been answered, but could you maybe be a little more surprised? I am surprised, ja. Kohaku took Taiyous hand, pressing it against her chest. With no particular undulation to speak of, it was easy for his palm to directly feel her heartbeat. Dokun dokun dokun dokun-. He could clearly tell that Kohakus chest was reaching a high frequency beat. What do ye think? You got me there! Your face just looked so normal. Comes with the years, lad. So will you take it? Gladly. Kohaku softly outstretched her hand. Taiyou opened the case, taking the ring out and slipping it through her dainty ring finger. This was a ring made specifically to fit Kohaku, smallest amongst all the brides and a childlike size that would normally be unthinkable, but there it fit snugly onto her finger. I shall treasure this, ja. For what its worth, this is an engagement ring. Once Ive gathered all the brides, I fully intend to exchange them for wedding rings, okay? All of them, eh. Yes, all of them. Then yed best find another one quickly, lad. Not to mention my level as well. Ive been doing it infrequently, but it still isnt enough to catch up to Shirokiyami. Yer level be24, eh? Ye went up a considerable amount, ja. Yes, thats because Ive been doing it little by little whenever I have the time. How about ye confine yerself to a mountain for some training? Ye can leave the house to us. Well, there might be some sort of level that I cant reach without being in the city, so mountain training is probably out of the question. Then maybe confine yerself to yer room. I struggle to comprehend why you think thats the next logical step. How would ye like to confine yerself inside of me, then? Are you trying to make a dirty joke!? And I shall birth ye out from me clothes. By this point I no longer understand what youre saying. Although he said it that way, it was clear that Taiyou was enjoying this exchange; sometimes understanding her and not understanding her at other times; sometimes holding a conversation but not able to hold a conversation at other times. This was very much akin to her nature, and Taiyou liked it. Today be a fine day, ja. Not just our late-night date, but receiving something as amazing as this too! Kohaku spread out her hands and began spinning around in a dance. Perhaps she was quite happy, since she continued to twirl around and around on the spot. Is someone there? Light accompanied by a voice illuminated them. It was so dazzling that it took them a few seconds to realize it was a flashlight. It took them a few more seconds to recognize who was looking at them. You kids- Their astonished visitor so happened to be the young police officer they had met earlier. His eyes opened wide, he stared at them. What are you doing in a place like this? Kohaku-san! First, Taiyou pulled Kohakus hand, hiding her behind him before glaring at the policeman. Was that what I think it was? Taiyou furtively raced through his thoughts. It wasnt like he had to defend what they were doing, but sheesh, what a predicament. He really wanted to figure out a way to escape. However, the police officer approached before he could wrap up his thoughts. Now just wait a- But he had fallen with a thud in the middle of making his way over. Now what? Taiyou was shocked, but once he looked more closely, he saw the familiar face of another constable. He crouched quickly. Miyashita? Hey, what the heck is wrong, Miyashita? At least he sounded concerned for his colleague, but he was tightly gripping a baton in his hand. What made it more obvious was just how satirical he sounded. Honestly, I even told you to stop playing so many games late at night, kid. Damn youre hopeless. He said as he lifted up the younger colleague and went off, his eyes never meeting with Taiyou or Kohaku. Pfft, ahahahaha! Haha I feel a bit sorry for him, ja. Mayhaps I will apologize sometime soon. Ill come with you. Also, you can put your clothes back on now. Lets go back. Any more casualties and even we might get in trouble. Aye. Kohaku picked up the discarded clothing, slipping it back on. After that, the two of them linked arms and returned home while having a nice long pillow talk. Chapter 321: A Rude Conversation In the midst of the waning light, the two of them were alone in the classroom: Akiha in her school uniform and Taiyou facing her. The two of them gazed at one another, feeling a tranquil atmosphere that can only be felt between those who have fully gained each others trust. This was the perfect opportunity, so Taiyou took out a ring case and presented it to her. Id like you to put this on. A ring? Yeah. Think of it as an engagement ring. Wooow. Akiha stared at the ring, leaning in all sorts of directions to examine it. Her hands were clasped around her back, and she made no motion to release them. The atmosphere was slightly different than before, shifting from the once-sweet atmosphere. As Taiyou was questioning what was up No way. Eh? I said, no way. Why not? Do I have to spell it out? Akiha smiled mischievously. It was very like her to do this, but Taiyou didnt get why she was rejecting him like this. It wasnt like she was in a bad mood, and yet she still refused. Guess we should get going. Akiha said, linking an arm around the one that wasnt holding the case. They then walked out of the classroom, returning home while Taiyou was dragged around not understanding what was going on. Nighttime, inside of their temporary condominium residence. Aoba and Hera were inside the living room. Aoba had just come out of the bath in her pajamas, a tinge of sakura in her cheek area. Not only that, but her hair was down, which might have actually increased her charm three times more than usual. With this unique look, she spoke to Taiyou. Really, so Akiha said that. Yeah, youve really got to raise those favorability points. Favorability pointsYou know, this isnt a freakin dating sim. But still, Im sure that everyones favorable attitude toward you should be because of your hidden stats. Should be? You dont even sound sure about it. Then it IS because of your hidden stats~ No cmon, dont just change it like that. Taiyou grimaced, turning back to Aoba. It was honestly baffling to me that she would refuse, especially just acting like her normal self. What even is happening at this point? I might know the reason. Seriously!? Taiyou leaned forward, hips in the air. Aoba made a difficult expression as she saw that. YeahOh, but I did anticipate that. Anticipate Its complicatedlike I wanted it to happen but didnt want it to happen. Complicated He parroted her, sitting back down and grasping his chin as he savored these meaningful words. Waitis it because she needs you to be there as well or something? Probably. Got it. Well, that is very much like her and I say Im cool with that. Is that really okay with you, Natsuno-kun? Yeah. Taiyou gave a firm nod. His expression showed no signs of reluctance, accepting it all so easily. I get that shes still in love, so its all good. Its all good? Wow, you have such confidence, Natsuno-kun. Not like that. Its more like conviction. Anything less than this would be rude to all of you. Rude? Aoba inclined her head. He stared right into her eyes, explaining. Do you really like me? Eh? I mean it. Do you actually like me? Why are you even- Aoba began to panic. I mean would you like that aspect of me? Just barely thinking about all this and asking you. AhS-So thats what you were talking about. Aoba was clearly relieved. Taiyou thought this to be very cute, and he squeezed her in a hug. Wha, Natsuno-kun Hm? In a place like thisoh Its fine, no ones looking. And even if they were, they might as well join us. Oh, even me? They heard a nonchalant voice from the side. The moment he lifted up his head and saw Hera, Taiyous expression deflated like a balloon the more time went by. Ignoring Aobas disappointment, he sat back down on the sofa. No, youre just Im not good enough? Not really a matter of that. I just didnt factor you in. Thats horrible! Youre horrible, Taiyou-chan! I do so much for your sake, and you repay me with this?! So what if its horrible? Ill return to my house! Hera covered her face, then flew out in an obvious manner. She slipped through the wall and flew into the night sky. Did she even have a house? Beats me They stared at Hera from behind the glass as she flew off. Is she actually upset? Who even knows? Normally youd think so, but in her case, that aspect is pretty foggy. Right, theres always the possibility that shes just doing it in the heat of the moment. Yeah, cause right after she says Im returning to my hooouse and flies off, theres the possibility that shed just come right back humming a tune. That sounds like something shed do. It sure does. Taiyou and Aoba chuckled together. The pink mood from earlier had vanished without a trace, but at least it now felt more relaxed. Come to think of it, what was it like to have Hera-chan appear in front of you the first time? Was she always like this? Yeah, pretty muuuch. Just came out all of a sudden, all chipper. Oh, but she might have sounded more serious before actually showing herself. How so? UhhI feel like she said something along the lines of Dost thou desireth power? Whaaat? Hera-chan really said something like that? She did, that she did. Although theres always the possibility that I merely interpreted it as such, so it might be different than the original line. Yeah, Im wondering if that isnt the case. Theres no way Hera-chan would say something like that. Aoba giggled. You sure she wouldnt? No way. Lets call her over here and actually ask her. Hera? Ja-jajaaan! Hera-chan has returned after a whole sixty seconds! Hey, so Hera-chan- The three of them engaged in pleasurable conversation in the nighttime living room. Chapter 322: Family Meeting Why just the three of us, ja? Call him. I have plenty of free time. And well go ahead and brew some tea. The people who spoke in order were Kohaku, Youran, and the three sisters. Kohaku and Youran were facing the sofa as the three sisters made a pitter patter of footsteps as they headed for the open kitchen. The person sitting on the sofa was facing them likewise and began to speak. Its quite rare for you to show yourself in front of everyone. Did something happen? Nothing at all. I just wanted to see your face, Master, and when I came out of my room then everyone was just there. Oho? Master, eh? Oh yeah, I decided to start referring to him with that title, so hopefully youre good with that. Did ye distribute maid outfits yet? If not, then can I have one, ja? Kohaku-san, Im pretty sure that there are plenty of reasons as to why you shouldnt wear maid clothing. I know, thats exactly why I want to do it, ja. I do what maids do best and bewitch Danna-sama with me charm. Im pretty sure that idea is already bad once you start using words like bewitch. I want to wear maid clothing too. I want to bewitch Taiyou-chan. Theres no way we can procure any clothing for you. Youd just go right through it. That is indeed true. Hera poked her own temporal region. No, there might actually be a way. Taiyou said, and everyone there (save one person) focused their gazes on him. A way? The heck you mean? There has been just one exception in all the things that Hera has touched. Of course she can touch the people who Ive kissed, but there is just one other exception. And what is this so-called exception? Oh cmon, you gotta know this one. Taiyou grimaced, touching her damaged wings. Ah, you mean that katana, yes? Oh, Blood Soul? Yep. Taiyou nodded. I have no clue as to how it works, but Hera was able to touch that Blood Soul sword, yeah? If we were to just clarify the principles, couldnt we make clothing for her to wear? Ohh, okay. Then hold up a sec, Im gonna have Sakura do it. Youran tried getting her phone out to call her, but it didnt seem to connect to the other side and she put it away. Looks to be out of range. Ill try again later. At this rate, we may as well prepare everyones, ja. Everyone dresses up like maids and we let Danna-sama have a taste test, ja. Please be a little more careful with how you phrase things. Seriously, taste testing? Sorry to have kept you waiting. What have you been discussing? The three sisters returned, bringing enough black tea and bite-sized sandwiches for everyone. Aye, we were discussing having everyone dress up in sexy maid outfits and bewitch Danna-sama, ja. Well Master is all about the erotic side of things, so I bet itll work. Maids, you say? When it comes to maids, Kotone and her sisters would probably fit the role the most. Taiyou said. I-Is that right? Ahh, I think I might get what youre saying. Indeed. Ye younguns would probably do well with the classic style. Eh, what do you mean by that? The three sisters laughed as if protesting. The banter tonight with the Natsuno household gathered around a low table was quite lively, but there was only one person who hadnt spoken a word. Aoba? Eh? Whats wrong? Youve just been spacing out. Oh, yeah, I was curious about the thing that everyone is wearing. Everyone? She means this, ja. Kohaku explained to the confused Taiyou, displaying her hand. He could see the ring on her ring finger emitting a slight glow. The same went for Youran and the three sisters. That engagement ring was firmly placed around their fingers. It seems ye have yet to receive one, lass. Master? Youran looked at him in an accusatory manner, as if asking him why he was dawdling. Well you see, I wanted to give them to each and every one of you-wait, didnt I just discuss this with you, Aoba? About how Akiha rejected it. Yeah, you thought about it for a while before going on a date and intended to hand it to her afterward. I know, but She cut herself off before gazing at everyones fingers and continuing. But I really do feel a sense of envy when I look at them. I get yer feelings, lass. Yep, if something like this happened to me, Id also-ah, I shouldnt continue, I feel some rage. Well, yer unexpectedly emotional after all. So the only people who havent received them are Aoba-chan and Aki-han, yes? Yeah, although Akiha rejected it earlier. Wow, rejected your advance? After a brief moment, everyone who peeked out from behind Aoba let out a chorus of Whaaat!? Master, did she seriously refuse? Just what is that lass thinking? Maybe Shes still Thinking about Aoba-chan Hey hey, Taiyou-chan, what do you plan to do about that? What do I plan to do? Yeesh. Taiyou traced his face with a finger, grimacing. We cant do anything about it without first determining the cause. I can at least tell that she doesnt hate me or anything. But it feels like theres something else amiss. When Taiyou said that, there was a sound from the entrance hall. Well, who be it? Yes indeed, Aki-han has returned. Aye. I recommend moving with haste, Danna-sama. Corner her while ye still have the chance. Yeah, I sure will. Taiyou nodded. Right after that, the living room door opened, and there stood Akiha. Im hooome! Ooo, everyones all gathered. Fantastic! She was her usual self, overflowing with cheer. Chapter 323: Hitting it off with the Wives Everyones gazes focused on Akiha, who had just come back. Whats up, whats up? Something happen? We seek to ask ye something. Mhm. Why do ye not accept the ring from Danna-sama? Oh, thats all youre worried about? Utterly composed, Akiha sat between Taiyou and Aoba, worming her way into the tight space. She rubbed against both Taiyou and Aoba as she moved, as if fawning on them. We need to hear yer true feelings. Depending on the reason, it may not end well, ja. Not end well? Whatcha got planned? Well lock ye in that white room and pump ye full othat aphrodisiac stuff. No, please, anything but that! That might be fantastic! Fantastic? You think thats fantastic? Taiyou retorted in a loud voice. Well yeah, wouldnt it be fantastic right now? Hey, actually, lets go through with it! Sure, why dont we do it for the lad and lass? Prepare for them a computer that can only see this living room and homemade food and letters from mom. Wow, I think anyone would crack halfway through. I be looking forward to see whether the madness or the climax happens first. Just so you know, Im not going through with this. But Akiha, why didnt you take it? Her best friend Aoba asked her again. Cause it isnt fantastic. Isnt fantastic? Yep. But everything was fine up till that point, okay? Oh, and by that I mean up until he brought out the ring. He really did all the right things to create an atmosphere that captures a girls heart. When Akiha said that, the triplets, Kohaku, and Youran all displayed agreement. They seemed to have the exact same opinion, having already received the rings. Then why dont you just take the ring? Ummcould it be that Aoba has to be with you or something? Is that really what this is about? No, none of that. Although I dont deny that would be even more fantastic. Akiha said frankly. This was also very characteristic of her. Then why, ja? Like. I. Saaaid. It isnt fantastic. I dont understand. Ye got it from Danna-sama, ja? Aoba, you get what Im saying, right? Sorry. I honestly dont really Aoba frowned at her friends question. Her complicated expression showed that she was convinced that Akiha had no malice in what she did. All the females here were sharp in observation to the point where they might as well have a sixth sense. Definitely on the feeling side of things, ja. Yeah, we got that already. She be the same as ye. I-Im not THAT emotional! Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan, did you do something to this ring? Something that stopped it from being fantastic? Something that stopped it from being fantastichm He grasped his chin, thinking. If there be one thing that Danna-sama might have done Maybe he squirted something unseemly onto it? Hell no! Indeed, he may have done something outrageous to it. And not that either! M-Maybe he tried to slip it through his special area or something? Aobaif your face gets red from something like that, you dont have to say it. Well if that was the case then I mightve actually accepted it. Youd ACCEPT that!? Well yeah, its fantastic! I really dont know what standard you use to deem something as fantastic. Ahahahaha. Alright then, Danna-sama, take yer pants off. We shall put it around there and then hand it to her, ja. Im not doing that! And could you please switch topics! But if there were no dirty jokes then this world wouldnt be fun, ja. No choice but to put the pants over the head, I suppose? Like I said, could you have a bit more self-respect? Despite making so many objections, Taiyou wasnt getting tired. Actually, this was getting really fun. Right now, everyone was gathered here. All the members of the Natsuno household. It began like some sort of student meeting after school, except everyone had eased into a chit-chatty mood. Not a single person was being unsociable, and that made him really happy. Even if not a single problem had been resolved. Let us organize this a bit more clearly. What about that did ye not think was fantastic, ja? Hmm, okay. I think its because I didnt feel like it was coming from the heart. Yer contradicting yerself. Oh wait, is it what I think it is? Youran understood the most out of anyone what Akiha had said. What do ye mean? Can I say it? Master. Youran said as she looked at Taiyou. Ooo, whats that? Master? Who came up with such a fantastic nickname? Pry into that some other time. Taiyou grimaced, looking back at Youran. What do you mean by asking that? Its regarding where it originated from. Oh. Taiyou clapped his hands together. I think thats probably it. Thats probably what made it feel non-fantastic and mechanical to Akiha, dontcha think? I get it. Yeah. I can see that. Right? How about ye youngsters actually explain to those of us who dont understand? Okay. As Ive been saying to everyone, these are essentially engagement rings and everyone will eventually get actual wedding rings that I buy. Yes, you did say that. And as to why I said it in that wayIts because these arent things that I myself got. Sakura did. When Taiyou said that, everyone other than Youran and Akiha made surprised expressions. Chapter 324: The Most Fantastic Thing Sakura? Whos that? Akiha was just as expressionless as Youran, but for a different reason. She was the only person out of everyone here who didnt have a direct connection with Sakura. Oh yeah huh, Akiha doesnt know about Sakura. Aoba, you know her? Iyeah. Aoba made a slightly complicated expression. She had been deeply involved in the Juunishima affair and had ended up letting one of her mothers get hurt. Although she hadnt spoken directly with her, she knew quite a bit about Sakura. Umm Aoba tried to explain, but faltered when she looked at Youran. Shes my little sister from another mother. Oh, didnt know those sorts of things happened. So fantastic! And theres another one, also from a different mother. Fantastic! So whats up? Hey, whatre you trying to say? Well, lets leave that to discuss at a more leisurely time Taiyou cut off Akihas pursuit. Anyhow, what you all have on are rings that Sakura brought over. Hm, if the Sakura lady is the one who brought them over, I doubt that they are mere rings, ja. Taiyou grimaced. It wasnt like he couldnt say it. He didnt regret doing what he did either, but in a sense, it was a bit difficult to give it to them straight, because it was embarrassing. Taiyou-san? Master, shall I explain on your behalf? No, Ill do it. Even if you did, nothing would change if I just stay here. Well thats true too. Youran nodded. Taiyou took a deep breath, turning back to his brides and speaking. It turns out that those rings are a product of Blood Soul. Blood Soul? Dont worry Akiha, Ill explain later. Aoba said to Akiha. And the last time I recall running into Blood Soul, it took the form of a magic sword that sucked the blood and soul out of you. Sakura mentioned that same technology was used to produce these rings. So theyll eat our blood and souls, lad? No, not exactly, butmmm Taiyou faltered. He couldnt exactly say why. He had said plenty of difficult things prior to this, in addition to embarrassing things. Compared to those things, the current matter wasnt even that big of a deal, but for some reason it was just difficult to say. However, he strengthened his resolve, deciding that he couldnt just keep putting this off. It sucks out your feelings. The more you love me, the more defense the rings give me, apparently. Taiyou blurted everything out at once. Their feelings were his power. That fact was tremendously embarrassing to say out loud, and he couldnt help but look away. He could tell that he was red all the way up to his ears. Silence drifted over the place. Unable to say anything further, Taiyou looked at his brides. The three sisters and Kohaku were staring intently at their rings. Youran already knew about this, but she was still lovingly stroking her ring. Fantastic! Akiha said. She hadnt received any ring because of her rejection, but now she spoke with such vigor. Akiha? Seriously? Is that actually true? Eh, well uhhI think so, yeah. Yes, its true. At least from the experiments I conducted. Youran said. I see! That is amazing, ja. Definitely! Alright, so thats what it is. Cmon, you need to say things like this earlier. Akiha said, pursing her lips. Well you see, its just Embarrassing to say? Aoba asked. Well yeah. I had originally intended to keep their functions a secret from you. After all, its not like you knowing would change anything or make anything convenient. Taiyou declared, convinced that this was something that had to be spelled out. Nothing would change if I told you, and there wouldnt be any issue with not telling you. But if I said something like that, Id feel embarrassed. So-thats why I kept it hush-hush. Akiha frequently nodded, saying Mhm, mhm. Then, okay! Akiha lifted up the palm of her hand, thrusting it in front of Taiyou. Eh? Ill have that ring of yours. I thought you didnt want it. At the time, yeah, but now that I know how fantastic it is, I just gotta have it! Is that how it works? Sure it does, so gimme! Akiha thrust out her palm as if asking him to quickly hand it over. Taiyou grimaced. Quickly adapting to change was one thing, but he wasnt so sure about her straightforward response there. It seemed that Aoba was of a similar opinion. Akiha, thats no good. How come? I mean, you sure thats fantastic? Trying to get the ring like that. Mmm, then what should I do? How about this Aoba grabbed Akihas wrist and moved it up along with the back of her left hand, holding both of them out to Taiyou. Taiyou saw both of their hands held out. This meant that they wanted him to put the rings on them. All the wives who saw this smiled jovially, as if affirming their decision. Akiha quietly nodded, seemingly understanding what Aoba was saying and felt that she was right. Taiyou took out two ring cases, then took out the rings. He took both of their hands and was about to put both of them on when he suddenly realized something. Why dont we do something more fantastic? Something more fantastic? Akiha and Aoba were puzzled. Taiyou flipped their hands over, putting the rings in their palms. He put Aobas ring in Akihas hand, and Akihas in Aobas. Then, grabbing both of their shoulders, he had them face each other. Okay, go ahead. Eh? Is this? Akiha and Aoba looked at one another. They were initially perplexed, but soon seemed to understand. So then, with everyone watching Like a newlywed couple, they put each others rings on. Chapter 325 – Moonlit Shadows Taiyou slowly arose from the bed. He listened to the sounds of sleep from the wives around him, then got out of bed, and grabbed the clothes he had scattered around the bed. Creeping from the room so that he wouldnt awaken them, he left the apartment. No one was outside in the ink-black night. In the silence, he walked along a path he was familiar with. After a while, he came to the former Taiyou Castle. Now it was a vacant lot, but he could see one girl standing there. White hair, white skin, jet black dress. She was illuminated by the moonit was Shirokiyami. As he stepped into the grounds, he saw her open her eyes as if she had heard his footsteps. Hey. Goodmorning. Its the middle of the night. Its alwayssunin the day. So just on Sundays? Whatever. They exchanged some emotionless banter, as he walked over, sat next to her, and looked up. Everytime I come here, youre here. Nowhere to go. Wont you come to my apartment? Shirokiyami shook her head. I see. Whyare you here? I wanted to see you. Seeme? Because I love you. okay? The most. really? Even when Im with the others, I love you the most. Thatsnot good. HAH! He had struck at her with a backfist while sitting. It was a surprise attack, a sudden strike. And the fist still struck nothing but the air. Another afterimage! He blurted out, while refocusing his nerves. Not trusting his sight, he tried to sense her presence. LEFT! He stepped up on the ground, and threw a hook at where he thought he sensed her. His arm whooshed through the empty air. Then, clang, a metallic reverberation. She had stopped his strike with her sword, the Gyakuten. It was their usual type of fight, but it was strange. Even though he had struck her sword, there was no reaction. ha! He saw a grey light flash beside him. He crouched and dodged her slash. He punched back in counter attack. He missed, and she disappeared. Above! He jumped in the air. They met face to face as he rose two meters above the ground. youknow Im getting better at sensing. He balled up his fists and punched away at her. They werent finishing punches, but a flurry to beat her offense. Clink clunk clang clink. She beat the punches away with her sword. Whoaaaa! Before he hit the ground, the last punch blew Shirokiyamis sword out of her hands. So as soon as he hit the ground, he pursued her. More than pursuing, pressing hardharder than hard. Since he had the advantage, his vigor showed that he was ready to go all out. He balled his fist again, and punched. And again, at an afterimage. I can feel you! There! He spun with a backfist at the presence behind him. This time there was a reaction, but Your scabbard?! Here He heard behind himeven though she was just in front of himher voice now came from behind. Just then, he felt a strike on the top of his head. It was a strike like something made of metal. Youre okayits theback of my sword. Aghh He squatted down and felt the top of his head. He saw stars and could hardly move. He thought that because of his leveling up, that he had gained defense, but the strike still made it through. In one strike, she had won. Lost again Butyourestronger. I wonder. You are. Even getting stronger, it still sucks to lose like that. Thatsbecause ofthis. Huh? He looked up at her. She moved her eyes. It was as the wives said,Watch the area between the eyes and the mouth. I can seewith this I see, so you can see what my status is. Yesthat makes iteasier to fight. So you saw my strengths by numbers and knew just how to approach me, then. yes. I see. Even so, theres still a difference in our strengths. Sofight. Not now. No, fightto get better. Shirokiyami sheathed her sword. She put her small fist to her chest and said so. Ok, I will. Yesyou must do better. Thanks for the encouragement, but instead of always fighting me, you could just join me. Hm? There was no response from her. Taiyou looked at her, expecting the response that he had to beat her first. Her vague look and the complex countenance she showed were as complicated as the sword technique she pierced the air with. But somehow, this time it was differenthe could feel it. What is it? Are youfree? She said with an inquiring look. Free? Yeah, I guess so. Want togo somewhere? Sure. Taiyous eyes shimmered. He never thought she would invite him out somewhere. And there was no reason to refuse. Go somewherelike now? Nowis fineTomorrow, I have togoso Hey, then lets go somewhere now! Taiyou stood straight up. But he made a deal that he would soon regret. Chapter 326: The Backside of the Earth Where are we? Who amI? No, you didnt have to respond to that. Taiyou tightly furrowed his brow. He couldnt believe the scenery that unfolded before him. At one point he was riding on something, and the next minute he was brought to this place that he knew nothing about. Before him was a small mountain, surrounded by barbed wire fences. There was also a warning sign. So not only was he in a place that he didnt know; the sign had letters on it that werent from his own language, spurring Taiyous confusion. No seriously, where is this? The home base ofthe, mafia. Mafia!? Oh, but theyrenot, yakuza. Yes, I can tell that, thank you! Taiyou looked at the barbed fence and solemn sign in front of him. Suddenly, it came to him. So when you say mafia ? Does that mean this isnt Japan? Goodeye. Seriously? Why did it have to come to this You said youdcome with, me. I did. I did say that, but He had no idea that she would take him to a place like this. He resisted the urge to say this, however. Now that they were here, that was that. Hera. Jajjajaaan! Hera appeared out of midair. Oh? Where is this, Taiyou-chan? And why is it the afternoon? You can tell where everyone is, right? Your wives? Yes, I can. Who do you want to know ab-wait, what? Whats wrong? Everyones under. Under? Taiyou looked at the ground. He questioned what she meant by under, but he soon got it. Looking at Shirokiyami, he inquired fearfully. This isntthe other side of the earth, is it? You havea good, eye. Thats gotta be a lie. Eh? What are you two talking about? Hera didnt seem to grasp what was happening, and likewise, Taiyou seemed like he figured something out but actually hadnt caught up either. Nor was there enough time to understand. Taiyou-chan, somethings flying our way. Eh? Perplexed, he followed Heras gaze. He could see something flying toward them from the mountaintop. Making a trail of smoke as it flew over, he noted that it was something he had seen numerous times before. Rocket launcher! Ohhh! Taiyou was astonished, while Hera seemed to be rejoicing for some reason. Meanwhile, Shirokiyami prepared her katana with a clinking sound. Katana? I shallcut it. No no, just leave it to- Shirokiyami jumped out, hurling a beam of light at the smoldering projectile, cutting it down as it landed behind her with an explosion. You okay?! Taiyou ran over. Shirokiyami casually sheathed her sword. Letsgo. Go? Go where? He asked, and then he saw another beam of light. The fence was cut, and a path was opened. Acting as the senpai, Shirokiyami dashed off. What are you going to do, Taiyou-chan? Well whatever I decide to do, you gotta go back and tell everyone not to worry. Can you not just call them? Pretty sure my phones out of rangeso thats the situation. Taiyou said while chasing after Shirokiyami. But he didnt chase her via the spiraling, asphalt-adorned mountain path, but rather straight up to the top of the mountain. As if she had been slowing down for his sake, Taiyou managed to catch up to her side, asking her a question. You said this is the mafias base, right? Why come to a place like this though? For, work. Work? I was askedto eliminate the mafia here. Thats some dangerous stuff. Who asked you? A businessthat sells, narcotics. Whoa, seriously? I amreceiving, some spare cash. Spare cash? Thats a cute way to put it. Its, tasty. Im sure thats the case. Im nottalking about the narcotics you know. Im sure thats the CASE! He exclaimed in a loud voice. As someone who had once entrusted her with a mission, this so-called spare cash payment was something that he could imagine was worth being called tasty. I bet you dont even care which jobs you get. NoI do too. Then what criteria do you have? Shirokiyami glanced at Taiyou. It seemed like she wanted to say something, but didnt end up saying it. He was curious as to why she gave him that look, but he didnt ask. There was no time to ask, after all. After climbing for some time, they came out of the wilderness into an open area, facing a large amount of enemies that had been waiting for them. Wearing worn-out shirts and quarter-length pants, they also had conical shapes attached by string around their necks. They were tanned, and upon first glance they might look like your average farmer, other than the fact that they were carrying sub machine guns. As soon as they saw them, the enemy fired out a round, the cartridges rocking violently from side to side firing countless bullets. Taiyou did nothing. Negate Long-Range. This was the first skill he had ever obtained, making any projectiles ineffective. He simply stood there and took the hits. The lead bullets hit him, lost their momentum, and fell onto the ground. On the other hand, Shirokiyami did nothingor so it seemed. Countless bullets zoomed past her body, flying into the distance. Aw, cmon. It wasmy afterimage. You know full well that leaving an afterimage in the bombardment is going overboard. Taiyou opened his eyes wide, extremely exasperated. Chapter 327: Date Course Youre looking more like a monster every day. And youdont? Touch. Taiyou made a wry smile. If Shirokiyami, who was moving around at lightning speed while continuing to dodge bullets was like a monster, then Taiyou, who was bathing in a volley of bullets without a single scratch would also be considered a monster. This was in actuality what the members in the farmer garb thought of them. Having exhausted all of their ammo, they continued to hold their submachine guns in bewilderment, saying something to one another. Although it was in a language that he hadnt heard before with lots of trilled rs, he could at least tell that they were afraid. Pretty darn scared over there. I wonder what theyre saying. Want atranslation? You can understand them? Yawnyawn. She said on purpose, giving a light nod. Your momhas, an outie. Yeah, Im pretty sure thats NOT what theyre saying! Thenyour dadhas, telescopic eyes. Sure, if they were going up against someone who looked like that, they might just make those terrified expressions! Just, kidding. Eh? It was alla, lie. I know that, thank you! Taiyou quipped, while Shirokiyami acted indifferent. During that time, their opponent had exchanged their magazines for new ones, attempting to shoot at them once again. While Taiyou was quipping, he casually began to walk toward them, punching each of their lights out one by one. Amazing. Thats like lecturing Gautama on the sutras. Malapropism? It means to have Siddartha Gautama compliment you on a lecture. Thats a, new one. So do we just keep advancing up the mountain like this? Mhm. What do we do? Defeat all of them? NoJust the boss, dead or alive. Never thought Id get in the kind of situation where Id hear that game term used correctly. Taiyou and Shirokiyami once again ran off in sync. As per earlier, they dashed up to the summit on the bare mountain road, but unlike earlier, Taiyou was now fully in on this. Whats wrong? Hm? Your faceits, grinning. Being able to run alongside you like this is so fun that I cant help it. The lastspurt? I mean yeah, it is a hill and all He replied, lightly smiling. But no, I mean when I think of when I first met you, Im super happy to be able to keep up at this speed with you. I still remember that day. Mhm, you totally, wet your pants. Hey, dont fabricate it! Butyou were, drenched. Pretty sure that was blood! Blood that came from the wounds from your katana! No, it wasnt. Eh? Shirokiyami was firmly shaking her head for once. Taiyou had a vacant expression on his face. She often played around with him, but it wasnt characteristic of her to just outright deny the truthor so he thought. That was when you grabbed that childand got cut. Yeah, youre right. Taiyou nodded as they ran. His memory was partially incorrect. The wound from that time was primarily in his palm area from grabbing Shirokiyamis katana and smashing it through the middle. Of course she would deny that, thought Taiyou. And I really likedthat, child. Man, Im envious to hear you talk to lovingly about something. I like this childmore. Maybe I should smash that one too. Noif you ever do such a thing If I ever do such a thing? I will kill you and then die too. Hmm, Im quite curious about why you said that sentence without a single pause! Once in a blue moon, Shirokiyami would speak in a normal tone. She had some sort of fixed set of lines that she spoke that way with, but he wasnt really sure when she would do those things. Hey, you did have a name for the current kid, right? MhmHeaven Reversal. Defying the laws of natureyou are the conqueror. I didnt know it meant that. He pondered this a bit while they were running. Did the previous one have a name? Previous? The one I broke. A nod. It was quiet, but she was clearly nodding. I see. What is that child doing right now? She is, sleeping. Let me meet her sometime. I want to apologize. Thats, fine. But Dont, worry. She firmly shook her head. It happened in battleso, she is, satisfied. Okay. Taiyou nodded. That one statement revealed Shirokiyamis views on life and death. He felt as if he somehow caught another glimpse of her true self. That made him happy. He was enjoying this. You are, grinning. I told you earlier. Im happy. But you knowthat I am, holding back, right? Even with that in mind, yeah. Taiyou laughed, filled with unbelievable happiness. Cause when I think of when we first met, the very idea of you slowing your pace just for me sounds like it would have been a faraway dream. I probably wouldnt have even been able to keep up with you like how I am now. Isee. Im even wondering how long Id last if I went up against you right now. No sneak attacks, just front and center. Probablyinstant, death. Well thats pretty delightful in and of itself, cause it would mean that you went all out for me. You are verypositive. I just love everything about you and I cant hold it back. The mountains twisted round and round, but they just kept going straight up. They ran into some members again at another intersection, but they merely ran through them. Taiyou punched them, and Shirokiyami cut them down with her katana. It was pretty obvious in her case and even Taiyous case that they were hardly using any energy-holding back in their attacks. Oh yeah, theres something that I forgot to ask you. What, is it? In order to make you mine, I know that I have to fight and defeat you, but M, hm. What about asking you out on a date? Chapter 328: Remodeled Monster Date? Yeah, a date. She tilted her head, making a pensive face. Likewhat were doing? This is your idea of a date!? Taiyous voice cracked at this shocking revelation. Wellthat was why you came. Well thats true, but Thats what Iintended, you know? Seriously!? Taiyous voice cracked again. This was even more shocking than earlier. Why was the truth always so unbelievable? Mhmthats right. Yeah? This was a date, huh. Dis, satisfied? No, not at all. He slowly shook his head. He had been surprised, but if asked if he was disappointed, he would certainly deny that. Remember, I said that everything about you makes me crazy with happiness and excitement. Right. As soon as she said that, she fell silent. They had started running up to the peak again, so Taiyou followed after her. For some reason, he couldnt catch up. He attempted to catch up to her side like earlier, but there was no sign of him getting any closer. Every time he came that close, she would accelerate and move ahead of him. If he were to relax his speed, then she would also relax hers, but if he were to accelerate, so would she. From beginning to end, she was always one step aheadtaking a position in which Taiyou couldnt see her face. Even so, Taiyou desperately wanted to see her face and tried to catch up to her, but had still not managed to do so even by the time they reached the summit. Werehere. Yep. Taiyou was a little bit vexed. He was convinced that he would have been able to see something interesting and that something would have changed if he had only caught up. But he hadnt been able to. It must have been because of his lack of power. The end result was thus the same: just as he could not defeat her, he also could not catch up to her. That was why he was frustrated. However, he didnt have the time to indulge in that. Mu- A gun rang out with a bang, and right afterward, a lead bullet plopped onto his brow. The bullet that should have shot through his temporal region was stopped by Nullify Long-Distance, effectively losing its power. Who is it!? He turned in the direction from which the bullets had probably flown in through. Standing there were two oriental-looking people: a boy and a girl. The boy had a pleasant face, albeit a bit strained, whereas the girl had silky, half-up hair and tremendous proportions, cocking the gun to the side in a unique pose. He had seen both of them before. That you, Natsuno? The boy said with a surprised face. That very instant, Taiyou remembered both of them. Oh, youre that siscon guy-I mean, Mikuriya. What? Whos the siscon? Hes clearly talking about you, Big Brother! For whatever reason, the beauty next to him firmly insisted. The Mikuriya siblings. The older brother was called Kyousuke, and the younger sisters name was Rin. Both of them were famous at Oritachi Academy, and they had first met at the Sports Festival from the other day as they were neck-and-neck for the top. Why are you in a place like this? Thats what Id like to know. And besideswhy are you with her? Her? You mean Shirokiyami? He turned to Shirokiyami, questioning if they knew her, only to see her practicing baseball swings with her beloved sword Heaven Reversal. You couldnt get more obvious than this. Well, weve encountered hervarious times. Is that right? Big Brother, who cares about that? Did you forget that we have something far more important we need to do? Very true. So first- Okay, lets get to some impregnation, Big Brother! Thats not what it is! And dont say impregnation in front of other people! Kyousuke gave Rins forehead a chop with a thud, and Rin made a momentary expression of ecstasy. Yeah, pretty sure youre a siscon. Am not! Jeez, now they have the wrong idea! Lies become truth if you say them a hundred times, Big Brother. Do you seriously believe that!? You simply dont want to tell the truth, Id say. There is no truth to be told! Uhh Taiyou was at a serious loss for what he was supposed to say. These siblings were exceedingly famous, having caused numerous incidents at the academy. There was also the Bloomer Kneesocks incident that they had gotten the whole school wrapped up in last year, and Taiyou happened to know about it one-sidedly. However, that was only looking in from the outside. He had never anticipated that their personalities would be this fierce in person. Yeeshwell, looks like we have to get inside now. Gotta have a chat with the owner of this place. Kyousuke said with a serious face. Chat, huh? You cantdo that. Wanderer. For workI must hit the owner. Taiyou was pretty sure that she was going to do more than just hit him, but he couldnt say that. This was because Shirokiyami and Kyousuke had an ominous tension drifting between them. Taiyou could tell that just one touch could set off an explosion. What do you say, Distant Wanderer? Are you my big brothers enemy? Anyone who getsin the way of my mission. All right. Rin readied her gun, pulling the trigger without hesitation. Bang! Bang! Two shots of gunfire reverberated in succession. Shirokiyami readied her katana. She probably intended to either slice or reflect the bullets. Taiyou did nothing. He thought it would be rude to worry about her over mere bullets. However, he was deathly mistaken the next second. Miraculously, the two launched bullets had begun to curve in midair. They formed a parabolic shape after curving to the left and to the right, attacking Shirokiyami from either side like a boomerang. What kind of gun is that!? Uu Taiyou was astonished as he heard Shirokiyami groan. Shirokiyami had unsheathed her sword in time to reflect the bullets away from her, but her face had an unusually surprised expression on it. Heh. Rin laughed cynically, pulling the trigger again. Bang bang bang! The bullet sounds echoed one after the other, and the fired bullets made an irregular parabola orbit around Shirokiyami to attack her. Uuthis is against the rules. Rin! Dont hurt her. Hitting on another girl? Three strikes with adultery and youre out, Big Brother. Who the hell is committing adultery!? Sure you wannakeep commenting!? Taiyou kicked off the ground, immediately closing in under Rins chest. He then launched one of his deadly hooks to move her. This punch was at its full power, enough to even break through steel plates. He had not hesitated to go in with all his might as soon as he saw Rin fire the bullets. However Heh. Wha- Rin was fine as ever, cackling after receiving the body blow. Actually, she hadnt even moved an inch. It resembled Taiyous Nullify Long-Range, ignoring the laws of physics. Taiyou was astonished at how useless his attack had been. That sort of thing doesnt work on me. Well it*cough*, is certainly working on me. Kyousuke was for some reason holding down his flank in anguish. Doesnt work on me. Rin said again, and Taiyou found himself even more surprised. RemodeledMonster Shirokiyami murmured. Chapter 329: Once-In-A-Lifetime Chance Remodeled Monster? Where are you looking? Taiyou didnt even have the time to puzzle over this as Rin pulled the trigger once again. Numerous bullets formed an irregular orbit as they flew over. Nothing like this should normally affect Taiyou, but he was astonished as he looked at the orbit. The heck is this? Do gun bullets normally fly like this? Big Brother Bullet Edition 63. The unique rifling of the gun barrel causes the bullets it fires out to curve in various orbits in order to target opponents. The aim is dependent on air density, light density, as well as the difference in the likability between Big Brother and I. What kind of crazy theory is that!? Wait. I cant just ignore that last part, dammit! Taiyou and Kyousuke interjected at the same time. Rin continued to fire the bullets during that time. She changed magazines twice and fired just short of forty shots, but it had no effect whatsoever. Either Taiyous body would reflect them far away or Shirokiyami would hit them away. Its not working, Rin. Then perhaps we can test this. Rin said, changing the magazine again and firing. Unlike earlier, the continuously fired bullets came straight at them. As always, Taiyou took the shots in a placid manner, and Shirokiyami brushed them away-however Wha-? Taiyou was shocked. Nothing had happened to him, but the bullets that Shirokiyami had tried to brush away brightly burst open upon contact with the blade, swallowing the blade and Shirokiyami whole. Perhaps because of the effects of the bullets, scarily enough, Shirokiyami froze for an instant. Big Brother Bullet Edition 69. The moment it lands, it compresses the air of the whole region, forcibly expels the quantity of heat, as well as freezing the very movement of the target to the very limit indiscriminately based on how cold Big Brother is to me. Dont say disreputable things like that! When have I ever been cold toward you!? If you claim that is not true, then you must bestow seed upon me, Big Brother. Like hell I can do that! Hmph. Along with an adorable shout, they heard a smashing sound. Shirokiyami had just done something to break out of the freeze. If its to the limitall I need to do is break it. How naive you are, Distant Wanderer. Those bullets were developed especially for one such as yourself. Eh Doubtless one as strong as a fiend like you could easily break through my feelings for Big Brother in an instant, but I am not so sure about that katana of yours. Uu Letting out a voice of anguish, she looked at the katana that she was gripping. Heaven Reversal was still frozen. Im sure that a fiend like you is the strongest with their sword, but take that away and all youre left with is a high school girl with supersonic speed. Uu Now then, why dont you go ahead and allow us through? A fiend of your power cannot possibly stop me. Notfinished, yet. Shirokiyami thrust her katana into the ground, pulling out a strand of her long hair. When she then focused energy, her flimsy looking hair tightened into straight strands. It was like it became a long needle. Seriously? She can do that too? Thats a bluff. If it were actually beneficial to a battle, why not use it from the start? Want tofind out? Very well. I shall teach you about how fearsome and how erotic my feelings are for Big Brother within this 4 meter 37 radius area. Rins gun and Shirokiyamis energized, weaponized hair clashed together once again. Taiyou suddenly realized that he had been left out of the loop. He approached Kyousuke, speaking to him. Its my first time meeting your sister, Mikuriya, but man is she fiercer than those rumors. You knew, Natsuno? Is there anything I dont know regarding the students? Wow, so now weve just become famous for our negative points, huh? Youve got yourself quite the catch for a sister. Youre kidding, right? Kyousuke was surprised. In what way? The way she says unashamedly that she likes you. I really think thats great. Sure, if it stopped at like. Kyousuke gave a sigh. I have not forgotten how you used your amorous advances in order to get in the way of my Sibling Fertilization Plan . I dontuse, amorous advances. But it is true that you got in the way of us getting in bed together! So you think thats still fine? Well I mean, its nice and frank. Taiyou averted his eyes. Even he had to admit that it was a bit difficult to follow her when she said things that were so blunt, hence why he averted the conversation. More importantly, why are you here? Just a little errand with the boss here. You? I dont know. I just tagged along with Shirokiyami. That right? More importantly, whats with this whole remodeled monster thing she talked about? Well, Rins been performing surgery and reconstructing my body, so I think she means that. Surgery? Reconstruction? Yeah. Kyousuke made a small wry smile. Theres a lot being worked on, but I guess the one that stands out the most is my stamina. Even if I run into a car or end up in an explosion, there wouldnt be any major issue-geh! As he was about to continue, Kyousuke made a strange voice, holding down the top of his head. This happened to be at precisely the same time that Shirokiyami had hit Rins head with her katana. Owowowdepending on what it is, sometimes it hurts like death, but it heals quickly enough. Thats all well and good, but what happened just now? Kyousuke smiled pleasantly, but didnt answer. Thinking about it, the same as earlier, he seemed to receive damage whenever Rin was attacked. Even if asked, however, he would not answer. Taiyou wondered if something was the matter. While Taiyou and Kyousuke were conversing, Shirokiyami and Rins fight had intensified. She had tried once to use her cooled-down sword, but as expected, there was something different about it and Shirokiyami instead came at her with her needle-like hair. Meanwhile, Rin was unleashing numerous types of bullets in order to face Shirokiyami: ones that turned, ones that blew up, ones that froze, ones that smelled like her brothers body odor after not bathing for three days. The battle raged on, but to Taiyou- (Dull.) That was really how it felt to him. It was practically his first time meeting Rin, so he didnt pay her much heed. Shirokiyami, however, felt quite weak compared to all the times he recalled fighting her. Rin was right in what she said: Without her sword, Shirokiyami was nothing more than a supersonic high school girl. If it were a bit earlier, then Taiyou would have still thought that to be amazing, but not this time. This time, she seemed to be within his reach, now that he was stronger. (I have the opportunity right now) A wicked thought planted itself in his heart. Chapter 330: Third Wheel Objective and Method. These were the words that governed all of Taiyous actions. Once he had an objective firmly in his sights, he would stop at nothing to achieve it. That was the essence of the boy known as Taiyou Natsuno, and every one of his actions revolved around it. Now was no different. Having firmly remembered what his objective was, he could now see the next action he should take. He took a relaxed step. Natsuno? Kyousuke looked at him puzzledly. Ignoring him, he walked over to the two who were fighting. Right now was his biggest chance. There was no telling when an opportunity like this would come again if he were to pass up a chance like this. Thinking that, he clenched his fists as he walked over to them. He could see Shirokiyamis face. Her expression was twisted, which was quite unusual for her. Doubtless she could guess at why Taiyou was currently walking their way. Finally, Taiyou jumped and charged forward into the midst of the battle. He then raised his arm-aiming for Rin. Wha- Shirokiyami was surprised. Unaffected, Taiyou launched an attack on Rin. Dont get in my way, punk. I need to put an end to this wench right here. Sorry, but no can do. You insolent brat! Rin continued to shoot her gun at Taiyou while backing away. Weaving bullets, frozen bullets, burning bullets, bullets that gave off sound. She fired various types of bullets, but not a single one worked on Taiyou. By the time that she had probably run out of ammo, Taiyou charged forward, unleashing a body blow from his right hand. It was a simple uppercut that gouged into its target, and it was also one of Taiyous deadly techniques. Im telling you, that isnt going to work. Hah-! Throwing in some extra moves, Taiyou launched a spinning kick, put both of his arms together for a downward slam, and even attempted to thrust his knee up into her face as she moved backward. Every movement of his flowed without mercy. An average opponent would have easily been sent to the hospital upon receiving such an attack. However I told you that wouldnt work! Bang bang! Bullets flew at him. He nullified them, returning the favor with a backhand. It didnt work. This bizarre bout of bullets and fists did no damage to either side. However AckoiRin, give it a rest already. Taiyou and Rin had no wounds on either of them, but they heard the anguish of Kyosuke in the distance. Upon closer inspection, he was coughing up blood, more and more beat-up every second. Give what a rest, Big Brother? Dont play dumb with me. All the damage you took goes to me. It hurts like hell. Make it so that you dodge and parry more. Its fine, Big Brother. She said briskly as she reloaded her bullets. It doesnt hurt for me. No frickin duh! And a great stream flows from my groin at the thought of seeing Big Brother in distress. Just admit youre a sadist already! And as I imagine receiving punishment from said big brother, I feel a further flood. Make it clear whether youre an S or an M! Its not SM, its SN! SN? Sister and Nii-sama. Dont strain the meaning so much! Taiyou continued to launch attacks during this two-sibling comedy act. Every time he punched Rin, Kyosuke took damage. Rin would respond nonchalantly with a counterattack, and Taiyou with his bullet resistance would again hit her. This repeated itself numerous times. There was plenty of movement, but the battle results were stagnated. As Taiyou was beginning to fret about what to do Guhah! An attack of unprecedented scale flew at him from the side, launching him in the same direction. He saw that Rin had put rings on all of the fingers of her right hand, electrified. Interestingso this one works. With her electrified hand, she had unleashed an uppercut that sliced through the heavens. The attack pierced upward through his jaw. He wasnt sure what the principles were behind it, but the attack unleashed from her movement was assailing him. How peculiar Big Brothers Red-Hot Hand. Its an item that can traverse space and attack ones opponent wherever and however the user wants. Rin swung her fist like she was shadow boxing. Every time she did that, a shockwave would come flying at Taiyou, assailing him. Kuh- Unable to take it anymore, he kicked off the ground and leaped back. Pointless! Rin unleashed shadows from where she stood, and he felt an impact near his nose. It doesnt matter how far away you are, physically. This Big Brothers Red-Hot Hand traverses all dimensions and connects our love. Dont connect, hit him! Kyosuke butted in. So did Rins punch. Taiyou was irritatedbut that was about it. So thats it? What is? You had me there for a moment with your strange attackbut that was about it. It does hurtbut I guess only as much as a girl like you can manage. Impossible! Its strength should have been amplified by my feelings toward Big brother-Wait, I messed up. Huh? Not my feelings toward Big Brother. I had it set to Big Brothers feelings for me. The hell you doing, girl! Kyosuke interjected. Taiyou paid this whole charade no heed, walking toward Rin. No point hitting her, as the damage would only get absorbed by Kyosuke. From what Taiyou could tell, Kyosuke had a toughness and regenerative power that surpassed human knowledge. There probably wouldnt be any actual result no matter how many times he hit him. Therefore- Wait! What are you trying to dooooo! He picked up and threw Rin. She was fairly tall for a girl but flew off just the same, reaching the skies. Taiyou had concluded that if hitting her was no good, he may as well just throw her into the air. Whoa, shes flying. Kyosuke remarked casually. Taiyou shuddered at his reaction. Was this seriously not going to work either? I-I see that youre fairly calm. Well thats cause this girl wont go away just from something like this. Shell just eventually come back saying something like Huhahaha, I have revived by bathing in the love and lust of my brother!. Wow, that kinda sucks. It truly does. Taiyou muttered. If that were really the case, then he would have no choice but to settle things quickly. He clenched his knuckles before twisting his body around. He saw Shirokiyami standing ahead, without a sword. Now then Taiyou took a breath before lunging this time at Shirokiyami. Chapter 331: The Genius of Lost Items -nh Shirokiyamis face contorted. Taiyou began to attack her relentlessly, well aware that this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Why? Without answering her question, he focused only on attacking her. Taiyous power had long surpassed that of a regular person. He was exuding tremendous power as always, but on this occasion it was clear that it was even more than he usually let out. In terms of speed, he had enough specs to make the world record if he were to decide to run in a 100 meter dash. The same could be said for his other powers, they were all entering into the realm of superhuman. Taiyou was utilizing all of that power to the max as he continued his onslaught. Shirokiyamis surprise lasted for only an instant. The moment that she had understood that Taiyou was coming at her holding nothing back, her severely distraught mind was pieced back together. One SkyFour Oceans. Her katana was frozen, unuseable. She had turned to a different option, namely her white hair, as she pulled on it and focused in order to make it into a weapon. The tip of hair was sharply protruding like a needle as it stabbed Taiyou. Kuh! Pain coursed through to Taiyous bone marrow. He had been utterly careless. He had anticipated the amount of damage potential of the narrow, sword-like hair, but the pain was far greater than he could have predicted. The heck is this? Super painfulAcu, puncture. Is that seriouslyBut if it only hurts, then who cares! Gritting his teeth, he advanced forward. He couldnt afford to stop just because of mere pain. Right now was his greatest chance yet. She couldnt use her katana, which put her at a severe disadvantage. Not only did Rin mention that- Taiyou felt it as well. Heaven Reversal made Shirokiyami untouchable and a hopelessly merciless opponent, but this time around, he did not feel that feeling of despair. Although getting stabbed by that hair gave him deathly pain, he felt like he could still make something of this situation. This was the time to hold his ground, because who knew when the next chance would come? So he gritted his teeth, attempting to move forward. However That very moment, he crumpled to his knees. He tried to step forward, but his right foot wouldnt budge. In fact, he had lost any sensation of his right foot, as if he had lost the entire leg without realizing it. His eyes slowly trailed down to the area in question. -No, its still here. His right foot was still there. Although he still could not feel it, it was definitely connected to his body. Is this also part of that attack of yours? Mhm. Thats actually pretty useful. But can Iask you to stop, right now? Thats one offer Ill have to refuse. If you dontyou will not like, the result. I dont care about the consequences. Taiyou brushed her statement aside. He kicked the ground with his remaining left leg, closing in on Shirokiyami and unleashing a swift punch. No matter what happens from here on out, that doesnt change the fact that this is the best chance that Ive got. A one-on-one fight to defeat you, right here right now. One-onone. Yeah, I got rid of her. Is thatso. All I want to do right now is defeat you. He put his feelings into words, rousing himself up. He launched more attacks at her. His speed would decrease if he only had access to one leg-or so you might think, but in actuality, the pain left over in his marrow from the stab boosted his will to fight, covering for the perceived lack in performance. Taiyou was currently what you would refer to as a wounded animal. His attacks were becoming more and more rough, but on the flipside, each of his attacks had raw power, enough to overwhelm everything within the surroundings. Normally, this would also take effect on his opponent, at the very least exerting pressure on them, but It didnt seem to be working on Shirokiyami. She had initially been surprised when he had attacked her, but she had since then grown calmer, and right now she was back to her normal, poker-faced self. She was beyond calmexpressionless and calculating. Her gaze flitted over to Heaven Reveral. The katana was beginning to thaw in the ground that it had been stabbed in. In just a little bit, it would likely regain its former status. If she were to regain that katana, she would be overpowered. Any hope of winning against her with that katana was next to none. As he attacked her, he thought frantically about what he should do, how he could win. Just one hit would be enough. For Taiyou, landing one strike meant victory. It was the same before and even now it hadnt changed. How, how how? What could he do in order to create that chance? As Taiyou frantically searched through his mind, something caught his eye. Bullets on the ground, fired earlier from Rins gun. Technically speaking, they had hit Taiyou, but without affecting him due to Nullify Long-Range. - It was as if God Himself had sent this gift down. He didnt know for sure what would happen. Still, this item was like the embodiment of hope to him at this very moment. This was the item that could potentially help him break through. Taiyou scooped them up into his arms. Whatare you, doing? Just thinking I might be able to use this, yknow. It technically never activated after all. Going to, throw it? It wonthit me, you realize. Course not. Theres no way that something like this would hit you if it were shot. If thats, the case If thats the case He cut through Shirokiyami, mimicking her exact statement. He twisted his mouth into a grin that was at the brink of insanity. It was the smile unique to a human who stopped at nothing to achieve their goals, one foot in the realm of madness. Then I just gottado, this! He slammed his fist into the pile of bullets. Flame bullets, freeze bullets, curve bullets, explosion noise bulletsscent bullets. All sorts of bullets-and they all exploded simultaneously. Chapter 332: Self-Destruction Is Lame Everything was pitch black. He initially thought it was because his eyes were closed, but his eyes were in fact openhe had been mistaken. He rolled his eyes in all directions, looking around him. A dim, hazy silhouette of some sort came into his vision. He squinted, waiting patiently. During that time, he attempted to grasp his current situation without relying on his sight. He could smell dirt and felt something soft against his back. It felt like he was lying down outside flat on his back. He could not sense any people near him. It was probably just him here. His body felt hardly any pain, but for some reason, he didnt have the power necessary to move. His head was also unsteady and wasnt functioning how it normally would. He recalled fighting with Shirokiyami, but he couldnt remember what had happened afterward. Nope, no good. His eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, and his vision returned to him. The thing he had been able to vaguely see earlier was a tree. This certainly did seem like the outside. The sky was covered by the tree, and he couldnt see it. There was nothing near him that could help to light up his surroundings, and even if his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, they had their limits as well. Maybe I can fly right now He willed it to happen. If one of his brides were nearby, he would probably be able to bring out wings of light to illuminate the area, but of course, that did not happen because they are on the opposite side of the earth. His vision was no good, and the same could be said for his senses. He had no choice but to go through his memory. Just what happened? He couldnt immediately recall what had happened right before that, so he began with what he knew in order to reach the answer. They had pushed their way up the mountain before running into the sister/brother couple. He had fought with the sister, who seemed to have not just one, but ten screws loose. He then lunged for Shirokiyami, and then. Thats right! He got up with a start. His recollection of his assault on Shirokiyami had jogged his memory. He had hit the bullets left by Rin with the intent to take Shirokiyami down with him, and then he had lost consciousness that very moment. He wondered what had happened afterward. Where was Shiroki Hera. Ta-ta-daaahey, its dark! I cant even see that smug face of yours, thats how dark it is! Wheres Shirokiyami?! He didnt bother to play along with her gags, thrusting the topic at her. Yami-chan, you say? Yes! What are you talking about, Taiyou-chan? Hera spoke in an exasperated tone. Yami-chan is right next to you. Eh? W-Where? Right here. He heard her voice come horizontally. Hera had probably flown somewhere else. She claimed that Shirokiyami was there, but he couldnt actually see anything. Is she really there? Mm, wait a momenthiyah! Along with a yell, the fairys body began to glow in the dark. Normally, this would be a majestic sight to behold for anyone watching, but he did not currently have the time to gaze at that, for to the side was Shirokiyamis figure. Her clothing was tattered, and she stared blankly at him, holding her knees in a gym-like sitting position. He could practically see her boundless eyes staring at him. S-So you were right here the whole time. Shirokiyami did not answer. He felt a strange pressure as he looked at her. You couldve at least said something if you were right there. Anyway, are you alright? Umm She was unbelievably silent. She did not react or move in the slightest, to the point where he almost believed she was just a sculpture. Or at least that would have been the case if he hadnt noticed the slight breathing movement coming from her chest. That just made it frightening. It was unnerving to see her merely staring at him. He was beginning to question what he should do, when Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan, did you do something? Did I do somethingwell yeah, I did, but I bet you assaulted her! Heras eyes gleamed as she rejoiced. Why are you getting all excited? Besides, this isnt the kind of assault that you were thinking of anyway, and I mean it. But but, arent you assaulting her in order to make her your bride? Well I mean Then Im right on the money, yes? Sexual assaaault! Dont call it sexual assault! Taiyou snapped. Sexual sexual aaa-sault sexual aaa-sault! Dont sing! Dont dance! Aaaugh, Im telling you to stop, fairy Good luck, Taiyou-chan! I am always your ally, Taiyou-chan!? Yeah, Im so moved from gratitude He took a breath, regaining his composure before turning back to Shirokiyami. As per usual she was staring at him with her boundless eyes. Taiyou was seriously starting to fret about what to do. Maybe try attacking her again? Sure, why not. Heras suggestion came out of nowhere, but he figured he might as well give it a shot. If she didnt resist, then that was fine, and if she did resist then that would still be preferable to the way things currently were. That was how desperate he was. As he was thinking that ! A chill ran through his spine. That was because at that very moment, the tip of a blade had been thrust at the nape of his neck. It was the tip of the national treasure, Heaven Reversal. The grey metal of the longsword gave off a cold gleam. It had been thrust at him without a word, without a hint. This movement had all occurred faster than the blink of an eye, up against his neck before he knew it. W-Wait a second, Im sorry. Sorry for thinking something so stupid. Ill apologize, okay? So just pull this thing away from me. Umm, Yamisan? Taiyou fearfully asked, as if checking on her mood. Then, one word slipped out of her mouth. Lame. Eh? Blowing yourself upis, lame. Chapter 333: White in Disbelief I mean, even if youre trying to tease me by calling me lame, I dunno if Youare, lame. When she repeatedly said that in her unique respiratory voice, it was pretty easy to tell that she was not in a good mood. Youre angry about something? I want tochop you into, pieces. Well damn, youre angry! If youre going to do that to him, I recommend chopping him into seven pieces! And you dont add fuel to the fire! After rebuking Hera, he fearfully turned back to Shirokiyami. Sullen face, check. Pointed sword, check. Yep, she was angry all right. And yet, she showed no signs of doing anything. He could just tell that. It was especially easy to sense what she was feeling compared to other people. As he had in fact just earlier picked up her killing intent before even seeing her, he could confirm that he felt her with ki. She was of course angry, hence the pointed katana at him, but he couldnt sense any intention from her side to do anything to him with said katana. That was a relief, although the question of why only grew stronger. Umm, first off, could I maybe get you to pull that thing back? Uhh Shirokiyami silently drew back her swordor so he thought, but then the tip of the katana bonked the tip of his head. It hurt a bit. Getting hit by a lump of iron tends to hurt. H-Hey, excuse me? Bonkbonk, bonkbonk. Umm, this kinda hurts Bonkbonk, bonkbonk, bonkbonk. She continued to hit him without saying a word. Taiyous bewilderment only increased. Hera, who had been watching all of this, suddenly blurted out something in excitement. Go for the sword/sheath combo! Dont make this worse, Hera! Ilike, that. Shirokiyami started using both the katana and its sheath. Ow, owowow. And did you actually get that? I amvery, skilled. Is that right I can hit peoplesixty times in, one second. Thats like TAS-san. Tasu-san? Im talking about the little blonde-haired girl. Oh, so youre talking about me! No, you cant even get close to what TAS-san is like. You never know, I might be able to move quickly per frame as well. If that ever happens then thatll be a real nightmare. Before they knew it, they were engaging in banter, with Shirokiyami still hitting Taiyou with her katana and sheath, playing him like a drum. It hurt just a bit, but he didnt think much of it. This was because he had simply stopped caring. Actually, he would rather she continued foreverthat was essentially how he felt. Suddenly, the light from Heras body disappeared. Ah, its gone. Whats wrong? I actually cant light up for more than three minutes. What are you, a realistic protagonist? It only takes a second to start lighting up again though. Coolvery, handy. But why the whole three minutes thing? Well, I can always stay lit up while you level up, Taiyou. Hey, youre not seriously sucking up my experience points, are you? Your Japanesesounds, strange. The bonking became tapping, reducing the pressure and hitting Taiyous brow area. Tap tap, tap tap. It was a precise rhythm, reminiscent of a metronome. He wanted this moment to last forever, chatting with her constantly. On the other hand, different emotions surfaced. He noticed how her pale skin was exposed in various areas due to her torn-up clothing, accidentally getting aroused. I sense, malice. Ngh Vulgarscandalous, intent. Oopsie, she sees right through you, Taiyou-chan. W-Well yeah, I cant freaking help it. Thats what happens when the person you like dresses like this in front of you. Sorry that Taiyou-chan is such a lustful monkey, Yami-chan. Dont say it like that!! Monkeyhold out your, hand. Monkeys dont even do that. Sitdown. They dont do that either. Masturbe, tion. They dontactually, do they? About to interrupt her again, he put his chin on his hand and thought about it. He recalled seeing an online article about a monkey that learned how to do it and then continued until it died. Are you reallyfine, with this? Huh? This. She asked him with her vacant expression, stopping the hitting. I donthave, boobs. I mean, neither do Kohaku-san or Kazane. Plus in your case you can at least make them bigger with your power. Yeahlike, this. She took a breath, closing her eyes. Shortly afterward, her chest expanded with a pop. Still crazy no matter how many times I see it. Butnormally its, like this. With a whoosh, her chest deflated like a deflating balloon. Yeah, like I said, I dont care. Surebut, my skinthis is, what it looks like. And I really could care less about that. If you werent so self-conscious about that, Id even go further and insist that your skin is beautiful. Your dress was really cute, Yami-chan. Right, right. Not the black that you always wear, but your white dress looks better on you, I say. Even thoughits, white? Hey, who even named you Shirokiyami? Was it just spontaneous? Shirokiyami blanked out at Taiyous sudden change in topic. Ifor, got. Yeah? Well I dont care much about that either, but I say the color white makes more sense for you. Taiyou outstretched his hand, touching her long hair. White, white. Even after their fight, her hair was like silk thread as he ran his fingers through it. Chapter 334: Morning Star of the Distant Shore If he had good sense, this would have been a good place to shut his mouth, but he did not. Taiyou had been through so many outlandish situations in less than half a year to the point where the term common sense meant nothing to him. Therefore, he directly conveyed his feelings to Shirokiyami. You were born white. Not just in your appearance, but in essence as well, Id say. Thats how white you look in my eyes. And I thinkthat is unbelievably beautiful. Beauti, ful? I bet you hate me saying this, but youre beautiful, white and all. Butmy hands, are You wanna say theyre dirty, right? Taiyou grasped the edge of the blade before his eyes. Since he showed no sign of ill intent, Shirokiyami hesitated for a second, and he grabbed it tightly. The blade dug into his skin, causing a shock of pain running through his hand. Red blood trickled along the grey blade next to his skin, which gave off a beautiful, iridescent glimmer illuminated by the fairys phosphorescence. Whydid you, do that? He grinned, moving it away from his hand. This katanaHeaven Reversal. Its a super sharp sword, right? Mhmnational, treasure. I bet an amazing swordsmith had to have created this beauty. ? Shirokiyami tilted her head, as if asking what about it?. Look at the blood flowtrickling down onto the ground. You are this blade. You are the color white, putting every ounce of effort into one simple objective. And that purity cannot be violated by anything. Even if your hands were to be ravaged by blood somewhere else, I bet that blood of yours would flow right off, just like this, never sticking to you. ! He held his breath. This was the first time he had ever felt such a sway of emotion from her. Thats what I think. Youre cute after all. Huh Sullied humans can never be cute like you are. Of course, I dont doubt that youve killed plenty of different kinds of people. Which is why Im left to conclude that no matter how many times you kill, you will never be sullied by any of that. That is who you are. Imnot, dirty? Nope. At least, thats what I believe. Her eyes and mouth were wide open in amazement, as if displaying her true feelings. Thats thefirst time someone, said that. Yeah? They would alwayssay that white is, disgusting. I dunno who said that, but theyre probably just idiots. But Well, thats not so rare. Its like how people go wine-tasting and mistake 1,000 yen wine for 100,000 yen wine or vice versa, all the while having a smug smile on their face. Maybe youare the same kind, of person? So youre saying that youre the thousand yen wine? M, hm. And that theres someone else whos the ten thousand yen wine? Ye, s. Then I wanna drink the thousand yen one. Uu No wait, thats not quite right. Huh? The real reason is that all those big-shot wine critics have rotten tongues. Thats all. Neither of them questioned that statement. They gazed at each other, eye to eye. Soon, their surroundings were enveloped in darkness. And then soon, all they could sense was their own breathing I have indeed returned! Hera had returned to the mansion. Kohaku, who had been gazing at the morning sun in the living room, came over to greet her. Welcome back. I take it that ye went to see Danna-sama? Yes indeed. But wow, I did not think that jetlag would be this dreadful. They be on the other side of the world, eh? Where specifically, ja? I would say precisely on the opposite side. So directly below, ja. Yes indeed. And that be where Danna-sama and Shirokiyami be staying. Exacto! Be that right. Then I be quite jealous. Going with Danna-sama on a trip overseasAye, I would have liked to have done that at least once in me life. But youre going to live the longest out of anyone, Kohaku-tan, from what I can tell. In terms of me lifespan, aye. But there be several hurdles more than the others in me case. Hurdles? Hera tilted her head, and Kohaku grinned, stroking her ring as she spoke. Giving birth to children is a gamble on me life. Ye can tell by looking at me body. Ohhh, is that true? I shall try and pester him about it, ja. Have him take me somewhere in winter. Taiyou-chan will definitely grant that wish of yours. Indeed. They looked outside. Kohaku-tan. Mm? Its going to happen very soon. What will? She looked at Hera with a quizzical expression. Before her was a fairy making an unusually serious face, one wing missing from her body. Taiyou-chans brides will have soon all gathered. What are yethere are still twomm, I guess one left now, ja. Kohaku checked on the status. The revision from the number of wives had split into six parts. Then, does that mean Yes indeed. It is indeed what you think it is. All rightbut then, why do ye make such a face, lass? What face? Well Kohaku hesitated. It was quite rare for the loli baba to refrain from saying something. After a brief pause, she decided to speak. Ye look like yer so sad that ye might die. The fairy in front of her at that very moment looked so faint, like she might disappear at any moment. Chapter 335: Woman in Attack Mode The trees and people included began to change their apparel for the winter. Every student in Oritachi Academy had also changed into their winter uniforms. Akiha Aoyama, meanwhile, was sitting on the rooftop of the academy. Ignoring the fierce northern winds, she was sitting atop the fence, gazing down at the courtyard. She should have been cold in her current outfit, as she was sitting barefoot and crossing her legs, but Akiha herself seemed to be fine, with a pleasant smile on her face. Dont be shy. Come over here. She called out to a girl who had been standing further away. This girl had long, white hair, white skin, and a white dress that she had grown quite used to. This two-layered dress was white up and down, which truly lent meaning to the term less is more. I am finewhere I, am. Can you even see him from where you are? I can sense himso its, fine. You can sense him? Like ki and all that stuff? M, hm. Thats fantastic! Hey, you think I can do the same thing? If youtrain, a bit. Ohhh! Just trainfor an hour a dayfor five years. Thats quite a bit! Akiha covered her eyes with her hands in defeat. Not too longif you consider your full, lifespan. Oh yeah, youre right! Will you, do it? Yeah lets go! The two relatively new members of the Natsuno Family were secretly getting closer. So whats it been like? Been, like? With him, yknow. Lover boooy~ Akiha said, pointing repeatedly at the courtyard. Standing down there were Taiyou, the triplets, and Kohaku, all in gym clothes. It was likely before class had begun, with all the students scattered and taking it easy. Akiha was pointing at Taiyou as he bantered with the other girls. What kinds of things do you do when youre with him? We tryto kill, each other? What? My katanaand his fists, collide. So you spar? The pure white girl gave a small nod. Why? I wonderwhy. So you do it just because you can? Another small nod. Wowthat is fantastic in and of itself, I say. You thinkits, fantastic? Well yeah girl, that means you got him all to yourself during that time! None of us can interfere. Isee. Hmm, oh, right! She clapped her hands. Maybe we could all participate if we had pistols or rifles? Are youfine with, getting slicedinto bits? Wait, but he still looks fine. He isstrong. He will continue to, grow. Seriously? Mhm. She nodded once again. From what I knowhe would be ranked about 23, in the entire world. Thats quite a way to put it! Because he can beatthe 23rd ranked, person. In the world? In the, world. Isnt that pretty crazy? It sure, is. Wow, didnt know that. Akihas eyes glittered. Shirokiyami spoke again, looking at her eyes. I happento be number, one. Yeah? Not much ofa, reaction. Nah, I do think its cool. In actuality, however, Akihas reaction was a bit lackluster. How, horrible. Sorry sorry, dont look at me like an abandoned puppy! Yeesh. Youvecut me, deeply. I said Im SORRY! I demand anapology, and a self-trial. Selfwhat? Akiha didnt seem to quite get what she meant. Shirokiyami noticed that and rephrased herself. I demandan apology and, suicide. Suicide is what ya meant? Isnt that worse? She had to think about that for a moment. Its fineif it comes to that, he will stop you. Thats a good point. Reproach. You actually look reproachful right now, please stop! I havent even DONE anything, yo! You are, liked by him. And you arent? In fact, youre the one who he likes the most! ? Stop tilting your head! Stop giving blank expressions! Its clear to all of us that he likes you the most. That cant She stopped for a moment, thinking about it. I guess, it is? Ugh, now I feel sorta irritated. Jeal, ousy? Yep, thats jealousy. Why are you surprised again? Because I havenot experienced, that before. Havent? Never thought thatsomeone would be, jealous of me. Hey. Akiha asked, her expression doing a 180 into a serious face. Is it cool if I ask you about your past? Shirokiyami closed her mouth. Having lived with her for a bit, Akiha was able to somewhat tell that Shirokiyamis face looked conflicted. That was why she felt she had to ask. Shirokiyami had not yet blended in with the entire Natsuno Family. She still had a bit of a wall between her and the others, and Akiha figured that her past was the reason. She didnt think she could solve the situation, nor did she seek to. She just wanted to ask, felt like she had to ask. So she stared straight at Shirokiyami. Chapter 336: Look Up at the Sky Yo! Taiyou called out from beyond the fence, catching them unawares. He had flown up to the roof with wings of light. What brings you here? I saw the two of you over here, so I was just curious what you were talking about. Its a secretbetween girls. Oh is it now? He soared over the fence, landing on the concrete floor. Akiha skillfully changed direction on the fence, in order to face him. Is it really okay? Wouldnt it be weird if people saw you fly over here? According to Kohaku, most people dont even look at the sky. Oh really? Akiha made an intrigued expression, while Shirokiyami made a blank expression. Neither of them seemed to quite understand. Well anyway, its Kohaku who said that, so there should be some truth to it. He shrugged his shoulders as he peered down at the courtyard. As Kohaku had said, most of the students were looking at either one another, their close vicinity, or the ground. Not a single one of them was looking at the sky. At that moment, the bell rang. The students wearing gym uniforms assembled together, and the students wearing school uniforms returned to the schoolhouse. However, Taiyou showed no inclination of following any of them. Akiha inclined her head. You good with not going back? What about you? What about you? Taiyou asked Akiha, and Akiha shifted the question over to Shirokiyami. But Imnot a, student. Then just transfer schools and youre good. Dont be ridiculous, theres no way she can- But cant Youran solve all that? Oh yeah, she was the chairwoman, wasnt she? Either way its a piece of cake, right? True. Taiyou nodded, looking at Shirokiyami as he waited for a response. After thinking about it, she shook her head. I dont needschool. Okay. When things get toughit hinders, me. When things get tough? Shirokiyami nodded. And what would cause things to get tough? Natural disaster? Why are you asking me? And how come you said that so smoothly? As he relaxed and listened to their exchange, Taiyou sat atop the concrete, resting his head against the fence, beckoning. The heck does that mean? Cmere. He called out in a soft voice. Akiha made a slightly exasperated face. In a place like this? No, were not doing what youre thinking of. Then what are we doing? I just wanna flirt. Taiyou said bluntly. Akiha became even more exasperated. Yknow, youre really- As Akiha was beginning to say something, Shirokiyami trudged over to Taiyou, sitting down next to him. There was no hesitation in her movement as she touched her shoulders to his. Taiyou put an arm around her, hugging her closer. Warm. And your body, on the other hand, is cold. You alright? YesI can regulate temperature, when things get tough. You can regulate temperature? Yeslike, this. Right after she said that, Taiyou felt warmth suddenly course through her shoulders. He initially felt like he was imagining things, but the heat eventually rose to the level of hot tea. Wow, you can do that too? I surecan. She proudly raised her head. She still had that same vacant expression on her face though, so it didnt actually feel like she was bragging. But that was lovely in his eyes all the same. Taiyou put even more power into another embrace. And that was just your shoulder area? Mhmat least, right now. How about you stop that real quick and turn this way? Shirokiyami did as he said. She turned her cold front area toward Taiyou, leaning into his arms. The two of them clung together, exchanging heat as they both began to gradually feel equally warm. Akiha. Okay, fine. Akiha made a small fuss and sat down on the other side of Taiyou, nudging closer to him as well. Her body was even colder than Shirokiyamis. Wow, youre cold. Am I? Were you up here the whole time? Well yeah, cause the wind feels nice. Seriously? You really dont have to climb up here in the wintertime. But thats exactly why I go up here. Is that a valid reason? They snuggled together briefly. The northern winds were blowing against their bodies, but their shared body heat prevented them from feeling cold. In Taiyous case, he actually felt a bit on the hot side, since he was between both of them. Oh yeah, I might go to Juuni Island during winter break. Taiyou suddenly said as he remembered. Juuni Island? You mean where Youran lives? Why? I felt like there was a lot I needed to help out with, you see. Plus I wanted to check it out and see if I want to consider living there in the future. Where would you live once youre over there? Ive been thinking about that. Kohaku-san is thinking of building something over there. Build? Yeah, a seven-story building up from the ground. And then wed make a bunch of gimmicks to go along with it. Since its seven stories, I imagine everyone gets their own room? Thats the idea. And then enemies comedefeating everyone as they, go up. This aint no RPG dungeon, okay? That sounds fantastic, I say. Ill claim the fourth floor, then. Why the fourth floor? Why notthe fifth, floor? Fourth floor is just fine. I like that number. You do, now? They were for whatever reason discussing the future when suddenly, Taiyou looked up at the sky, thinking of Kohaku. The sky was a bright, vivid blue, but something unexpected was in it. Is that a helicopter? Mhm Shirokiyami followed his gaze, affirming. Her vision was more powerful than Taiyous, apparently. Akiha also looked up with a surprised face. You sure it isnt heading over here? Chapter 337: We Don’t Need Dinner Whoever was piloting that helicopter had some skill to land safely on the school roof, which was clearly not designed for such maneuvers. The door opened, and the passenger could be seen. Youran-oh, wait. Taiyou frowned, about to say something else. He stood up and looked at the interior. The pretty twintailed girl inside of the vehicle was a face he knew all too well, but he had momentarily felt that something was off. This had to be the one and only girl resembling Juunishima Youran. Only Taiyou knew about her existence. Juurokuya, is that you? Y-Y-Yes! Im J-J-Juurokuya! This girls name came from the meaning that she was the shadow of the new moon, aka the shadow of Youran, the director of the new moon. As usual, she was in a panic. You dont look so good, whats wrong? I-I-Its terrible! Terrible? Did something happen to Youran? N-N-No, not her. Huh? Taiyou wracked his brain. What could possibly be worse to Juurokuya than something happening to Youran? I-I-Its about Sakura-sama. Sakura? Y-Y-Yes! What about her? P-P-Please just come with us, Im b-b-begging you. Taiyou hesitated. Should he come with her? As he was fretting about that, Shirokiyami zoomed into the helicopter in front of him. I willgo. Huh? Why? Akiha was astonished. Because I knowthat, person. You do? Actually, Iwould say, were friends? That last sentence was spoken in a questioning tone, but even so, Taiyou was surprised to hear that. The Shirokiyami he knew was far from someone who would have any friends. She was after all the strongest swordswoman in the world and a lonely existence. Sure, he had shared a cozy moment with her just now, but it still boggled his mind to hear that. Alright, Ill go too. Yousure? I dont know what happened, but I can at least help you out in some way. Okay. Shirokiyami nodded. It seemed as though her cheeks were slightly flushed. He followed after her, jumping into the helicopter. Juurokuya was visibly relieved. T-T-Thank you! Youre fine with just us two? Then lets be off. O-O-Okay! Wait, Im coming too. Akiha said as she got in too. Akiha? Youre coming too? What, did you want to leave me out of the fun? Well no, not exactly, butits probably going to be dangerous, you know. Is it? Akiha looked at Shirokiyami, who nodded. I thinkthat its, fine. You suuure? Mhmand be, sides Shirokiyami took her katana out from under her dress. I willprotect, you. Wow, fantastic! Akiha swayed like a high school girl meeting an idol for the first time, letting out a shrill voice. She then clung to Shirokiyami, whose eyes swayed for but an instant. If its not your thing, remember that you can always say no. I donthave a problem, with it. You sure? Mhm Of course! You and me, were buddies. Mhm Okay, well if youre fine with it. He felt like Shirokiyami was being sucked into Akihas fast-paced nature, but if Shirokiyami herself didnt have a problem with it, then he wouldnt press any further. During that time, the helicopter was soaring through the sky. Hera. Despite being right in front of Juurokuya, Taiyou called Hera over. Ja-jajaaan! Its me, Taiyou-chans one and only! I thought youd call~ You did? I saw the helicopter descend when I was with Kohaku-tan, so I figured you would call me. Alright, well I have a message for everyone. Roger! Taiyou thought about it. He looked at Juurokuya, wondering what he should tell everyone. Shirokiyami spoke in his stead. We dontneed, dinner. Okay, then Ill let them know! Shirokiyami nodded. Hera flew through the wall and out of sight. Wait a sec-darn, she left. Will you call her back? Akiha asked. Taiyou looked at Shirokiyami, shaking his head. No, whatever. Yeah, I feel you. Akiha said. Taiyou inwardly agreed with her. They both gazed at Shirokiyami as she stared out the window with her obscure eyes. Her mere presence helped them to feel reassured. He wasnt sure what had happened, nor where they were going, for that matter, but if she were with them, then he was confident that they would, in fact, not need dinner. That was how trivial she made this all sound. Oho? Are you maybe jealous? Akiha spoke in a cheerful tone, poking her face up from below. Am not. Really? Yeah, Im not, although maybe Id like some of that for myself. Isnt that jealousy? Well, Im also quite proud to have such a wife. Isnt she great? Oh? Maybe its not quite jealousy, then. And I assure you that I am serious. Well if you put it like that, maybe Im the one whos getting jealous, dude. Doesnt seem like a joke when you start talking about jealousy. After all, Akiha was definitely serious when it came to Aoba. Excuse me! Okay, fine, I think I know how you feel about me now, man. How, do you feelabout her? Shirokiyami had joined in on the conversation. Well, uhh Taiyou was about to continue, but he glanced at Juurokuya. I wont tell you. Whaaat, no faaair! Shall I haveyou put, to sleep? Eeek! Juurokuya cowered in fear. Her face was exactly that of Yourans, and yet she acted like a little animal. Although this was all nice and fresh for a change, Taiyou decided to get back to the main topic at hand. Chapter 338: I’m Sorry, Master Ah, dont mind her. I wont let her try anything. But can you tell me what happened to Sakura-san? Y-Y-Yes! S-S-Shes being forced to marry. Hmm, couldja say that once more? S-S-Shes being forced to marry. Who has? S-S-Sakura-san has. With whom? Taiyou, I know youre trying to be the funny man, but thats not quite how you do it. Akiha interjected from the side. True, this was usually how the straight man funny man combo worked in comedy, but in this situation, the person talking to Taiyou was actually divulging some important information, so it wasnt really the situation for trying a gag. No, I wasntwell okay, maybe I was just a little bit. So you were actually somewhat surprised? Wellyeah, in more than one way. Taiyou made a slight grimace. He was surprised and intrigued as to why Sakura was not only getting married, but also in regards to why Juurokuya had been so panicked when she reached out to them. I guessshe couldnt, get away. You know about this? Mhmbecause we, are friends. Didnt you say the same thing earlier? Now Im even more curious. This is too much to process all at once. Its notthat, difficult. I mean yeeeah. You dont even have to ask what the term arranged marriage means. And shes a well-off lady, so you dont have to question every little detail. oh. What, cat got your tongue? You look mighty surprised. Akiha had a surprised look on her face because she saw Taiyou looking at her with an extremely astonished look. I You what? I had forgottenOookay, since shes technically Yourans little sister, that person must also be super well-off. How do you forget details like that? Nowell, I mean, the way we met gave me a different first impression, and besides Besides? Youran hasnt really felt like a girl of high upbringing as of recently. Ohhh. Akiha made a somewhat convinced face. Youran certainly had not had that impression as of late. Although she technically had the title of Juunishima New Moon Director Youran, she had quite recently begun to live as one of Taiyous wives, even going so far as to call him Master. From the standpoint of Taiyou or Akiha, it was very true that the term pampered girl wasnt even detectable from her current aura. A-A-And besides, S-S-Sakura-sama is the child of one of the mistresses Huh? U-U-Unlike New Moon-sama or Adashino-sama, she is the ch-ch-child of a mistress, s-s-so it is imperative that she Because of her status, she needs to become a pawn for political marriage? Ohhh, thats fantastic! You think thats fantastic? Well yeah! Its not every day you get to be in a situation like that, right? I really dont know what your standards are at this point A-A-And we need to stop this from happening. Is the marriage meeting right now? Juurokuya gave a big nod. Taiyou nodded in understanding. But even if you ask me to stop it from happeninghow exactly would I go about it? I mean, forcing my way in there and taking her away with me is easy, but Taiyou figured that a tough measure like that would be the easiest way. As he was right now, he never had a single issue with most of his opponents, plus Shirokiyami was accompanying him, and she had the will to fight. It would be a piece of cake to drag Sakura away from all of this, but it was only a temporary solution and wouldnt end up solving the real issue. This was a problem that he had the most difficulty with, namely that it was a problem that he could not solve with brute force alone. Wouldnt it be better if Youranor heck, even you, came out in public as New Moon Director and did something about it? T-T-That wont work. Why not? B-B-Because the one who orchestrated all of this happens to be New Moon Director. The words that came out of her mouth truly made it an anticlimax, along with her disappearing voice as she whispered out the auxiliary verb and name. With that statement alone, it was as if Juurokuya were displaying her feelings and position all at once. She ordered that it happen? Why? Mmm, who even cares? If shes the one who caused all this then cant you just tell her to stop and have that be the end of it? If you really are her Master, that is. Ill try calling her. Taiyou took out his smartphone, dialing Yourans number. -This phone number, as requested by the owner, cannot connect. Did she block me!? Taiyou was flabbergasted. This was completely out of left field. Ooo! Fantastic! Fantas, tic. No no no, hold up hold up hold up. Taiyou checked the screen of his phone. The name and number were both unmistakably Yourans. He tried one last time to enter the same number, but as before, the same message about the number being blocked came back. What could this mean? Seems to be more to this than meets the eye, I say. Taiyou thought about it a bit before dialing a different number. This time the call went through like normal, and a young womans voice answered him. Wazzup? Leticia, can you get through to Youran on your phone? Whats this all of a sudden? She blocked me from calling her phone. Wait a sec, lemme try. The princess of Phili immediately grasped the situation, hanging up. There was a hotline set up between the two friends, which Taiyou had remembered, hence why he had called Leticia. And could you try and contact her as well? I-I-Ill do my best. Juurokuya also gave it a go with her phone. As she looked at this spectacle, Shirokiyami took out her sword-Heaven Reversal and patted it, almost as if preparing for something. Wow, things are getting kinda interesting! Akiha said in a carefree voice. Youve really taken a liking to this whole thing. Is it interesting to you? Yeah dude, its fun! She freaking blocks you and has some crazy reason for distancing herself from you, which is already curious in and of itself. Thats all well and good for you, but I just have a bad feeling His phone rang. The call was from Leticia. After confirming this, Taiyou quickly picked up. Howd it go? Im sorry, Master. Huh? She just said that and left, that fool. Taiyou narrowed his eyes more and more, while Akihas eyes grew more and more excited. Chapter 339: Viper and Mongoose Ooo, look at how pretty she is! Akiha said as she peeked with her binoculars. She was looking at a traditional Japanese restaurant, in which Sakura was sitting straight up on her knees in a long-sleeved kimono. Refinement and sex appeal oozed out of her. Taiyou thought he had known her, but she looked like a completely different person right now. Taiyou? Huh? Oh, no, its nothing. I didnt even say anythingbut more importantly Akiha stared straight at him with a grin on her face. He felt like she was seeing right through him. Shirokiyami also looked in his direction with her hazy eyes, her cute, pale lips opening. Time to, pounce on her? No, I will not pounce on her. But you really should. Akiha said. There was some exasperation mixed in with her tone of voice and her face. Taiyou was surprised to see that she was being serious. What are you getting at? What are you getting at?, he says. Heeeh. Mhmheeeh. The two girls nodded at each other. They seemed to understand each other, but Taiyou felt a bit out of the loop. Anyway, theres something I need to discuss with you. Discuss? Yes. He nodded, looking at Juurokuya. So you want to stop this affair, or rather, you want to crush the whole thing, right? Y-Y-Yes! Is that what you personally want? Or does Sakura-san want the same thing for herself? I So its what you personally want. As soon as Juurokuya had hesitated, Taiyou knew the answer. He still didnt know what was in it for her, but he at least knew that it wasnt necessarily what Sakura wanted. He was becoming increasingly convinced that he had to discuss this with Sakura. There was a woman wearing japanese-style clothing who had just entered, preparing something. With that person in there, it doesnt seem like you can just nonchalantly have a chat. Taiyou thought for a bit, then asked Shirokiyami a question. Could you make it so that no one enters there for a little bit? Without causing a ruckus, if you can help it. I canbut But what? I aman expensive, lady. Huh? You still need money? Akiha was a bit surprised. She knew that Shirokiyami had once lent a hand to Taiyou in exchange for the hefty sum of 40,000 yen per hour, so if that were happening again, it was a bit shocking to her. But Shirokiyami slowly shook her head. Hug meone time. So cheap! Akiha blurted out. Taiyou gestured for her to be quiet. Shirokiyami tilted her head, adding another condition. Thenrub your face against, mine. Ill throw in a headpat as well. Taiyou said, and Shirokiyamis face reddened. She quickly stood up, showing her resolution. Her figure wavered for a secondbefore she disappeared entirely. The next moment, the woman in japanese clothing slowly crumbled to the ground. Sakura looked shocked, as did Akiha. She did that just for some skinship? Thats probably because shes the neediest among all of you when it comes to that. She prefers regular skinship over kissing or anything like that. Thats how it feels at least. Oh? Thats kinda interesting. So its not fantastic? Thats cause I know about even more fantastic things. Akiha gave Taiyou a little kiss, barely touching him. Juurokuyas face flushed when she saw that. By this point, Shirokiyami had vanished from the room, in addition to the other lady. Sooo, theyre gone? Probably went to any other rooms in order to clean up there too. Quite the feat of strength! But it wont cause a commotion. Taiyou said, and Akiha nodded. They exchanged glances before slowly making their way over to the room. Sakura, who hadnt budged an inch from the sudden turn of events, turned around with a wary glance before giving them a slightly surprised look. Whyare you here? She begged me to come here, you see. New Moon-sama? Why have you come? I-I-I- Oh, dont mind her, she happens to be Juurokuya, the other one. Huh? Ah, I see. Sakura understood. Taiyou sat on the opposite end of the table, crossing his legs, and Akiha sat next to him. Sakura was kneeling down further away. So I heard that you have a marriage interview. Indeed. And you are fine with this? Of course I am. Sakura laughed, as if she had heard something silly. I was born in this kind of household. I knew from the very beginning that this would be my future. This was supposed to happen, and it makes perfect sense. Not for Youran. Well, she still resisted your advances. Sakura smiled mischievously, a bit out of place with the current outfit she was wearing, which actually made it more appealing. Besides, if New Moon-sama were to try and find a suitable candidate based on status and upbringing, I doubt she would have ever found a partner in all of Japan. Itd have to at least be the king or eldest prince of some country, or else they wouldnt be a good match for one another. You cant be serious. Its the truth. Otherwise she wouldnt be able to choose anyone and would just pick someone she likes. Im not so sure. Really now? Ill have you know that New Moon-sama is worth more than anyone can fathom. On the other hand, I would merely fetch a pretty penny. Youre sisters, and yet youre that different? Oh, and Adashino-sama is the same way. Since shes not quite as high-up as New Moon-sama, the chances of getting into a political marriage with her arent nil. The way you say that, it sounds like youre affirming it. Its actually an honor, although I wouldnt expect everyone to understand. You shouldnt have been the kind of person to accept this, as far as I recall. Oh, was I not? Sakura made a graceful smile. And if I werent that kind of person, what would you do about it? Taiyou quieted down, thinking about what to do. He glanced at Juurokuya, who was the one who had petitioned him to come in the first place. What do you want to do? You want to stop her, right? Y-Y-Yes! Then thats what Ill do. Youre going to help her? Theres also the way Yourans been acting. Ill put a stop to this for the time being. Well arent you a stoic one. By the way, Ive been constantly chasing after you, getting reports from my subordinates. Chasing me? Taiyou wondered what she meant all of a sudden. I also know that youve gotten your hands on Shirokiyami. And? What Im saying is that we have a countermeasure. Countermeasure? As in we have prepared the perfect viper for your mongoose. ? He didnt quite get it at first, but then it slowly dawned on him. The image of a certain person came into his mind. Viper and mongoose. A venomous snake. The natural enemy. The sliding screen doors opened, revealing two girls: Shirokiyami and her older sister. Chapter 340: Bite Your Tongue You were He had seen her before, and he had a good hunch as to who she was, but not complete confidence. Taiyou stares her straight in the eyes and asked her a question. Weve met before, havent we? Amagiwa Yuri. Amagiwa Yuri-san. He parroted back in a murmur. As he had not heard her name enough times, Taiyou had to repeat it in order to etch it into his memory. So whos she? Akiha asked. This appeared to be their first meeting, as she didnt seem to know her. Her older sister, apparently. Really? Akiha stared lengthily at Yuri, and then at Shirokiyami. Her last name is Amagiwa? Hm? Well cmon, if the older sister is called Yuri Amagiwa, then her sister would also be called Amagiwa something or the other, right? Oh, I get it. Yeah, youre right. Taiyou nodded. He had, in fact, gotten an idea of what Shirokiyamis actual name was when he was talking with Kyosuke, remembering the sounds but forgetting to bring the subject back up again. Now that Akiha had stirred things up naturally, circumstances were different. Now, Yuris start had been spoiled, and she narrowed her eyes as she looked at Taiyou. Shirokiyami also gazed at Taiyou, her face asking for help. Of course he would. Taiyou quickly began moving toward her. Hey, what are you trying to do? Dont come so close! Yuris voice grew rough, but Taiyou continued to move forward, uncaring. Sure, something was up with the two sisters, and for whatever reason Shirokiyami could not oppose her older sister, but that had nothing to do with Taiyou. He ignored Yuri, instead picking up the shrunken Shirokiyami and returning right back to where he had been. Let go of that girl. I refuse. HeyRuri! You get away from him this instant! -gh! Shirokiyami twitched. She attempted to use force to break out of Taiyous embrace, but- Not going to work. Taiyou laughed cynically. Once I have her in my grip, theres no longer any way to resist me. I am undoubtedly higher in power than she is. No matter how many times you order her to, she cant even escape in the first place. What, are you trying to be her ally? Ally? Taiyou made a perplexed face. No, I dont intend to be her ally, per say. Then- Its just, you know, that shes my bride and I dont like other people bossing her around. Huh? Bride? Bride. Have you caught the stupid? No, I think I said something pretty normal just now. Pfft, you just made that up on the- Taiyou kissed Shirokiyami. It was completely out of the blue. Shirokiyami made momentary resistance, but she soon succumbed to Taiyous embrace, losing the strength to fight back. The kiss itself was only a surface one, but the effects were extraordinary. T-The heck are you doing? Just wanted to show you how close we are, thats all. At this rate, wed slip past an R rating and go straight for the X rated section, so I guess wed best leave it here for now. Actually, Im cool with seeing it go down here. Akiha remarked from the side. He wasnt sure if she was serious or joking. But it sure was good timing. Yuri was unable to say anything, mouth opening and closing in surprise. No, I definitely wont do that here. And why do all of you enjoy that sort of thing? That sort of thing? How come you always want to show people every little thing? Thats some obvious stuff, man. Akiha winked. Cause its fantastic! No, Im pretty sure youre the only one who thinks that. I guess its cause I personally flaunt everything. Well, that in itself is worrying How so? I mean that I am questioning your strange desire to show off personal things to people. Just think of it as boasting! You know, like I bet yall want some of THIS, but you can never get close to it, losers! or something like that. Id never go thaaat far. But its fantastic, yknow? And that was how their little banter went. During that time, Yuri was constantly shaking. Ruri! -gh! Just by having her name called, Shirokiyamis body stiffened, almost like she was a small child. Taiyou lightly patted her head, focusing his feelings toward her. Are you going to seriously listen to that guy? I Like I said Taiyou butted in. He saw no further point in letting her bear the full brunt of the attack. She cant move because I am hugging her. I am more powerful. Uuu! Yuri moaned like a child throwing a tantrum. Ruri! As I said- Taiyou said in a slightly exasperated tone. No matter how many times she tried to order her younger sister around, it would not work. He was stronger, after all, so why didnt she get that? However, Yuris next order was absolutely unexpected. Why dont you just die! Bite your tongue and die! Mhm. Shirokiyami made a small nod, opening her mouth. Taiyou wasnt able to react immediately, confused by the sudden turn of events. By the time he had realized what was going on, it was too late. The girl in his arms stiffened up again, but this time, it was as ifas if she were saying Im sorry. Wai- He tried to stop her, but it didnt go well, as he had not reacted quickly enough. The next moment, he could feel Shirokiyamis jaw movement. Red, fresh blood flowed out of the corner of her mouth, dripping onto the ground. Taiyou was utterly dumbfounded at what had just transpired. Owowow. As if she had anticipated this happening, Akiha had swiftly hrust her hand between Shirokiyamis lips. Chapter 341: ‘Cause I Love You Akiha! Taiyou was a moment too late. He grabbed Shirokiyamis face, attempting to open her mouth. Not here. Over there. -gh! Akiha was actually the calm one in this situation. Taiyou realized what she was trying to say. He swung around, charging at Yuri. As soon as they came into contact, he made a blow to her vitals, knocking her unconscious. He set her limp form on the ground before he turned back to Shirokiyami. She was slowly opening her mouth in amazement. Akiha flicked her hands, breathing on them. They had deep teeth marks on them with blood welling up. Akiha! He raced toward her only to get flicked on the forehead. Like I said, not here. Over there. She grabbed his face with both hands and steered it toward the dumbfounded Shirokiyami. As he stared at her, Taiyou asked Akiha for affirmation. Is everything really okay? How many times I gotta tell you? I swear Ill knock you down. Akiha pushed his shoulders. Taiyou lost his balance, having been pushed over to Shirokiyami. He decided to forget about Akiha for the time being as he looked at Shirokiyami. He firmly grasped her so that she wouldnt try and run away. You alright? Iam Mhm. going to di- Nope, not letting you. Taiyou completely cut her off. He just had the feeling that if he didnt cut her off, she would actually end up in an irreversible situation. But He covered her mouth with his hand, preventing her from saying another word. He turned to Juurokuya and spoke in a commanding tone. Take that girl along and lock her up somewhere. Treat her with care, but make sure that she doesnt get away. O-O-Okay! Being that Taiyou was her masters master, the order was quickly carried out thereafter. After Juurokuya contacted someone, two well-built men appeared and took Yuri away somewhere. Watching them leave, Taiyou stared at Sakura as he continued to prevent Shirokiyami from speaking. What a handful I do hope that Im not next. No, Im not going to have you take responsibility over what just happened. You should realize that responsibility belongs to people not just because of their orders, but also because of the consequences that their orders bring about. Im not trying to head in that direction right now. Then what are you trying to do? I wanted to discuss your marriage appointment. Sakuras smile was now slightly unraveled. Her sister coming over here and Akiha getting hurt as a result was simply a means to an end, or at the very least a byproduct. I see no point in further debating the particulars, as it would only prolong things and prevent me from discussing what I came here for. But if you do not resolve this, then she will remain in that state. She was talking about Shirokiyami. Nothing bad will occur as long as I have her in my arms like this. How long will you hold on to her then? As long as I need to. Ooo~ Akiha jeered from the side. Hush. Youre quite the cool one. Can I ask you something? What would that be? Why are you here? Because Juurokuya asked me to be here. He promptly answered. That was the biggest and only reason. You came because she asked you to? Indeed. So this was not voluntary. What exactly are you getting at? I was simply wondering how I could get you to give up. You want to make me give up? I know what you are trying to say. However, I do not think of this as a particularly bad thing. Particularly? Right. Sakura nodded, and he could tell that she was being upfront about it. I feel like how a man would if he had led a happy life and then suddenly got sent overseas in order to find work. Sure, its a bit sudden, but it is work after all, and after completing said work, he may very well be set for life after a few years. I see. So its actually troublesome to get in the way of this. I understand. So can you do me a favor and leave now? No, I think not. Oh? Why not? Her face stiffened. If this were only about you, then I would have left by now. Is there some other reason, then? You see, Youran has blocked me on her phone. I dont want to constrain her. In fact, I want her to be more free than she is now. But as of right now, she wants to call me Master and rule over her. So it has got to be something serious if she, of all people, blocks me on her phone. New Moon-sama? All right, Ill just go ahead and abduct you. Huh? Sakuras face was filled with astonishment at what he just said. What are you talking about? Nothing will be resolved if we stay here. I dont understand what is going on, but there are too many things in this world that become too late to take back once theyre in motion. I will first put a stop to this, then think about what to do next. You cant just- Sakura half-rose to her feet. This was the first time that she had moved since they had intruded. Dont bother. There is no one here who can stop me. With Shirokiyami in tow, Taiyou charged at Sakura, lifting her up onto his shoulders. He turned around, looking at Akiha. Are you okay? Course! Who dyou think I am? Any injuries? Its all fine, nothing to worry about. Okaybut Im glad. Hmm? When she tried to kill herself, the force of her mouth must have been seriously strong. Im amazed that all you got from that was a slight injury. Heheh. Akiha snorted. What kind of a reaction was that? Look at this. Akiha held out the hand that had not been bitten. There was a ring through her ring finger. Isnt it because of this? Ah. When he realized what she was trying to say, Taiyous face flushed just a bit. It was the ring that converted feelings into protection, originating from Blood Soul. Taiyou felt a little bit embarrassed to hear that her wound was light because of that. Chapter 342: The Reason I Am Stubborn They were sitting in the living room of the condominium after returning. Aoba happened to be in the house when they got back, and Sakura was sitting on the sofa without any real restraints. Taiyou was firmly holding Shrokiyami, making her sit on his lap. Aoba was sitting by Akihas side, tending to her injuries. You alright? Yeah, darn skippy! You sure? Yes, yes. Look here. Akiha squeezed the hand that was currently being treated in an attempt to show that she was fine, but all that did was make a little more blood come out. Blood is coming out. But Im fine. Your face is contorted. Oh really now? Akiha patted her face down with her other hand. Come now, dont make the situation worse. Aoba grabbed Akihas hand and stopped her before continuing her work. But you know, I had no choice but to do it. Taiyou was out of it, and it wasnt like I could leave things the way they were. Thatmay be true, but still Aoba made a mixed expression. She had heard the explanation of what had occurred, but still couldnt quite find herself agreeing with it. Plus there was this, so you know, I kinda thought it would be alright. Still, dont be so reckless. Well what would you have done, Aoba? Huh? What would you have done if you were in that situation and you knew she was about to bite her tongue? I- In your case, you probably would have done the same thing that Atsuko-san and the others did. Maybe so. Then we aint different! Akiha grinned. After Akiha had mentioned her mothers, Aoba could no longer say anything. This was because recently, she had begun to feel that she resembled her mothers. Now, this wasnt necessarily always a good thing for her. What she had in common with them was that they were all in some sort of harem, but she also had them as an example of what not to do in some cases. On one hand, there was much to learn from them, but on the other hand she would have to take extra care once she was a mother. Its fine, its fine. Akiha said in a jovial tone, hitting Aobas shoulders as she spoke. If such a time ever comes, Ill be there to stop you. Akiha Sooo Being her best friend, Akiha knew Aobas troubles very well, including how they came to be and how to compromise with her. So whenever things got rough, she was there to straighten it out. Yeah, youre right. Yep yep, its gonna be aaall right. As he looked at them conversing, Taiyou spoke to Sakura. So, this is the second time Ive restrained you, isnt it? Quite the interesting history weve had. My apologies for the last time. Hmm? A lot of stuff was going down, and I kind of left you there longer than I intended to. It wasnt a big deal, so dont worry about it. And for whatever reason, Im not tied up this time? Were quite close in proximity, so I wont let you escape no matter what. I can deal with you. Quite the confidence. Plus I just want to show off as a man. There are three brides right here with us, so I need to prove to them that Im more than capable. Capable of bullying a fragile woman? Taiyou pointed repeatedly at Akiha. Theres at least one person whos totally down for that. Right, I hadnt considered that factor. Sakura sighed. Now then, I suppose we should get down to business. Indeed. I do enjoy our occasional banter, but I suppose this is the time to get serious. It isnt hard to stop all of this from happening. Really? Yes. Sakura nodded. Her face was entirely serious. But how long can you keep this up? What do you mean? I am a woman of the Juunishima family, and a daughter of a mistress at that. This will probably continue from the next occasion to the next. Will you stop this every single time? Well Taiyou was at a loss for words. It was clear as day that he couldnt just keep butting in whenever her family tried to get her married. But that wasnt all. He had essentially succeeded this time around because of a sneak attack. If he were to return Sakura back to her place, they would be on guard and try to ensure that none of this happened again. But why are you so insistent on this anyway? Because Juurokuya asked me to. Ahh. Sakura showed understanding. Is that what the issue is. Well it is true that she has the same face as New Moon-sama, after all. Huh? Perhaps it is the same as it was for those three sisters? You wish to maybe make every girl who has the same face yours? Wow, really? Akiha was surprised. No, cmon. Heck, I didnt even fall in love with Kotone and the others for that reason. It was because their souls were all connected and I could sense that. He said, turning to Sakura. So that isnt the case for Juurokuya. They dont even resemble each other anyway. They dont? No, they do not. Taiyou nodded. He could sense a difference between them that was a bit difficult to put into words. Then why are you so insistent on doing all this for Juuryokuya? Insistent? Yes, insistent. Am I really? There isnt really any other way to interpret this, now is there? Well actually A voice came from the door. It was Kohaku, who had just returned, hand on her hip and with her usual unique, all-knowing smirk. Chapter 343: Buildup of Trus Kohaku-san. Taiyou called her over, looking in the direction of the door. Is it only you? Nay, I have another one with me. I-I-I-Im so sorry, f-f-for barging in. The one who spoke timidly was Juurokuya. Despite having the same face as Youran, her personality was the exact opposite, making all who heard her feel rather funny. So its just the two of you? Aye. What about her sister? Shirokiyami twitched within his arms. We ave the situation under control, lad. And I can trust you on that statement, right? Of course, ja. Kohaku grinned. She walked closer to Taiyou and then gave him a smooch. I know not what lies ahead, ja. This not be the right time to let her free. We be handling the lassie very fine. Although we are also keeping close watch over er to ensure she dont try anything funny. So shes under house arrest. Aye. All right, then. Taiyou nodded, relieved. He understood what she was getting at, so he decided to trust her as he went back to the conversation at hand. Anyhow, what did you mean when you came in here and said about that? It be not difficult to understand, laddie. Just change up yer perspective a mite. Perspective? Or rather, the object of the conversation. The object Taiyou tilted his head. Sakura suddenly realized something, narrowing her eyebrows. Are youreferring to me? Aye. The likelihood be not zero, would ye not agree? Surely you jest. What are you talking about? Taiyou asked Kohaku, frowning. In other words, husband, yer getting into all this not because the lass asked ye to, but because of who she asked ye to help; ja. Oh no, no way. Taiyou finally understood what she was saying, grimacing. He hadnt even considered that idea, but he couldnt do anything other than deny that. Why did you come to that conclusion? There be but one space left for yer quota, nay? I wouldnt call it a quota persay, but, no, that reason is impossible. Then maybe because ye want to have the sister bowl? No, Im telling you thats not even close. Then maybe the mother-daughter bowl- Could you please stop talking about all of this? He put a finger over Kohakus lips. I do not choose based off of things like that. I dont even choose in the first place. He stared straight into Kohakus eyes, admonishing her. And its the same for all of you. Why would I choose you? No, I fell in love with you. I never did anything like trying to compare all of you on a scale. Sorry, lad. Kohaku apologized with a meek expression. Ye were always that way, Husband. Mayhaps I was the one who strongly felt that ye had chosen me. He understood what Kohaku was trying to say. Based on her personal life, it was reasonable for her to come to such a conclusion. Taiyou thought of some way to cheer her up, as he loved her and wanted her to be happy above all else. Then how about another possibility, ja? Huh? Kohaku spoke out before Taiyou had the chance to say anything. She dexterously moved the corner of her mouth up into a smirk. What is this possibility you speak of? The possibility that yer aiming for someones body. Wow, fantastic! No thats not fantastic. What are you even saying, Kohaku-san? And dont just swallow what she says, Sakura! Why are you looking at me like Im trash? You are after all at that age. I dont see why not. So first you glare at me, and now youre accepting all this?! Man, I just got cut deeply into two ways! I actually thought that this possibility be more likely, but it be a bit difficult to say out loud, ja. There is no possibility of something like that! What is all this nonsense about aiming for her body? Well, what I mean be this Kohaku pointed at Juurokuya before speaking again. She be the same as ye. Huh? W-W-What about me? The twin tailed girl panicked. She probably hadnt thought that the conversation would turn to her. Aye, amongst yeit is highly likely that Aoba already knows what I mean, ja. Huh? Surprised, Taiyou looked at Aoba. The ponytailed girl who had been quietly attending to Akiha averted her eyes apologetically. Aoba? Judging from yer reaction, ye seem to get what I be talking about. I just kind of thought that I might understand, thats all. You mightwhat? Taiyou was at a loss. He was extremely confused as to what she meant. Although in me case, I be a lot more certain, ja. Umyeah. Aye. Sakura nodded in a composed manner, maybe understanding the gist of the matter. In other words, he has always been looking at Juurokuya with an ulterior motive, right? Ye put it quite eloquently, but I would go further and say he looks at the lass with eyes full of lust. Nope, nope- Taiyou denied this, but gave a start when he noticed Aobas reaction. If it was only Kohaku who claimed something like this, then he could deny it, because he knew she liked to tell jokes. Even if Sakura chimed in, he could still deny it, because she was the type of person who enjoyed befuddling people. But if Aoba was now part of this, everything changed. Out of all the girls that he knew, Aoba was the most normal and serious one he knew. Even if she wasnt uptight, she still didnt enjoy those types of jokes. She was just an earnest girl, and this showed in her reaction just now, as she continued to avert her eyes apologetically. And this raised the believability way up high. Youvegot to be kidding me. Chapter 344: Negotiations Ah, but I could always be mistaken. Nay, do not attempt to console him like that. It will just make things worse, ja. Hauuu Is that actually true? He asked Aoba, and she gave a small nod. Now that it has come to this, he had no choice but to admit it. He had been looking at Juurokuya with those eyes. He then probed himself, wondering if that meant he liked her. After thinking on it a bit I dont see it Dont see what, ja? I dont think I like her. Oh, and that doesnt mean I dislike her, but I mean as a lover. He made sure to expand on his statement when he remembered that Juurokuya was in the room. Juurokuya gave a panicked Yes in response. So you dont even like herseriously? Ye dont need to concern yeself over this matter. No, I cant just ignore thisah. Now what? Could I possibly be thinkingthe same thing about other women? You mean you want to know whether or not youve been looking at others with the same lust-filled eyes. Taiyou nodded. He didnt even object to her comment about him. Well yea, somewhat. Youve got to be kidding me It be true. No way He wanted to hold his head. From Taiyous point of view, this was arguably his first experience. As of right now, there were six girls whom he referred to as his brides. From the point of view of other people, this was already strange, and they would likely see it as being unfaithful. Still, he had never paid it any heed, because all that mattered to him was that he liked the girls in question. Kotone, Suzune, Kazane. Kohaku. Youran. Aoba. Akiha. Shirokiyami. He could declare without a doubt that he loved these six with all his heart. You could even say they were the pillars that held him intact. But now, with Juurokuya, it had all collapsed. To make matters worse, it wasnt like he didnt have a clue about her either. Just as Kohaku and the others had said, he did recall looking at her with lust-filled eyes. And not even just once or twice. She strongly resembles Youran, but their faces were still fundamentally different. Now that he thought about it, he had indeed developed erotic feelings for her, desiring to make love with her. Tch, this is just Ye need not be concerned with this, ja. But I- He looked at Kohaku, attempting to retort, but he lost his words. Kohaku, after repeating those words, had a very serious expression on her face. She was not merely making fun of him. She legitimately thought he did not need to be concerned about it. Upon closer inspection, Aoba to the side was the same. If ye want to make love with this lass, then why not? You can absolutely do that. What are you saying? Juurokuya. Y-Yes. If Husband be seeking something of ye, what would ye do? S-Seeking what? Y-You mean my body? Aye, that be correct. And not even true love, but merely the desire to get physical. What say ye? G-G-Gladly! Juurokuya nodded repeatedly. The twintails that matched so well with Yourans swayed from the movement. Say what? I-I-It is an honor to have the privilege of doing such things with New Moon-samas important personage. I dont think thats A-A-And besides! She let out a loud voice, cutting across what Taiyou was trying to say. I-I-I happen to think that you are amazing, Taiyou-sama. Her mouth had continued on. And that seems to be her opinion, ja. Huh? Yer getting all fervent over this, Husband. Ye want to make love with this lass. But ye dont literally love her. Ye cannot make her yer bride. So ye seek to make a compromise with her and hopefully gain her body in the process. What do ye think? Perfect logic, nay? Is it really okay for me to be such a savage bastard? Taiyou asked. Kohaku did not answer, instead looking at Sakura. So there ye have it, lass. In order to taste test all the ladies with similar faces, hell worm his way into as many marriage conferences as he has to. Well that sounds troublesome. Sakura giggled, completely calm. She didnt even look put off by that. Is there perhaps some way I could get you to abandon this pursuit? Husband be a tenacious man, ja. True, I do have this image of him being obstinate if I recall what occurred in the past. Taiyou said nothing. This was because he knew exactly where Kohaku was going with this. So in order to not get in her way, he refrained from speaking. Well, I do get the feeling that Ill be encountering him more than I bargained for. Yer jealous, eh? Oh of course, from the bottom of my heart. I am so jealous that I never want to associate with him again. Ye can join his team. There still be a slot open. A slot, you say? I didnt know such a thing existed. Well, it be common sense that there be a limit to how many lucky women can be by the side of a man with a caliber like Husband. In that case, I shall let someone else have that spot. And may you and your future descendants have much fortune. The two of them continuously said things to each other that they didnt even mean. Taiyou was used to this, so he was calm, but Aoba was in a panic as she watched from the side. The atmosphere was tense. Do you perhaps know a way to get rid of persistent men? Well, there be one limited way, ja. And what might that be? Tell me everything concerning Tengai, ja. -ngh! Shirokiyami in his arms twitched. Chapter 345: The Woman of Fate and the Woman That Wasn’ Are you sure about this? I promise. Alright. I shall tell you everything, then. Sto- Shirokiyami moved, trying to stop Sakura, but Taiyou firmly held her close to him. He could tell that this was the greatest sign of a struggle she had ever displayed. If he had yielded even a bit, she would have escaped from his arms. He hugged her even more firmly so as to prevent that from happening. He was after all more powerful than Shirokiyami. She fidgeted a bit more before halting altogether. Tengai Ruri. That is her real name. Ruri, hm? A fine name. Its written as wanderer (x) and pronounced Ruri. This was decided before she was born. Mm? To elaborate further, this name was decided before her parents even met. Sakura sighed, her expression slightly changing. This was probably the first time sympathy had shown on her face. What are you talking about? Taiyou blurted out. Were talking 150 years ago. One man in the Tengai lineage had a dream. It was apparently very vivid. You dont sayhe was an oracle? Correct. Agh Kohaku groaned. And the vision the man had was of taking in the plate of every woman down to the fifth generation. One who could not see, one who could not speak, one who could not hearHe took their plates in the designated order. And then she was born? It be like a game, ja. Kohakus voice sounded a bit unpleasant for once. And why was there a need to do that? More like her objective. You know of her power, yes? And thats why he did all this? Indeed. A heavy silence drifted over the living room. Not just Taiyou and Kohaku, but Aoba, Akiha, and even Juurokuya were unable to say anything. Time drifted by, and the only audible sound was that of everyones non-uniform breathing. And the reason why her sister hates her. Ah- Taiyou gave a start. He remembered what they had been getting at this whole time. Her name had also been decided beforehand. Ruri? Yes, and- A long time passed. Or maybe it hadnt actually been that long. But that was how everyone in the vicinity felt. It was the sort of silence that follows when someone is telling a ghost story. The name of her sister was also already decided. So their names were both decided at once. Yes. So that means her sister also has some sort of power? That is actually the main issue in question. Sakura said with a pffft. Her eyes were not happy. Only her mouth twisted into a smirk. Tengai Yuri has no powers. Other than her name, she is just your average girl. On the other hand, Ruri was intentionally made to be the greatest master in the worldI assume you are beginning to see where this is going. She be given an odd name without any rhyme or reason for it, ja. Yes. I do see why she would hold a grudge. So shes basically like the dregs left over from sake. Akiha! Aoba chastised Akiha. But yes, that is how one percieves the other. Indeed. I be not surprised that she feels she got the short end of the stick. Since she actually did. Which means Taiyou looked at Kohaku. There be no way to resolve this, ja. At least, no way to remove the grudge. Are you sure? Well, I do understand how you feel. Huh? This time, he looked at Sakura. She was smiling, except this time it was a cruel one. I am the same, after all. Have you forgotten? Have Ioh. Taiyou gasped. Youran, Adashino, SakuraDont you think there is quite a difference between the daughter of a legal wife, concubine, and that of a mistress? I, too, am someone who has had the short end of the stick. I didnt even get a good name, let alone power. So I very much understand her feelings. I also happen to know full well how those feelings of ill will do not disappear. I Shirokiyami opened her mouth, speaking in a tone that was even more feeble than usual. Even her struggle from earlier had disappeared without a trace, and she lay limp in Taiyous arms. Should Idie? Not happening. Taiyou asserted. But I wont let you. No matter what. Even if it meansyes, even if He took a breath before speaking. Even if it means killing her. -gh! Shirokiyamis body stiffened in his arms. There was power in Taiyous words. He clearly meant what he said, and she felt that transmit itself. Well, me thinks that ye need not go so far. Yeah, why should you have to sully your hands, Taiyou? Just send her away somewhere else. Kohaku-sanAkihaAoba This time, Taiyou was the one who was surprised. Hey, any ideas? I say ye give the lass enough money to play around in a foreign country. Then she wont hurt any more scallywags. True. From what Ive seen, its fine as long as she doesnt show up again. Any other ideas? First, let us prioritize what must be done first. If all we need be to ensure that the lass does not appear in front of her again, there are plenty of ways to do this. It neednt require bloodshed. I can still count more options than the fingers on both me hands. Then its a cinch! Yeah, and then after that The three of them looked at Shirokiyami in Taiyous arms all at once. Chapter 346: Ruri The living room, after everyone was gone. Taiyou was still embracing Shirokiyami. It had been a while since the other girls had left, and even their scents had begun to wear thin. Maybe we should go somewhere to brighten things up. She shook her head. What about food? Are you hungry? She shook her head. Are you comfortable in your current position? Maybe youd like to move around? She shook her head as she slowly looked into his eyes. She would never answer him. This normally silent girl had truly become taciturn. You know, you smell really good. -gh! She reacted violently. He could feel her body stiffen as she firmly grasped his shirt. What is this thoughmaybe the scent of shampoo? I feel like Ive smelled it before. same. Hm? Thesame. The same, what? The sameas, yours. Oh, is that it? No wonder I felt like I smelled it before. Taiyou said, sniffing again. Mm, but its a bit different. Similar, but definitely not the same. Did you put something else on, like perfume? That isprobably Hm? The smellof, blood. Ah, okay. Taiyou understood. Shirokiyami fidgeted. Thatsit? Mhm. You justtake it, as is? Well thats a smell that I dont have. So it makes sense why you smell different. You arentrepulsed? No, because its your smell. He sniffed. I mean, just remember when we first met. You had quite the bloodlust, yknow? So why would I suddenly be scared or disgusted right now if I didnt care back then? Maybe I should be scared? She shook her head. Yeah? Good, Id rather not have to act like I am. Imsorry. Hm? I ama, handful. pffft. Why are youlaugh, ing? No, its just Taiyou laughed heartily. Youre not a handful at all. Out of the six here right now, youd be second from the bottom. Noway. Yes way. First off, the most troublesome one is Youran. She seriously gave me a hard time with how shed run off, get me involved in various affairs, and resist whenever she feels like it. Hm. Next we have Akiha. Shed be one down from Youran in terms of the rejection category, but to make matters worse, she also happened to really like Aoba, who happens to be the next one on this list. Aoba used to really hate my guts, and her mothers are still a pain to deal with. After that we have Kohaku-san. Whenever shes with Hera, she always likes to fling lots of different topics my way and expects certain things. Although, well, I do enjoy trying to meet those expectations. And nowits, me? Yep. But youre pretty different, when compared to Kohaku. Cause you were actually easy to understand. All I had to do was fight and defeat you. And well, it is a bit regrettable that I didnt technically defeat you, butWell, now we can get all nice and cozy like this, so I dont have a problem with it. The more I think about it, the more I realize how little trouble it was to get you. Although, well, Kotone and her sisters really werent hard to get, so in that sense theyd be number 1 on the least trouble. Thatsnot, true. She shook her head repeatedly, numerous times. Almost as if she wanted him to agree with her. Im stillinconveniencing, you. Eh, I bet youd keep insisting on that even if I told you otherwise. He patted her head, stroking his fingers through her long hair. The warmth spread from the fingertips to the chest, giving off a slight tickling sensation. Hey. He called her. There was no response. He could sense that she was waiting for what he was about to ask. Taiyou grinned. Is it alright if I call you by your name? Na, me? Your real name. Her body stiffened. He had anticipated this, so he continued. Its been, whatnearly a year since we met? Sure, I think of you as Shirokiyami, but I just feel like calling you by your real name when speaking. Why? Destiny. Ah, how embarrassing to hear that come out of his own mouth. Still, he continued. Someone said this at one point in time: that all of my brides are like my women of destiny. Which includes you. I ama woman, of destiny? Yes, you are too. Taiyou nodded. So if we go by that logic, then your name of destiny should also be my destiny. If that name wasnt there, if you werent that strongif you didnt have a complexif none of those things were there, we would never have gotten here today. Thats anamazing, thought process. Although I probably should have graduated from using the term destiny about two years ago Taiyou said jokingly. But hey, maybe not having recovered from that means something, eh? So would it be cool if I called you by your name? I donthave, a house. Mhm. Amagiwa Ruri. The Wanderer Without a Relative. She recited this flawlessly. This was how she spoke whenever she used words that had significant meaning, and this was the most perfect phrase yet. I wasalways, alone. Going this way and that wayalwaysalone. Alwaysalwaysa, lone. Im so donewith all this wandering- Ruri. The girls small body was shaking. Chapter 347: Darling Ruri continuously cried in Taiyous arms. For once, the strongest swordswoman in the world was now behaving like a normal girl. The built-up emotions over the years burst from her like a broken dam. He patted her in his arms like he would a child. She felt closer than ever before. After what felt like a long time, Ruris crying gradually faded to a calm demeanor. You alright? He whispered gently to her. Ruris mouth was shut tight, but she made a slight nod. Okay. Relieved, Taiyou finally relaxed his arms after all these hours. He felt it was finally okay to relax his grip now that she was okay. But she did not separate from him. In fact, she clung to him, like a koala cub clinging to its parent. Ruri? He said puzzled, but she merely shook her head again. Unlike earlier, she legitimately did not wish to leave his side. You want to stay like this? Nod, nod. Okay. Want me to hug you too? Justleave it, to me. Okay. Taiyou slowly fell back into the sofa, spreading his arms out as he rested against it. Ruri clung onto him as he was. Oh yeah. Eh? Your sister called you by your real name, didnt she? Mhmshe did. A lothappened. Oh. Want tofinish her? Finish her? What do you mean!? Startled by this dangerous-sounding proposal, Taiyou raised his voice to the point where it cracked. The only one who knows my namecan just be you. But youre making too much of a big deal out of this. Besides, I want everyone else to know your name. Everyone elsewho? Everyone. Taiyou raised a finger, spinning it around aimlessly. It was a gesture referring to every room. I want everyone here to know too. Thenmake an exception, for her? Well, we can worry about that later. For now, lets not go with the whole finish her thing. Mhmif thats what you want, Darling. Yeahwait, what? Ruri tilted her head, as if there were numerous question marks floating around her. Whaddya mean Darling? Darling isDarling. You talking aboutme? Yesmy darling. Well thats another interesting thing youve thought up. I didnt wantthe same as everyone else. Makes sense. Taiyou made a small wry smile. True, thats different than their nicknaCwait. Taiyou remembered something. Yours does overlap with someones. Overlapwith? The name someone calls me. Hera, come out. Jajajaan. Oho, you are indeed having a lovey-dovey time. The fairy was jovial as ever. Taiyou looked at her with a serious face. What are you currently calling Youran? You mean Yuri-chan? Change it. Eh, but why? She said to call her Yuri-chan because of her name Yurikago, right? Just change it. We just cant have Yuri. Is that right? Well I suppose its fine if you say so, Taiyou-chan. I dontmind, though. Eh? Its finebecause shes not the same Yuri. You sure? Nod, nod. If I okayed something like thatit would become a massive bloodbath. Well, true. How many Yuris are in this world? That would definitely not work. Mhmno worries. Are you sure? Im fineas long as I have my darling. Oho! That sounds kind of fantastic! Okay. Taiyou nodded. Hera asked a question. What if you disappear, Taiyou-chan? If I disappear? Yes indeed. What if Taiyou-chan dies or has a change of heart or gets run over by a truck and sent to another world? What then? Then Iwill end myself. You too?! Taiyou raised his voice. Three of his six brides had already decided to end their lives if something happened to him. That was an unbelievable amount as it was. I have experienced too much aloneso if that happens I will be a good sport and go to the next world. But thatsC Takingmany lives with me. Dont say such scary things! Taiyou was pretty sure that it would be a dreadful thing if she took numerous lives with her. Taiyou-chan, you have quite the responsibility it seems. Hera grinned, clearly enjoying this. Taiyou made an exasperated expression as he swatted her down. Well all I have to do is outlive you. No issue with that right? No, that is not enough, you know? No, that is enough. Hera was perplexed, as shown by her face. On the other hand, Ruri simply clung tight to Taiyou. Her eyes were moist as she looked up at him, but moist with tears of joy. Hmm, I wonder what everyones doing right now? IndeedEveryone is over there. And Yuri-chan is the only one over there. Hera pointed in two completely different directions. Taiyou frowned. Juunishima Youran was the only one in a different place than everyone else. What in the world was she planning, and what exactly was she doing right now? Chapter 348: Here and Gone As he was gazing beyond the wall, Ruri called out to him. Darling. Hm? Darling. What? Darling. Ruri continued to use the same phrase. She still seemed to be in the same mood as earlier, but her speech was becoming better and better. Darling! And at long last, it became a triumphant expression of her feelings for him that contended with the other brides. Ah, I see. Seewhat? You have several important phrases that you say without pausing. I just realized how you manage it. Oho, I seee, so that is how she does iiit. Is itnow? Ruri tilted her head. She was not exactly embarrassed, but nor was she totally out of it. It was more like she had not taken notice until now. Oh, and what am I supposed to do? What do you mean? Well of course I mean the proper thing to call her. We already said just leave it at Yuri-chan, right? He figured they may as well keep it as is now that Ruri seemed to still be okay with it. After all, this was the Yurikago Yuri-chan they were talking about. No, I do not mean that. Hm? I mean Yami-chan. Oh. Taiyou realized what she meant. Shirokiyami, therefore Yami-chan. That was how Hera had first referred to her. Now that she was Ruri, should they change the way they called her name too? Right, what should we do, Ruri? Just what youve called me all this timeYami-chan. You sure? Ruri nodded. And youare Darling. Ooo! Hera raised her voice, grinning. I am so very sorry for my insensitivity. And I hope you enjoy yourselves~ Taiyou became slightly embarrassed. Ruris tone had finally become a little more clear. It was still a little reserved, but now she was speaking more straightforwardly. I indeed understand. I shall call her Yami-chan as always. Mm, thanks. No problem, indeed! Darling. Hm? Id like to challenge you to About to say one thing, she cleared her throat and changed her sentence. Could youcome along with me? Her pestering expression made her so adorable. There was then a thunderous roar and a shockwave from fist and blade, sending Taiyou flying back. No way! This was completely unexpected for him. A first. In the open lot, under the dimly lit street lanterns and moon. Ruri came flying at him with her katana, and Taiyou intercepted her with his fist using 70% of his power. From their previous fights, she would either dodge or be sent back, but this time around, Taiyou was launched back. She had the upper hand in power this time. How pitiful, Taiyou-chan! Hera exclaimed gleefully from the side, like a spectator at a sports game. Kuh! Regaining his composure, Taiyou once again lunged at her. This time he was ready to pound a 100%-powered punch into her. A thunderous noise echoed again. His long-jump punch was repelled by the blade. This was a tie. Or, no, he was slightly losing. To Taiyou, whose power should have been greater than hers, this was devastating. Heehee. A smile unfolded from the corner of Ruris lips. Taiyou was immediately infatuated. Her white hair fluttered in the wind, emitting particles of light. Her beauty was the stuff of fantasy. And that was enough to stop Taiyou in his tracks. Here I gowatch out. The next instant, she vanished. Ooo. Hera made a nonchalant reaction. Meanwhile, Taiyou unfortunately felt the opposite way. She had fully disappeared. No voice or smell either. None of Taiyous four senses could detect her, as if she were gone for good. But thenC Cmm! He held his breath, and then felt her presence. He remembered well that mass of bloodlust he had felt when they first met. It enveloped him. Here! Shes here! Ruri is unmistakably here! He wasnt entirely sure what had happened, but he recognized her presence. It was a reflex of sorts. Before his brain could even give the instructions, he had thrown out a backhand, cutting through the air with a moaning soundCand ripping through Ruris illusion. So thats what it is. MhmI became just a bit quicker. I dont think a bit is the right word choice Then, a bit more? Wait, whaC Taiyou barely had the time to grimace before he took notice of several Ruris, and this time he could hear and smell them as well. But in exchange, Ruri had completely erased her presence. She should still be right there, yet it was like she wasnt. Thats amazing. Taiyou became happy. Chapter 349: Bride Exchange Ticke He thought he had gotten quite close to her skill level compared to before. In fact, he was now able to press her into the wall. But just as he was hot on her heels, she had made the first move and knocked him down. That was how it felt as he gazed upon her far advanced human form. And that made himvery happy. Taiyou-chan, are you grinning? Its just your imagination. Taiyou immediately played dumb. Are you sure? Sure am. As he said that, Taiyou contemplated his next move. By this point, Ruri had evolved so far that he was no longer able to keep up with her. He doubted that facing off straight against her would accomplish anything. It would just be like if a kindergartener threw a kiddy punch at an adult, only for the adult to brush it aside. That was the significance of their contrast. But he couldnt just stand there. And this wasnt just because of stupid pride. To put it into words, the word love would probably fit best. Just like how you would kiss someones puckered lips as they approached you, Taiyou felt the same way about how he should respond to her attacks. Now then, what to do Come hither, wings! Taiyou chanted. The next moment, angelic wings of light appeared from his back, not only illuminating the area but Ruris whereabouts as well. This was effective within 2 meters of any wife of his, and it led him to where she was. There she is. Taiyou muttered. He opened his arms and went in her direction before softly closing them around her in an embrace. The wings of light disappeared, and in their stead, Ruri had returned into his arms. Gotcha. Thatscheating. Is it? Mhmcheating. But your power is essentially cheating. No, its the powerof destiny. Then mine is the power of love. Taiyou boldly declared. Umm, Darling. Hm? My chestis tight. Is your heart beating quickly? Verytight. She repeated, clinging onto Taiyou. Warmth, smell, and light gathered in Taiyous arms. Are you just going to keep glowing like this? I thinkI can erase it. The next moment, the light had disappeared from her. She had reverted to the former, pale-white Ruri. Wow, its like a transformation. Except serious mode. Ruri glimmered again. Thats amazing. By the way, it seems like you got a lot stronger. By your estimation, though, how much stronger would that be? At mostfive times stronger. Times?! Not even percent?! So that means500 percent increase. I cant even play the straight man when youre THAT ridiculously overpowered. Should I have notgotten stronger? Ruris face looked slightly sunk. No, dummy. Taiyou flicked her forehead. Its not like it inconveniences me for you to be stronger. Sure itdoes. In terms of your marriage, I guess it would just be the equivalent of the husband losing the argument. Hera remarked thoughtlessly. Well I generally lose arguments with my wives anyway. You do? Not like theres any point in winning them. Taiyou said jokingly. He was serious though. Whenever he got into a fight with his brides, it would always be a situation that didnt apply to his strength. Since his strength was all he was good for, he would be guaranteed to lose those fights. This had nothing to do with Ruris strength. No, its the opposite with you. Theopposite? Yeah, cause with you I feel it would be more like Ill forgive you if you beat me in a fight which honestly sounds a lot better. Ruri cocked her head in puzzlement. Then maybe I shoulddo that? No, its a joke. Taiyou wryly smiled. He had no intention of getting into an argument with her. Thenwith money. By golly, does that sound familiar! 430,000 yenfor one hour. Did you just raise the price to 10,000,000 yen per day?! No, forget that. Huh? 700 divided by 24so 290,000 yen per hour. Why 700!? Because there areseven brides. Oho, so that is why its seven times. So Id basically pay for everyone. Mhmafter all Ruri nodded, looking earnestly at Taiyou. Anger one person, and everyone gets angry. Ah! Taiyou understood what she meant. His household was very tightly connected. Just as Ruri had said, if one person was angered, the rest would share in their anger. It was doubtful that any of them would take Taiyous side in that case. Guess Id better avoid angering any of you then. Umm, Darling? Whats up? Have you decidedon the seventh? Why suddenly bring this up? Taiyou wryly smiled. Who would have thought that she of all people would bring this up? If its already been decided Decided? Then I willkidnap them with all my might. Your might is freakin scary! Taiyous voice cracked. This was because she was already the strongest in the world, and had just declared herself to have gotten 5 times stronger than before. There was probably no human that could stand against her. Hera would probably come the closest, since Ruri couldnt hit her. What seems to be the matter, hm? From Heras nonchalant tone, it was clear that she would be on Ruris side if anything. Taiyou sighed, then smiled. Chapter 350: No Normal Nonsense I havent decided yet. Although it has been decided. What do you mean? Hera tilted her head. There isnt anyone Ive decided is good. However He turned to Ruri, touching her cheeks. It was destined that we meet, and the same goes for the others. So no matter where this seventh person is, theyre sure to be destined as well. Oho, is that right? Then it must be so! Your next partner of destiny awaits! Any idea who it might be? None whatsoever! I figured. Taiyou chuckled. Oh? There isnone? But is there anythingI can do? Ah no, youre mistaken about something. Dont worry. Mistaken? Im good at this sort of thing. He has had much experience up till now after all. Whatexperience? Rather than tell you, Id better show you. Taiyou walked off to the condominium with Ruri in his arms. Ruri seemed to understand what he was getting at, her face reddening. Taiyou found that to be endearing, giving her a smooch. He swaggered through the street carrying his princess. As he did so, he thought about the seventh bride. Surely she was somewhere. Although his harem value had been decreasing each time he got a bride, it was clear he had room for one more. That was what gave him the conviction that his next woman of destiny was somewhere out there. What kind of person were they? Were they pretty, or cute? Active, or quiet? Younger, or older? There were many possibilities- endless possibilities, you could even say. But they probably were not normal. There were no such girls around Taiyou like that. Heras existence was already one thing, but even Aoba, the most normal out of the bunch, had no qualms with gratifying Taiyous desire of having multiple wives at once. There indeed were no normal girls around him. He suddenly recalled the other number with a value of 0 that had appeared alongside his harem value, still a zero to this day. He was confident that number was what had been distancing him from normal girls. Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan! What is it? Once all the brides have gathered, how about we go on a trip? A trip? Yes, a trip for the newly-weds. A honeymoon! That can be everyones first memory all together! Well, that is a good idea, and I do think we should do that, but But what? You make it sound like youre coming along. But of course I am. She said it like it was obvious. But this is a honeymoon that were talking about. Yes indeed. She still showed no sign of getting the picture. But this was to be expected- after all, she was the least normal out of all the girls. Taiyou couldnt understand, but maybe there was something within her that made her feel like it made sense to come on the honeymoon with them. But there was no need to press her about it. The only reason this had surfaced as a problem in his head was because she had used the term honeymoon, but as just a regular trip, there was no issue with bringing the entire family along. Hera was after all like family to Taiyou. In fact No, Im reading too much into this. He denied what he had just thought about. He had always unconsciously left Hera at the top of the group of brides, but that didnt mean anything. After walking for a bit Oh yeahwhat do we do about that? Ruri suddenly looked up as if remembering something. About what? The people you dont like romanticallybut sexually. Ah right, we were discussing that. Taiyou made a slight wry smile. Are there any othersbesides Juurokuya? If I told you, youd probably kidnap them. I will take care ofall the preliminary arrangements. Why are all the girls around me like this? Because you are fantastic, Taiyou-chan! Hera said optimistically, and Taiyou swatted at her. Now youre acting like Akiha. But its true! You are a fantastic person. Hera sought agreement from Ruri, who nodded. The greatest man on earth. Thats a gigantic compliment! ButI am serious. Taiyou silently continued walking, pondering what to do with his super-serious brides, as well as what to do about himself in the process. He continued to think about that. Chapter 351: A Man’s Leisure Husband, say ahhh, ja. Lunch break of the next day, Taiyou was eating with Kohaku and the three sisters in the classroom, desks facing each other. Kohaku made a bold move that lovers make, and Taiyou responded by opening his mouth for the mini hamburger she was offering him. Its delicious. Did you make it, Kohaku-san? Indeed. I made it from shredded meat to feed ye. Shredded meat? Aye. I took half-thawed meat and put it into a food processor. Wow, thats cool. What be ye saying, lad? Ye can break in that meat with but one punch, no? Could you not make that joke while were eating? Taiyou grimaced. But okay, didnt know you could use shredded meat for something like that. Its better than the store bought shredded meat because you can make it juicier. Kotone spoke on behalf of the sisters. It was decided that that would be how they spoke when in public. And then all ye gotta do is use rich ingredients. Rich? The piece of meat ye just tasted be worth 3000 yen per 100 grams. PfffffftC Taiyou spat. He had already swallowed the hamburger, so the only thing that came out was spit. What!? How is it so expensive?! I used female Japanese beef, so the price was a bit high, ye see. I definitely wouldnt call that just a bit! Well what else would I do with this lovely thing that I received? Of course I be wantin to use it on me husband and display me love. Kohaku held up her left ring finger. And then you got that pricy meat, eh? Aye. Delicious, isnt it? It sure is. It wouldnt do to just have her treat him this way, so Taiyou lashed back. It was made with your love, Kohaku-san, so of course it would be delicious. Probably so. Kohaku ignored his attempt. She was slightly grinning, as if to say that wasnt enough to faze her. Oh yeah, has Youran contacted you at all? Nay. Kohaku said as she thrust another bite of hamburger at him. None at all. Every time we try contacting er, she just evades us. So you can technically contact her. Aye. Yes. Kotone also nodded before she spoke. We call her every night, saying that we dont mind just chatting with her or asking how shes doing, but she gives us the slip every time. Thats not like her. Aye, she dont even reply to ye anymore. Still has me blocked. What about Hera? I did send her over there, but she doesnt let Hera tell me anything, so all I know is that shes on Juuni Island. Oh my, what a pleasant thing this situation be! Yes, Ive begun to feel that way as of late too. Taiyou smiled bitterly. He had initially felt thrown out of the loop with the whole affair with Sakura, but as time went by, Taiyou had begun to feel calmer and calmer about this to the point where he started to enjoy it. Youran was plotting something that she couldnt even let Hera tell them. What was it? Taiyou simply felt excited thinking about it. But will this really be okay. Kotone asked with a concerned expression on her face. Hm? She could be planning to do something bad to you. No, thats not happening. Taiyou declared confidently. I think so too, lass. After all, the effects of idol still beC Well theres that too, but Hm? Kohaku tilted her head in puzzlement. She cant stay away from me. Taiyou said calmly. No matter what she schemes, and no matter what she does. She cannot stay away from me. She will always return. He was fully convinced of that. Let us have a hypothetical scenario and presume that Taiyou decided to leave his wives and never meet them again. Kohaku would send him off with a smile (leaving aside what would happen afterward), the three sisters would probably cry but still understand. Amidst everyone having different reactions, Youran would cling to him the most, begging him not to leave. Youran had two sides to her, and one side involved an obsession with anything that she got her hands on. At least that was what Taiyou felt, which was why he was excited for whatever she was planning. Just what sort of crazy thing was she going to attempt now? As he was thinking these things, a small hand tapped him on the forehead. It was Kohakus. Kohaku-san? Whats the matter? No fever, as far as I can seewhat ails ye, Husband? Ye seem a bit on the cool side as of today. Could you at least make it clear whether youre complimenting or dissing me? Well, I always think that youre cool. Kotone said, and the silent Suzune and Kazane lowered their heads at the same time. These three sisters shared the same soul and felt the exact same sensations. Taiyou thought this mannerism was cute, and he lightly kissed each of them. It may have been smack dab in the middle of the classroom at midday, but Taiyou didnt hold back. Chapter 352: Rescue I owe you one, Bro. After knocking the enemies down and barging in, Kirisaki Enya thanked him. Deep in a certain Chinese restaurant in Oritachi In a private room stood Enya, his upper half naked and covered with tattoos, not to mention blood splattered over his hands. Although he did not by any means look respectable, you could not help but admit that he had a certain dignity about him. Are you all right, Enya-san? No injuries as of right now. Thank goodness. Why are you here, Bro? I received notice of a group attempting to ensnare you in their trap. It was really shameful, they got me like the Feast of Hong Gate. So for now we shouldC Taiyou, an enemys coming. Akiha walked in from outside the room. Oh? Why is a different girl than before Ill introduce her later. Shes my fifth wife. Oho Enyas eyes glittered. Due to the nature of his occupation, he did not bear any prejudice against having multiple women at the same time. In fact, he was the type of person who thought that was how it should be- the true way to show your colors as a man. In a sense, that was also a type of prejudice, but very favorable in Taiyous opinion. Right after Akiha had gotten in, the door broke down and several men came rushing in. Much like Enya, they were yakuza and they were holding daggers in their hands. You littleC One of the men attempted to say something, but Taiyou flew at him and sunk him with a fist before he could finish. D-Dont move. One of the men who entered the room acted quickly, selecting the most vulnerable member out of them all- Akiha. He had grabbed her arm and was holding a knife to her. Taiyou did not panic. There wasnt even 5 meters between them. Even if she did have a knife pressed to her, he could stop that before the man even had a chance to react. Make one move and you wont like what happens to her. So he got closer without giving it much thought. D-Damn it. The man moved to cut her with his knife, but the next secondC Yaaah! Before Taiyou had even gotten over there, Akiha had reacted quicker. She grabbed the mans wrist and twisted it before giving him a back kick to the vitals. GahaghC Whew! Enya whistled. Way to go! Looks like Bro picks them right. You could do THAT too? Just a bit. Thought it might come in handy one day. Come in handy? Yeah, back when I thought I gotta protect Aoba! She said nonchalantly, not bothering to hide her smile. (That does make sense), thought Taiyou. And when was this? You brought Aoba to my place about half a year ago, so itd be before that, right? Yeah, sixth grade of elementary school, Id say. Gotcha. Taiyou nodded, turning to Enya. Lets go ahead and get out of here. Can you come with, Enya-san? Of course. Enya caught the dagger that Taiyou threw. Ill go on ahead. Follow behind me Bro. Ah, no, it would be best if I go ahead. Theres no guarantee that they wont have guns. Im better suited for those sorts of situations. Alright. Akiha, you come next. Sorry Enya-san but youll have to be at the rear. Taiyou, Akiha, and then Enya all left the room, filing out into the open. Several yakuza heard the commotion and tried to attack them from either side, but they were easily defeated by Taiyou and Enya. As if timing their arrival, one car came promptly to the scene. While Enya had a startled look on his face, Taiyou simply opened the door without much thought. Please, ride with us. Okay. Once he understood that Taiyou had prepared this ride, Enya readily agreed and hopped into the car. It was a box wagon. Taiyou, Akiha, and Enya all got into the rear, and Taiyou leaned forward to give his thanks to the driver. Then he turned back to look at Enya and asked him again. Are you all right? For sure, Bro. No injuries. What about you? Im fine too. Good. Anyway, could you get me somewhere real quick? A raid, is it? Yep. I cant just back down as it is. Understood. How do we get there? Taiyou got the location from Enya, informing the driver. It was the office of his enemy. It would take 10 minutes till arrival, so Taiyou turned to Akiha and spoke. Now wait in the car this timeis what I would normally say, but you wont listen anyway I bet. Of course not. Akiha grinned. Why would I ever let something fantastic like this slip me by? As usual, I seriously dont know your criteria for what is fantastic. What, come on, thats easy! Akiha grinned even wider. What I say is fantastic is fantastic! Well arent you a free spirit Got yourself a nice girl there, eh Bro? Shes like a restless horse. Difficult to handle. Reminds me of Big Sister. Big Sister? You mean Orikawa-san, right? Shes the rich lady owner of that big business. She was a little rascal as a kid. Still is, as a matter of fact. Wow. I couldnt beat her even if I tried. So thats why you treat her as superior. Nah, thats a bit different. I dont follow people just cuz theyre strong. Ah, thats very true. What Enya said made a good amount of sense. To him, someones outward appearance was important. He didnt follow anyone due to pure arm strength. In fact, the opposite was very possible. Chapter 353: For Everything I Love At last, they reached the building at the back alleyway of the business district. As soon as he got out of the van, Enya walked briskly to the entrance. The hell areCugyahh! Taiyou heard a scream. Enya must have attacked someone. Now thenC Lets go, Taiyou. Akiha was even more ready than Taiyou was, pulling him by the arm as soon as he got out to the vehicle. Well arent you the eager one. Cause its fantastic man! Is it now? They entered the building together, noticing the bodies of yakuza lying down along the way like signposts. Wow, no mercy. The fallen men on the ground groaned as blood flowed from their bodies. Enya must have cut and stabbed them. Should we finish them off to be sure? Yeesh, youre pretty brutal in your own way. Young man, if you let your enemy live, they may very well come back to hurt your loved ones. Akiha said in a dramatic voice. The heck was that from? Got it from Hera. Did it come from something? You really understand her, I see. Taiyou grinned. Sure, she probably got it slightly off memory-wise, but that was definitely the sort of phrasing that Hera would come up with. Plus this was a very appropriate situation to bring it up. Contemplating it a moment, Taiyou went up to each of the men and struck their vital points, knocking them out. It wouldnt have been necessary if it were just him and Enya, but right now Akiha was here too. He didnt think of her as being anything close to a weak girl, but he didnt see her as much of a fighter either. It was best to do this. Uhh, like this! I guess What are you doing? Just doing what Taiyou would do! Knockin their skulls off. Guhagh The man she had hit groaned, clearly in pain. She hadnt quite knocked him unconscious, so he was probably in even more pain now. Nah, this is how you do it. What? Taiyou taught Akiha how to do it properly. After some practice, she finally got the hang of it. All of a sudden she was now a master in hitting vital points. Yo, can you do that one thing? What thing? The thing where you chop their neck. Well yeah, sure Teach me that too! A bit later. Ehhh, why? Thats because you have to first be able to either move really fast or move backward. No point just teaching you the angle and location of the karate chop, right? Ah, you do have a point. Akiha easily gave in. This was a type of building that Taiyou had experienced numerous times: extravagantly long hallways, no windows. It was especially made to slow down attackers. They advanced together up the stairs, attempting to stay a certain distance away from the screams and sounds of battle. Of course he didnt want to expose Akiha to danger. Hey Taiyou, cant we go faster? Theyll all be defeated at this rate, yknow. Enya-san wants to deal with them alone. He has a reputation to uphold, so wed best leave it to him. Taiyou simply thought that if Enya was fine by himself then there was no need to try and assist. But then you wont be able to shine. True. Hey, cmon, lets go. Just a little bit wont hurt. Were you even listening to what Iwatch out! Suddenly, one man jumped up and assailed Akiha. Yaah! Faster than Taiyou could respond, Akiha had grabbed the mans head, slamming him into the wall. She didnt have all that much power or speed in the motion, but her reaction was simply amazing. What? Wow, youre amazing. Thats cause I did lots of studying. Studying? Ah- Akiha covered her mouth. Apparently, she had said something that she hadnt meant to. What kind of studying, hm? Mm, ah, who even cares. Akiha made a slight grimace and answered. I just had someone teach me skills that I could use to protect myself. Self-defense, right? Its a bit different, though. But anyhow, lots of different stuff. Wow, Im surprised. Huh? At first I thought you just had a passing interest in all this, but just nowI could tell that you had rehearsed that movement very well. I didnt think of you as that type of person so I was surprised. What did you think I was? Mm, a natural-born genius? The heck is that? Overcoming all challenges in your path with emotion, talent, and going with the flow. Thats horrible, haha. Akiha cackled despite saying that. She didnt seem to be fazed in the slightest. Well, I also have something Im aiming for. Such as? You wanna know? Sure do. Taiyou nodded, simply interested in the reason why she had put effort into this sort of thing. You may have forgotten, but I like Aoba. I havent though. Taiyou said. Chapter 354: Fantastic Disciple I still like her even as of right now. Mhm, and? He didnt feel bad about that at all. He had after all already factored in the fact that he had accepted both Akiha and the Aoba in her heart. Besides, it would be more astonishing to hear that she didnt have those feelings anymore. So the sisters were all like a set, right? Not quite the same thing. Not one set, but one person. But he decided not to mention that. I wanna be a set with Aoba too. Hm. Aoba is a domestic girl, so Ill be out and about. Aoba is a normal girl, so Ill be a weird one. I see. Taiyou could have made a lot of comments there, but he understood what she was saying very well. It wasnt difficult for him to understand these sorts of topics. The three mismatched sisters were already that way, plus above all, his brides had their own unique ways of thinking. He had grown well accustomed to this and had dealt with it properly as well, even if this time might be a little different. Didnt know you liked me that much. Huh? Am I mistaken? N-Not exactly Akihas face grew red as she spoke looking down at the ground. Youre not wrong, but Thanks, that makes me happy. H-Hey, is that all? Is what all? C-Cause I said I like Aobaso yknow, kinda, uhh Akiha fidgeted. After thinking about it, he suddenly made a comprehending expression and clapped his hands together. Ah I see, you want to know if Im envious of Aoba or not. Yeah. I never knew. Never knew what? I totally never realized. Sorry. Taiyou held up a hand apologizing. After the blank expression on her face disappeared, Akiha burst out laughing. You never knew? Jeez thats horrible. Is it? Yeah, now let me tell you something. Hm? See, girls sometimes actually WANT you to be jealous. Makes them feel even more loved after all. Oh yeah, Ive heard that before. Right? Yeah, in that sense, envy is like spice. Right? SoC But I refuse. Whaaaaat, why not! Taiyou and Akiha continued up the stairs as they flirted. Despite being in the middle of a fight, they merely took care of the remaining yakuza left over from Enya and went on their way. It was like they werent even in the enemys base but were instead in the uninhabited wilderness. Taiyou did his best to hold back. He knew that Akiha wanted her share of it, so he let her handle the rest. He found the sight of her yearning to dirty her hands very endearing. (Im not very normal either, am I?) Taiyou thought in self-derision. Come to think of it, that was usually what made him like someone else. Ruri was an obvious example of this. The moment he realized that she was wearing a black dress to compensate for her complex toward her pale skin, he had fallen hopelessly in love with her. It was no different as of right now. Weird instead of normal. Outside instead of inside. When he saw Akiha moving against normalcy, he only felt amplified love for her. Whaddya think? Akiha asked Taiyou with a smile after defeating another person. He shrugged, playing it off. I dont even wanna think about what would happen if you and Ruri teamed up. Riiight? Heheh. Akiha joined in on the fun, catching up to him. This two-person adventure (albeit a little short) was something fresh in Taiyous eyes. Different from Ruri, and different from the other brides. In a sense, this carefree attitude was quite enjoyable. I take back what I said. Eh? I want to actually see both you and Ruriin action. Ah, not as a pair but more like teacher and disciple. Disciple? Oh, so like, have her train me? Yep, exactly. I bet itd be entertaining with you in the picture. Entertaining? Is that all you think of me? Alright, let me rephrase that. Taiyou grinned. If youre in the picture, I bet things would get fantastic. Oh dear. Her eyes wide open, Akiha laughed. Fantastic enough for you? I think so. Then lets try it after we get back. Alright. As they were doing that, they reached the highest, deepest room, where Enya had been fighting. His opponent was an obese man in his late thirties. Just like Enya, he was naked from the waist up with a splendid tattoo that practically screamed he was a yakuza. In Taiyous opinion, Enya was a bit stronger. Gonna join in, Taiyou? No, lets not. Taiyou shook his head. There were no other people in the room: in other words, it was a one-on-one fight. It wasnt just a problem of being inelegant. Its unnecessary. Taiyou could tell that Enya had the victory by far. In a fistfight like this that disregarded technique, Enya was at the top from start to finish. He didnt see Enya as needing help, and that turned out to be correct. Not even a minute after they came into the room, Enya had defeated his opponent. The obese man had crumpled to the ground, not moving an inch. Chapter 355: Return Fire Yeah, youd totally do that, Akiha. Aoba said with a pleasant smile after hearing Taiyous story all the way through. After everything had ended and Taiyou had returned home, he immediately went to Aobas room. Hugging her from behind in her pajamas, he had proceeded to sit on the bed and began talking to her about Akiha about how Akiha had fought alongside him as well as her wish. I agree. So where is she now? She went to Ruris room. Said she had a few more things to learn first. Wow, really. But that was a surprise, you know? I already knew that she probably had good reflexes, but dang! She knows how to fight, that girl. I think this probably developed recently. You mean her being able to fight? Yeah. Aoba nodded. She leaned back against him. You see, Akiha was called the Wonder Child when she was little. Wonder Childah, the same meaning as a prodigy. He didnt typically hear such a word in his daily life, so it took Taiyou a moment. Yeah, it all started with an IQ test when she was a kid, and the results were crazy good. Oh really now? Taiyou wasnt entirely surprised. Akiha just felt like that kind of person. Still, up till now shes been normalah, well, not normal exactly. Yeah, she isnt normal. Aoba giggled in agreement. Shes definitely not normal. No, its more like she hasnt done anything up till now to make her look like a wonder child. Titles like wonder child or prodigy would better fitRuri, Id say. Although Youran is also a bit like that But shes more on the hard-working side, you know. Yeah, its more like she feels like one because shes doing her best to act like one. She knows when to change her mask, so to speak. Yeah. She giggled again, knocking against his sternum with the back of her head as she responded. I think its possible that Akiha just didnt have anything she could get serious about until now. She was smart and talented, but just didnt have motivation, so she was just a normal-ah, well not normal, right. Aoba accidentally said the same thing as Taiyou. He jokingly pinched her cheeks. So essentially, her talent is S Rank but everythings a drag to her so shes fine with staying at D Rank. The heck are you talking about? Just a manga reference. Oh, okay. But now shes serious. Thats a good thing. Although I do feel a bit jealous at the fact that this is all for you. No, shut up, youre clearly not jealous. Aoba giggled. Nah, sure I am, just a bit. He put his hands in front of her eyes, making a ring with two of his fingers. He didnt close the gap, instead just slightly opening his fingers a small millimeter. Taiyou and Aoba flirted in her room, making him gradually feel the fatigue from a hard days work fade away. He always felt healed around her, never having to put up a bold front. Sniff sniff. Yah! N-Natsuno-kun, whatre you doing? This is a great smell. Same as Akihas, isnt it? YeahWe found it when we went shopping earlier-Hyan! Yeah? What a nice smell. Cmon, Natsuno-kunstop-rubbing your cheeks against mine. Should I not do it? I-It tickles Its okay, I dont intend to tickle you. Its what?-yah! Aoba writhed inside Taiyous arms, saying things like that, but of course she didnt actually dislike it. This is a great smell. Dont let it run out, kay? Eh? M-Mhm Her face reddened all the way to her ears as she meekly nodded. She was being praised, sought-afterand he gave her what she wanted. The atmosphere became more lively, their breathing more ragged. She turned her head, giving him a suffocating expression, whenC Let. Me. In. Too. They heard a voice from outside, accompanied by noisy footsteps getting closer until the door was opened with a bang. Standing there was Akiha in her pajamas, her skin a tinge of pink after a good shower. Let me iiin! Akiha Akiha zoomed into the room, hopping onto the bed. Her freshly washed straight hair emitted the same scent as Aoba. Cmon cmon, let me, with Aoba- She probably meant to only half-tease him, but what happened the next moment surpassed her expectations. Taiyou released Aoba from his embrace before pinning Akiha down, kissing her on the neck. Ahh His mouth crawled, licking her as it made its way down slowly before his canine teeth gave her a sweet nibble. Now that her body was warm, Akiha became sensitive, giving a little twitch. Hey, Taiyou, where did this come from What do you mean? He lifted his head, licking her lips in the process. Youre the one who said you wanted to join in, right? Yeah, I did, but, but You wanna join in, I make you join in. Now then, Aoba. Yes? Aoba tilted her head. Taiyou hugged Akiha from behind, turning to Aoba. Do me a favor and strip Akiha out of her pajamas. Whaa? Aoba, go ahead. Uhh Akiha was utterly silent. He was embracing her from behind, so he had no idea what facial expression she was making. However, judging from her squirming, she was probably expecting something quite grandiose. As if understanding this, Aoba slowly, but firmly nodded. Yeah, okay. Aoba said. Chapter 356: Bed Yakuza In the moonlight, Taiyou slowly arose. To his side were Akiha and Aoba, breathing as they slept. After putting the covers back over their exposed shoulders, he snuck out of the room. It was a condominium with a similar construct to Taiyou Castle. As he left the room, he came into the living room that was connected to every room. That was where Kohaku and Ruri were silently facing each other. He closed the door, walking over to them. Whatcha doing? Oh, its ye, Husband. Nay, we just be killin time is all. The FirstDomestic World War. Kohaku and Ruri answered two different ways as they looked up at him. The table between them had a shogi board on it. That sounds exaggerated. But wereputting many things on the line. Like what? Likea maidens pride? The heck is that? Aye, things like a wifes dignity. Wow, youre so friendly with each other! And wow, you just both said practically the same thing! He sat in a nearby sofa as he made this comment. But wow, didnt know you could play shogi, Ruri. I used toplay by myself a lot. By yourself? Like setting up a record or something? Nonot like that. Ruri shook her head. Likethis. She said, splitting herself into two. She had begun to move so quickly that it looked as if there were two of her on either side of the table. I playedlike this. You trying to be some octopus teacher or something!? Wait, is that even necessary? Alsotheres this too. She momentarily ceased her movement, standing up straight. This time she resumed her split form right nearby, proceeding to choreograph. White. Black. Its monochrooome! It was like a two-person comedy act. Dang you spoke fast! And you seriously did that on a regular basis!? Because its a pastimecheck. Oh? Surprised, Taiyou looked at the board. Sure enough, Kohakus king was being pressed into a corner. Yep, ye got me. Thats a surprise. I thought for sure that youd be in it to win, Kohaku-san. With a nickname like Loli Baba, at least, I thought you would. Hmhey, lass. Ruri tilted her head. One more game, ja. Okaysure. Ruri nodded. They rearranged their pieces, beginning a new game. Kohakus eyes were glinting fiercer than ever in the silence as she stared at the board, brow furrowed. Taiyou tilted his head, wondering what had come over her. The power of lovehow fearsome. Hm? What do you mean? NitroglycerinDarling. Umm, how about explaining what the heck youre talking about!? More importantlywe should flirt. Not waiting for Taiyou to finish his response, she got onto his lap. Now, she wasnt entirely on him. It was only one half of her as she was in her split form. Oi oi, shes gonna get pissed if you do this. Its fineno problem. Sure there is! I split myself up and leave one half idleits a tradition of the machine cats. What are you, a copyrobot!? At leastthat was what Hera said. As usual, she says nothing useful! Ruris face as she confronted Kohaku was very serious, but the version of her reclining on Taiyous lap was clearly pleased with herself, smiling widely. Wow, that ability of yours is useful Taiyou muttered. Suddenly, he felt mischievous. What kind of expression would Ruri make if she split up a third time? Nom. Hyaa! Without a word, he play-bit Ruris earlobe. It was so sudden that Ruri jumped up. Whatwas that supposed to be? We were flirting, were we not? Sure we werebut Ruri hesitated. As she did that, Taiyou grasped her from behind, touching her chest with his hand. Nnh Ruri fidgeted, unable to keep her voice in. So youre small today, eh? Because this isnorm-nnh- Oh, right, yep, youre better in your natural state. Thats nottrue. She made a pained expression in his embrace. Taiyou took a glance at the other version of her playing shogi. At a glance, there didnt seem to be any influence from the version receiving skinship next to him, but if he looked really carefully, he could tell that she was trying harder than usual to maintain a straight face. Usually, she would merely have a meager facial expression, but now she was just plain expressionless. I wonder how long this will continue? It was getting fun. He got lots of skinship with Ruri, mischievously wondering how long she would last. You could say he was playing a prank on her. It was after all a little bit intended in that sense. But halfway through, that intent had gradually ebbed away, eventually vanishing. It was just such an unbearably adorable sight to see her fidgeting in his arms, and he just wanted to make her fidget more and more. Darlingyoure a bed yakuza. You think? Or actuallya sofa yakuza. True, we are on the sofa after all He gave her a smooch on the neck. What kind of yakuza do you want? I can do anything you want, hun. Kitchen yakuza, bath yakuza, you name it. Ill even throw in veranda yakuza, what the heck. Ruri looked down at the ground before replying in a small voice. Im fine withthe bed yakuza. The sight of Ruris cheeks reddening was unbelievably adorable. Chapter 357: Polynesian As the rays of the morning sun came up, Taiyou was embracing Kotone on the bed, the eldest of the mismatching triplets. He was practically pressed against her. Taiyou-san, I think its about time we get up. Hm? Hm. Taiyou nodded, although he did not attempt to get up. His eyes, which had been completely open a moment ago, were now shut once again. He was already entirely awake, without an ounce of drowsiness in him. But still, he did not get up. If you dont get up soon, youll be late for school. Mmm, Ill just skip today. Eh? Are you sure? Sure I am. Id rather continue like this for a bit longer. Taiyou said, getting even snugger with Kotone. He relished the warmth of her skin. Do you not like this sort of thing or what? No, thats not it, but Then why stop? Okay, fine. After thinking on it briefly, Kotone buried her face in Taiyous chest. Then Ill go ahead and explain to Suzu-chan and Kaza-chan and everyone else whats going on. Yeah. Taiyou nodded. He patted Kotones head as she undoubtedly proceeded to contact her sisters via telepathy. He ran his fingers through her hair, pressing against her skin. Skinship. At least for them, it was quite rare to have moments like these. But Taiyou was satisfied. He was enveloped in a tranquil feeling, as if he were soaking in tepid water. I think its been a while since we last did this. It has? Cause a lots happened recently. There were a lot of people who were a handful to deal with. But arent we a handful as well? Youre definitely not. Im able to relax around you. T-Thank you. Kotone slightly blushed. The door opened, revealing Suzune. Suzune entered the room, changing from her school uniform to regular clothes, beaming at Taiyou before exiting the room again. Oh yeah, what ever happened with that one thing? What thing? We briefly discussed it once. That seven-floor building, tailor-made for all you brides. Oh, that? It seems to be in progress. Kohaku-san is pulling the strings. Okay. Now, what kind of roomCor should I say floorCwould you like? Thats what were currently wondering. Were naturally more comfortable in smaller spaces, but Kohaku-san scolded us, saying that since this was being built all the way for our sake. No, I mean, Im cool with a smaller room if you want that. Really? Yeah, plus we can get even more cozy that way. Taiyou said as he got his breathing together. He was getting aroused from her overwhelming fragrance, but took a deep breath and stopped himself. Sure, it would have been fine to allow himself to give in to the temptation and come onto her, but he wanted to enjoy this laid back air a bit longer. But it is a building after all. That would mean that the floor sizes have to be the same as all the others. Yes. Maybe theres something else we could add? Anything come to mind? No, not really. Kotone said, sighing in concern. The vibration reached his chest, tickling him. It had been close to subsiding, but once again, he felt blood surge back to his groin. Besides, we are happy just by having you by our side, Taiyou-san. You think so? To add further- -Were happy being with everyone! The door opened, and Kazane emerged from it as she said that. She had probably passed by right at that moment. The door soon closed, and they were once again alone together. Everyone? He asked Kotone what Suzune meant. Yes, everyone. We all want to be part of a harem after all. We love being together with all of your brides. Oh, thats true. Taiyou nodded. He stirred in her embrace, moving his body lower and lower until it was like a small child nuzzling against its mother under the futon, burying its face in their chest. Then how about we make your floor a saloon? A saloon, you say? Yeah, that saloon in Taiyou Castle. We could make that again and have it be a place where everyone gathers. I didnt even think of that! Kotone gasped. We were only told that wed have our own floor, but we didnt actually have to make the entire thing our room. Its what youd call a loophole. Yes! Suzu-chan and Kaza-chan are also in agreement. Well consult Kohaku-san about this, then. Youre on the right track. Taiyou nodded. As he buried his face in her chest, the scent of milk overwhelmed him, calming him down. The sunlight slightly changed its angle. When it became midday, the room became just a bit darker. Then time passed some more, the sun descended, and it became completely dark. During that time, Taiyou and Kotone had been in bed, snuggling. They simply bantered until they nodded off. Then one of them would wake up again and say something else that was trivial. Then once again, slowly nodding off-. They repeated it again and again, all the while hugging each other in bed. This continued until the day changed. Chapter 358: Triplets and Triplets The next morning, on the way to school. Taiyou, Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane were more enthusiastic than usual, and Ruri thought that to be odd. Youreawfully happy. Are you sure? But Im pretty sure Were the same as always. The three sisters answered in their signature chorus. They may have insisted on this on the surface, but it was clear as day from how they were grinning. No, youre definitely in a good mooddid something happen? Ruri asked again, and the sisters giggled at one another. Its because we were right next to Taiyou all day yesterday. Kazane explained. I seethat makes sense. Ruri was about to accept that, but Waitbut Kotone was the one flirting with him. A new doubt flickered in her mind. And yetSuzune and Kazane are also happy? Of course. The three sisters answered all at once. They were so in-sync that it was like they were one person. Ruri tilted her head in confusion. Thats just how they are, Ruri. Taiyou had now entered the conversation. You havent been with us for very long yet, so maybe youre not used to it. Is it becausetheyre triplets? Yep. Taiyou nodded. I was right next to Kotone all day yesterday, but it felt more like I was right next to all three sisters. Thats how it is even when youre away from two of them. So thenwhat if someone gets hurt? Now, Im not sure about that. We havent gotten injured recently. Ever since we met Taiyou-san. The three sisters all said, inclining their heads. When one twin gets hurt, the other twin gets hurt in the same area. If its a cut, then even though the other twin wasnt technically the one who got hurt, a cut will appear in the same area. Reports of such incidents were not uncommon, and that was probably what Ruri was referring to. Let me try it out. Suzune said, putting a hand into her bag. Try it? How so? Okay, all done. She said, taking out a compact sewing set and a sewing needle before poking her finger with it. Taiyou hadnt liked where this was going, but decided that this wasnt too bad. Blood came dripping out from her index finger. Kotone and Kazane then monitored their fingers. After a bit Ah, there it is. Taiyou-san, look, look! Red blood came out of their fingers too. Yep, I see its the same for you three. This would normally be an incomprehensible phenomenon to anyone else, but Taiyou took it in stride. Superstrange. Well thats just how it is. But..strange. Ruri repeated. Taiyou was about to say that Ruri was stranger, but realized that it was possible that the sisters were a bit higher. Identical triplets was unusual, but not strange. However, in their case, their heights went down from oldest to youngest. Kotone, the eldest, was 150cm, followed by the middle sister, Suzune, at 140cm and the youngest, Kazane, at 130cm. Much like their height, the growth of their bodies was also different. Standing next to each other, they would appear to be the same person during different growth periods in life. In addition, they could use telepathy and share each others wounds. Yeah, you girls might be a bit higher on the strange scale. We are not! Oh Taiyou-san, so rude. Its totally normal. The three sisters said in a pouting tone. Nah, but I like strange things. Like yesterday, that was amazing. There we go! Thats our Taiyou-san! Got to have your girls a bit on the strange side, right? Their expressions did a 180. It was always easy to get on their good side. If Taiyou liked strange things, then if anything, they would prefer to be seen as strange. That was essentially what they were implying. I cando that too. What do you mean? FirstI split myself. Ruri said, splitting herself into three as she would normally do. One of the three forms walked up to Suzune. Lend methat needle. O-Okay. While not quite sure what she was trying to do, Suzune lent Ruri the needle. Ruri copied what Suzune had done earlier, pricking her finger with it. Like thispoke. And everyonebleeds. But fasterthan the triplets. Well yeah, no duh! Taiyou quipped loudly. With those offshoots, its not even about how long it takes because its all at the same time! Iwas Finetoday Asalways. This time she attempted to mimic the three sisters, albeit in a joking manner. Amazing! It looks like three people from here. But its actually just you moving fast, right? Yesyou are right. We arebreaking the sound barrier. But wecan do this too. The three Ruris said, holding hands with each of the triplets. Yknow, you did this before, but its weird isnt it? Taiyou interjected. Why is it that you can maintain those forms while holding hands or hugging people? The reasoningis simple. Ruri responded. Just movefaster than humans can detect. Yeah, kay kay. Taiyou grimaced at the overly simplistic answer. But the simplicity of it all was probably one of the great things about her. Plus this wasnt half bad. He had the privilege of essentially walking to school with two sets of beautiful triplets. As the students around him stared in surprise and envy, he relished the sensation. Chapter 359: Late Night, Everyone Gather Taiyou, Aoba, Akiha, and Ruri were on the roof at midday. Taiyou was sitting in front of the fence doing level grinding, while Aoba was sitting at a slant next to him. A bit away from them Ruri and Akiha were gesturing to each other about something. I wonder if Akiha will actually take it seriously. I think so. Aoba immediately affirmed this. When Akiha decides on something, she goes through with it all the way. Yeah, her attitude is still her same whimsical self, but boy does she become stubborn. Yeah, like I dont know that aspect of her by now. Taiyou said, moving his hand. Seriously, the combination of her wild and stubborn nature have got to be the worst. Yeahoh, but Hm? He looked at Aoba, who seemed to remember something. Her cheeks were red for some reason. If I were to tell her to stopshe might actually do that. (Ah, is that what it is?) thought Taiyou as he listened. He chuckled, giving her a light kiss before speaking. You dont have to make her stop or anything. Looks fun, and I bet shed learn a lot. Right. Ah, however Taiyou thought of something this time around, calling Ruri over with a wave of his hand. Ruri. Yes, Darling? One of Ruris apparitions came over. You sure you havent been making one too many shadow clones lately? Taiyou grimaced. But itfeels good. Feels good? Taiyou frowned. What in the world did she mean by that? I likesplitting in front of you. Right? I totally get it, Ruri-chan. Aoba affirmed Ruris statement. Yeah? Well if its fine then I guess thats that. Taiyou didnt want to stop her in the first place, so he readily agreed. Regaining his composure, he asked Ruri the question he had meant to say. So I know youre teaching Akiha all sorts of things, but would you classify that as military arts? Yes, butan extremely rudimentary version. Rudimentary? I see. An explanation on shadow clonesthat even a monkey can do. Thatd be some crazy stuff alright if a monkey could manage that! Taiyou blurted out. Surely, that whole monkey phrase was a meme of some sort. You got that from somewhereright? But this was Ruri that he was talking about, so you couldnt be too sure Ruri tilted her head, thinking a bit before responding. No, they canmake clones. Thats pretty much what you said earlier! The difficultyis a bit higher. Yeah, but the way you said it still makes it sound really easy. Ill take responsibilityand teach them till they learn. Dont overdo yourself, kay? Aoba said, but Akiha replied from far away. Im good, Im good. Where does that confidence of hers come from Ruri erased the other clone and got back to teaching Akiha, while Taiyou got back to his repetitive activity. Aoba watched them. The four of them were all doing something different under the blue sky. Although they werent chatting or anything (unless you count Ruri instructing Akiha), Taiyou felt very close to them at this moment. Yknow, I read this in a book once Read what? Aoba tilted her head. Something about family. They appear to be disorganized on the surface but are actually tightly connected. And because of that, theyre safe in all directions. That sounds pretty cool. What about your house, Aoba? Yeah, were the same way. Mom, Mother, and Mama. Even when everyone was together, it wasnt unusual to go the whole day without talking. Sounds about right. Im jealous. I dont think Id ever be able to accomplish something like that. Jealous? Sure am. Taiyou nodded, taking Aobas hand before speaking again. Cause if we have nothing else to do, Id love to just talk and get cuddly. HeckC He gave her another smooch. Id like to do stuff like this too. H-Hey. Not in a place like thisits embarrassing. Ahaha, sorry sorry. We can do more of this later. Mhm. Aoba nodded bashfully. But really, I am jealous. I wonder if we can get that way too. I think so. Aoba nodded timidly. I think thats probably because my mothers all take each other for granted, like the water you drink or the air you breathe. I get it. So Im sure well also get close to that someday. I hope its sooner rather than later. Darlingyoure acting a little strange. Whoa! Taiyou was taken aback when he saw Ruris double suddenly appear in front of him. Could you not appear suddenly in front of me like that? And what do you mean by strange? Youre usuallymore lively. Nah cmon, I am lively right now arent I? Boys in their first year of high schoolusually live in the moment. I think so too. Akiha approached them, taking part in the conversation. Saying things like Lets do this or this or this when we get old aint something a high schooler would come up with. Right? MhmI agree. But Natsuno-kun, youre stilluhh Aoba slightly hesitated. Her face showed her confliction in what to say. Ummuhh You wanna say hes lively enough as is, right? Akiha stated without blinking. This was truly where their personalities diverged. M-Mhm. Hmm, well that could be the case, yeah. Darlingyoure a sex fiend. Akiha and Ruri, who had been negative a second ago, suddenly changed their opinions and chimed in with Aoba. You know, that would sound wrong if other people overheard this. But its true! Akiha said, grinning. Taiyou, have you even been alone in a room for one night recently? Huh? Youre alwayshelping yourself to seconds. Uhhhm Right? Not like its better for us, cause we cant even satisfy him. Wellyeah, true. Taiyou nodded vaguely. He got what they were saying, but it was just a bit difficult to agree. Well, it isnt like there arent ways to solve this. Like what? Aoba asked Akiha. Just get everyone in the same room. Easy, right? Everyone The sameroom. Aoba and Ruri murmured, and their faces grew redder and redder by the moment. All of them, including Akiha, gazed at Taiyou. Their eyes were filled with expectation and desire. Taiyou felt an itch as he gazed back at them. Hera. Jajajaaan. What is it, Taiyou-chan? Tell everyone to get back to the house as quickly as they can. Rajaaa! Hera said, flying off. Taiyou knew he had to answer to their expectations. Chapter 360: That is that, and this is this Over here, Taiyou-chan. With Heras guidance, Taiyou and Akiha went into the estate. As they did so, several burly men came out to attack them, but they defeated them without difficulty before progressing. Wow, theyre putting up a lot of resistance here! No, its more of a show than anything. Feels like theyre pretending to have difficulty with us so that they dont have to put up a fight and get beat. Really? Seems to me like theyre serious, but okay. Akiha said as she looked back at the people who had been felled by just one punch. I think so too. You probably just became too strong to where they feel weak. Agreed. You think so? Taiyou nodded in a delayed manner. Sure, they said that, but he didnt really feel that way.The reason why he didnt feel any stronger was probably because Ruri, the person he aspired toward, was beginning to leave him behind again. Since he couldnt win against her, he felt weak. Sure, from an objective viewpoint, that was totally false. As he was right now, Taiyou had far surpassed any human, considered a monster by any reasonable person. Well, who even cares. Not like itll change our objective here. Ah, true enough. After having made up his mind in the afternoon, Taiyou had remembered something. It was a great idea to gather all his brides and have a lovey dovey time together, but at this rate, there would be one empty seat: Youran, who had been hiding her whereabouts as of late. She wouldnt come back home, in addition to cutting off contact with Taiyou. If she wasnt there, they couldnt truly have everyone assembled. Hence why Taiyou had come to bring her back. Following Hera, they had arrived at the Juunishima Daimyo Mansion in Seikaen Town. This was the place where he had once infiltrated with Ruri in order to save the three sisters. He had initially sought to go in by himself, but this time around, Akiha wanted to accompany him for whatever reason. Wazzup? Akiha tilted her head, noticing Taiyou looking at her. No, just thought it was interesting that you came along. Well yeah, dont you remember? Ill be the one who cleans em up! Itd be silly if I didnt mean what I said. Oh, so you meant itno, you always do mean what you say. Course! Akiha made a peace sign with a wide smile. No point announcing what you arent going to do, right? You didnt mean to say Ill go through with what I say Ill do? No, no. I wanna do it, so I announce it. As expected of you, Aki-han! What a worthy bride for Taiyou-chan. Now, that way of speaking about it is also quite questionable, in my opinion. Taiyou continued through the mansion alongside Akiha. Some of their opponents would overhear their conversation and attempt to assail them, and Taiyou would give them a sloppy beating so that some of them would go for Akiha, who did not recoil but instead defeated them with well-developed movements (for a human, at least). That move just now was one of Ruris, right? Oh, you figured it out? Akiha laughed elatedly. Yeah, you step in a half circle around to your opponents back and attack them once in an unguarded area. Ruri would always do that when she was even remotely serious. Does she even need to do this when shes as fast as that? Actually, I would say its precisely because of her speed. Moves like that tend to be more effective the more power and speed you have. Its like the difference between a kid and an adult in doing a locking technique- quite a bit of power involved. That does make sense, yeah. They continued walking, finally reaching the end, where they were met with a splendid-looking door. Hera. Yes indeed! Hera entered the room through the wall before coming right back out. Yes, shes here. Yuri-chan is inside. Alright, lets go. Taiyou pushed the door down, entering the room with Akiha and Hera. It was a wide room that resembled the kind youd see in a historical play, like a shoguns room. Excessively spacious, with tatami mats spread across the entire thing. There was an expensive-looking bamboo screen hanging down where the seat of honor was. Beyond the bamboo was the silhouette of a girl with long hair. Sup, its been a while eh? Youran did not respond. Taiyou could sense that she was hesitating quite a bit. It has indeed been a while, Yuri-chan! Been well, you little truant? Hera and Akiha said jovially. Hera was the same as always, but Taiyou could tell that there was a trace of impishness in Akihas tone. She didnt have ill intent, but Taiyou could tell she wanted to tease her a bit. What do you need me for? I came to get you. Everyones hanging out tonight, so come over. But I Who cares? Taiyou barged in, throwing open the bamboo sheet, revealing Youran with a very distressed face. Come home. But Ihave something Iwant to Then get it done fast. Huh? Surprised, Youran raised up her slumped face. I wont ask what youre trying to do. I wont even ask what you intend to do from now on. Thats irrelevant. Irrelevant? Just come back here after we do some flirting tonight. Taiyou said assertively. Youran was taken aback, while Akiha burst out laughing. Chapter 361: You’re Welcome Master Youran averted her eyes, sinking down. But, how can I face Like I said, thats irrelevant. Whaaat? Yourans voice cracked. She hadnt expected him to be so confident in his tone. He grabbed her pretty face with both his hands, gazing into her eyes as he spoke. Objective and method. He repeated the same words that he had said numerous times. This had also been Yourans policy. Today, I want to flirt with all my brides. Thats my objective. In order to achieve it, I wont bother to ask what youre plotting. I wont even remember it. To be more blunt, I couldnt care less about your worries or feelings as of this moment. You dont care? Ahahaha, Taiyou, so fantastic! So full of contradictions, but so fantastic! Thats my Taiyou-chan! My lovely angel Taiyou-chan! Akiha and Hera said each of their usual lines, laughing loudly. Youran looked at them blankly before looking up at Taiyou timidly. Is it really fine? Do you wanna refuse? If not, then that was a contradiction just now. Okay Youran nodded, looking down and then back up. She was quick to shift her personality this time around. Youran had always been switching between her two faces: Juunishima Youran and Juunishima Shingetsu no Kami Youran. This was her forte. Come home. I can get a car, so wait a sec. But what about your trailer, Taiyou-chan? Aki-han has never ridden on it, right? Trailer? The heck is that? It sounds fantastic! How do you call something fantastic when you dont even know what it is? Not a trailer per say, but a human-operated car. Human-operated? Like those things at tourist attractions? Yes. Like the one that Master let Aoba ride on. What? What? I havent heard anything about this! Akiha was highly interested, and Youran responded in a pleasant manner as if her hesitant attitude from earlier had been a lie. This is great, Taiyou-chan. Hera whispered next to him. She had an unusually calm expression on her face. Not especially. Not especially, you say? Yeah. Taiyou nodded, speaking without reservation. You probably want to congratulate me for accomplishing something, but this aint it. Cause all I really want to do is gather all my girls tonight and have some fun. Then what about the whole thing with Yuri-chan? That is that, and this is this. Taiyou flicked Hera on the forehead. Besides, its something that shes plotting. I cant just force her and make things too vague. That would be no fun. Owowownow that you mention it, that makes sense. Right? Taiyou nodded, lending his back to his brides before walking off. Full speed ahead, to a night of flirtation with everyone. Nighttime, in the condominium living room. Taiyou was sitting alone on the sofa. His brides were in each of their rooms. They said they needed to prepare, so Taiyou was waiting, strangely excited. It had been a while since they did this sort of thing. Come to think of it, they had hardly ever even been all together at once. Someone always had something to do, and people were almost always going off somewhere. He was excited that everyone would finally be in the same place. Oh yeah. Hera. Jajajaaan! He called her name, and Hera showed up. Where the heck were you? Looking at the stars in the sky from the roof! Stars? Why that again? Because its your lovey-dovey time with your brides. If I get in your way its a horse kick and the River Styx for me. But its not like a horse could do anything to you. He flicked her head. You stay. Eh? Hera stared blankly. I stay with you all? Yeah. Wait, Taiyou-chandont tell meare you lusting after my Nope. This time he swatted the fairy. Lust after that body? Im not quite that sinful. You havent even considered a one-night stand? I sure havent. But I still want you to be here. He said, looking into her eyes. Mmm, well, okay. Hera said after thinking it over. Then, how about you raise your level before everyone gets here. Raise my level? Why? Because thats what connects us, Taiyou-chaaan. Surely you jestbut alright, you have a point. Taiyou smiled, beginning the next repetitive activity for the next level. Hera watched over him as he did so. He repeated the same thing over and over silently; something that normally would have no meaning. Im grateful to you. Say wha? Thanks to you, I got together with all of them. So Im grateful. Thats all. Nothing too deep. Hm, in that case, you had best be even more grateful. You are to revere me. Like a shrine or something? We could call you by some Buddha-like or deity-like name like Daikongen or Daimyojin. A temple would be preferable to a shrine, indeed. You can make twelve of them and put me on the highest floor, indeed. Alright, and then once thats over Ill plunge a golden arrow into your chest. You might as well go further and lock me up in a pillar inside of a vase theeen. All of them at once? Wow youre busy. They had a silly conversation as he continued to work on his repetitive tasks. At length, Taiyou spoke one word. Thanks. He said. Hera also spoke one word. Youre welcome. She said casually. Chapter 362: Lingerie Show After he waited a bit, the wives came out all at once as if they had planned this. Wooow. Taiyou let out an exclamation. His heart began pounding at the sight of them. They were all in their undergarments. Kotone, Suzune, Kazane. Kohaku, Aoba, Youran. Akiha, and Ruri. Not only were they all in their undergarmentsCthey were all wearing different styles. Seeing all of this, Taiyou could feel the carnal desire rising within him. But even before thatC Youre all very pretty. That was his first and foremost thought. Yes, seeing them in their undergarments was erotic, but it was nothing impure. If anything, it was more accurate to say that they were women with a noble, elegant beauty about them. It was like he was gazing at works of art. Youresure? Ruri spoke up. She was wearing white on the top and the bottom, with lace aplenty adorning the entire thing, reminiscent of her normal attire. I see youre wearing white. Darling, thats becauseyou said white looks good on me. It sure does. Your beauty just astounds me, and the combination with white clothing and your white skin just does wonders. Wait, that is white, right? Actually, itsa little bit water-colored. Seriously? Yeeeahno. Oi oi, you almost had me there for a sec. It was nice to see Ruri joking around for once, and Taiyou laughed merrily. Master, could you look at mine, too? Youran called out. She had her hair in twintails. Where Ruri was white, Youran wore a contrasting black, in addition to something close to green, blue, and purple on the ribbon in the center. Overall, the design combined an adult-like nature with an additional cute, childlike nature. So you chose black. Yeah. Of course youre pretty, but dont you think letting your hair down would make it look even better? Like this? Youran unraveled her twintails. Her long hair fell with a thud, covering her entire body like a mantel. The atmosphere immediately changed. The term finishing touch came across Taiyous mind. Yep, this is perfection. You definitely look better with your hair down. What about my tone? Do you prefer me speaking normally or more formally? Youre good the way you are. But I say this because the other version of you would look better with its own outfit. With this outfit and your normal personality, however, you get full points. Oh. Youran smiled happily. Taiyou kissed her on the cheek before turning to Aoba and Akiha. They were both wearing essentially the same thing, except Aobas was a white negligee and Akihas was a pink one. They had probably bought those together. The clothing was low in transparency, making their beauty stand out all the more. Yknow, you girls could be in a painting and I wouldnt know the difference. Really? Heck yeah. Ill show you what can make us even more of a masterpiece. Akiha said, pointing her icefish-like finger at Aobas negligee and lifting up the hem with a yank. See, like this. Hey, Akiha! What are you trying to do? Well, I just thought a little yuri was in order. Come on, we dont need that Haha. Taiyou laughed. While Youran had tried to accent herself, Akiha had done the exact opposite. But that was just like her, and it made it very fun to watch. Taiyou-san. How about Ours? The three sisters spoke up, and now he turned to look at them. In one sense, this was the biggest surprise for him. They were wearing lace garments with the same design. The only thing different were the sizes. Kotones was extremely natural. Suzunes was still fine. Kazanes, meanwhile, confounded him with how they even managed to get that size. The mismatching triplets, with their matching but different sized outfits were a little odd, but their beauty was even greater. Of course youre beautiful too. Really!? Their voices overlapped in a beautiful chorus. Yeah, of course. Thank goodness We were so worried That you might not like it. Silly, you know thats not true. He kissed each of them. Now Husband, please compliment me as well. Youre a disappointment in many ways. Now whys that, matey? Kohakus eyes opened in surprise. The young-looking elderly lady was wearing a black see-through outfit. Taiyou pointed this out with a dumbfounded face. Whats up with that get-up? Be it not erotic? But its too obvious. Youre the only one acting like an exhibitionist here. Well I be the only adult here after all. Not sure what youre getting at. Should I not have done that? No, theres nothing wrong persay. Taiyou smiled awkwardly. Its been a while since you last did this sort of thing, so its refreshing to see again. Kukuku, if ye like it then there dont be any problem. Kohaku laughed contentedly. More importantly, why exactly are all of you fine ladies in your underwear? Taiyou used the word ladies for a reason: it was a loaded question aimed at Kohaku, implicitly suggesting that she was responsible for this. Aye, a bit earlier I was playing hooky and watchin me cable television. Please refrain from skipping out on school. It makes the whole enrollment thing pointless. He interjected, but Kohaku ignored him, continuing on. And I saw a lingerie show, thought it be fun to try it out, ja. Lingerie show? Like a fashion show. You know the show Barikore? Youran said. Yeah. Its just like that, where the models walk the stage in their underwear. Whaaat, I didnt know they did that. It dont be too rare overseas, lad. And so you wanted to try that, eh? Aye. How do ye like it, Husband? Kohaku asked, and all their gazes fell on Taiyou. Chapter 363: Light at the End of the Rainbow Wanna try it? Try what, ja? Kohaku asked, puzzled. The other brides were also puzzled. This lingerie show you speak of. Might as well show me what its like. Ah, so thats what ye mean. Ill go first! Akiha was the first to speak up. She was quick to decide, as per usual, exiting the living room and then re-entering on purpose. Hehe. She walked back into the living room with a gorgeous smile on her face, imitating a model in her movements. Quite the skill ye have, lass. Thats cause she likes these kind of things. Its not so much liking it as it is being a natural at it. As they were evaluating her, Akiha walked over to Taiyou, slouching forward and flashing her cleavage with a wink. She then returned to the door and put her hand on the doorknob- her part was over. She walked back over to Taiyou. How was it? Akiha asked. Ten out of ten. Taiyou gave an immediate answer. He had never seen a lingerie show, but he did recall what fashion shows were like. Akiha had behaved just like a model just now. What do you think, Kohaku-san? Youran? No complaints here, matey. I could see her going head-to-head with a pro. The two of them gave their highest approval. Thanks. Cmon Aoba, you too. O-Okay. Urged on by Akiha, Aoba attempted to imitate a model. That was what set the stage for the rest of the brides to follow suit, once again exposing themselves in their undergarments. This was even more beautiful than before. Beautiful, cute, elegant, atmospheric- all sorts of different ways of expressing themselves, competing with one another. During this time, Ruri was constantly by Taiyous side. Well, to be more precise, it was her clone by his side. Everyone isso beautiful. Umm, so are you. You thinkso? Of course. But sheis the prettiest. Ruri pointed at Akiha. Taiyou nodded in agreement. True, Akiha might just have a complete victory when it comes to lingerie shows. Her movement and everything is flawless. More likeher presentation techniques. Presentation? Ah, yeah. Taiyou nodded again, agreeing with her. Everyone else was pretty, but that was in terms of natural beauty. Akiha was equal in that respect, but she went further and flaunted her beauty, which gave her extra points. I cantwin against that. I always thought it to be odd. ? When I think about qualities that you all share. The brides reacted to that statement, looking over at him. We gettin philosophical, lad? Dont get too excited, thats not what Im getting at. Then what? Arent we just a bunch of pretty girls? Akiha said. This way of thinking was very characteristic of her. Taiyou could have interjected there, but elected not to. Instead, he pointed three fingers up. One, none of you ever get jealous of each other. Two, you all dressed up like this just for me. Threeyoure all just so amazing for someone like me. He folded a finger every time he listed something off. And youre all just so individualistic and beautiful in your own way. He shrugged his shoulders before continuing. Sometimes I feel shocked to see you all around me. Taiyou said jokingly. Of course he wasnt being serious about that. Even though they were beautiful, all they had on right now was underwear. And all of them were making various poses, mimicking Akiha. Taiyou soon began to harbor lustful feelings toward them. He didnt generally have an issue with this, but this time around he hesitated from acting on it, telling a joke instead. The brides didnt take it seriously, and it showed on their faces. Kohaku, for instance, made an impish grin on her face, trying to think of a comeback to that. However, there was one bride who did not understand the joke: Ruri. Not only had she barely just became a bride; she wasnt used to these sorts of jokes. Her tone stiffened as she spoke. Thatsbecause everyone loves you, Darling! Ruri. We love youwhich is why we want to show off. Yeah, well, I mean- Taiyou was a little unsure of how to respond to her serious response. Just as he was contemplating explaining the joke to her, the atmosphere around Ruri shifted. Her double disappeared, leaving her by herself, her long white hair glittering in phosphorescence. She was now in the form he considered to truly be his woman of destiny. Ruri? I willshow you. Wait, how- As soon as he was about to ask how she intended to do that, a sudden thud in his heart assailed him. He felt a bright light and floating feeling envelope him. He should be in the living room, and yet he felt as if he were flying above the clouds. And then, he saw the light. Seven lights were flying around him. Chapter 364: Approaching The Seventh Yeah Just by looking at them once, he could tell which one was different. There were seven different colors. The Hayakawa sisters: Kotone, Suzune, Kazane. Azuma Kohaku. Miyagi Aoba. Juunishima Youran. Aoyama Akiha. Tengai Ruri. He soon understood that the various different colors were symbolizing their personalities and lifestyles. The lights represented their true feelings. He reached a hand out to touch the light. The feelings flowed out to him. Strong feelings and deep love transmitted happiness. Suddenly, he realized something: There were six brides, but seven lights. Why seven? He wasnt sure who owned the seventh, but it was flying around him. Whoare you? The light expanded with a pwah sound. It glistened quietly, as if answering his question. Dont worry, its fine. Im sure no one will get jealous. I promised to always love the girl whos in front of me at the time. Taiyou gently chided her. Then he turned back to the light, asking it once again. Come on, who are you? Where can I meet up with you? The light flickered. It seemed to have some hesitation. But nothing more. Youre quite the stubborn one. But its fine. At least I got to meet you here. He spoke kindly to her like one would when admonishing a child who would not listen. Because I do in fact understand how you feel. I was able to get close to your heart. So its fine. Taiyou repeated it over and over. When he opened his eyes, he found himself staring at the ceiling, illuminated by a fluorescent light. He got up. Sure enough, he was in the living room. His brides were sprawled on the floor in their undergarments. They all seemed happy, as if seeing a nice dream. Thanks, Kotone, Suzune, Kazane. He kissed the three mismatching sisters. They all possessed the same soul, just like how their lips had the same flavor. Thanks, Kohaku-san. He kissed the youthful old woman. Sparks flew as soon as he made contact with her parched lips. Even in sleep, she was not to be underestimated. Thanks, Youran. He kissed the elegant girl with conviction, putting one side of her hair into a twin tail. Thanks, Aoba, Akiha. He kissed each of the best friends in turn, conveying his feelings to them. And finally Thanks, Ruri. He kissed his girl of destiny. Her eyes were closed silently, her long hair emitting phosphorescent light. This was the most open she had been since he had met her. This was the strongest girl in the world, yet in a most vulnerable state. She was almost like a dog rolling over to show its belly. Taiyou was filled with gratitude toward her as well. Having conveyed that to her, he got up, quietly leaving the living room and condo. It was time to find the seventh lady of destiny. Good evening. He soon found her place after asking Juurokuya. She was staying in a high-rise condo in the neighboring town. Unlike the place where Taiyou was staying, it was high-class, but with smaller rooms. There before him was Juunishima Sakura. She had come out to the entrance hall wearing glasses and personal clothing, her face painted with astonishment as she looked at Taiyou. What brings you here at such a time? Ive come to take you away. Youre joking, right? Let me rephrase that. Ive come to get you. What kind of a joke are you making? The talented womans intelligent, beautiful features clouded. Im serious. Who told you to do this? If I had to answer, I guess it would be destiny. Were you always the kind of person to believe in such a thing? Until yesterday, it was a mere word, but now, I strongly sense it. I recommend you consult a hospital. I dunno, it seems like an incurable illness. The two of them were firing verbal sparks at each other in the entrance hall. Actually, it was more of a one-sided beatdown from Sakura. The world of lapis lazuli, the seventh color. Taiyou had realized that the last light was that of Juunishima Sakura. So will you let me in? No, Im calling the police. Excluding Ruri, its quite hard to find anyone who can physically stop me. On a societal level Youran has my back. Sakura grew silent. The two of them stared at each other. All right, then. Sakura was the first one to avert their eyes. She entered the room, Taiyou following suit. A one room condo, smaller than where he had been living. The interior was dull and empty. There was hardly any furniture, almost like a business hotel. Hurry up andCkyaa! Right after they had entered the room, Taiyou pushed her down onto the bed. It was probably very unexpected for her, with no time to react before she was pinned down. What in the world are you doing? Her fine eyebrows ruffled, and anger was evident on her face. He gazed straight down into her eyes. I already told you that I came to get you. Quit the jokes. If youre seeking something sensual, then there are plenty of other women out there besides someone like- Since when have you been like that? Sakuras body shivered as she heard Taiyous question. Chapter 365: It’s Always Been That Way She hesitated for an instant before getting herself back together. Sakura spoke in a placid tone. I dont understand what youre getting at. If he hadnt been the wiser, he might have not noticed her wavering, fooled by her excellent acting techniques. But Taiyou was neither trying to trick her nor make conjectures. He had conviction, evidence, and he did not hesitate to thrust it at her. Never thought Id see the day when I start liking the same man as that girl. She was even more visibly shaken than earlier. There was no going back. After she gaped at Taiyou for a bit, she finally spoke. Eavesdroppingno, that cant be it. And what makes you say that? Of course its because Im always cautious. I dont even mutter out loud. Sakura lowered her long eyelashes. Yes, I did indeed take good care. I could swear I did. There was not a single instance in which I put it into words or even letters. She then opened her eyes, looking at Taiyou. Why, then, had Taiyou known this? Ruris world. Taiyou answered promptly. Since he had already approached the issue like this, he couldnt play dumb. Tengai Ruri? It wouldnt be easy to explain this in detail-ah wait, youve experienced it before so I guess not. Youre familiar with how her power works, then? Yes He didnt bother to ask if she wanted further explanation. Sakura had known Ruri longer than Taiyou had. Surely she must know more about Ruris power and what kind of person she was. Would you mind moving away? It isnt very easy to have a leisurely conversation in this position. Alright. Taiyou backed off. Sakura got up, putting her appearance back into order and straightening her posture. As she did that, Taiyou stared at her. He, too, needed time to sort this out. In a sense, this was like the time when he had first met the triplets. He had been approached, and Ruri had been the one to expose the situation for what it was. It felt very similar. So he regulated his feelings as he waited for Sakura to begin talking. I wonder where I should start from. What I want to know most is when this began, because I honestly have no clue. That makes sense, yes. I doubt you would know such a thing. Sakura chuckled. Taiyou felt slightly sullen, feeling like he was being called dull. That wasnt the case, however. I dont know either, actually. What? You dont? Indeed, I do not. The only thing I do know is that it was after New Moon-sama. Sakura chuckled again. Her smile was the same as before, but this time he could tell it was one of self-derision. After all, from the very beginning, I was already astonished at the fact that I liked the same man that she did. Okay, so this was after Youran came to my place. Not quite. After all, New Moon-samas heart was already leaning toward you before you began your fierce onslaught. Ah, thats right. She was pretty stubborn after all. Yes, that she was. Honestly, what kind of parents bring up a kid like that? But its actually entertaining how convoluted you two are. You could just be honest, you know. No, I think Ill leave that move up my sleeve in order to raise my chance of success. In that case, I will wait to see what your move is. But that would mean a zero percent chance of winning. Then in exchange, I will let you know that I have lost from the beginning. The one who falls in love first losesThat was probably what she meant. Kohakus wordplay skills that he had learned really came in handy here. So theres no way I would know when this started happening. Ill change the question. When did you start trying to hide your feelings for me? Now that one I can answer. It was when New Moon-sama first began to call you Master. Really nowBut why? I do not know. But when I heard New Moon-sama calling you Master, I began to feel quite strongly about it. I see. Well, now that you know everythingWhat now? What do you want to do? I honestly do not know. Sakura smiled in a lonely manner. I did intend to keep it a secret my whole life, after all. Your whole life? I do have confidence in that area, Ill have you know. Acting, self-control, it would have all worked out if that Tengai Ruri hadnt seen through it with her overpowered ability. Therefore, I hadnt really consider what would happen if someone were to uncover the truth. Ever fantasized about it? Fantasized? Just plain fantasizing. Not bracing yourself for anything. Are the two things different from each other? I dont see why not-yeah, theyre definitely different. Taiyou nodded, declaring it with confidence. For example, lets say I have a fantasy of stripping down both Youran and Juurokuya at the same time, getting rough with them all night. That would be a fantasy, because Id probably never do something like that. Then what about bracing oneself? That would be you being stubborn and not trying to accept your love for me, in which case I could forcibly strip you and at least get your body. Thats what bracing yourself means. So youre trying to say that its the difference between having a desire and acting on it? I think so. How awful. If I had planned on being stubborn, you would have raped me? Sakura giggled. She was enjoying this. That was what he liked about her. She could have fun even with conversations like these, which had been the case even before she had liked him, when they had still been enemies. That was why he had been so disappointed when he had invaded the daimyo mansion; he had wanted to hear the joking he was so used to. By the time he had realized it, he was fixing his eyes upon her. Chapter 366: The Sun and the North Wind Oh? Youre not denying it, I see. Even Sakura was having fun with this conversation. Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing. He responded in a joking manner, no longer hesitating. Oh dear, what a terrible person. If I could, Id like to not only strip your real clothing off, but the clothing you wear in your heart as well. My mistake. You arent a terrible person, youre a sex fiend. I didnt think youd say that, but okay. Sure, why not? Thats what I would call someone who seeks to strip someone of the armor worn for years in their heart. I see, maybe youre right. Taiyou said, nodding. So, you still havent answered my question. You mean the conversation about fantasizing? Yeah. I have done no such thing. Sakura declared. Taiyou was surprised, because he had not anticipated the answer, nor the way in which it was delivered. She had given such an immediate, direct answer that he was stunned. You sure? Yes, indeed. Is it okay if I ask why? If there is a reason of course. Alright then This time, she slightly hesitated. Taiyou waited. There did seem to be a reason, so he intently poised himself to listen. At length, finally ready to speak, she began her confession. I am a fragile woman, you see. Sarcasm? No. I dontreally get it. I mean that its easy to avert my eyes from the truth, but once I begin to face it, I cannot stop myself. Ahh. He somewhat understood what she was trying to say. Even Taiyou himself had experienced something like this. Knowing nothing made him feel at ease, but as soon as he realized the truth, he would constantly fret over it. Hence why I always did what I could to not fantasize over it. After all, I would be fine as long as I didnt let that happen. Oh Taiyou nodded with a serious look on his face before asking her a question. So thats all you thought after suppressing your feelings? To think it would like the same man that girl does ? Indeed, that is correct. And thats a problem of the heart? You werent influenced by any outside factors? Well youre on quite the offense today. Sakura said before she looked up at the ceiling. After a moment, she made a lonely face and spoke again. Yes, I wonder. You wonder? Well, I did say this earlier. That I did my best to not think about any of that. Right So I also averted my eyes from the reason. I no longer know anything. Besides- Sakura said, lifting up the corner of her mouth. It was the saddest, loneliest face he had ever seen her make. Im a woman with heavy baggage. Heavy baggage Indeed. Heavier than any woman in your possession, and heavier than any woman you can imagine. Really. So Im sure that- But you know Sakura was about to continue saying something when Taiyou cut her off. Is this heavy baggage of yours something that would hurt everyone else? Huh? Would it cause you to point a spear at the six wives I have? Id prefer it if you answered me honestly. Probably not. It would not? No, it would not. However, stabbing you or slicing off a certain part of your body while you sleep and nuking it in the microwave is completely plausible. Now thats just scary in and of itself. He could feel a shiver run through his lower body. Taiyou grinned, continuing the conversation. Then, no problem. Really now? Not for me at least. Taiyou declared. Objective and method. Ah, you like using that phrase, dont you? The objective in this case is to acquire you and to make all of my brides happy. I really dont care about much else in comparison. Thats so like you. But thats also the most difficult thing right now. Yourans existence seems to create a conflict with this situation. We have to figure out how to dispel this conflict. What should we do? What should I do? He asked, but Sakura did not answer. Taiyou waited patiently. Silence filled the room. Nothing could be heard other than their breathing. Taiyou almost felt like it was so silent his ears hurt. During that time, Taiyou gazed at Sakura, patiently waiting for her to speak again. Darlingyoure naive. -! Someone had suddenly intruded on their conversation. Looking in the direction of the voice, he saw Ruri standing on the veranda. Taiyou stood up, opening the sliding window frame. Whyre you here? I sensedsomeones hesitation. Hesitation? Because Imconnected with Darling. Connected? You mean via the heart or whatever? Mhmheheh. Ruri puffed out her chest. He would have never guessed that this mischievous gesture of hers would look so adorable. But what did you mean by naive? Just what I saidyou are naive, Darling. No, Im asking how Im naive. The sun andthe north wind. Pretty sure Ive been the sun my whole life, yes. Darlingyou fail as the sun. Wha? Doublemeaning. Are you replacing me as the sun or what? He asked, ignoring her previous statement. Mhmjust watch me. Ruri began glowing, her hair fluttering. Chapter 367: I Wish To Be Strong Taiyou swallowed his saliva with a gulp. The phosphorescence emitting from the pure white girl only enhanced her beauty. Taiyou knew that it wasnt just beauty, though. He had the privilege of having known her, and it was clear that a miracle lay ahead. Yes, the term miracle might be commonplace, but he couldnt find any other words to express it. So Taiyou waited in expectation. Ruri, shining with phosphorescence, swiftly unsheathed her so-called partner, Heaven Reversal, which also began to glow as if it, too, were part of her body. She then thrust the tip at Sakura, or more precisely, Sakuras neck. If you wont listenI cut you. Huh? Taiyou was the one who had exclaimed in surprise; Sakura was the one who appeared to be nonchalant. Ruri continued. Ill slice youinto seven bits. Well that sounds rather scary. Which is whyyou listen to what I say. Wait, are you actually trying to threaten her?! Taiyou interjected. This situation had flipped a 180 on his expectations. Who would have thought she would stoop to such a cheap method of coercion? The North Windand the Sun. Yes, I know, you said that earlier! Darling, you arethe sun. You said that too! Darling, you arenaive. You said that too! Word-for-word! So it is timefor the north wind. Yknow, Im pretty sure you already said I was a failure at being the sun! MhmI did. Ruri nodded blankly, as if to ask him what he was getting at. Youve gotta be kidding me Heheh, well this is interesting. I was also taken quite aback. Since you said he failed at being the sun, I totally thought you would give him some warmth. Yeah, I thought that too. But now were apparently talking about the north wind. Its MisterNorthern Wind. Cmon, stop confusing us. ThenI will lower the temperature. Huh? Taiyous face went blank. The next moment, bloodlust enveloped her entire body. It was nostalgic, but completely inferior to before. Questioning the meaning of this, he looked at Ruri and noticed her looking at Sakura. All of a sudden, Ruri was back to her old self, her vacant eyes filling him with nostalgia. She was once again the version of herself known as Shirokiyami. Then Taiyou realized that her bloodlust was not inferior. She was merely aiming it at Sakura, and all he could feel was the shock waves. For once, he was a mere bystander. However, he could still feel his entire body trembling in awe. This is yourfinal, warning. If you dont become Darlingsthen Answerquickly. Well you seem like youre serious there. Wait, wait wait. Taiyou got between them and stopped Ruri. Theres a lot of things I could say right now-but first, quit it with that. Which oneare you, talking about? The whole north wind thing. And you also need to stop making that expression with your eyes and speaking in that manner. Bu- No ifs, ands, or buts about it. I also wont allow you to say however or make any objections in general. He cut off Ruri as well as any further responses from her. Go back to normal first. He said in a stronger tone. After briefly staring at Taiyou, Ruri nodded. She stopped glowing and put her sword away. Is thisfine? Her tone had returned as well. Yes, thats fine. But if Im like thisI cant intimidate her. I dont want you to. Wait, is there even much of a difference? Form 1and Form 2 are different fields of expertise. You act like those are dramatic transformations or something. And Form 3 can do bothbut then my lifespan shortens. Not sure if youre joking or not from that tone of yours, so Im prohibiting it from now on. OkayI have sealed Form 3. Jeez Butwhat will you do now? About what? No north windno way to win. And besidesyoure behaving strangely, Darling. How so? Objectiveand method. Yeah, and Im saying this way is better. If anything, you were potentially hindering my plan back there which is why I stopped you. I dontthink it would hinder you. Sorry, but Im gonna have to ban anything that isnt first cleared with me. Taiyou said, patting Ruris head in a rough manner as if to chide her. Im not going to have anyone going off and sacrificing themselves. I will never allow that. Okayno more. Yes, thank you. Taiyou said, kissing Ruri. It was a natural kiss, and she accepted it as per usual. Depending on how you look at it Sakura opened her mouth, and Taiyou looked in her direction. This could definitely be a skit. I dont disagree there. I mean yes, I did take issue with some things, but on the whole I would agree. And I also feel as if I have gained a better understanding of what kind of person you are. Me? Take right now for instance. Its fine that you kissed her, but why exactly did you say thank you instead of sorry? Hm? Taiyou tilted his head, thinking about it. Just earlier, he had indeed said thank you. Is that something to be surprised about? Of course it is. But I dont really consider it to be weird. I can never thank everyone enough. And this is always the case? It is. You are serious about this? Of course. Taiyou nodded firmly and spoke with emphasis. Im super grateful to everyone for liking me, which is why I have to put it into words in order to convey that gratitude. You dont mean to say someone LIKE me? I purposely avoid saying things like that. Taiyou said, face even sterner than before. Because thats rude to them. If anything, its gotta be the opposite. Opposite? I have to become the kind of man whos worthy of the love and sacrifice of seven women. At least thats what I believe. Youre a strong one. No, if I was truly strong, I wouldnt even be having thoughts like this. All Im doing right now is telling myself to be strong. Right now? Because I will eventually become that strong. Eventually? At least by the time all seven have gathered. All seven? All seven. He responded without much thought. Chapter 368: First Kiss Why seven? Well His face blank for a moment, Taiyou seemed to finally get what the issue was. Right, you dont know about that yet. Mhmshe doesnt. Ruri nodded alongside him. What do you mean to say I dont? Ah, no, dont mind us. But now Im even more curious. Only those whove kissed me would understand. How very unfair of you to play games this far in. No, Im telling the truth. Taiyou made an uncomfortable expression. He had come to reason that there were seven brides, based on reverse calculations from his power. That power was derived from Hera, and the only way to see Hera or his power was to kiss him. That was the simple truth of it all, but this was probably the worst timing to tell her that. It would be seen as a poor attempt to get intimate with her or coax her into it. Taiyou wasnt either of those, hence why he felt inconvenienced. Im a bit disappointed in you now. Sakura said. Her tone was more placid than usual, making Taiyou even more uneasy. What nowDarling? Disappointed in me? Thats not good. Thenyou will resolve the misunderstanding? Taiyou became silent. He was faced with two options. There was only one way to clear the misunderstanding: actually kiss Sakura. This was not physically difficult. Taiyou and Ruri were both there to overpower her. Sakura was but a regular woman in that regard. It would be extremely easy to force a kiss. But that was only if he were to decide to do that. Alright. Taiyou stood upright in front of Sakura, looking straight down at her. Now what are you doing? Sakura frowned. She wasnt frightened, but she was clearly trying to hide her disgust. Actually, she almost looked like she was taunting him, daring him to try. Taiyou decided at that momentto get on his knees. Both hands and knees on the carpet, even his head touched the carpet. I beg of you. Please allow me to kiss you. Wha Darlinghow bold of you. All we have to do is touch our lips. Please. What in the world are you saying? Please, I beg you, please. Taiyou repeated the same words like a broken-down machine sputtering code. Sakura became visibly perplexed. She had not expected him to come at her like this. But of course not. Tengai Ruri, and Juunishima Youran. To Sakura, a man like Taiyou who had both women in his possession was higher in status than she was. From her viewpoint, it was completely natural for a man to come and try to steal her. If not that, then maybe he would try and persuade her with some strong rhetoric. But to have him grovel here before her? There was no way she could have anticipated someone of Taiyous caliber (in her mind) grovel just for a kiss. That was why she was shocked. Even her beautiful, composed face wavered for a moment. Thatis all he wants? Sakura asked Ruri, clearly confused. Darlingso cool. What about that is cool? Darling stops at nothing to get what he wantsa man among men. I didnt know you were so smitten with him. Yuri-chanthinks the same way. Yuriyou mean Shingetsu-sama? Objectiveand method. Ruri said the usual keywords exchanged between Youran and Taiyou. Still, surely there must be a limit. There areno limits for humans. Thats not what I meant. So? Whatll you do? Even if you ask me that Sakura looked at Taiyou with a troubled expression. He lowered his head, as if sensing this. I beg of you! Taiyou repeated the same phrase. Oh dear. What to do Sakuras expression mirrored her tone. At length All right, then. Really? Taiyou lifted his face. Having you here before me in such a mannerthere is no way I would refuse. However, there is one condition. Ill do anything you ask, as long as its within my ability. He popped up, staring at her as he spoke. Just the two of us. Just the two of us? I want the kiss to stay between us. It would be embarrassing to be seen after all. Okay. Ruri? Wait, shes gone already!? He had meant to tell her to leave, but when he had turned back, she was no longer there. Even the sliding door was closed. It was hard to tell when she had even left. Fast as always, I see. And very faithful. Never thought Id see that Tengai Ruri acting like this. Regardless, they were now alone. Taiyou looked back at Sakura. She seemed nervous. Could she possibly be nervous about kissing him? Sakura-san? What is it? Could this beyourfirst time? Perhaps, perhaps not. Sakura tried to play it off, but her face was slightly flushed, indirectly admitting that she was saying yes. Taiyou was on the verge of asking her if this was really okay, but he held it back. It would be a very rude thing to ask her something like that. Instead, Taiyou said, Thank you very much, Sakura-san. Sakuras eyes widened for a split second. Then she smiled. It was a soft smile. Taiyou endured the sensation of being captivated. Then, he gave her a light, surface kiss. Chapter 369: Confession Sakuras lips were soft, but cold for some reason. There was a slight stiffness and trembling to them as well. First kiss. He had half-believed and half-doubted it at first, but he was now pretty sure that it was true. When it came to kissing, by this point Taiyou had an overwhelming resume. As a result, he was able to confirm that this was her first time. Have you actually not gone out with anyone before? No, not at all. Why not? I highly doubt that there werent men here and there who would have approached you. These were his true feelings. Sakura was attractive. Sometimes she had a tight expression on her face, and it wasnt all that helpful that she preferred not to say what she truly thought, but Taiyou truly thought her to be the hottest of the hot when it came to the women he knew. Plus she was part of Juunishima. Beautiful? Part of a prestigious family? Perhaps there were some indecisive men, but surely there were a dime a dozen who would have nothing left to lose. At least, that was what Taiyou was thinking. There were no such men. So he was very surprised to hear her answer. There werent? No, there were not. How come? Because I always intimidated them, of course. I made sure that they knew what would happen if they so much as tried that. Makes sense. Taiyou made a slightly awkward smile. Now that was one thing he understood. The only one so far who has so much as attempted thathas been you. True, and it isnt like we can count the person you were scheduled to marry. Indeed. Youre a peculiar one, alright. We were even enemies at one point. Do you recall when I first went to the Juunishima mansion? We met the next day, did we not? Yeah. Taiyou nodded. To tell you the truth, I did hope something at that time. I hoped that we would once again play word games. Guess that didnt turn out quite the way I wanted. And I gave you a very cold reception. Have I let you down by doing that? Yeah, to be honest. Well, there was a lot going on at that time. Was there? Taiyou scrutinized Sakuras face. What seems to be the problem? Could we kiss one more time? You truly are an odd one. Sooo? I will decline. Ah, no dice? Indeed. And havent you forgotten your main objective here? I havent. Just thought itd be nice to get another kiss before that. Ah, you were that kind of person, after all. I am indeed that kind of person, after all. Taiyou mimicked her tone, firing it right back at her. They gazed at each other for a good minute before both of them burst out laughing. After they had a good laugh, Taiyou spoke up again. All right. I will explain now. Indeed. Hera. Jajajaaan! He summoned Hera. The doll-sized fairy appeared out of nowhere. Oho? Well if it isnt Sakura-chan. I see that you see me, eh? And there you have it. A spectre of some sort? I see that youre quite calm despite seeing her. I have already known about Blood Soul, so youre a bit late. Oh, right, the blood and soul thing Taiyou had forgotten about that. The magic sword that sucked the blood and soul out of its enemies wounds, converting it into energy for its holder. That same sword had birthed the advent of further technology: the rings that converted the feelings of its wearers into defense. This type of research was practically in the realm of the occult, and Sakura had been involved in it. As she said, this sort of thing had long since been in her radar. So I have essentially now become able to see her after kissing you. Is that what you meant? Yes, that process was essential. And then? Hera. Yes indeed. You want the usual, right? Hera spun around and around in the air. Oh? Oh my Sakura let out a voice of surprise. What Hera meant by the usual was to show Taiyous status. This stream of numbers, dubbed by Kohaku as The Space Between the Back Teeth and Eyeballs, was enough to astonish even someone like Sakura. This is? In simple terms, its my power, converted into numbers. Its her fault that these are here. Fault? What a horrible thing to say. You should say its thanks to me! Either way, shes the cause of this. Is that right. Murmuring, Sakura grew silent for a moment. Her eyes were darting around quickly. She appeared to be examining the status. As he was wondering what to explain next Ah, so its this. This? The numbers representing your harem. This is the basis for you deciding to have seven brides. Something the matter? No, nothing. Just rather surprised that you pinpointed it so quickly. Thats the first time anyones figured it out, indeed. Is that so? Sakura nodded. Regaining his composure, Taiyou spoke up again. Yes, yes, it is just as you say. And with reverse revision it seems that seven is the limit. I see. Now, this part isnt from the numbers, butIt seemsthat everyone I gather has been fated to meet me. Fate Sakura parroted him in a calm voice. Yes, fate. The seven are destined to assemble around me. At least, thats what they all think. And you mean to say that I am the last of the destined seven? Yes. I can understand that you might be destined to be together with seven wives, but I do not understand why I would be the final one. I found it out thanks to Ruris power. Her power? Yes, although its a bit more difficult to explain that part I dont care if its a rough explanation. It isnt like Ill be surprised by anything else anymore. Right. Taiyou said with an awkward smile. I was shown the future, and you were there. Fortune-telling of some sort? Not sure if thats what I should call it or not. Taiyous smile grew more uncomfortable. He narrowed his eyebrows before speaking again. There are still a lot of aspects I dont understand about her. Is that so. And that is why I have come to persuade you. Chapter 370: Good Fate, Bad Fate So thats your reasoning. Because Tengai Ruri showed you the way. And I do have a lot to say about that part. Such as? Like what is destiny? So first we have a play on words, and now its philosophy? Yes, Im very sorry about this, but please bear with me for a moment. That is fine by me. I dont mind a good discussion on philosophy. Great. She would make a great conversational partner for Kohaku, thought Taiyou as he continued. As a major premise, I want to believe Ruri. Of course because I like her, but also because I want to believe that what I experienced was real. Right. So on that premise, even if Ruri hadnt conveyed that to me, I would have either come for you at some point or some sort of event would have transpired, bringing us together. This is destiny after all. Sure, if thats true then it would indeed be destiny. So in other words, Im here right now because of what Ruri said, but Id eventually come here regardless. Have you considered that someone might have told you that as well? Still, destiny will occur as long as you dont fight it. And do you intend to fight it? Not at all. Me coming here today was essentially fate after all. So Sakuras expression changed. She lifted up the corner of her mouth into a callous smile. He hadnt seen that in a while. So even if fate decides that you may part with the seven, you wouldnt fight it? Taiyou gaped. He hadnt thought of that at all. Lose the seven? Lose his brides? He had not once thought about that. Not because he forced himself to not think about it. He legitimately hadnt considered such a thing. One reason for this was his personality. Beginning with levelling up in games, Taiyou had been accustomed to steady accumulation rather than losing anything. This was why he had eventually stopped playing online games. Unlike offline games at the time, online games would occasionally have features where experience points decreased whenever the players character died. Taiyou could not handle this. Just as much as he hated not being rewarded for effort, he hated losing what he had gained. As a result, he would never think of such things as long as no one reminded him. The other reason was that he could feel their love. Because they loved him, he couldnt lose. Plus he had gained power now. He would become even more powerful, gaining physical power and social power. With these things, he could protect them from any enemy. So he hadnt actually thought about the concept of losing. But now it had been pointed out to him in the worst way possible. What if he was, in fact, fated to lose everything? Taiyou froze, his thought process halted. Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan! Hyah! Guhah! Taiyou crumpled and groaned in agony at the pain coursing through his groin area. T-The hell was that for Are you an idiot, Taiyou-chan? Hera had rammed herself into his groin, hands on her hips in anger. Idiot, you say? Yes, you are an idiot. That has nothing to do with this. Nothingto do with what? Accept the fate that works for you, and reject the fate where things go wrong. Isnt that all there is to it? Taiyous eyes opened wide. Sakura-chan is cute, so you have sex with her morning, afternoon, evening. You want to have sex with your brides in the house, outside, on the ground, in the air, so prevent that bad fate from occurring with all your might. Taiyou was astonished. You know What? Gonna complain and fret? Youre actually kinda smart. Taiyou removed his hands from his crotch, standing up straight. Youre right. Keep the fate that appeals to me, and discard the fate that I dont need. Mhm, thats right. Right? Yeah, youre absolutely right. Gosh, why did I get so surprised by such sound advice? Because you are an idiot, Taiyou-chan. Your brain is a bunch of pink slime. You couldve just said muscle for brains. Taiyou flicked Hera on the forehead, then caressed her gently as he would one of his brides. Hera was also smiling. The atmosphere felt soft, as if this were a moment between two lovers flirting with each other. Taiyou turned back to Sakura and spoke. So there you have it. Even if Im fated to lose everything, I will fight with all my might. You want to have your cake and eat it too, in other words. Yeees, Taiyou-chan loves to eat his cake. He especially loves it in bed. Here, let me tell you about last timeC Okay, stop right there. He swatted Heras face. It was a bit on the hard side in order to interrupt her. No need to say anything further. Wait, how did you even find that out? You peek? I have done no such thing. I, Hera-chan, would never do such an uncouth thing as spy on people making love. Then why do you know, huh? They told me themselves at the slumber party. Who the hell told you that!? Umm, everyone? Everyone? Seriously!? Taiyou objected loudly. Chapter 371: Wing Coun There were many opinions, but the one that stuck out the most was that you are a bed yakuza. Taiyou had a mixed expression on his face. He had actually heard that opinion from them before. Therefore, he deemed her claim to be valid. Heheh. Sakura-san? What a lovely household you have. But of course! It is Taiyou-chan and his lovely brides after all. Was that your attempt at making a pun? But but, there wasnt any other way to phrase it. This way fits the beeest! Mm, wellI cant exactly deny that. Taiyou nodded a bit uncertainly. It was a bit of a cliche, admittedly, but he figured it was fine as a standalone incident. They were beautiful, no doubt about it. And it was indeed pleasant and fun to be around them. Sometimes they were a bit troublesome, but as long as he was with them, their happiness would never fade. That was how it was now, too. Though they werent here right now, just from the thought of them, a warm feeling spread through his chest. Imagining the sight of the girls chatting excitedly about him, he just felt like going back right now and hugging them tightly. These feelings had probably appeared on his face. Looking at Taiyou with a slightly jealous face, she spoke up. Maybe its because youre you. And Ive come to win you over for us all. Sorry to bring the conversation back, but it will be a big problem to have Shingetsu-sama there. At least, for me. So with that in mind, I really dont know. I just am unsure right now. Unsure, huh Taiyou wondered how he could resolve this. Of course, there was no way that he would even consider chasing out Youran in order to let Sakura in. The world likes to throw choices at everyone and insists that something must be discarded in order to gain something else, but to hell with that. For the sake of his women of destiny, he would stay by their side, love them with all his might, and ensure their happiness. He wouldnt reject either of them. He would pick both. That was his strong will. Problems of the heart are troublesome indeed. It isnt like we can just resolve the rift between you and Youran immediately. So you may as well become the north wind. Youre fine with that? Its one form, after all. A compromise It does indeed feel like a normal ending. Yeah. Taiyou nodded in affirmation to Heras comment. True, this did feel like he was crashing straight into the normal ending, to put it in game terms. What Taiyou was aiming for was the happy, or true ending. He had no intention of compromising to achieve that end. So he contemplated over and over what to do. He felt like his chest was burning. Quite a bit of time had passed since he had groveled in front of Sakura. Actually, this was possibly the longest amount of time he had spent with her in one day. As a result, he felt very strongly about this. Being in the same room together, looking at each other, talking togethertouching each other. This strengthened his resolve, giving him conviction. There were other people he had kissed before. Pochi, Leticia, etc. There was no doubting their beauty, and he had also spoken with them for long periods of time. But he had never felt this way about them. What he felt for Sakura was the very same thing he felt for his other brides. Sakura-san. Yes, what is it? Is it alright if I come here every day? Every day? I want to hear what you have to say. Especially when it comes to Youran. I just want to converse with you. You sound like some sort of counselor. Yeah, in a sense that might be what it is. Taiyou nodded. Indeed, this could very well be the case. I have decided that this will be a fight of endurance. I wish to solve your situation in a leisurely, relaxed manner. Is that so? Very well, IC I heard everything! Sheesh, how long you plan to drag out this charade? The door opened with a bang. Looking at the door, he saw the twintailed Youran standing there. It was refreshing to see her with her hands on her hips in her usual arrogant manner. She was one of those girls who could be simultaneously pretty and cute. Youran walked leisurely into the room, looking down at her sister from another mother. A confused expression appeared on Sakuras face. This was perfectly reasonable, though. Who wouldnt be surprised if someone suddenly came into the room? And it was Youran, to boot. Shingetsu-sama? Why have you come here? Who cares about that, silly? More importantlyC Umm, I care about that. Taiyou cut her off. First Ruri, now you, whats evenC Taiyou suddenly stopped himself. He gazed at Youran. No, it couldnt be W-What? Taiyou stood up silently, staring straight at Youran. Then he opened his mouth. Wings, emerge. The moment he said that, wings of light emerged from his shoulders. Six wings. Everyone is here?! Taiyous eyes were white with surprise. Chapter 372: It Is Precisely Because I Hate I Ah, umm Yourans eyes darted around as she searched for an excuse. All of Taiyous skills were absolute. Bullets and missiles would never work on him, and whenever his wings were out, that meant there had to be the same number of brides somewhere near him. There was a big difference between brides entering one at a time and brides all listening simultaneously. Youran, who had come in first, was clearly having trouble coming up with an answer. Hmmalright, I give. Taiyous face burst into a smile as he spoke. Besides, I actually am starting to expect you all to show up like this. But where exactly is everyone? Well I was in the next room. You were? Something felt off about that to Taiyou. So the triplets are over there, Kohaku-tan is here, Aoba-chan and Aki-han are below, and Yami-chan is above. Hera said, indicating their locations. Up, down, left, right. They were practically surrounding him. But why? Wellwe purchased all the neighboring rooms, and everyone is looking over here from said rooms. Why would you do something like that!? Kohaku-san saidthat this way would be more fun. I dont see whats so fun about that, butshe would sooo do that. Taiyou sighed. So basically, this room is surrounded on all sides. Mmoh, but I was also technically responsible for this idea. What do you mean? If you were to succeed, Master, thenC At that point she glanced at Sakura. CI figured there was a chance you would begin having sex, so we pinpointed all the adjacent rooms and took ahold of them to prevent anyone spying on you. This mansion happens to also be resistant to electronic waves, so I also made sure to cover the physical areas. Wow. Taiyou found himself feeling somewhat impressed. Yes, he wondered if there had really been a need for all this, but Youran often did things like this, so he felt no need to pursue that. Oh really now. Guess Id better give you a proper thanks for that. Much appreciated, Youran. Oof What, should I not have thanked you? Was it a prank after all? No, its just Youran made a complicated expression. Having my master thank me is, uhh Oh, thats what you mean. Taiyou nodded. She meant to say that receiving words of thanks from her superior was a bit odd for her. Well, dont count on me ever stopping. Yeah, I know. Well, it seems that we are done talking here. Sakura spoke up. As he turned in her direction, he saw a clearly surprised face. As he puzzled over that Do those wings have some sort of special effect? Hm? Oh, you mean this. Taiyou was reminded of the six wings that he had forgotten to put away. This is also my power. Essentially, the wings emerge when my brides are nearby. One wing per brideC He reached out and touched Youran. One wing disappeared, leaving five. But touching them makes their part disappear. What an interesting ability you have. Oh, and I can fly too, by the way. He jumped to his feet and then rose several centimeters off the ground with his five wings. Oh dear, what do we have here? If I borrow the power of the others, I can even carry them as I fly. He held Yourans hand, and the two of them rose into the air. And thats about it. Even so, thats an incredible power you have. By the way, the range of this power is two meters per bride squared, so with five wings there is an area of 32 meters. Very, very intriguing. Right? Taiyou landed alongside Youran. I find it much easier to see why you view this as destiny. Thats not unreasonable, given how outlandish this sight is. Shingetsu-sama. Sakura suddenly spoke to Youran, looking in her direction. To be perfectly honest with you, I absolutely loathe you. Yeah, I know. I cannot count the amount of times that I wished you were not here. I dont blame you. But I have also never wished to be in your position. No, I would never envy a position such as yours, Shingetsu no Kami. And I get that too. Yourans face was serious. It had been a while since the face of Shingetsu no Kami had shown itself. I have never thought of you as a sister, I hope you know. Likewise. Hm, perhaps we are more alike than we think. Nah. Oh? Well arent you the blunt one. Its not like you were serious either. Oh, have I been caught in the act? Did you think something different would happen? No, not really. Sakura giggled. Meanwhile, Taiyou was just observing. He had put away his wings and calmly listened to their conversation, but Youran and Sakura were smiling at each other, clearly in animosity. But he also sort of felt like they were communicating in a deeper sort of way. It was very peculiar. Taiyou felt a bit hesitant to intervene because of this. What in the world should he do in a situation like this Then Im afraid it is impossible for us to be together. Hate to break it to you, but its happening whether you like it or not. Oh? And why is that? Because I believe in destiny too. I believe in Masters destiny. Even though you hate me? Its because I hate you. The destiny exists because you hate meI see, that is also fine logic. Chapter 373: Time Saver Because one does not simply change fate. Youran said, and Sakura made a slightly surprised face. I wasnt aware that you became an apologetic for destiny. Right after, the conversation came a halt. It seemed that she had said her fill. She looked over at Taiyou. Im sorry for going off on a tangent, Master. Could you tell me just one thing? What? Was this why you were sometimes acting strange? Okay. Taiyou nodded. He was also done asking everything he wanted. Then Ill take my leave. Ah, hold up. What? Make sure youre free tomorrow night. I want to take you somewhere you like. Okay, got it. Oh, and invite Juurokuya while youre at it. -Okay! Youran hadnt expected that, but she had a happy expression on her face. Taiyou had initially wondered if it was a good idea to suggest that, but now he was glad he did. Youran left the room. Now the only ones in there were Taiyou, Sakura, and Hera. You will be making love with Juurokuya, then? Yeah. Quite the resolute man you are. Thats cause I figured Youran also wanted something like that. As you can see, I was right. So you did it on behalf of Shingetsu-sama. And you would use Juurokuya to that end? Thats because Im still not sure if I really feel the way everyone says I do. He was talking about something that had happened prior to this. Taiyous brides had all supposedly unveiled the desires of his heart. In this case, the one he loved was Youran, whereas he did not feel the same way with Juurokuya. Instead, he felt only lust toward her and wanted to become intimate. At least, that was what everyone had pointed out. But Taiyou was still a bit skeptical. Although he didnt think they were lying, persay, but he also thought there might be some sort of misunderstanding. After all, he still didnt think he felt that way. So you will do something that you arent even sure about? Well no, I wouldnt say that exactly. Taiyou played it off, shrugging. Spending a night with two beautiful girls who have identical faces? Please. Id be a failure as a man if I said that didnt appeal to me. So youre into the whole sibling thing, then? Suddenly, it was a much different question. No, I do not like you just because youre siblings. I wasnt asking a loaded question, though. Then, no. I dont really like her like that. Then what of the three sisters? Well, theyre all one person. One person They share the same soul. To me, it feels like they are the soul of one person who happened to be born in three separate bodies. Maybe itd be easier to understand if I equated it to moving three remote-controlled robots at the same time. Alright then. So Ive rarely thought of them as sisters. Besides Taiyou laughed mischievously. If I had that much of a thing for sisters, it would be a darn shame to not make Pochi mine as well, right? Pochi, whose real name was Juunishima Adano. She was one of Youran and Sakuras half sisters, and Kohaku had made good use of her controlling power to get Pochi over to Taiyou a while back. But Taiyou had refused to think that way about her. True, that does seem to be the case. Right? Then, your reason for making advances on me? Simply because you are you. Oh really? How about we do this? Taiyou grinned as he began to make a proposition. Could we be friends for a little bit? Friends? Yes, friends. Friends who converse with each other. You do know how much I love idly chatting with you, right? Well, yes, I would say. Id be totally fine with starting from somewhere like that. So this is where you pull it. Like nocking an arrow to the bow, yes. But all you had to do was hammer in a long nail. Taiyou and Sakura had an incoherent conversation. Hera yawned loudly as she watched them talk. Taiyou-chan, Im going to see everyone. Okay. Taiyou nodded, watching Hera slip through the wall. Oh, I see she can go through the wall. Thats cause shes not part of this world. Oh, and not even Ruri can cut her. Im the only one who can hurt her. No matter how many times Ruri tries to cut her, her sword would just bounce off. Zero damage. Oh? Then in a sense, that would make her the only trump card against the worlds strongest. Well, although she doesnt get damaged, its also true that she cant really do anything to Ruri. Her speed wouldnt allow that. Then she doesnt appear to be very useful. Yeah, there are quite a few dodgy aspects about her. Her size is already dodgy enough as it is. Yeah, shes about the size of a figurine. If she were a bit bigger, would it have been possible that she was the seventh? Since she was the first one I met, that might have actually made her the first. Taiyou and Sakura continued their idle conversation for another hour or so. It was nothing spectacular, and probably even less so to anyone if they were to overhear. But at least to the two of them, it was quite enjoyable. Suddenly, Taiyou stared at Sakura. He put a finger to his lips, motioning for her to be silent. Sakura looked surprised, but said nothing. Wings. Taiyou muttered softly. The wings did not materialize. Chapter 374: Wine and Cheese Alright, looks like everyones gone. I see, so thats what its like when no one is here. Yeah, the wings come out when theyre nearby and vice-versa. How very convenient. I actually expected a pair to still be hiding there. He grinned as he looked at Sakura. I am glad that no one is plotting misconduct. Yeah, what a shame. It was clear that they understood each other from the way they talked. Now then, everyones gone, so So? How about a kiss? Oh? Sakura made a beautiful smile, but her eyes had narrowed. It was one of those times when someone smiles but their eyes contradict it. Are you perhaps starving for something? Might be more proper to say that I was encouraged by my initial success. You are desiring seconds, then? I mean, Id go for the buffet if I could. You glutton, you. Thats just the kind of man I am. He said, gazing straight at Sakura. His eyes said everything. He wanted to kiss her. More and more. He wanted the same kind of kiss as before, and he wanted to go further. His eyes showed that he was serious about it. Sakura seemed to falter for a moment. She secretly held her breath, not able to immediately respond. It was working, thought Taiyou. He stared at her some more, piercing her with his gaze. Could you tell me just one thing? Sure, just name it. Why was there a need to make sure everyone leaves? Because I want to concentrate on you. Concentrate? You could also say focus, I suppose. Is that so. Sakura quieted down. Taiyou stared at her. Time passed by. This was a time in which they merely stared at each other silently. Eventually, Sakura closed her eyes. Taiyou felt a slight shock. It was a silent reply, but one that made it clear she had accepted his advances. Before he could revel in his victory, however, one thought crossed his mind: why? He had to stop himself from blurting it out. It was just so unpolished. What was needed right now was not words such as that. It was just Taiyous gut feeling. He softly grabbed Sakuras shoulders, slowly overlapping their lips. Their lips touched one another. The same sensation as earlier transmitted from lip to lip. As usual, her lips were cool and chilly, but now there was one additional aspect: the quavering was gone, replaced by a certain firmness. Whatever had been there during their first kiss had now gone away. He stopped the kiss, softly embracing her. He had braced himself to be potentially rejected, but instead of resisting, Sakura simply accepted it. So for a brief moment, he embraced her. So you arent going to ask? Ask what? If I enjoyed the kiss. Nah, that would make me sound like some old yakuza. Oh? I was under the impression that you were a bed yakuza. Well, thats just their opinion. Is that so? Would it be alright if I did it another time? I refuse. Oh, how unfortunate. The next moment after he said that, he suddenly felt his lips covered. Taiyou was shocked. This time, Sakura was the one who had kissed him. Taiyou closed his eyes, calmly accepting that. He focused on the pure sensation of their lips, trying to take in her presence. Well that was a surprise. I totally thought you had rejected me. I only rejected you giving the kiss. Ah, I see. Then shall I initiate the next one? Go ahead. He kissed her. Can I do it again? I refuse. She kissed him. Now my turn. They kissed like they were playing pretend. He kissed her, she kissed him. The two of them took turns kissing. At length, they began to talk less and less, and it became less and less clear who kissed whom. That was just how glued their faces were, pressing against each other. Still, this was only a surface kiss. Yes, the heat was on, but they did not move beyond that. They repeated that same kiss over and over again. You are good at kissing, I see. No way. I just like it is all. Youlike it? Yes, kissing. I like it You speak like someone from South America would. Yeah, but they have Christianity pervading throughout that entire area. Oh? You dont sound very positive about that. Do you not have a religion? We got plenty of goddesses strolling around here. Why go elsewhere? You call them goddesses, but here you are trying to tame one. What a horrible person you are. Well, the majority of them over here are unmanageable, so I havent bothered to tame them. Even after kissing this many times, the relationship between Taiyou and Sakura did not change. Their conversation was sometimes coherent and incoherent, clear and opaque. It was as if this represented their relationship. And just like that, night turned into day. They conversed in idle chitchat, practically forgetting what the other had said seconds after. Then, as if remembering, they kissed again. Taiyou gave a kiss, and then Sakura would return it. From there, they would go on to once again chat. In between their chats, they would kiss. Chatting, kissing, kissing, chatting. They just repeated it over and over again. Taiyou said nothing and asked nothing that would disrupt this moment, because he could feel that one mention of these things would provoke a rejection. The other reason was that it was simply too unromantic to say. So a night full of chatting and kissing turned to dawn. The two of them were still touching as they fell asleep. Chapter 375: Juurokuya’s Feelings It was warm. He was enveloped in a pleasant heat. This sensation was familiar, yet simultaneously unfamiliar. Wrapped in this mysterious sensation, he felt as if he were floating, drifting around. His consciousness began to return. He was now able to tell where he was and what was happening. But he didnt open his eyes. He did not want to, because he felt like it would be a waste. He felt someone nearby. From the way they moved, he could tell that they sensed him too. But that person also had their eyes closed. It was as if they were feigning sleep. Both people were awake, and yet they were pretending to sleep. -pff- Hehe- Until at last, they both burst out laughing. They laughed with their hands pressed to their mouths. Then finally, Taiyou opened his eyes. As he lay on the floor, Taiyou saw Sakura lying down further ahead. She had a placid expression on her face. Perhaps because she had just woken up, her chignon was slightly undone. Taiyou reached out a hand, touching it and smoothing it onto her head. Good morning. Morning. We seem to have nice weather today, once again. Seems itll be getting pretty warm. Do you perhaps like clear days? Nah, if I had a choice Id go for cold days. I am not sure what kind of answer thats supposed to be. Cause if its cold then we can stay nice and close. That wasnt what my question was, however. Even when they woke up, the two of them continued the same sort of back-and-forth. However, maybe just a little bit Taiyou felt that their distance had closed by just a tiny bit. Now, at this point you might say After kissing that many times?, but that was just how he felt at that moment. Taiyou sluggishly got up. A little bit later, Sakura got up as well. The two of them got ready for the day as they engaged in further rambling. Finally, Taiyou stood up. Alright, Im heading back. Indeed. Ill come back again. Oh? Will you not be inviting me over to stay? Sakura smiled with a small giggle. Taiyou smiled likewise, shaking his head. I doubt you would come along no matter how much I invited you. I think itd be far more likely that Id just find you barging your way in later. Oh dear, am I that easy to read? Yeah, the girls around me tend to be that way. How vexing. I would like to one day make you exclaim in surprise. And Im sure you will. Taiyou leaned forward to give her a smooch. Sakura did not reject his advances. Alright, see ya. Taiyou said, leaving Sakuras mansion. As he left the condo, he saw a black-coated car outside. As he approached it, the driver had disembarked and opened the door. Taiyou made his way in like it were the most natural thing in the world. There were two girls inside. Youran, and Juurokuya. The girls with identical faces greeted him. Morning. G-G-G-Good morning. Good morning, Master. Mm. Nodding magnanimously, Taiyou reclined in the seat. He closed his eyes, ruminating over what had happened with Sakura. He had indeed made some progress with her last night in comparison to when he had first arrived at her place. Things felt more mellow around her now. You could even say she had to some degree accepted him. Just to a degree, though. (Now I wait and see) He wanted to quickly make her his, but he didnt want to risk being too pushy and scaring her away. He had recalled what Ruri said about the north wind and sun. Suddenly, he felt a certain warmth. He opened his eyes to see the two of them nearby. It was Youran and Juurokuya. The two of them moved closer on either side of him. Although Youran was doing it of her own volition, it was easier to tell that Juurokuya was sneaking peeks at Youran, waiting for orders. That was all kinds of weird. What is it? Shall we? Youran looked up at him as she asked. At first he was puzzled over what she meant, but he soon understood. First thing in the morning? But you didnt get to it last night, right Master? What, were you eavesdropping? No, Ive done nothing of the sort. And yet you sound oddly confident. No, cmon, its so easy to predict what that woman will do. Fair enough. Taiyou grimaced, but accepted her answer. Youran probably knew a lot about Sakura while he knew hardly anything. Doubtless it was her deep knowledge that led her to this answer. Taiyou, who had gotten to know more and more about Sakura, could find himself understanding her reasoning. That just showed how much more Youran knew, having been around Sakura for many years. Well, I sure wasnt expecting this. Yeah, I made sure to bring Juurokuya along. We can do anything. I-I-Ill do my best! Juurokuya said in a manner reminiscent of a small animal. Yeah, that wouldnt be bad at all. ThenC But not right now. You sure? Yeah, lets just stay like this. He said, tightly hugging both of them. It was interesting to see the different ways they reacted. Youran drew closer, while Juurokuya stiffened up, merely letting him do as he pleased. It was both funny and strange. Taiyou continued to do this as the car began to move. Lets just drive around. I want to be like this for a bit longer. Alright. Youran nodded, giving the driver the order. Instead of returning to the mansion, they drove around aimlessly for a bit. Taiyou teased Youran. He kissed her, rubbed her chest. But he did absolutely nothing to Juurokuya. While Youran yearned for more, melting from their skinship, she also expected something, twitching in anticipation. Youran was completely focused on the opposite side, on Juurokuya. Taiyou knew full well why that was: Youran had presented Juurokuya to him, wanting him to touch her as well. So, on purpose, Taiyou did not lay a single finger on Juurokuya. He did everything he could possibly do in the car to Youran, fawning over her while doing absolutely nothing to Juurokuya. At length, the car reached the condo and Taiyou got out. Master, youre so meeean. Hm? What on earth could you be talking about? Taiyou played dumb. Youran pursed her lips, pouting. Taiyou found that to be very cute, and he kissed her. And just like that, the two of them left Juurokuya in the car and entered the condo, riding the elevator to the top floor. Taiyou was wondering what everyone else might be doing at this moment. Finally, they reached the top floor, got out of the elevator, and stood before the only door on that floor. They opened it, entered, and announced their arrival. Fancy meeting you here. For some reason, Sakura came out to greet them. Taiyous mouth flew wide open. Chapter 376: Springy and Brittle Taiyou was surprised not only at Sakura being there, but at how her apparel had changed. It wasnt strange, lewd, or eccentric by any means. It was actually pretty normal: an apron. Sakura had been wearing that apron when she greeted him in the entrance hall. Ummwhy are you here? Taiyou was so dazed that it took a tremendous amount of effort to ask that. Im just here to visit a relative. Relative? The house of my younger sister and her mother-in-law. Sakura said calmly but with a hint of mischief. She was referring to her half sister Youran and her half sister Pochis mother-in-law, Kohaku. So sure, you could say that this was the house of her relatives. It was a reasonable explanation. Not that Taiyou was the kind of person to accept it head-on. This was Sakura they were talking about. She always enjoyed wordplay and scheming things beneath what she said. Clearly, there was a whole other reason for her coming. So whats the actual reason? As if she saw Taiyous flabbergasted face, Youran asked in his place. I made a promise. To come over? No. Sakura giggled. Something about wanting to make someone gasp in surprise. Well then you succeeded. Youran said as she looked up at Taiyou with blank eyes. As a matter of fact, he did feel that way right now. Who would have expected Sakura to be here, and this quickly? He had not anticipated in the slightest that this would occur. But now that he understood her intentions, he had calmed down a considerable amount. I was legitimately surprised. Taiyou said honestly. Yes, as I intended. Did you come over here right away after that? Yes, after contacting Azumaya-san. Oh, Kohaku-san. Yeah, she would play a prank like that. So yeah, here you go. Sakura said, giving Taiyou slippers. This action was reminiscent of how a resident of this home might treat a guest, but Taiyou paid it no heed, putting the slippers on. Hey, what about mine? Youran objected, having not been offered any herself. Dont worry. Im sure that you will be just fine, Shingetsu-sama. What? How so? Now then, please make your way in. Ignoring Youran, Sakura invited Taiyou inside. The moment the door was opened, he could smell a lovely aroma. Breakfast was on top of the table: brown toast, sunny-side up fried eggs, and bacon. I received some helpful advice in the making of this food. I made sure that the toast was of the puffy variety, with low heat. The fried egg yolk is soft-boiled. Did Kohaku-san teach you that? No, the Hayakawa sisters did. Yeah, theyre more knowledgeable in that regard. That made sense to Taiyou. When it came to household affairs and anything related to Taiyou, they understood that the most. Heck, they understood that better than Taiyou himself. He didnt even realize until now that he preferred springy toast to crumbly toast. So where is everyone? They have gone out. Apparently they went to Miyagi-sans familys house. Aobas? Yes. Apparently her mothers were on some overseas trip and said we brought back gifts so come and get some. Hm, that tone sounds a lot like Atsuko-san. Im sure that the one who suggested it was Mio-san. Youran said, and Taiyou nodded. Aobas three mothers: Atsuko, Mio, and Nazuna. On the surface, Atsuko appeared to be the most assertive one, but when it came to push and shove, Mio was the most adamant one when it came to Aoba. It wasnt difficult at all to imagine that Mio had proposed such a thing. In other words, the only ones in this mansion are the three of us. Yes, it would appear so. Is that right. Taiyou nodded, reaching the dining table. On the table was breakfast for one- just one. Noticing this, Youran asked, Hey, what about my portion? Dont worry. Im sure that you will be alright, Shingetsu-sama. Seriously, how is this alright!? Youran raised her voice, and much like earlier, Sakura ignored her. She handed some freshly brewed tea to Taiyou. Of course, there was none for Youran. Here you are. Thank you very much. (I wonder if shes plotting something again?) thought Taiyou as he drank black tea and stuffed his face full of toast, bacon, and egg. Delicious. That was his honest opinion. The breakfast was already perfectly appealing to the eye, but that sense of perfection was also captured in the taste as well. This is seriously good, Sakura-san. Super good. That is only because the ingredients were good. I must say that there are some girls who can cook with good ingredients and make the food taste like garbage. Yes, well that is a talent in and of itself. To add further, there are also those who make you lose your appetite with how they cook the food. Oh? How so? Like cutting cabbage to shreds with a katana. Only takes one second for a perfect finishing touch. Taiyou said, shrugging his shoulders and smiling. I could probably guess who youre talking about. By the way, they can also make a sashimi garnish. And that also takes one second. Well, I almost want to bring a high-speed camera along with me now. Lets do that when the time comes. Taiyou laughed, asking for seconds. Chapter 377: Potato Butter So yeah, Ruri is just great at cutting things. Well, she has cut down her share of people after all. Not just with cutting though. There are plenty of other strange aspects about her. Oh? Such as? Such as? Hmm Taiyou tilted his head, thinking about it for a moment. See that stove over there? Theres a really small hole in it. Ahh. Youran made a slight grimace. A hole in the stove? Sakura stood up from her seat, looking over at the stove that Taiyou had pointed out. I do see it. Looks like someone made the hole with an icepick. What exactly is this? Another time when she tried to cook fish, she stabbed the bamboo skewer right through it. Oh dear. She told me that was always the way she cooked fish. Essentially what we would call a bonfire outdoors. Still, can you really open a hole with bamboo skewers? And she also said that meat tastes better when cooked on an open fire, rather than on an iron plate. And she also cooked that on a skewer? No, she made it hover and cook. Hover? Sakura tilted her head. She clearly wasnt sure what he meant. As in float. Did she dangle it down with a string? No. Youre familiar with beanbags, right? Up, down, left, right-or rather, 360 degrees in all directions produces a crazy amount of speed, and when she did that it solidified atop the flames and cooked. For a moment, Sakura made a blank expression. Ruris actions were so bizarre that it took her time to comprehend what Taiyou had said. She always does such interesting things. Indeed, its fun to just watch. Although I do find myself tiring from commenting over and over again on the absurdity of it all. Are the others skilled at cooking? The triplets are for sure. They make anything in an orthodox manner. Plus they learned a lot from Aoba and Mio-san, and Aoba and Akiha have long been making treats and cakes together, so the sweets side of things is super savory. Now, when we get to Kohaku-san, man oh man Oh? Is she one of those archetypical bad at cooking types? No, she can be fairly good at cooking when she wants to. Its just, when it comes to Chinese foodSoy sauce, ketchup, mayonnaise, she uses all of those and sure, its good, but feels a bit overwhelming on the taste buds. Well thats unexpected. Apparently her cooking just became that way after living alone for many years. As of recently, shes been learning various things from the triplets, increasing her repertoire. But if thats the case, that leaves one person who cant cook. As Sakura said that, Youran, who was standing next to them, twitched. When Taiyou looked in her direction, she was pursing her lips, making a very displeased expression. Of all of Taiyous wives, Youran was the worst at cooking. But this was perfectly reasonable, given her origins. Juuni Island: The village with the highest population in Japan that currently had a million residents. She was both the chief and Shingetsu no Kami, holding the majority of the power. The fact that she was a chief who held autonomy effectively made her the king of a small nation. So why would someone as high-up as that cook her own food? If she had not fallen into Taiyous possession, she would likely have never experienced something like that for her whole life. Youran, who had always thought it well and good to move about on her own, had never actually tried to cook up until now. N-No, Im able to at least cook now that Ive learned a lot. Oho, really now? Hmph. Just you wait. Youran got up, walking to the kitchen. With Taiyou and Sakura observing her, she thoroughly washed a room temperature potato, wrapped it in plastic, put it into the microwave and pressed the switch. She seemed to be quite adept, and Taiyou secretly expected good things to come from such a fine preparation. After a bit, she took the potato out of the microwave and put it on a plate, removing the wrapping. Adding a cross-shaped notch, she inserted butter into it. All done. WhaC? It wasnt the initial preparation, but the whole process!? Buttered potato? Never thought Id see that coming. Here you go, Master. Using the chopsticks that Youran had handed to him, he stuffed his mouth full of buttered potato. How is it? Its great. Taiyou nodded. No complaints when it came to the taste. Its great, butwhat do you think about this? Huh? About what? I need to tell you right now that if you perfect this it could be the same as Kohaku-sans. Heck, go farther and you might even make this into a chemistry seasoning. I mean, as long as its tasty I could care less. Well yeah, I mean, its tasty all right. My objective is to escape being the archetypical sucks at cooking character. So if I can do stuff like this then Im content. Seriously? Not like I can win at cooking in comparison to everyone else. What do you think would happen if I tried to get serious? You probably wouldnt be able to deviate from the recipe. Bingo. Youran grinned while saying that, but her eyes appeared to be just a little vexed. I tried many things, but I couldnt make a proper presentation. Its no different right now. Wash the the potato for 20 seconds, cut a wrapping into a square shape and put it around the potato, four minutes in the microwave on the root crop mode, cut a notch in the potato about halfway through, cut off a portion of butter equivalent to the length of the pinkys second joint and then put it in the potato. Thats all. Well arent you an astute one. But I cant do anything more complicated than that. Quite the difference between your work mode, Shingetsu-sama. Why, while you are working normally you are so flexible and resourceful I know, Im surprised too, kay. I thought Id make something of it and tried it out, but it just never amounted to anything. Not that the people who taught you were merely bad at teaching you? Five people of various backgrounds have taught me so far. How about I teach you, then? You, teach me? I do know you more than any stranger would, even if they did teach you. Perhaps I can make something of you. I see. Besides, now that were at it, wouldnt it be best to teach you how to make a proper presentation? Well, sure, but Huh? You think she should be able to present first? Taiyou asked with a puzzled face. Chapter 378: Sister Cuisine The best spice is love, indeed. Ive heard that before. Now, without all the sugarcoating, I mean that ones ability to present greatly affects the meal. Yeah, thats definitely not sugarcoating it Just a little pinch of love. Yeah, that does sound like what a presentation is. Indeed. Youran fell silent. She seemed to understand the conversation, but lacked the desire to learn from Sakura. However, if you thought about their relationship until now, it was a reasonable reaction. Taiyou knew all of this, hence why he intentionally said: Youran, learn from Sakura. Master? Actually He looked at Sakura. Can you make something right now? Taiyou asked. Yes, there do seem to be enough ingredients. Its just that doing so might disrupt the plans. Plans? One look inside the refrigerator will tell you all you need to know. Whats in there is simply enough for what was planned. Its your typical housewife refrigerator, skilled at getting by only with the minimum budget. Yeah, that must be thanks to the triplets. Theyre skilled at that sort of thing. So I am not sure if I should No, Ill take all the responsibility. Taiyou decided immediately. Then there is no issue. Well, apart from one thing Sakura said, looking at Youran. The problem, of course, was Yourans hesitancy. So Taiyou decided to resolve that. Youran. Master. Just learn, right here right now. Right now? Yep, right now. Taiyou nodded, staring Youran dead in the eyes. He meant that she needed to quit dawdling and just get to it. Okay, Ill do it. Youran gave in, nodding. And so Sakura and Youran headed for the kitchen. Taiyou finished the remainder of his toast, bacon, and eggs. He sipped black tea as he watched them. If Kohaku were here, she would have probably made inquisitive comments, but right now, Taiyous thought process was exceedingly simple. As of late, he had begun to find himself enamored with the girls getting along together. The harem was taking gradual form, and he enjoyed seeing the six brides work together on various tasks. Right now, there were two females here. He most certainly wanted to see them side by side cooking in the kitchen, so he gave Yourans back a little push. If Taiyou had been alone with Youran, he probably wouldnt have said anything about this. It was enough just to see her following the recipe. There was no actual need for her to make a presentation. First, let us decide on what we will be making. Shingetsu-sama, based on the ingredients in this refrigerator, what do you think we can make? Curry? Mm, thats a bit on the difficult side. Although the base is set, you could also say that it makes the presentation difficult to set. Yeah? Now, if we think back to the buttered potato that you made earlier, that one is actually extremely easy to make a presentation with. How so? For example, what if you replaced butter with chocolate? Chocolate? The two of them were more harmonious than he had expected. Taiyou felt satisfied when he observed this. Why did Sakura come here? He was sure that it was more than just to surprise him, but he didnt find the motivation to think deeply about it. After a bit, they returned. The two of them had aprons on, and Youran held out a plate. She placed it in front of Taiyou before adorning the top with a lotus flower. Chinese-style fried rice, I see. Taiyou said, looking at the mound on his plate. This gal decided it. Saying that fried rice is better for clearly displaying the presentation. Hmm, okay. Taiyou nodded. He wasnt all that knowledgeable about cooking, but he was fairly confident that he understood the bit about fried rice being well-suited for displaying the presentation. Alright, guess Ill dig in. He clapped his hands together before picking up the flower and eating a portion of the food. At that moment, an indescribable taste coursed its way through his mouth. In one word, it was a failure. White rice, yellow egg, red ham- all the colors contrasted perfectly, but the taste was an absolute dud. A fiercely bitter taste was asserting its dominance. W-What do you think? Youran asked him timidly. Right. Taiyou nodded, using the flower to carry each piece of the rice into his mouth. Sakura had an astonished look on her face as she watched. After he had finally finished it all It was bad. He said. Ah, seriously? I thought so. Yeah, it was kinda bitter. Not briny persay, buthmm, what is this? Well, I tried to add some seasoning as a substitute for salt Youran put her two index fingers together, fidgeting. I see. It must not have been very fresh. Uu Alright, next. Huh? You know what the issue was this time around, right? So with the details fresh in your head, I say its best you use that failure to your advantage and make the next one. Thats true, but Youran faltered, her eyes asking if it was alright. Taiyou didnt answer, looking back at Sakura. Sakura-san, can I get a refill? Coming right up. Cmon, dont just stand there. Go on. He said, giving the empty plate back to Youran and sending her off to the kitchen. Now then, what kind of surprise will come next? In a sense, he was quite excited. Chapter 379: Second First Kiss The day slowly grew dark in the living room. Taiyou, who had woken up from his nap, immediately surveyed his surroundings. Youran was right next to him, breathing in her sleep. Her hair was unraveled, and her slovenly face was cute. The moment he looked at her he could not resist giving her a kiss on the cheek. Ah, I am very jealous. He heard a beautiful whisper come from the side. Looking in the direction of the voice, he saw Sakura sitting on the neighboring sofa. In contrast to Yourans relaxed sleeping face, she was sitting up straight in a tense manner. In her hands was a tablet with an apple emblem. She appeared to be doing something on it. Were you awake this whole time? Indeed. I was just doing a bit of work. Sorry for inconveniencing you. Oh, no, I pretty much finished. She turned off the tablet screen, turning it over and laying it on the table. This was probably her way of indicating that everything was fine. Is it always like this between you two? Sakura asked, staring at Youran. Yes, its basically like this. Although sometimes I force her to do this. Force? Indeed. I want her to just be a normal girl around me. So thats my way of ensuring that. Oh? Youran and Kohaku, to be more precise. I leave those two alone and theyll just make things complicated by trying to service me. It appears so, yes. Are you also the type to try and service people? Hmm, well Sakura put a finger to her head in a thinking gesture. If a certain someone wishes it, then I might consider. Wishes it? Wishes it. He stared into Sakuras eyes, only to have her stare right back. Despite this, he felt as though she were evading him. Phew He had sighed without realizing it. Is something the matter? I enjoy our playful banter. But now Im starting to wonderif this is for the best. Yes, you may very well be correct. Im just going to ask you right now. He said, preparing for his next question. It was all or nothing. Would you like to become my seventh bride? Yes. Right, of course. He sighed yet again before suddenly realizing what she had just said. Wait a minute. Did you justC I see you are feigning ignorance as per usual. But I seriously didnt expect something asC As unrealistic as this? Well, yes. Is it truly all that unrealistic? Well Taiyou was at a loss for words. If someone were to ask him whether he had ever expected something this great to happen I have fantasized about it. Only fantasized it? Yeah, it is what it is. Taiyou repeated himself. Even though I have come all the way here? You always have a hidden agenda though. I suppose Ive earned that title. Sakura smiled gracefully. Is there any way I might regain that trust? Taiyou gaped. He hadnt expected her to be this straight with him. Yes, it was still a roundabout way of saying it, but it was especially easy to sense the intent this time around. Most important of all, her answer this time around had done a total 180. It was the complete opposite from what she had told him last night. Truly, he was surprised by her sudden change of heart. And why is thatCah, never mind. Taiyou stopped himself, shaking his head. He slapped himself on the cheek, as if to tell himself that was trivial. He outstretched his hand in Sakuras direction. Sakura stood up, taking his hand. She pulled in his fingers, grabbing his wrist, and he pulled her over into his arms, embracing her. The scent, the warmth, her presence I will treat this seriously. She said one short line. This was a declaration. She dived deeper into his arms, leaning more on him but without saying it. The two of them had engaged in some fine wordplay by this point, so they no longer felt speaking was necessary. Taiyou relaxed his arms. Sakura clung to him, reluctant to part. He put his hands on her shoulders, softly pulling away. As he peeked in to get a better look at her face, she noticed him and closed her eyes. His lips softly met hers. Kissing. He didnt even know how many times they had done that by this point. They had probably kissed in one night more times than most people do in their lives. This was a kiss that was completely different from what he had experienced. Almost like a first kiss. Both of them felt that way. They parted themselves for a moment, staring at each other. Then they put their lips together again, but this time, with tongue diving through lips. As he delved deeper, he felt the burning heat of another tongue. An electrical current ran through his entire body. Sakuras body twitched. Licking, sucking, intertwining. Sakuras breathing became ragged, and it showed on her face. She almost about to sink to the floor from how drained she felt. Taiyou stopped her descent, hugging her tightly as if to say that she need not worry about anything else. Sticky, wet noises echoed throughout the evening living room. The two of them continued to kiss and kiss. Eventually, Youran opened her eyes and watched them as they kissed. Chapter 380: Classmate The next day, Taiyou and Kohaku were alone in the living room. They werent doing anything in particular; just chatting over tea. So, I hear ye managed to land yeself a Sakura. Mm, yes, thats what happened. When will the lass be movin in? Oh, apparently she wont be moving in here. I mean, well be moving elsewhere soon enough anyway, so shell be meeting us there. I see. Then it may well be time to take that plan into motion, ja. Which plan? You have so many sinister schemes that I can no longer tell. Taiyou asked with a slightly wry smile. I be talking bout that building construction project, ja. Ah, you mean making that new building with each floor being like everyones theme park. Theme park? Ah, ye make such fine comparisons, Danna-sama. Its because the more I hear about this the more it starts sounding like a theme park. Taiyou shrugged his shoulders. He had just begun to expect that sort of thing more than before. So youre going through with it. Aye. Looking forward to it. Aye, so am I, lad. Kohaku sipped her tea before asking Taiyou a question. So until then, ye shall be going out to meet her, ja? You can come with us if youd like. Oh, how daring of ye, Danna-sama. Kohakus mouth twisted into a grin. But that does not sound like a bad idea. I shall think it over, ja. Okay. Suddenly, a phone rang. But it wasnt Taiyous- it was Kohakus. It wasnt a short sound effect, but an entire melody. Someone calling for you? Aye, it would seem somm. Kohakus face stiffened. She had changed her expression upon seeing whoever it was that had appeared on the LCD screen. (Whats the matter?) thought Taiyou as he tilted his head. Hello. Aye, long time no see. Hm? Taiyou felt an unpleasant feeling as he heard this. He didnt really get it, but it just felt strange. He opted to continue listening carefully. Huh? Youre coming over here? Yes, but Kohaku said, glancing over at Taiyou. It was at that point that he realized: The uncomfortable feeling was because of her tone of voice. She was no longer speaking in the manner that an elderly person might; she now sounded perfectly natural. As she did all of this, there was a hint of reluctance in her voice. Is something the matter? Taiyou asked, stifling his voice. Kohaku answered him, covering the receiver. Umm, an old acquaintance of mine be making their way here on their trip to Tokyo, ja. Ah, okay. And so they be wondering if they might see me again, ja. Okay, then please feel free to call them over here. Huh? Theyre coming this way, right? I-Indeed. Then wouldnt it be easier to talk here instead of going off somewhere? A-Aye, that be so. Kohaku nodded haphazardly, conveying that to the person on the other end. And once again, her sentence was not ended with a ja. She spoke naturally. Taiyou had a slight interest in who this person could possibly be. After hanging up, Kohaku fidgeted. For once, she was acting out of character. Kohaku-san, why the fidgeting? Ah, uhh Could it be thatits a guy? Taiyou said mischievously. Eh? Aye. It be a guy, ja. Kohaku looked at him quizzically. Oh really now. Taiyou was becoming more and more interested by the second. And not just because the person was male. Kohaku had answered his ill-intended question without reading between the lines. That was just how frantic she currently was. So of course he would develop an interest in someone who could push her to that extreme. Soon after, the doorbell rang. Kohaku went up to the intercom, checking to see who it was before opening the lobby door. It seems that they be here, ja. Yeah. Taiyou nodded. In order to receive their guest, Kohaku went out to the entryway. Soon after, Kohaku came back into the living room, accompanied by an elderly man with wrinkles all over his face. Taiyou was surprised to see an old man come out. Who is the old man. Meanwhile, Kohaku seemed to be fidgeting. After they greeted each other, the elderly man sat down on the sofa. Then both of them turned and looked at Kohaku. Accepting her situation, Kohaku faltered before she began speaking. His name be Kinoshita Shuusaku, a classmate of mine during middle school, ja. Oh, okay. Ja? Taiyou readily accepted it, while the elderly man named Shuusaku inclined his head in puzzlement. Meanwhile, Kohakus face flushed with embarrassment. And this is Natsuno Taiyou, who so happens to bemy husband. Is? This time, it was Taiyous turn to be surprised. At that point, Kohaku shut her mouth. Uhh, so you were a classmate with Kohaku-san, huh? Yes, that I am. And you are? Well, to give it to you straight Taiyou then stopped talking, focusing his gaze on Kohaku. Now that both of them were looking at her again, Kohakus face flushed with embarrassment once again. Well, it seems that saying it would inconvenience her. It would seem so. Shuusakus wrinkled face smiled as he nodded. At that point, Taiyou left his seat. If he stayed here any longer, Kohaku would probably die of embarrassment. He left the two of them there as he headed to the living room, reflecting on her face. This was the first time he had seen her like this, and it was so cute that he could die. Thanks, Mr. Classmate. Taiyou secretly expressed his gratitude to old man Shuusaku. Chapter 381: Oath I heard what happened, ya stupid son. Atsuko said out of the blue. She had come over shortly after Shuusaku left in the evening. Normally this would be a very rude thing to say to someone first thing in the evening, but Taiyou was quite used to having this sort of conversation. Whaddya want, stupid mom? He shot right back. Atsuko sat on the sofa gracefully, a sharp contrast to her unrefined speech. She then spoke again. I hear you got another girl, stupid son. Oh, that? Yes, I increased the count. Where is she? Shes not in the condo. Why not take her in? You wanna enjoy the sensation of having a mistress? Fanciful ideas, as always. Taiyou grimaced. He wanted to ask how that would even work, but this was Atsuko Fukushima they were talking about. No point in doing so. Heres some tea for you. Suzune said as she arrived from the kitchen. Thanks. Hey, Suzu-chan, whats the new girl like? Huh? Whyre you asking her and not me? He objected, but Atsuko ignored him. Youre asking about Sakura-san? Oh, Sakura, is it? What about her last name? Juunishima. Oh? The same name as Youran? So that means Ah, yes! Siblings? Uhh Suzune looked at Taiyou, seeking help. Sakura and Youran were sisters, but from different mothers. Things were a bit complicated in that regard, hence why Suzune hesitated. But this wasnt anything to hide, so Taiyou decided to step in. Theyre siblings, but half. Half? Same father, different mother. Ahh, okay, they come from a high background. Atsuko said, nodding in understanding. Hmm, so she comes here even though shes not living here? Well, yeah. Then call her, you stupid son. Why should I, you stupid mother? Listen, stupid son. I am the mother of your lady. Aoba? That you are, yes. And so what? Taiyou tilted his head. Which means youre my son-in-law. Right. And so any women that a son-in-law gets his hands on is automatically a daughter-in-law. Atsuko pointed at Suzune. Okay? Isnt it natural to want to meet your daughter-in-law? Ah no no, wait a minute. Why the crazy reasoning? Come on, just call her over. Wha Taiyou raised his voice. He looked over at Suzune, who was likewise frowning in confusion. Taiyou and Suzune looked at each other, soon coming to the conclusion that Atsuko would not be taking no for an answer. All right, let me try and get a hold of her. Mhm. Ah, Suzu-chan, could you get me a refill? Yes. Suzune went to the kitchen. Taiyou took out his phone and called Sakura. After hearing the dial tone for a bit, he got her voicemail. Taiyou tried once more, but sure enough, he was led straight to the answering machine. Putting down his phone, Taiyou looked at Atsuko. Shes in the middle of something at the moment. Possibly work. Work? So shes a full-fledged member of society. Ah, yes, a working adult. Shes slightly older than I am. Say what!? Atsuko practically bent backward in shock. If this were a manga, this would be the moment for lightning to strike in the background. But I thought you were a lolicon, ya stupid son! Your daughter isnt even a loli, stupid mom! He joined her in a loud voice. You have any pictures? Pictures? Well yeah. Taiyou picked up his phone and went to where Sakuras photos were, showing the screen to Atsuko. Here you go. Huh, a normal adult. Well, yes. Shes an adult all right. Now I really dont understand your preferences. Im not really choosing them based on preferences. A moment later, Taiyou spoke again. I dont necessarily prefer her type of woman. I choose someone because I like them, because theyve been with me for so long. I really cant answer as to what my type of woman is. I see. Atsuko gave him back the phone. Now that her excitement had subsided, she had a meek look on her face. And Aoba knows all about this, right? Of course she does. Shes actually the one who urges me, saying things like yeah yeah go for it!. As expected of my fine daughter. So that gives you bragging rights, eh? So how many more you plan to bring here? No more. Sakura is the last one. No waaay! Its the truth. He said, looking Atsuko straight in the eyes. Even ask Aoba. Shed tell you that I have no intention of adding any further to my harem. Suzu-chan, why is my stupid son saying such stupid things? Atsuko asked Suzune as soon as she came back in. She seemed to expect Suzune to join in on the teasing, but Suzune responded with a serious face. Its just as Taiyou-san says. The seven have all gathered. Oh? Atsuko made a surprised face. For real? Yes. But wont you want more people coming in at some point? Were fine, now that all seven have gathered. Reeeally now. Atsuko was truly surprised. That only lasted for an instant however. Her face soon returned to normal and she began speaking again. Welp, that might be for the best right now. Taiyou and Suzune looked at each other. It wasnt just now. It was from now on. They strongly felt that this bond of seven would remain the same. Chapter 382: Ace Amigas At night Aoba and Akiha, who had come in together were in the bath. As this was only a condominium that they were staying in, it could barely fit two people, unlike Taiyou Castle. The two friends were washing each others backs. Aoba, didja get even thinner than before? Huh? N-No, I wouldnt say that. Sure you have, I can tell. Just look at this. She pinched Aobas flank. There wasnt even enough excess flesh to pinch, and her fingers slipped off. Cmon, youre totally thinner than before in this area. You dieting or what? Yeah, just a bit. He say something to you? Natsuno-kun? No, not at all. Ah, and nothing roundabout either. Natsuno-kun just isnt that sort of guy. Kay, then why? Just thought I should probably improve my figure a tad bit more. But you already have a great figure! Hyan! Aoba shrieked. This was because Akiha had started to feel around her body instead of just washing her. It wasnt in a perverted manner, but it tickled and Aoba writhed around trying to escape. Stop it, hey, not there! Yep, I say youre more than good. Get any thinner than this and your bones will show, so I say you should stop here. But Im just normal. I feel like I need to polish myself a bit more. Polish? Akiha tilted her head in puzzlement. You know, like how Kohaku-san and Ruri-chan have nothing, or like how Youran and Sakura-san have something. I feel like I need to stick out in some way. True, you are the most orthodox after all. Yeah. But isnt that okay? I dunno. It sure is. Besides, if you wanna stick out in some way Akiha twisted the corner of her mouth into a mischievous grin, which fit her personality. Im more than happy to help ya out. Ill make you chanko daily, hows that sound? Nope, nope, thats definitely not going to go well. Gottsuan desu. Akiha puffed up her cheeks and said thank you like a sumo wrestler. As she said that, she splashed warm water over Aobas back. Soon after, they changed positions to where Aoba was washing Akihas back. But yknow, Id say he likes small over large. Huh? Serious? But there are already two people on either side of the fence, as well as on the fence. Ummso that would make Sakura-san and Youran the big ones, Kohaku-san and Ruri-chan the small ones, and then you and I would be the normal ones? Right right. And by the way, the triplets are a special category. Mm. So if we look at the distribution here, its evident hes more into the smaller types. Mmmm Aoba pondered this as she washed Akihas pale back with a soapy sponge. No, I dont think he really cares about breast size in the first place. Really? Yeah, cause look at RuriCshes the one he likes the most, and thats that. Huh, really now Akiha simply decided to go along with it. It wasnt like she was serious about this anyway. She probably just thought of it as a suitable way to chat about something. Ever since they were little, Aoba and Akiha had frequently gotten into the bath together. Sleeping over at each others house (although Aobas was far more frequent), bathing together, sleeping in the same bedCthings had long been this way, and they werent going to change anytime soon. Aoba splashed warm water on Akiha. The foam had disappeared without a trace. Thanks. Now that they were finished washing each others backs, the two of them proceeded to enter the bathtub. They had long since decided that Akiha enter first, followed by Aoba. Akiha would take up the back of the tub, whereas Aoba would be in front, almost like how lovers positioned themselves. So like always, Akiha began to go in first. Kyaa! Aoba let out a scream as she slipped and fell backward. Aoba!? Akiha looked back and tried to reach out to grab Aoba. Her fingers barely missed Aobas, and Aoba was sent hurtling toward the groundCor so one would think. But Akiha made a peculiar step with her feet. She then swerved around in a half-circle behind Aoba, firmly grasping her best friend to stop her fall. T-Thank you. Be careful now. Yeah. Hey Akiha, what was that just now? Huh? Oh, I learned that from Ruri. I think it wassomething with an awful lot of kanji, but I forgot it. Oh. Come to think of it, she was teaching you. Yup. Akiha smiled proudly. Im hot stuff arent I? Ill have you know that I applied myself to get some good results. Yeah, way to go Akiha! Just a little bit more and I may be head-to-head with Taiyou. Then I might be able to be of some use to him. What? What? Aoba was perplexed, and Akiha followed suit. Why the what? Did you actually learn that for Taiyous sake? Hm? Mhm, I did. Akiha tilted her head in confusion. Seeing that she hadnt quite caught onto it, Aoba grinned mischievously. I see, so its for Natsuno-kun-not me. Hm? OhC Too late, Akiha understood what Aoba was trying to say. Her face became redder and redder by the moment. N-No, Aoba, this isC Nah, come on, I think its GREAT that youre doing it for him. Uu But ya know, I guess I am just a bit vexed that Natsuno-kun took you away from me. Aoba said in a totally unconvincing manner. She was completely messing with her friend. Akiha, meanwhile, grew more and more restless. It was at that moment that someone showed up in the changing room. Hey, everything okay there? I thought I heard a scream. It was Taiyous voice. He seemed to have heard the commotion. Ah, Natsuno-kun. Good timing. Hm? You wouldnt believe what Akiha did. Nooo stop iiit! Aoba teased Akiha, who became beet-red. Taiyou, meanwhile, stared blankly in confusion. And thus, the curtains opened to a rare day indeed. Chapter 383: Composure, Negligence Morning. Taiyou, Akiha, and Ruri were by the riverbank. Taiyou and Akiha were fighting each other, although it was more practice than anything. Akiha was the only one attacking, while Taiyou was parrying and dodging. Ruri was watching from afar in a white dress. It was like morning radio calisthenics. Hey, you just gonna keep running? I cant even hit you. Play fair and come at me from the front. You seriously think Im going to? But you gottabea man! From what planet? Although he was exasperated, Taiyou carefully dealt with each of her attacks. Each of her blows were sharp, and nothing to be taken lightly. Although she wasnt like Taiyou and his heavy hits, Akiha could still easily snap something off. Of course, that was largely because of Ruri. Shirokiyami, the worlds strongest sword wielder, and a culmination of sorcery and destiny. Now that Akiha had her as a teacher, she was rapidly becoming stronger. However, that was only in terms of growth. In pure strength, she was still nowhere near Taiyou. He let her attack all she wanted. As they were doing that, he realized something. (Is shetrying to aim somewhere?) Akiha looked like she was trying to land an attack with all her might, frantically. It felt like a child throwing a tantrum and wildly swinging around. But her eyesdeep within her eyes, he glimpsed a mischievous gleam. She was evidently planning something. Taiyou stole a glance at Ruri. The white girl had been far away; a soul wandering on the edge of fate. But now, she had a gentle look on her face. Expectation. Taiyou could read that from her expression. (Yeah, theres definitely something up.) He confirmed before hesitating. Confirmation that something was up, but hesitation as to what he should do about it. He looked back at Ruri. Hey, whatre you looking at? Whoa! He saw a conspicuously sharp attack headed his way. Taken off-guard, it grazed the tip of his nose. Taiyou hurriedly dodged it, practically falling backwards. Well that was a close one. Cmon cmon, dont look away! Right, Id better not. Taiyou concentrated. Akiha wasnt the kind of opponent that he could treat like an odd job. She was no issue if he concentrated, but one look away and things might take an ugly turn. But at the same time, why not let her? He wasnt sure what her objective was, but as long as he knew she was up to something, a little concentration should do the trick. And most importantly (I want to see what it is shes planning.) He felt very strongly about that. The way Akiha moved about was reminiscent of Ruri. They were in a teacher pupil relationship, so it made sense for their movement to be similar. In Ruris case, it was leaving afterimages or completely disappearing at high speeds. Above all, she boasted a power level several times higher than Taiyou. It was near impossible to gaze leisurely upon her movement, even if he did feel that there was true beauty in it. But Akiha was different. It was like swinging with 140 kilos at the batting center and then returning 80 kilos while whistling. Taiyou, Ruri, and Akiha essentially had that kind of relationship. So he decided to let her do it. Carefully dealing with her, Taiyou let his guard slip just a bit, making it look natural. He shot a glance in Ruris direction, while of course still focusing on Akiha so that he could deal with anything. While his eyes were elsewhere, Akihas mouth twisted into a smile. -Here it comes. Taiyou made his senses keen as he braced himself. -ngh! At that moment, a chill ran up his spine. He felt an overwhelming fear assault him. It was almost like he had thrust his head into a lions mouth. Sweat coursed down his back. Uu-uwaaaah! Counterattack. He put all of his remaining consciousness into a counterattack. For the first time today, he had his fists aimed at an approaching Akiha. He felt a dull sensation. Akiha was flung five meters away, almost as if a truck had hit her, landing on her back with a thud. -HuhC Realizing what had just happened, Taiyou hurriedly ran over to where Akiha was. Akiha, are you alright!? Is there anywhere thatC He ran up to her, with a startled look on his face when he peered closer. Akiha was lying down flat on her back, a grin on her face. She was elated, as if she had accomplished something grand. Taiyou couldnt initially understand why she looked that way. Right now Huh? He was serious just now, right? Serious? Ruri, he legitimately guarded my attack, right? Mhmthat was Darling being serious. She said quietly, pressing down her mouth. Sonot cool. Uu Heheh. Akiha got up with her face still showing her elation. Hey, hows it feel? Hows it feel to let someone go through with their plan and then suddenly realize that youre actually in danger and go all out? Akiha didnt let the opportunity pass her by to make a jab. Taiyou couldnt deny it either; both of them were absolutely right. He had been too sure of himself and it had cost him his cool. It was best to just suck it up. That was great back there. Good job. Oh? Youre rather sincere. And heres a reward for doing such a good job. Wait, rew-nghC! He embraced Akiha and sealed her lips. He kissed her with the full power of his tongue. And so there they were, at the morning riverbank. He kissed her until she went limp. So youretaking it out on her? Aw shaddup. Ruri pointed out what Taiyou was doing, and so the morning was filled with shame upon shame. Chapter 384: Sister and Sister Oritate Town Juunishima Mansion, aka Daimyo Mansion. Sakura was visiting this residence, and a servant took the lead, showing her to a familiar room. This was the most formal room in the house. Sakura-sama has returned. Mm. The rooms interior was beautiful. She heard a stiff voice coming from within, however. Sakura had become used to this voice after many years. It was Youran, wearing a kimono with her hair down, sitting at the seat of honor. Although Sakura was used to seeing her like this, she stopped in awe for just one second. Juunishima Shingetsu no Kami Youran. As befitting of such an extravagant name, she was beautiful, refined, and had an overwhelming aura of dignity about her. The next moment, Sakura regained her composure and gave a bow, as was the etiquette. During that time, the servant who had guided Sakura silently exited the room, leaving the two of them alone. Lift up your head. Yes. So dost thou know the reason that I called you here? I must be candid. I can think of too many reasons and could not pinpoint it. Unlike when she was with Taiyou, Sakura answered in a simple, clean manner. As thou saith, there is many a matter that must be dealt with. I shall discuss one of them, starting off. Yes. Sakura showed that she was listening, and so Youran began. Before they were sisters, they were also master and retainer. Everything they were discussing right now was a part of work. That is all. I have indeed understood the particulars. Sakura meekly bowed her head. The next moment, the atmosphere in the room completely shifted. Kay, so the next thing I wanna discuss is Yourans choice of words had changed. She was no longer Shingetsu no Kami, but was now just Youran. Although Sakura was a bit taken aback from Youran speaking that way with her hair still down, she did her best not to let it show. Is what, pray tell? Theres one thing I wanna ask of you. I want to build a new building right here in Oritate. Have you heard this before? The new Taiyou Castle. Youran was referring to the new residence shared between Taiyou and his seven brides. Yes, I have indeed heard of this. Right, so I want you to do all of it. You wantme to do it, Shingetsu-sama? Yep. The only one among us who can listen to everyones preferences and skillfully combine them together is you, wouldntcha say? Very well. However, I will require some time for this, Shingetsu-sama. Take all the time you need. This is the important house well be living in with Master, after all. Right, it is as you say. Kay, do a good job. To the best of my ability. Alright, next topic. Yes. How much longer you gonna act like that? Huh? Sakura was surprised. She could tell that Youran was getting slightly irritated. What on earth could you be referring to? I mean how much longer are you gonna keep calling me Shingetsu-sama. Well I mean, look at me, I stopped talking all stiffly, right? And the same goes for the house. Im pretty sure you get what I mean, right? Yes. Sakura was a bit stumped. She understood what Youran was getting at. Both of them were to be brides in the same house with one man, so she intended for them to act more casual in private. Sakura understood that, and even agreed it was what they should do. But it wasnt that easy for her. To Sakura, Shingetsu-sama was a name that she both respected and viewed with hostility. Therefore, stopping all of that was difficult, and she found herself go silent from the pressure. Okay, time to practice. Practice, you say? Yep, practice. Practice for calling me a different name. Anythings good, just try calling me something other than Shingetsu-sama. Whatre you waiting for? Cmon. Ummuhh Sakura couldnt deal with the sudden pressure of the situation and was rather inconvenienced. After she moaned briefly, she forced her mouth open and Sh-Shingetsu-sama. Thats the frickin same thing, innit? I am very sorry. Is it really that difficult? Honestly, this is very sudden. I mean, Im not all that against it. Then, why? Cuz you know, Master always makes this weirded out face whenever you call me Shingetsu-sama. So to him, you calling me that implies theres still a wall between us, yeah? Right. And so he doesnt like that, nor do I. Honestly, if you keep calling me that around family I dunno if well ever really feel like family. Family Yes, family. Youran nodded. She was speaking very nonchalantly but her appearance was as beautiful as ever. And of course I dont mean as members of the Juunishima family. I think you get that. Yes, of course. You mean the Natsuno family, yes? Yup. Although, well, that still doesnt sound quite like what Im going for here. Doesnt sound like it? I dont care whether you call it Natsuno or not, cause in the end I identify as Masters girl, and not a wife of the Natsuno family. Yes. Got off topic, whoops. See, Master loves seeing us getting along, so I want the same for us. Well? Is it so hard? Maybe I should start off? You will, Shingetsu-sama? Sakura tilted her head in confusion. In contrast, Youran was looking at her with a placid, unreserved expression as she then responded. Big Sis. -ngh! Sakura was astonished to hear this. Who would have thought Youran would ever call her something like that? Why are you so shocked? Youre my big sis, arentcha? Sure, maybe just half, but the other half is us connected by blood. Whats wrong with me calling you Big Sis? Are you sure? I mean yeah its kinda irritating. Sakura had a mixed expression on her face. Of course Youran was having difficulty with this. But her next words were even more unexpected. Im just wondering why the heck I gotta call you Big Sis when I was the first one to do it. Huh? I was the first one to be Masters girl, so I should be your senior, and yet calling you Big Sis is kinda That was what she meant!? Sakura was flabbergasted. And then the next moment Pfft. She couldnt help but burst out laughing. It was just so absurd and likeable. Sakura could not control herself. Alright then, I will gratefullyor rather, nonchalantly, accept you calling me Big Sis. So whatcha gonna call me? Youran nodded satisfactorily. In response, Sakura smiled mischievously and replied, Big Sister. Youran was taken aback, her eyes wide open in surprise. The two of them stared at each other briefly until they both burst out laughing. Chapter 385: No Umbrella The rain that had begun falling during the afternoon was still drizzling after school. Taiyous classmates had all begun to leave the school, as did his brides, who said they had errands. This left him and Kohaku in the classroom, wearing their school uniforms. Taiyou was silently working on raising his level with monotonous tasks, while Kohaku was gazing out the window. So youre okay, Kohaku-san? Hm? You dont have anything to do? Nay, we elders generally have free time, ja. I do hear that every so often. Because that be true. It isnt like Ill have much to do when I get back, so I figured it be more fun to be with ye, Danna-sama. Shall we go somewhere then? Taiyou suggested. He figured they might as well have a date while they were at it. I only have one umbrella, ja. Right. It doesnt sound too bad to share an umbrella, but with the difference in our heights, I doubt it would go well, ja. Oh, right. Taiyou could see how that might be difficult. There was quite a difference in height between the Eternal Little and himself. Without a really good handle on things, one of themCin this case, KohakuCwould end up getting wet. Understanding that, Taiyou jokingly said, Or we could just huddle more closely together. Or give you a piggyback. How about koala style, ja? Or kangaroo. Kangaroo sounds good. Plus its been super cold lately. Getting all snug would make us warmer. Aye. Winter be the season to have fun. Such as? Food. We can go to an oden shop that I frequent, ja. Was it under the tracks? Indeed. Kohaku grinned. The shop owner wears mens underwear and a breast protector, ja. What about a towel twisted into a headband? Of course. All the standard equipment, ja. Excellent. That person sure gets it. Id recommend that place any day, ja. Im looking forward to it. Lets go together next time. Ye good at holding yer drink, Danna-sama? Im underage, you realize. Taiyou made a slight grimace. Kohaku looked like an elementary schooler but was attending high school. In actuality, she was over 80 years old and it made perfect sense to see her with a sake cup, but in Taiyous case, he was most certainly a high schooler and underage. Oh yeah huh, ye dont drink much, do yeOr heck, I never even seen ye drink. Im sure you havent. Cause I dont. Ive already been in a tough situation once because of the sacred stuff. Oho, now I really want to make ye drink some. Like I said, Im underage But if I recall, ye could drink at around 14 or 16 in Princess Leticias country. Plus over there, even if ye be a Japanese citizen, the Japanese law dont apply to ye. You really want to get me drinking, eh. Well once ye come of age, I would like ta engage in drinking with ye. What are you, my dad? Taiyou grimaced again. He then recomposed himself. But I do want to go to that restaurant. I cant drink, but I do want to go with you. In winter if possible. In winter? Itll be a date. A date under the frigid sky, pressing our bodies close together at a food stand. Ohhh, that sounds fantastic. Kohakus eyes sparkled. How about we throw in a red hand-towel, soap, and chattering teeth? Or a hand-made muffler, the longer the better. That way we can put it on together. -mm! Amazing as always, Danna-sama. Always coming up with plans that arouse me heart. How about I make one tonight? Oh, hand-made. I look forward to it. The two of them continued their chat in the classroom. If a poor bachelor heard this wholesome exchange, they would probably cry tears of blood. Hm? Taiyou suddenly realized something: everything had become unbelievably quiet. No sound, no nothing. It was as if every voice besides theirs had disappeared. He soon understood why. Snow Hm? Oh. It be true. Snow be everywhere. The two of them stared out the window in awe. The drizzling rain had become snow in the blink of an eye, falling down heavily. The wet ground had been painted over with a coating of white, muffling all sound. The world of silver had quickly shifted. It stole their eyes, stole their hearts. Its beautiful, ja. That it is. The first snow of the year. Aye. Although itd be nice if it were Christmas right now. Taiyou and Kohakus eyes glittered as they gazed outside. Kohaku-san, lets go home. Huh? Kohaku looked at Taiyou, puzzled. Lets walk home through the snow together. Aye! They picked up their belongings and dashed out of the classroom. As they walked through the hallway, Kohaku drew close to him and linked her arms around his, unable to wait any longer. He could feel her cheery nature through her clothing, and Taiyou found himself catching that cheer himself. So, the umbrella? We shall go without it, ja. As Kohaku requested, they leapt into the snow without an umbrella. The two of them huddled together in the snow as they walked home. It was in fact a fun, blissful moment, but They had to deal with all the scolding and jealousy from the other brides. Chapter 386: Arena Sea Nighttime, Taiyou was dozing off in his room. Drowsiness had assaulted him after dinner, so for once he actually went straight to his room. But for some reason he felt very lonely. Despite being asleep, it felt as if his head were awake, and that sensation continued. He wanted to be with someone, opening his eyes. Sakura-san? He could see Sakura in front of him. She had her hair in a bun and was wearing a tight suit/skirt combination. And yet she had a calm expression on her face. The Sakura that Taiyou had grown accustomed to was staring at him. Oh dear, it seems that I woke you up. No, I was already like this when you came. Actually, when did you come over here? Thirty minutes ago, I suppose. Sakura replied, looking at her watch. That long ago? Someone really should have woken me up then. I entered in secret, so I doubt anyone noticedWell, other than one person. She must mean Ruri. Ruri had the ability to detect anyones presence. She probably noticed Sakura before she even entered the room. I see you got right to using the spare key. But why did you have to be secretive? It was just so embarrassing, you know. Coming over this late, it almost makes it seem like some one-night stand. Hey, I wouldnt have a problem with that. Taiyou grinned. His chest heated up. Just the thought of Sakura sneaking into his bedroom filled him with arousal. Sakura-san. Yes. Would you mind coming over here? Alright. Sakura nodded a moment later. Once she had made her way over, he embraced her from behind. Youre warm. Am I? Youre soft, too. I dont recall having much of a strappy body build. Its plenty enough in my opinion. I am quite astonished to hear such a- Sakura-san. Yes? I like you. Sakura made a slightly concerned expression. You certainly dont beat around the bush. Well, were alone right now, after all. No, that must be against the rules. What happened to all the silent understanding between us? Just thought itd be best to give it to you straight at times like this. Are you opposed to the idea? Im not sure what to say. Still, Sakura didnt express repulsion. Taiyou felt this hesitant side of her was appealing, but he purposely said nothing. He felt that if he did point that out-if she realized how she was acting, she would try and cover it up. So rather than approach the topic, he decided to secretly enjoy it. Knock, knock. Someone was at the door. -ngh! Sakura immediately stiffened up. Taiyou-san, can I come in? Kazane? Yeah, sure. As soon as he said that, the door opened with a click. When she came in, Kazane was momentarily surprised by what she saw. Oh, you were here, Sakura-san? G-Good evening. Good evening. What is it, Kazane? Yes, I just wanted to let you know that were all done with the bath and its available now. The bath, huh Taiyou briefly thought about it. It certainly was tempting to whisper into Sakuras ears and take her in with him Before he even tried that, though, he could see an embarrassed look on her face. Sakura had snuck in with the spare key, all to just be discovered by Kazane. This reaction of hers was cute, unbelievably cute. Kazane. Yes. Everyone here? Yes, they are in their own rooms, but everyone is here. Sorry, could you call them all here? Yes, will do. Kazane left the room without asking any questions. W-What are you planning on doing, exactly? Hm? Same as always. Same as always? Yep, same as always. He rested his head on her shoulder, rubbing his cheek against hers. Just some skinship. It was quite unusual for Taiyou to hold back this much. Well just do this. Just do this? Sakura asked perplexedly. As they were talking, the brides showed up one by one. First came the three sisters, one in both mind and body. They were followed by Aoba and Akiha, who were wearing matching pajamas. Then came Kohaku, with a pleased expression on her face wearing a negligee, followed by Ruri, who was for some reason carrying her katana with her. Lastly, Youran entered the room. Finally, they were all gathered. Taiyou addressed all of them at once. Sorry for suddenly calling you here. Feel free to relax wherever. Kohaku, who seemed to immediately understand the situation, said mm and found a place to sit. The other brides followed suit. But ultimately, all of their gazes converged on Taiyou, who was in an embrace with Sakura. The performers and the audience; it was almost like they were in a live house. U-Umm, what exactly Sakura-san, have you been exercising lately? Eh, no, not really. Plus youre just so beautiful and graceful. Wow. As he complimented her, he hugged her tighter, massaging her all over. Sakura fidgeted. In a sense, this was typical of her, but her face was different, wearing an expression he had rarely ever seen. She looked as if she would spew fire from her mouth from just how embarrassed she was. So in front of everyone, he whispered into her ear, flirting with all his might. As a result, he got to see her in this manner, but later on she pouted profusely and he had to seriously work to bring her back to a good mood. Chapter 387: Master, You Meanie The winter days were becoming shorter, and the evening arrived once again. Before the usual melody sounded throughout the town, the street lamps were already beginning to light up. Taiyou was walking through said town alongside Youran, arms linked. So what are you going to do for New Years? What do you mean? I plan to just laze around at my house, but dont you have a lot of things you can do? Events, conferences, etc. Ahh, yeah, there are a lot. Youran counted on her fingers. There are already more than ten meetings with the Juunishima family. Thought so. So I assume youre returning to Juuni Island for New Years. Mm, I dunno. Youran tilted her head in contemplation. Most of them are just customary to show up, so I could easily just throw Juurokuya into the mix and leave it to her. Not like she has to do anything important. Seriously? Yeah, at least not at the beginning of the year. Just your conventional New Moon. Wow. So- Youran said, tightening her arms before continuing. I think I want to be with you, Master. Yeah, Id be way happier if you were. He let his head fall to the side onto Yourans, bumping it. It was a light display of affection; skinship. I was even considering going over there if necessary. Oh, and of course I mean with everyone. Juunishima seems like itd be a decent place to spend the new year. Theres really nothing. Just a city. A city, huh? Taiyou smiled wryly. Maybe that really was all there was. He had figured it was mostly a city from the last time he went. At least it was much bigger than Oritate Town. What was it, a population of a million? Yep. Thats crazy. If there was a game to make your own city, itd already be clear. You do realize its all yours, right Master? Hey, hey. He bonked his head onto hers again. This time it wasnt so much skinship as it was scolding. I may have you, but that doesnt mean I have Juunishima. Surebut you knowC No buts. He bonked her again. Ow She massaged her head, pursing her lips. That third bonk was especially strong. Relations with Juuni Island will be the same as always-this is an order. Taiyou said strongly, because he felt that way was better. As expected, Youran momentarily twitched. Juunishima Shingetsu no Kami Youran. Nothing wrong with that. And I like it. To go a step further, Id even say that Im a big fan of it. Fan? Yes, fan. Although its more like I havent completely outgrown my delusional phase. Oh, okay So you be the one to rule over Juuni Island. Got it? Okay, I got it. She nodded, and then a moment later But Im still yours, okay Master? Of course. Taiyou nodded, softly bonking her on the head. And Ill never let you quit, even if you want to. Ill chase you down even if you run. I admire Shingetsu no Kami, but Youran is mineactually He lightly shook his head, rephrasing it. Youran is MINE. Always remember that. Mhm. Youran replied with a moist, flirty tone as she nodded. She then rested her head on Taiyous shoulder, moving closer and closer to him. Anyone watching from the sidelines would probably think them to be some lovestruck couple or newlyweds. It wasnt like either of them would have cared, of course. At least, not for Taiyou. Quite the contrary, hed actually love to show off to the entire world. That was what Taiyou was thinking as he walked through the town with her. Ah. He let out a small voice as he stopped walking. Right in front of him was someone he would have never expected. You areShingetsu You areJuunishimaAnna? It was the big-sisterly, well-proportioned woman who had once been his enemy, Juunishima Anna. She stared at Youran, unable to believe her eyes. Uu Yourans body tensed up. Whatcha doin here? And why the heck are you making a slutty face? Thats going a bit too far. Taiyou slightly grimaced. Why not just say she has a feminine expression? I dont see why you need to call her names. Nah, shes way past just looking feminine, trust me. Maybeyeah, maybe. Based on what had happened earlier, Taiyou was a bit inclined to agree. So whats up? Whyre you two together? Right, well, I wonder where I should start- As Taiyou was getting ready to begin the story, Youran stammered. I-I-I-Im Juuryokuya, not Youran. Are you freaking kidding me? The heck you saying? L-L-Like I said, Im Juurokuya, not Youran. Of all the unbelievable things, Youran had actually begun to pretend she was Juuryokuya because of the sheer embarrassment of the situation. But wow, thats pretty messed up, thought Taiyou. Cmon, Youran. I-I-I said Im Juurokuya! Youran insisted. But Juuryokuya would never refer to you that way, you know. -ngh! Yup, she respects you a hell of a lot. She wouldnt address you without honorifics. Uu Taiyou and Anna both pointed out the inherent flaws in Yourans charade, and her face turned red. And then she began trembling with anger. Master, you meanie! She screamed, bounding away like a startled hare. Welp, shes gone. I never knew she had that side to her, but okay. Taiyou and Anna were now the only ones there, exasperated at Youranbut in a slightly good way. Chapter 388: Yesterday’s Enemy Taiyou and Anna sat facing each other in a cafe. It had become completely dark outside. This was one of those typical winter nights where the day ended early. Feeling a bit excited, but keeping a calm demeanor, Taiyou opened his mouth. Long time no seeI guess? Well, its not like were even close enough to greet each other with open arms, but who cares. Then, long time no see. Taiyou grinned, repeating the same phrase. He had originally met Anna as her enemy, but now there was absolutely no reason for it. So Taiyou decided to treat her as he would anyone else. What you saw earlier Hm? You know, that mannerismId like you to forget it if you can. You talking about the way she was acting? Yes. Hm, what to do Anna had a mischievous smile on her face, almost like a child who found a toy. Cmon, please? Welp, sure, not like I care. Plus that girls gotta preserve her image for Juuni Island. No, I dont really care about that part. Shed probably figure something out on her own, no matter how silly she may have appeared. Hah? Then why do you want me to shut my trap? Because that side of her is just for me to see. Taiyou said with a face that was the definition of serious as he stared at Anna. It would be a waste to share such a cute aspect like that with other people. Its all for me, and not for anyone else. Anna gaped. She couldnt believe that was the only reason. Youre sayingshes your girl? Just a mere girl? Thats right. Wow, youre much scarier than what I heard. Not at all. Im just a mere high school student with a little confidence in my physical strength. Pssh, yeah, because mere high school students ALL act like you. Anna had an exasperated look on her face. Well whatever. If thats your reasoning then I definitely wont be telling anyone about it. I sure as heck dont want to die a stupid death by getting kicked by a horse or whatever. I appreciate it. Taiyou said, bringing the warm coffee to his mouth. This coffee should be the same brand he always drank, but for some reason it tasted bland. He wanted to drink the coffee that the triplets always made for him, but he had to restrain himself for now. So anyhow, why are you here? Did you have something to take care of in Oretate Town? Well Id be lying if I said I didnt. Anna smiled bitterly in self-derision. Came to meet you, as a matter of fact. Me? Yeah. Wanted to ask you about Adano. Pochi? Adano, Juunishima Adano. One of the daughters of Juunishima with the same father as Youran and Sakura. Her mother didnt want her to get caught up in the family feuds, so she hid herself in pregnancy and gave birth to her at a tourist attraction, raising her in silence. Because she had lived in isolation for many years, Pochi was currently learning about common sense under the tutelage of a home instructor, searching for a way to properly return to society. And what do you want with Pochi? Taiyou asked cautiously. He remembered that Anna had led a group dedicated to abducting Adano. Dont get the wrong idea. Im not going to try anything this time. Nor is there any need for that. Im just concerned. Concerned? I want to know how shes doing right now. Is she okay? Yeah, shes doing fine. You didnt know? Ever since Tsubaki-sama lost her position, her faction has been in the dark. We cant ask anyone, nor will they tell us anything. So you asked me, I see. Exactly. Now, depending on the circumstances you might not have been the right one to ask, but after seeing how youve been treating Shingetsu-sama, I figured it was okay. I was amazed to discover how little you care about Juunishima. Yeah, cause I dont. Taiyou nodded, finally understanding Annas situation. The Tsubaki faction was probably seen as a wet dog or a blemish to the family. It made sense that she didnt have anyone she could ask. Hold on a moment. Taiyou said, taking out his phone for a call. H-H-Hello? The person in question picked up the phone quite quickly. It was a beautiful, transparent voice, but also clearly one that was trembling year in and year out. It was Yourans shadow, Shingetsus shadow-Juurokuya. Hello, you good right now? Y-Y-Yes! So I wanted to ask you about Pochi He preambled before asking her various questions. In order to make sure Anna heard all this, he repeated what Juurokuya told him out loud in confirmation. U-U-Umm Hm? I-I-Its probably rude of me to ask this, but d-d-did someone ask you to do this? -Yeah, I bet you can tell from the way Im talking, huh. Y-Y-Yes! But yeah, youre rightJuurokuya, how far are you willing to go to obey me? I-I-If it doesnt bring harm to Shingetsu-sama, then anything. Okay. So you know Anna, right? Y-Y-Yes! She might contact you sometime asking about Pochi, so dont feel the need to hide anything, okay? O-O-Okay! She said in an energetic voice on the other side, which sounded almost like she was saluting him. When Taiyou looked at Anna, she appeared to be surprised. He decided to leave her like that for now as he continued speaking to Juurokuya. Alright, good girl. One more thing. W-W-What might that be!? Yourans ran off somewhere. Find her and be with her. O-O-Okay. Ill come to visit both of you later. So make sure to have a location down. -Yes! He could hear surprise and a bit of delight come from her end. Then after he hung up, he looked back at Anna, who seemed just as astonished as Juurokuya. Chapter 389: Rain That Does Not Stop What? Were you justtalking to Shingetsus shadow? Its been a while since I heard that nickname. Yeah, its Juurokuyas shadow. Taiyou nodded. Shingetsu no Kamis body double, also known as the shadow that eclipses the full moon, Juurokuya. Have you even met her? Probably. Probably? I know that there is a body double for Shingetsu by the name of Juurokuya. But everyone Ive met with Shingetsus face just looks like her. I never felt like I was speaking to a fake. That just shows she lives up to her reputation. Heck, you might have just met Juurokuya every time. Maybe so. But why the surprise? Yourans my wife, so its not all that strange that wed have connections with Juurokuya. Its okay if you dont get it. Anna said with a mixed expression. Taiyou was beginning to understand less and less, and he kept his head tilted in confusion. But more importantlyI am in your debt. Anna stared straight at Taiyou, lowering her head. I didnt do anything really. Plus I just hear a lot from Pochi. From Adano? She talked about you. As to what she saidwell, since Pochi herself isnt here right now, Id better not say anything. Is that right. Im sure she wants to meet you as well. Hm, I dunno Anna smiled refreshingly. Hm? Something came in. Anna said, taking out her phone. Her face slightly changed color as she looked at the screen. What is it? I got contacted practically right away. She said, showing the screen to Taiyou. Her email was on display, the title reading Concerning Adano. Wow that was fastwhys your face look like that? Taiyou asked as he looked at Anna. After looking at the mail, Anna had an extremely sour look on her face. He could tell she was forcing herself to smile. And I just changed my phone, too Did you change your number and address? Yeah, but I think Im still under surveillance. Taiyou gazed at Anna in silence. But you know, thats fine. Not like I can do anything about it now. If Im assigned constrained conditions then Ill simply live out that lifestyle. Anna said with a smile, standing up. Hold up. Taiyou stopped her as she did that. What is it? Is it really okay? What is? I dont know. Taiyou said curtly. Uhh, okay? Anna sniggered, but Taiyous eyes were serious. Honestly, I dont know a single thing. I dont know what happened to your subordinates after the power struggle, what became of them. I dont know anything. So all I can really do is ask for a rough explanation. Taiyou preambled before repeating the same phrase. Is it really okay? Well youre quite the worrier. Suddenly become a philanthropist overnight? Taiyou stared straight at Anna, not bothering to play along. They stayed like that for a bit until Anna gave up with a sigh, sitting back down. Nothing worth mentioning honestly. You sure? Rain has always been falling. ? Taiyou cocked his head in confusion. Anna continued to speak with a serious expression. Yup, ever since I was born. Not for even a second has it ever stopped. But thats fine, since Ive been under an umbrella. But now that umbrella has broken. Starting with the cuffs of my pants and ending with the tip of my head, Ive become drenched. Thats all there is to it. Isnt it painful? Not when you get used to it. Then at what point does the rain stop? It doesnt. It was just my luck that I was born like this. Anna showed no emotion as she said this. Resignation, or perhaps acceptance. Ever thought of getting a new umbrella? Every umbrella is taken up by too many people. Besides Anna laughed in self-derision. No one from Juunishima is weird enough to take in a group thats done for. Not even Youran? Even Shingetsus in a difficult position. The higher up you are, the less selfish decisions you can make. What, its not like this is much different from before. We just became a bit more cramped in the shadows. That kind of ticks me off. Taiyou was beginning to feel indignant. Anna was an enemy, so he wouldnt normally care what happened to her. But he strongly disliked the situation she was in and how she was under surveillance, yet somehow acted like she was content with that. Inexperienced? Sure, he certainly wouldnt disagree with that. Even after gaining all this power and serving these beautiful girls Taiyou was still just a mere high schooler at heart. So are you only interested in umbrellas that Juunishima can offer? Whatre you talking about? What Im asking is, would I qualify as an umbrella? Taiyou stared straight at Anna who showed an astonished expression. Chapter 390: Legal Interest Rate Nighttime, Kohakus room. Taiyou was facing Kohaku with a serious face. Kohaku, I want to borrow your knowledge. Aye. Year in and year out about 90% of the time every day, this youthful elder mainly spent her time fooling around, but when faced with an earnest Taiyou, she mirrored his expression with a likewise earnest one, nodding. Relieved to see this, Taiyou brought his intentions out into the open. A faction, was it? How does one go about making those? Do ye intend to begin from scratch? Or were ye thinking of hijacking one? There be a big difference depending on yer answer, ja. Mm, maybe a little of both. Mm? Kohaku cocked her head. She had previously gone into the bath, which was why she was now wearing bear-print pajamas, so that combined with her mannerism was so cute that Taiyou almost felt like going off track. But he resisted the impulse and continued on with the conversation. I want to take the members of a dismantled faction and make a new one. I see, and that be why ye said a little of both, ja. Yes. There are two main roles expected of a boss, or so I feel. Kohaku held out two fingers, almost like she was making a peace sign. One be charisma. I take it ye dont need an explanation for that one. Yeah, I could see that taking a while. Just the one word is plenty. Taiyou nodded. Say what you want, everything could simply be summarized by the single word charisma. Now that the explanation was unnecessary, he looked at her for the next explanation. The second one be money collection. Realistically, ye need money to both gather and nurture people. Okay, money. Furthermore, if ye have money then people will naturally come to ye. Ah, wait, I guess I didnt need to say that. Ye already have several people ye want to take care of. Yes. Then just think about gathering money. Money, huh He repeated those same words. The answer was simple enough, but its implementation, not so much. And I assume ye want to make it in Juunishima, ja? Kohaku pinpointed what Taiyou was worrying about. Yes. Then yed best avoid getting it from Youran and Sakura-sanbut ye dont have yer own source omoney. Thats going to be troublesome. Well I do have a secret stashalthough its the equivalent of pouring water on a hot stone. Maybe I should hit the lottery, eh? Nah, yed be better off robbing a bank with yer capabilities, Danna-sama. Very true. Taiyou grimaced. It had been a serious conversation up until now, but now they were bouncing jokes back at each other. He had begun to resort to escapism without realizing it. That was just how much of an issue money was. What to dooo I havethe answers you need. He heard a quiet voice. He turned to see Ruri in a white dress. Since when had she been in there? She was staring at Taiyou. What, does he need ta destroy humanity? Of course Kohaku would resort to a joke. Flicking her on the forehead, Taiyou spoke to Ruri. Whats up? Its rare for you to participate in conversations like these. I havethe answers you need. Ruri repeated the same phrase. Okay. Darling, youneed money? Yep, seems so. He glanced at Kohaku rubbing her forehead. She soon looked back up. Illlend some to you. No, some personal savings arent gonnawait. Taiyou swallowed what he was about to say. He remembered when they had first met. Escorting for a million per day, demanding 10 million for one job? The strongest sword wielder in the world demanded quite a bit of money as payment. She would even demand that much of Taiyou, a high school student. Then, did that mean-? Youhave that much? Adding in Gates and justicedivided by ten thousand. Make it easier to understand! How much is that even supposed to be!? Were talking hundreds of millions here, ja. Kohaku answered quietly. She had probably calculated it all in her head. Taiyou was astonished to hear that. He looked at Kohaku and Ruri in turn. Kohaku was serious, and Ruri was just as placid as ever. Judging from their expressions, they seemed to affirm what he was wondering. Are you serious? Mhmshe got it pretty spot-on. Darling, I dont mindlending you some money with interestwithin the legal limits. Oi oi, are ye seriously going ta take interest from Danna-sama? Thats just- Kohaku chastised Ruri. Taiyou understood what she was getting at. Those calling themselves Taiyous wives should unconditionally give him their everything. Lending him money was already pushing it, but interest? Out of the question. At least this was what Kohaku was thinking. But Taiyou had other ideas. He held out his hand motioning for Kohaku to be silent, kissing Ruri on the lips. Stingy as usual, I see. Its been that way ever since weve met. MhmI am a cheapskate. Ill gladly accept your offer. And I will absolutely return it with interest. Darling, if its you, thendont worry about any promissory notes. I appreciate you trusting me. I never said I trusted you. Jump a billand I jump you. Ooo, so scary! Taiyou said jokingly. He was of course certain that if he shirked the bill, she would cut him down. Meanwhile, to the side, Kohaku had a mixed-or to be more frank, a sulky-expression on her face. Whats the matter, Kohaku-san? Nothing at all, ja. No, I can tell by looking at you. What happened? Nothing at all, ja. Kohaku repeated the same phrase. Darlingthats jealousy. Ruri pointed out. Jealousy? Yesjealousy. Jealousy It took him more than ten seconds to comprehend what she had just said. This was probably because it was the first time Kohaku had ever displayed jealousy. Chapter 391: Deeply Meaningful In the living room, Akiha was gazing intensely at the wall. Whats the matter? Kotone asked as she emerged from the kitchen to place a cup of freshly brewed tea on the table. I can sense my master from Kohaku-sans room. Master? Sakura gave a quizzical glance on the other side. You must mean Ruri-chan. Ah, and so thats what youre calling her now. Yeah, because Ive learned a lot from her. And just between you and me Akiha said in a lowered voice. When I call her Master, its sort of difficult to tell, but her mood improves and she teaches me all sorts of things. Was she always that simplistic? But then she becomes quite harsh with her training, so it has its merits and demerits. However, Akihas tone made it fairly clear that she didnt see any demerits; only merits. All things considered, Ruri-chan is amazing. Earlier when I went to her room to deliver her tea, she was there, so I wonder when in the world she could have made her way into Kohaku-sans room? Couldnt it just be that she teleported? Mm, well I dont think Kotone was about ready to deny it, but Thatsnot the case, right? She looked at Akiha, unsure. I dunno. But Master is totally capable of it. Right, right. Taiyou will probably be able to do the same with some sort of skill. Seems that way. A new ability with those wings of light or something. Thats just crazy. Ah man, now I gotta catch up to both of them. I bet that you can do it, Akiha-san. Seeing the chat come to a lull, Sakura coughed quietly. So about that building Building? I mean the new house. You know. Oh, that. See, hes assigned the project to me. So I wanted to hear what you all think. Sakura said as she stared at Kotone. Where might your sisters be? Theyve gone out shopping, but I think you can leave this to me. So I take it to mean that you have all discussed this already? No, its not that. Its just that Im connected with Suzu-chan and Kaza-chan. Connected? Yes, via telepathy. Anything I hear or see can be directly transmitted to Suzu-chan and Kaza-chan. Oh, is that how it is? Thats quite different compared to a while ago. A while ago? Akiha cocked her head. Yes. I met them before I even met him. I believe it was slightly before summer of this year, yes? Yes. Wow. So at that time- Uhh, we could sort of get each others feelings. Kotone promptly answered, recalling what had happened back then. When we were little, we were able to communicate in our heads, but it became harder and harder as we got olderBy the time we met Taiyou, we were barely able to even share our emotions. But youre speaking just fine right now. Heck, if anything youve surpassed your younger selves. Yes! Kotone answered promptly, nodding vigorously. Her wide smile was brilliant, even to Akiha and Sakura, members of the same sex. Its thanks to Taiyou-san. He acknowledged us and loved us, so I was able to not only regain, but also surpass my initial relationship with Suzu-chan and Kaza-chan. Loved you, eh? Ooo, well aint you a lucky girl, heheh! Akiha commented in a half-teasing tone. Its true, though. Kotone affirmed without batting an eye. Well, she said that pretty confidently. And I feel like theres still something else between the three of us. Something? Im not sure what it is, I just feel like theres something extra. Uhh, right now were sharing our eyes and ears, right? Its not easy to tell, but it feels as if our eyes arent just on our face, but also at the top of our heads, behind our heads, etc. The way Taiyou put it was that its like having six fingers except you cant move all of em. Ah, that does sound easier to understand. Great job, Taiyou-san. Yes, its essentially like were sharing three organ systems and using them all simultaneously. But I still feel like theres something else. Like theres another door out there that I can almost open. Wow. It sounds like the sensation of nearly grasping something. I want to grasp hold of whatever that is and have Taiyou rejoice even more. Its so that you can please him? Akiha looked a bit surprised. Yeah, because Taiyou said he liked that part of us. Okay, I get it. Those who maintain the status quo, and those who advance. Sakura suddenly murmured with deep meaning. The heck you talking about? You see, the women around him tend to be one of these two varieties. I just thought that right now. You four, as well as Tengai Ruri. The five of you together would be the progress squad. The other ones would be the status quo squad. No way, Ive hardly done anything to be referred to as progressive. Yeah, yeah! That just sounds like nonsense anyhow. Are you sure about that? Yeah, because Akihas mouth twisted into a grin. All the women here can easily be categorized as one thing, right? One thing, you say? Yep. Whether we love him or not. Thats it. He said so himself. Is that so? Mhm. If thats the case Sakura sighed, then spoke with deep meaning. Things are going to be rather troublesome. Chapter 392: Femme Fatale Troublesome? Whaddya mean? Could it be Kotone gasped, looking at Sakura. A moment later, Akiha also looked at Sakura with the same expression. The only criteria was that they love Taiyou. If that were to potentially become troublesome later on, then the two of them had come to a similar conclusion. Anxiety and caution sprung up in their hearts. Dont tell me, you No, not at all. Sakura promptly answered, smiling gracefully. That is most certainly not the case. Besides, even if it were, Im sure that the two of you would understand what that entails. Surely you know whether or not I am giving my heart, my feelings to him. Well True. The two of them nodded at each other. They checked the status between the eyeballs and back teeth. The harem value, as well as the modification of idol. There were seven brides in total, which meant that Sakura was one of them. Since they could confirm this, there was no mistake about it. The two of them were clearly relieved, and it showed on their faces. Then what did you mean by things becoming troublesome, eh? Its simple, really. With the only criterion being whether you love him or not, what would happen if another girl were to show up who liked him? Well I hear that someone spoke of destiny, yes? Sakura said with a straight face. With the reverse-modification of idol, we know that the harem can only have up to seven brides. As soon as there are 8 brides, the modification would bring the value to 0. So yes, we can comprehend what is happening. Its very romantic to think of each bride as being a woman of destiny. However However? Kotone repeated. She seemed to be utterly taken in by what Sakura was saying. There is one current issue with this, and it lies with one person who was going to become a bride but retired. Retired? Who? Princess Leticia. Kotone murmured her name. She was the girl who had once nearly become one of Taiyous brides, but ended up fading out instead. I believe that her very existence is currently undermining this destiny theory. But Besides, if we assume this to be truewho is to say that there isnt one more woman of destiny? Who the heck would that be? Are you not aware? I thought it was fairly obvious. Kotone, do you know something? NoJuurokuya-san? No, not her. ThenPochi? No, she isnt quite up to those standards. Then who is this supposed obvious person? Akiha asked in irritation. Sakura spoke the name of the person with a serious face. The moment she said it, Akiha and even Kotone gasped. Taiyous femme fatale Of course she would come up first, logically. The two of them looked at each other. Why didnt they think of that? Why did they avert their eyes from it? Ohohoho~? Whats everyone doing? That was right when she came in. A grass-colored dress, accompanied by slightly damaged butterfly wings. No one could match her in being carefree, human or not. The femme fatale- -Hera. Chapter 393: Scream of the Fairy Whoosh whoosh whoosh, look at me flyyy! In the town, the little fairy was dangling her feet from the top of an electrical pole. Her singing a parody of another song showed just how much of a good mood she was in. This was truly Hera. She was wearing a grass-colored dress and had butterfly-like wings. Her jovial smile knew no bounds, and the same went for her bright voice. This was Hera, one of the few beings that could make anyone around her have a good time. Hera, the level-up fairy. She was the non-human existence that was always by Taiyous side. Oh? Suddenly, she seemed to pick up on something, cocking her head to the side as she gazed at something far away. Then she got off the electrical pole, flapping her wings as she flew in its direction. The area she was flying to was a hotel on the outskirts of the business district. There was a man and a woman inside a car parked in the shadows. But Mrs Dont call me Mrs.! -I deeply apologize. Sato-san, when your husband-er, I mean, when the subject comes out, please do calm yourself. You may say whatever you want, but please do not lay hands on him. So you just want me to take his B.S.!? While it is true that the blame lies solely on him for this infidelity, it will just counterbalance things with the amount of consolation money he will demand. But hesC Dont you want to send him to hell in a lawful manner? Then you understand that you must be patient for now. GehFine. Listening to all of this, Hera got a good grasp of the situation. The mans appearance suggested he was a detective, while the woman was a wife whose husband had cheated on her. Most likely, that aforementioned man was inside this hotel. This seems to be a scene of carnage from your typical drama. OofI should have brought popcorn. She slipped through the door into the car, flitting around and about the place like a fly. Hera, the fairy who could only be seen by Taiyou and those he kissed. Even if she flew all around the interior, or even in front of their eyes, they showed no sign of noticing her. Ooo, and that must be him. A man and a woman walked out of the hotel in the distance. Clearly they were enjoying themselves and were in quite a good mood with their arms linked. As soon as they saw this, the people in the car jumped out at once, and Hera followed after them. Dear! -Y-Yoko Yoko-chan It was as if time had stopped as the two of them stared at each other, the detective watching from the side. But there was one person who was enjoying this: Hera. The other women called her name tooso does that mean the wife knows the mistress? Whyare you here? The man could barely get out a sentence, but the wife chose not to answer, instead glaring at the mistress. I was truly astonished to hear that you were the partner in this, Shiho. Why? Why would you do this? Why? The mistress burst into scornful laughter. You were the one who stole him from me. I simply took him back. O-Oi Say what? I bet it felt real good. Did you think he chose you? Out of four different choices? Too bad! -ngh! Then there was the sound of a slap. The detective made a face, but showed no signs of intervening. And thus continued the scene of carnage. Hera observed this fight from a front-row seat. After listening in for a bit, she understood the gist of it. Apparently the man and the two women had been classmates in high school, alongside two other women, forming quite the love comedy team. Each woman had their own episodes and memories. And the man had at last chosen one of the four, marrying her. Now, if that were all, it would have ended there. However, the man had still not severed ties with the other three at the time, continuing to cheat on his wife. Wow, what a moronic man. Hera concluded. Hes so moronic that its hopeless to tell him anything. Hera said, flying off. She had begun to lose interest as the scene began turning worse, with the two women insulting each other and two more people were added to the scene. The very thought of choosing only one person was what limited him in the first place. She muttered as she flew through the blue sky. What were you thinking, letting all of them fall in love with you and then only picking one? Clearly youre not with the times, and thats why things like this happen. Thats some outdated light novel stuff. You need to take responsibility with everyone who loves you. She spun around in the air. Taiyou-chan, on the other hand, is great in that sense. He had no qualms with accepting the love of all seven brides-heheh. Hera snorted elatedly. But of course. This is my Taiyou-chan were talking about. She flew through the sky in a good mood, humming a tune. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, look at me flyyy! Lots of brides around Taiyou-chan. There wasnt any rhythm in her movement, but that just showed how happy she was. Then she yelled out. Taiiiyooo chaaan! She simply called his name, but now she was on a whole other level of happiness. Chapter 394: Summon Miyagi household, late afternoon. Atsuko, Nazuna, Mio. The three wives of the Miyagi household were all in the living room. Atsuko and Nazuna were reclining, while Mio was attending to them. This was the usual way of life. Nazuna-sama, might you refrain a bit? Its fine, Im the same as usual. Its you Im worried about, Mio-san. Yes? I am absolutely fine. Such a liarrr! Cmon Mio-san, youre totally covering up a wound arent you? Well Mio stopped talking. Now that the truth had been so quickly pointed out, she wasnt sure how to respond. Im not saying you gotta rest. But at least remember one thing. What might that be, Nazuna-sama? If you fall over right here, we will not know what to do with ourselves. Mio was relieved to hear her say that. Then Atsuko added to what she said. Yes yes, wed be toootally inconvenienced. Neither of us are any good at taking care of ourselves, so if you get incapacitated then who knows whatll happen. Atsuko-samaNazuna-sama Mio gazed at them for a bit before making a small bow. I have heard your requests and will engrave them into my heart. Yep yep. And then the conversation was over. Nothing had really changed from before they discussed that. Mio was working as per usual, and the other two simply accepted that. That was the style of the Miyagi household, the disposition of those who live with one man. And that was what Hera observed as she stared in from the windowsill where she was sitting. How heartwarming! I feel some sort ofI dont know, dignity? Coming from them. Hera was in awe. I wonder if Taiyou and the others will be like this in the future too. Well, maybe thats asking too much. The three wives of the Miyagi household. Multiple women gathering around one man? That was the same thing happening with the Natsuno household, but Hera couldnt help but feel a slight difference between the two. She wasnt exactly sure what it was, but she wanted to figure that out, which was why she was observing them. Hey, wanna go to my stupid sons house? I shall accompany you. Mio raised both of her hands in agreement to Atsukos suggestion. In contrast, Nazuna was a bit put-off. Youre going to suddenly show up at his place? What, is that a problem? Im not sure that I agree. They have their own affairs to deal with. WhaC Besides, shes his wife now, and we agreed to that. I know, but how should I put thiswe never like, tried chasing our son out of the house before. Lets just stop. I dont think its appropriate to force something disagreeable on those kids. Hm? But I dont find it disagreeable. Atsuko said with a perplexed face. Really now? Heck yeah, I always aspired to one day crash into someones house and have them kick me out. Why am I not surprised? And so I also aspire to be driven out by a man who has less patience for things like this. Yep, I thought youd say something like that, Atsuko-san. So cmon, lets go! Very well. Yay! Ill let you two go on ahead, then. Huh? Just us two? Yes. Why? I aspire to be a mother-in-law who is loved. Wow, youre so underhanded, Nazuna Is that so unreasonable? I wish to be liked, not disliked. Then what about Mio-san? Mio-san is-Ah, you get what I mean, right? Yes, I would expect what her answer is. Atsuko said as she sat down. After doing that she said nothing. It was the same for the other two. They were back to where they were originally, no one saying anything. Whaaat? Whats up, whats up? Is that it? Hera opened her mouth instead. She truly wanted to know what the wives were getting at, but of course her voice did not reach them. As a result, there was no reply. And why isnt anyone moving? Werent you going over to Taiyous place? She flew around like a buzzing fly around the silent room. Flying, waiting. Flying, waiting. Flying, waiting. No matter how much she flew or waited The three of them did not open their mouths even once. The sun began to fall from its former height, the outside world darkening and the street lamps lighting up, but that did not change the calm atmosphere in the house. Uuso it is indeed pointless. Heras eyes filled with tears. No one could see her or touch her. There were a lot of merits to that, but there were many demerits as well. Oh well. Hera gave up, going back through the walls outside. This was also part of Heras nature: if something is pointless, then no point dwelling on it. She flew alone through the night sky. The wind was blowing, but she did not feel it. She simply flew onward, untouched. Oh? The core of her body had heated up. She had experienced this sensation numerous times before. Oho, it came! Yay! Right after saying that, the fairys tiny body was sucked into a twisted space. After a brief sensation of ecstasy, she saw a familiar face. There was some youth that remained on this face, but it would no doubt become much more masculine as time went by. It wasnt so much a bodily feeling as it was a beating in her chest. As she harbored those feelings, Hera soared up to the heavens and declared, Ja-jajaaan, Hera has arrived! Chapter 395: Fairy House Pew pew! Hera! Faster! Roger! As you wish! Under the Great Hirose Bridge, Oritate Towns riverbed. Hera was teamed up with Taiyou against Ruri. Ruri was already Taiyous bride, so there was no real need to fight. However, Taiyou had actually decided to make it a daily habit. They fought like how one would do radio calisthenics every morning-except sparring, of course. Here I gooo. Hera-chan! Final! Atomic Screw Sinker Atta-bwah! Hera attacked Ruri with a special drill move, but it met with Ruris katana and was flung aside. Still, she took no damage. Only one person could damage Hera in this world: Taiyou. Ruri was the strongest person in the world, but even she could do nothing but repel Hera. She bounced right back, no matter how many times Ruri swept her away or attempted to attack her. This made Hera feel all the more close with Taiyou. Pew pew pew pewww! Hera grew more and more excited. Flung back, charging forward, flung back again, charging again. Hera repeated the process over and over again. And just like every other day, Taiyou lost to her much too easily, but Hera had fought until the end. Still cant win, I see. Yup, not quite. Rome was notbuilt in a single day. Taiyou and Ruri sat next to each other below the bridge, with Hera perched on Taiyous shoulder. Quenching his thirst with water from a canteen, Taiyou gazed languidly at the river. Well, youll get it eventually, Taiyou-chan. Do youthink so? Ruri looked at Hera, slightly surprised. Yes indeed, we will find a way to beat you. To be quite honest, I can see Taiyou-chan becoming more powerful than you at top level. At which point the possibility emerges to defeat you. I seethat could end up being true. Maybe, but Id rather beat you before I reach that point. Whyis that? Cause there isnt much of a reason to win against you anymore, is there? Taiyou said, and Ruri nodded quietly. It had been different at first, with Taiyou winning against Ruri being the prerequisite for gaining her as his bride. So Taiyou had continued to challenge her with that in mind. But now that Ruri was Taiyous, that objective no longer existed. In other words, that meant there was no longer a need for Taiyou to fight with her like this. Even with the objective gone, Taiyou continued fighting. After I level up like crazy, Ill win against youis what Hera said before. I sure diiid! Hera said, jumping up from Taiyous shoulders and flitting around. So thats why I felt like Id rather win against you before levelling up like crazy. I know its stupid, of course. So maybe I shouldlet you defeat me. No, please dont hold back. Taiyou gave Ruri a smooch. Hera secretly thought ooo!. Taiyou did this quite often, giving a fairly meaningless kiss when answering questions. (I guess thats the secret to getting along with all your brides, eh?) Hera thought to herself. To the side, Taiyou was talking to Ruri. It only means something to me if I defeat you at your bestSeriously, if you wanted to hold back right now you really could, couldnt you? MhmI can. Ruri nodded. But Im fineeven if I lose to you. Yeah, I thought youd say something like that. He said, kissing her again. But thats exactly why I need to beat you at your best. Is thatso. Is it weird? It is not weird at all, I think its manly and wonderful, indeed. Right. Thats our Taiyou-chan, thats how I know youre my Taiyou-chan! Not exactly yours, but thanks. Taiyou and Ruri gazed at the glittering river surface reflecting the rays of the morning sun. Hera was in a great mood, fluttering around that perimeter. Naturally, she whistled. Happy, gleeful, and natural whistling. Thats right. Suddenly, as if reminded of something, Taiyou turned to look at Hera. What are you gonna do about your room? Room? Hera stopped. She flew in front of Taiyou, cocking her head in an inquisitive manner. What do you mean? You know how weve been discussing the building that everyones going to live in? I was just wondering what you wanted for yours. Youre going to make a room for me, too? Hera was baffled, not expecting this in the slightest. I sort of thought itd be better that you have one, but then again, youre physically different than everyone else, so there might not be any sense in making a room. A bit conflicted here. Nope, not much sense. So I was wondering what to do Maybe a doghouseor a birdhouse. Ooo, that sounds fantastic. Or you could build one of those bee nests under the eaves of the house. I would really love that. Youre seriously good with that? It has no meaning in the end, you see. Might as well go with an interesting idea! Thenhow about a household shrine? There we go! Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan, Id like you to make me a household shrine near the building entrance, indeed. An Infinite Torii or something like that. Theres no such thing as an Infinite Torii! Ahahaha! Hera once again zoomed around the perimeter. She was having so much fun and was so very happy. Spending time with Taiyou made every day glitter so brightly. Chapter 396: First Love What was your first love like, Kohaku-tan? Late at night in the living room, Kohaku and Hera were alone together. The loli baba tilted her glass to her lips as Hera asked her this question. Whats this out of the blue, ja? I was just a little curious. Actually, I never heard who your first love was, Kohaku-tan. Hm. You are a Loli Baba. Aye, my appearance versus my actual age. Not an attractive witch. Loli Baba fits the best, ja. She tilted her glass, her lips wet with the amber liquid. Hera wondered if Kohaku perhaps wasnt as strong with alcohol as she thought. She could drink sometimes, but in general it was only one glass, plus it took her over a night to finish drinking over half the cup. Perhaps it was just to create an atmosphere or a persona. Hera pondered this as she asked another question. Youve been living about 80 years, right? Aye, thats correct, ja. If youve lived so long, then dont you have plenty of stories to tell? The first time was all to me husband, ja. Im talking about the first romantic occurrence, though. Hera pouted slightly. This was Kohakus way of evading the conversation. She spoke the truth, but did not answer the core of the issue. That perfect balance in evading the question-another way of lying. Hm. It wasnt Taiyou-chan at first, right? Me husband was the first one I offered me everything to, ja. Kohaku-tan- Kukuku, ye got me apologies. Ah, but this makes me a bit self-conscious when I discuss it,ye see? So its embarrassing? Indeed. She nodded, drinking the rest of the cup dry. It seemed she would not talk without a drink. Kohaku left the glass on the table, gazing into the distance, until she finally spoke. Well, weve aged quite a bit, and theyre in the ranks of the departed after all. You mean theyre dead? A bit older than I am, so yeah, thats to be expected, ja. I see. And it isnt even anything crazy, ja. Guy who lived close to me, very nice. But that kindness did not stop him from going to the battlefield, never to return. That doesnt seem to have anything to do with your age, Kohaku-tan! Hera immediately objected. Kohaku was stifling her laughter. Ye could say that. Also, just know I hardly talk about this, ja. Or, nay, I think never, ja. What, you serious? For reals, yo. You dont have to try and talk like a youngster. Kukuku, you sure remind me of Husband when he makes a quip. So why did you hesitate before saying that? What are ye saying? Kohaku furrowed her eyebrows. I be Husbands now. Remembering any other man will be a betrayal. Is it, now? Hera was astonished. She just couldnt comprehend the logic. Aye, betrayal, betrayal, it may as well be adultery, ja. Is that how it is Hera felt despondent. I am indeed sorry. I should have never asked. Its fine, lass, I trust ye so Im talkin. Ill do whatever it takes to make amends. Then might I have a refill on the booze? Yes indeed! Coming right up! Hera answered energetically, moving to the glass on the table. She then outstretched her hands to take hold of it, but Swoosh! Her hands went right through the glass. Oh, I cant actually hold it Hera couldnt touch anything physical, so of course she could not hold the glass, let alone pour liquor. Hera looked at Kohaku with a sad face. I am indeed sorry. Kukuku. I really am, indeed, is there anything else I can do? Mm? Klink, klink. Kohaku took the glass in her hands, swirling around the ice cubes in the cup. After she thought for a bit, Kohaku spoke again. Then you can tell me something. What is it? Please ask anything. Three sizes, the shape of my underwear, the color of my nipples, Ill tell you anything. No, ye can tell Danna-sama that-Now then, who was yer first love? Eh- Hera stiffened up. She hadnt thought shed hear that. But it was only for a moment. At least for her, there was no reason to be faltering. Hera answered plainly. I havent had one. Really? Indeed I have not. I have never loved in the first place. I met Taiyou-chan soon after I was born, so its not like there was time for that anyway. I see, then Danna-sama would be yer first in this case. Mmm, no, I dont think thats the case either. Ye have no feelings? But ye talked so much of him being My Taiyou-chan or Im here for Taiyou-chan. Is that not the case? Yes indeed, because Taiyou-chan is Taiyou-chan. There isnt love in a romantic sense. Hmm Kohaku tilted her glass. After putting it to her mouth, she remembered that there was in fact nothing left in there. As she looked at Kohaku, Hera questioned herself. She wasnt sure what the answer was. Mhm, Taiyou-chan is definitely Taiyou-chan, indeed. Chapter 397: Bridal Repaymen After school at the academy, Hera slipped into a room with a plate titled Crafts Club. Among them were Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane. The three of them had been sewing something with intent expressions, only pausing to look at Hera. Hera-chan, whats up? Kotone, the elder sister asked. I was free so I came over to play with everyone. You were the only ones left at the school. Is that right? They all left? Well, Akiha-san was on break today. Suzune and Kazane stopped what they were doing, participating in the conversation. Hera used the term everyone to refer to Taiyou and his seven wives. Every so often it would include any woman with whom Taiyou shared a kiss, so people like Leticia or Adano could share that title, but it was generally just the former definition. So the sisters answered with that in mind. But wow, I didnt know you were in a club. Weve always been in here. There was quite the commotion in Spring. It only resurfaced recently. Is that so? And what are you making? Im making a box tissue cover. Ooo, how cute. And you, Suzune-chan? Tablecloth. Its a Christmas version so I need to complete it by then. Red and white are indeed cute. Are those socks real? Not at all, this is an appliqu. Ohhh, and you, Kazane-chan? Slippers. Slippers? Kazane seemed to be making the most interesting item out of all of them. Upon closer inspection, it did seem to be the case that she was making slippers. But these slippers were no mere slippers. The top part was big, forming the shape of an animal to make very adorable slippers. What kind of animal is that? A hippo. A hippo? Yeah, I fretted a bit over whether that or a lion would be better, but I thought this one would be cuter. And this sizeis it for Taiyou-chan? Of course. Indeed, I see. Hera nodded. She imagined Taiyou wearing hippo-themed slippers in the house. Yes, this might actually look good on him, she thought. Nothing for the others, then? I was thinking of starting on theirs after Taiyou-sans, listening to their preferences. I want some too, indeed. You too? When Hera mentioned she wanted some, Kotone and Suzune looked at her as they resumed sewing. Oh? Do I not get any? Hera put her fingers on her lips in a dejected manner. No, you can have some, but Oh, is it because its difficult to make small-sized ones? Not exactly that either Kazane said, and the three sisters looked at one another. Kazane nodded, holding out the hippo slippers. Hera-chan, can you go ahead and try holding this? Eh? Hera answered with a blank face. What are you saying, Kazane-chan? I cant hold anything. You cant? I cant. I can only touch people with whom Taiyou-chan has kissed, and no other physical substance. Hera put her hands on her hips in a bragging manner. Then you cant put on slippers, now can you? Ohhh! Hera clapped her hands together like this was the first time the thought occurred to her. Right, thats true. I cannot wear slippers. Right? I was careless, indeed. Sorry. Please forget we had this conversation, indeed. With that, the conversation came to an end again, and the three sisters got back to sewing. Hera stared at them a bit. After a bit, the three of them raised their heads and opened their mouths in unison. Hera-chando you want to wear slippers? Yes indeed? You would want To be paired with Taiyou, right? Yes indeed, I would love to match with Taiyou-chan. The three sisters looked at each other again. But it cant be helped, indeed. There is indeed nothing that can be done. Are you completely sure about that? If its someone whos kissed Taiyou-san, you can touch them, right? Then what about items that Taiyou-san has kissed? I think something like that was in a manga before, if I recall. Ohhh! Hera clapped her hands. That indeed might be possible. I will go see Taiyou-chan real quick. Hera said, slipping through the wall and rushing outside. Hera flew over to where she sensed Taiyou was. When she did so, Hera found herself in the commercial district area, watching Taiyou and Ruri heading home from school side by side. Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan. Hm? What is it? Taiyou-chan, do you have a handkerchief or something on you? Uhh yeah, I do? Kotone supplies me with it every morning. Taiyou took out the handkerchief. You are to kiss the handkerchief. Say what? You are to do it quickly. This is an experiment to see if I can touch anything youve kissed. Ahh, thats what you mean. Taiyou nodded, putting his lips on the kerchief and giving it a smooch. Here you go. Yes indeedmmm, looks like I still cant touch it. How unfortunate. But why the sudden impulse? The triplets were making slippers. But I cannot touch physical objects Ahh, so thats why you came to test out if you could touch anything I kissed. Yes indeed. Although you can touch anything while Im holding it. No point if thats the case. Yes indeed. Welp, guess thats that. There probablyis a way. Ruri said. Taiyou and Hera both looked at her. And what would that be? Thoseyour wings. Ruri said, pointing at Heras wings. My wings? Hera looked blankly at her battered wings. Ahhh! Taiyou realized something, raising his voice. W-Whats the matter? Blood Soul. Blood Soul? Yes, that katana. You were able to touch it, remember? Ohhh! Yes indeed, I remember that. All you have to do is make something that doesnt rampage or attack the mind. Mhmjust make it like that. Hold up, Im going to try asking Youran or Sakura. Taiyou took out his phone to make a call. Youran answered and listened to what he had to say. [Yeah, you can do it.] Really? [But it will cost you a pretty penny, Master. The material fee is about a million for one set of clothing, I think-] Go ahead and make it. Taiyou immediately answered. Ill do anything it takes to get the money over to you later. [Alright. Then Ill get in contact with the sisters.] Youran said, hanging up. Taiyou put away his phone, looking at Hera. She says you can. Youre in luck. But but Taiyou-chan, I think I heard a seriously high price. Dont worry about it. More importantly Taiyou said as he stared straight at Hera. Im more than happy to give you a present. Taiyou-chanthank you, indeed. Hera clung to Taiyou in an emotional manner. I will alsouse my money. No, just leave this to- I am in debt to her for bringing us togetherI wish to repay that favor. Okay. Taiyou and Ruri nodded at one another while Heras face went blank. Later, the financial muscles that were Youran, Sakura, and Kohaku would come and have their say. And this was how Operation Dress-Up Doll Hera began. Chapter 398: Successive Sortie A spacious room. It was a square shape the size of a baseball field, its ceiling the height of a regular building. It was covered by strange, pure-white materials. It closely resembled the space that Taiyou had been trapped in, but it was even more spacious than that one. That was where Taiyou and Ruri were facing each other. Taiyou was wearing casual clothes with a jacket coordinating with his brides, while Ruri looked the same as she did when they first met, with a black-laced dress and holding her beloved sword, Heaven Reversal. Were gonna do this for real, then? Taiyou asked, and then he heard a voice from the ceiling. Yes, please fight with all your strength if you can. He heard Sakuras voice. He heard her loud and clear despite the fact that there were no speakers, which was the same as last time. Taiyou felt nostalgic and a little weird at the same time. The byproduct of Blood Soul. This material absorbs the blood and soul from a heated clash and changes its properties. Thats what we found through our research. And for some reason it shifts into something that Hera can touch. Exactly. But wouldnt Hera end up going berserk again? This time were using it in order to allow her to wear other clothing, right? It isnt a weapon in this case, so if she does rampage then all we need do is stop her. Yes, exactly. This time Yourans voice came through the ceiling. Cmon, we can easily stop her if she goes out of control. Just zap her clothes off. T-That sounds like a criminal offense Aobas voice came through too. There were also other people Taiyou heard breathing on the other side. Apparently all his brides were there. Welp, I guess thats true. Taiyou nodded after some thinking. Logic dictated that this was the best course of action, even if some risk accompanied it. Its fineeven if that somehow happens Ruri opened her mouth in front of him. Ill strip herand hand her to you, Darling. No, no, you dont need to hand her to me. He waved his hands in a karate chop motion. Now, lets begin. The minute he said that, everyone in the vicinity felt bloodlust. Freestyle. Heaven Reversal, come forth. A cool voice accompanied by an ancient name. The next moment, Ruri disappeared with a poof. Taiyou dealt with this calmly. He was accustomed to her moving at high speeds from the outset in order to strike his blind spots. I see you! Taiyou spun around with a backhand. His fists ripped through the air with a roar, revealing Ruri. Right before he hit her, she had taken a step back, dodging with the skin of her teeth. Sun Flare. Cold air assailed the tip of his nose, enveloping his face. A thrust of pure light. Taiyou reacted instinctively with his fist. Bam! They sliced through the air with a force enough to distort the environment. After their head-on clash, would you believe it-Ruri took a step back. Pushed back for once, Ruri had a look of surprise on her face. Taiyou clenched his fists, taking in a breath and narrowing his eyes. He sharpened his senses, and the already-bare room further lost its scenery. He swooped down on Ruri, pulling back his fist like a bow on a bow string and releasing it. Ruri dodged. Anticipating her dodge, Taiyou had already moved ahead of her and unleashed a deadly attack. The sound of air being ripped apart echoed again, and this time Ruri leaped backward. Seriousmode? Yeah, pretty much. Taiyou answered. Ruri nodded, narrowing her eyes as well. ThenI will also, begin. Ruri spoke in a familiar tone, but this wasnt the time to be indulging in reminiscence. She was headed this way-his instincts, not his head, were ringing alarm bells. The next moment, something hot stabbed him through the flank. Uwawa, Taiyou-chans hurt! The girls continued keeping watch in the monitor room. Hera was the first to cry out. Uwaa, no mercy at all, Master. Is Taiyou gonna be okay after something like that? It will be fine. It has been instilled in her after all. Ruri is a girl who knows when to differentiate between objective and method. The two Juunishimas said in placid tones. But upon closer inspection, they were tightly clenching their fists, gazing at the screen. Their hands seemed to be sweating, showing that even they were nervous and a bit worked up. Compared to that, Kohaku, being the eldest one there, was completely and utterly calm. But looking closer, it seems that Ruri has been using discretion as of late, ja. I agree. Its felt that way the whole time. It was likea super soft atmosphere or something. The three sisters agreed with Kohaku. They were also nervous, but not as much as the Juunishima sisters. Aye. From what I see, Ruri is completely in the lead. I wonder when Danna-sama will finally be able to beat her, eh. Im sure it wont be much longer. The three sisters said in unison. Kohaku merely replied, Aye. Alright-one two, one two. Akiha? What are you trying to do? Akiha had suddenly begun to stretch, and Aoba inquired in a surprised voice. Mm? I was just thinking I should get out there. Out there? You mean where they are? Yup. Whaaaaat? Aoba said in a shocked voice, and everyone else in the vicinity turned to look at her. Wait, are you for real, Akiha? Sure, why not. Akia nodded, looking at Sakura. Itd be best if there were more fighters, right? In theory, yes. Sakura nodded heavily. Then Im going out there for a bit. Akiha smiled, leaving the monitor room. Wait Akiha- Aoba tried to chase after her. Kohaku stopped her by grabbing the cuff of her clothing. Kohaku-san If ye be her friend, yed best let her fight till shes satisfied. Unless ye want to take her place. Uu Thats right, let those who want to go in. Plus the more the merrier in Masters case. He might get angry, ja. Might say something like But I wanted to do it! Im fairly new here, but isnt that when youre supposed to persuade him otherwise? Sure is. Kohaku purred at Sakuras question. Now then. Is there any weapon that Blood Soul originated from? Like that dagger, for instance, ja. Kohaku-san? Arent ye adjusting it based on the Eternal Little? I should be able to handle it better than Hera, ja. Alright, I will bring it over here. Sakura nodded, immediately leaving the room. Well Im glad SOME people have things they can do. And ye will too when the time comes. Right. Youran nodded. There was no trace of frustration on her face. After some time, Kohaku took the dagger from Sakura when she returned, chasing after Akiha to enter the battle room. Chapter 399: Joint Operation It was quite nerve-wracking to play big jump rope. No expense was forgiven. You had to calculate the timing and jump without hesitation. This was similar, except for the fact that it was a hundred times more difficult. That was what Akiha felt. (Windstorm) Akiha swallowed her saliva. What she saw could not be described as anything other than that. Taiyou and Ruri. The sight of them fighting was dazzling, surpassing Akihas limits. Several metres away, Akiha was finally able to take in Taiyous movements. Still, that did not dissuade her. When to jump inhow to jump in Akiha was contemplating those things, but there was no such decision as not doing it or running away. Heheh. A smile peeked through her face. Even though danger and fear were sweeping throughout her body She was happy for some reason; unbelievably so. Aki-han. Akiha heard a voice, and Hera flew next to her. Her generally tiny and adorable face was unusually shrouded for once. What? Are you okay? Probably not. Im going up against my master after all. Then you are to stop this. Taiyou-chan said hed be fine with this, so you should indeed leave it to him. I mean, thats fine too, but If youre doing this for me- Yeah, thats part of it, but Akiha interrupted Hera mid-sentence. But yknow, thats not all to it. I dunno, it just feels fun. Itsfun? Mhm. Akiha nodded briskly. I cant exactly put it into words, but yeah, thats probably it. Its like this is my first joint operation. Your first joint operation? Yeah, so Im like, super stoked right now. Is that so. Yep. Akiha nodded. She wasnt kidding. Having the same objective as Taiyou and working toward it. Akiha felt delight in that. By jokingly referring to this as her first joint operation, it only made her even more delighted. That was what spurred her on. With that being said, its time for me to go out for a bit. Akiha left Hera behind, taking a step forward. To the battlefield where windstorms blew. I seethis certainly not be a good item, ja. Kohaku muttered as she stared at what Sakura had entrusted her with. Is that so? Aye. I can tell just by gripping it, ja. It be pulsating like a heart in the palm of me hand. Did ye not feel anything when ye held it? No, not in the slightest. Which means it reactsor resonates, with an Eternal Little, ja. That must be it. Hm. Gripping the dagger, Kohaku ensured that her intuition was correct. At first glance, it was just a regular dagger; something that any old neer-do-well would drop. But Kohaku could sense something different. This was dangerous, something was off about this. Perhaps you should just leave it be. Hm? Objectively speaking, what you have there is the most dangerous of all. Without him saying so, and probably without Aoyama Akiha saying anything, Ruri will hold back against both of them. Even Hera can participate whenever she feels like it. But that weapon is Ill do something about it, ja. Something as in Besides. Kohakus mouth twisted into a grin. Something happens, something happens, ja. And that time I be able to eternally keep Danna-sama in me memories. Wha- It be a joke, ja. Do not take it so seriously. Kohaku laughed with a hearty kukuku. There might indeed be some worth in messing with Sakura, unexpectedly enough. And just like that, gripping the dagger tightly in her hand, she headed into the room where the battle was being held. She opened the door, entering. Taiyou, Ruri, and Akiha were fighting. Taiyou and Ruri were clashing straight at each other, while Akiha was moving around them, searching for a chancean entry point. Kohaku-tan- Wait here. Kohaku said only that, suppressing Hera. Taking a deep breath, she flipped the dagger into reverse grip in her dominant hand. Then she brought out her other hand, cutting the thumb with the blade. Blood came out, and the blade sucked it in. The pulse became stronger, and something warm ran throughout her body. I see. Feeling a firm power, Kohaku began to dig the blade into her index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and lastly, her pinky. The number of raw wounds increased, and every time the dagger sucked the blood, Kohaku felt power well within her. Blood Soul, the manmade magic sword that sucked blood and soul. Kohaku charged into battle with it. Hera didnt understand. Why did everyone just do that? This was a first for her, and she was quite bewildered. Taiyou and Ruri were one thing, since they had been fighting daily. So she had no issue with them fighting like this. But now Akiha had entered the fray. Akiha, who was a fresh apprentice under Ruri, had jumped into this without considering the danger. And now Kohaku has joined. She was also holding the weapon that had once caused trouble, hurting herself and jumping in. Hera was baffled by this. Why did they do that too? Why did they do that for her? She didnt know, so she was perplexed. But now those feelings began to turn into something else. Probably because they were there. In the midst of the wind in this atrocity of a battle. Hera was affected by this, inspired by this. Her bewilderment gave way to something warm that became a small torch, filling her chest. Which birthed a new, different type of bewilderment. Why was she so happy at a time like this? Chapter 400: For The Fairy The sound of swords clashing echoed through the room. Sparks flew, and the loli baba closed in on Shirokiyami. Kukukukuku, looks like yer losing in raw power, Strongest. Im not really Ruri disappeared without warning, appearing behind Kohaku. bragging about my power. Here I come! She tried to swipe at them from behind, but Akiha broke through them in high spirits. Akiha had stepped in with unique movements, diving toward Ruris bosom, pressing down her wrist that was about to swing the katana. Its a little difficult to get to you from here, isnt it Master? Thenyou can just, back off. As if! Ruri kicked off the ground, flying backwards, only to be intercepted by Taiyou as he suddenly appeared behind her, swinging both his hands down like a hammer. Ruris small body was smacked and nailed to the wall. Taiyou, Kohaku, Akiha. The three of them were overpowering Ruri. How about now, Master? Maybe its a bit difficult for even one such as yourself to deal with all three of us, eh? Not evenclose. Shes going on the offensive! Get ba- Before Taiyou could get it all out, Ruri had split into multiple versions of herself, closing in on the three of them. Taiyou narrowed his eyebrows, while Akiha expressed astonishment. Meanwhile Kukukuhahaha, ahahahahaha. Azumaya Kohaku roared with laughter. Blood SoulShe unsheathed the dagger to combat Ruri. At this moment, Ruri and the three of them combined were equals. Isnt that dangerous? Youran asked as she observed the fight from the monitor. Dangerous, in this case, was referring to Kohaku. It was as if the loli baba had become the embodiment of madness. Sort of feels like shes been swallowed up by the sword and is now rampaging. Mm Doesnt look too good, does it A little worrisome. The three sisters spoke with slightly worried expressions. No, everything is fine, indeed. But Hera cut through their worries as she returned. Fine? Why would you think that? Because Taiyou-chan and Ruri-chan havent tried to stop her yet. Theyd do it if things got bad, just like what happened with me. Because youve experienced it, huh. Besides- Hera added. I think Kohaku-tans just getting in character. Its the perfect chance, like a werewolf on the night of a full moon. Yeah, I could actually see her acting that way. I think shes like one of those self-aware drunks. This time Aoba spoke. What do you mean by that? Thats what Mama does. She can drink a truckload and keep going like nothings happened, yet sees the need to put on an act at the beginning saying Hurhurhur Im drunk. But doesnt that just mean That shes drunk? And thats just the kind of thing she says? Nope, definitely not. Cause right after that shell say What a drag or Im fed up or No ones gonna tell me to stop? and then she just starts drinking like normal. So its a crime of conscience. Yeah, sounds like her, indeed. True, she wouldnt just leave Master alone with how important the objective and method are to him. Thats right! Youran felt better now, and the three sisters nodded. Ruuuuuriiiiiii!!! Kohakus shriek mixed with the clash of swords. Ah, feels like that one was on purpose. Hey, isnt she kind of enjoying this? I feel like Ruri-chans the one whos dangerous here. Her tone is the same as before she became Taiyou-chans bride. I get the shivers just looking at this from the other side. Scary. Ah, Kohaku-san and Akiha-san got hit. Ah, it figures Natsuno-kun would be the last one standing. Beyond the monitor in the other room, Taiyou and Ruri were in a one-on-one duel, continuing their flurry of moves next to the downed teammates. As they exchanged blows, they also exchanged words. Yeah, youre strong alright. Even if its insincereIm, happy. I am being sincere, but you know that. Still Stillwha, t? Its not the right kind of strength. Honestly, you were way weaker back then. Ruri was at a loss for words. Her lips moved only slightly, but no words came out. She clearly wanted to react in some way, but wasnt sure what to say. Her hesitation spread to her sword. The moment the power began to fade in her movement, Taiyou slammed his fist into her flank. How did he do-he hit her! Alright! He let out a shout of exultation. It was the first clean hit he ever got on her, as far as he could tell. Ruri flew off, her body launched like a cannonball through the wall. Hows that? Now everything should be- Danna-samaC He heard Kohakus voice. As soon as he realized what she was trying to tell him, Taiyous body went flying into the wall. It wasnt so much the damage, just that his head was spinning. His vision dimmed, and it was difficult to stand up correctly. But with his dimmed vision, he could still make out Ruri advancing toward him. Was this it for now? Taiyou began to give up. But then, he caught sight of something. The white wall behind Ruri had begun pulsating with a red color. This wall was made for Hera, for the fabric of her clothing, from the essence of Blood Soul. Now it was starting to show its true nature. Power flowed through Taiyou as the battle spirit rose within him. Haaaaa! He countered Ruris attack with his fists. You couldstill, move? Of course, now that I see whats going down. Gotta keep it going. Taiyous mouth twisted into a grin. The next moment. Ye got that right, ja! This is where the action gets crazy, yo! The two who had been down were back at it again, lunging at Ruri. The fight for Taiyous objective was far from over. Chapter 401: The Second Battlefield She couldnt comprehend why they would go so far for her. But that soon became a trifling matter. Confusion gave way to gratitude, and gratitude birthed glee. Duh-duuuh! The small fairy charged at Ruri like a bullet from a rifle, drilling at her. Sillythat would never, work. Ruri cleared her away as per usual, and Hera bumped into the pulsating wall, bounding off. Gyah! Im not done yeeet. Youre quitetena, cious. Hera! Taiyou-chan. Their eyes met. It happened immediately, not even for 1/75 of a second. It transmitted directly to him whether he liked it or not. Hera sped up, but she didnt run into him. She charged at Ruri, changing her trajectory. She charged again, changing her trajectory immediately before doing so. Ruris specialized weapon was the katana, hence why her aim was precise. She had what you would call air supremacy; complete control of the space around her. But that also meant you were fine as long as you did not enter that space. Every time Hera charged at Ruri, she would always change her direction at the last minute before entering her range. Buzz buzz buzzz. She flew around Ruri like a hornet. She did not directly attack her, so there was no damage done. But Ruri slightly narrowed her eyebrows, making a displeased face. This seemed to vex her a lot more than an attack would. But of course. Heras attacks did not hit. But that didnt mean they werent doing something. From Ruris viewpoint, she had to constantly ward off Hera as she flitted around. Anyone would hate having to be in a situation where their opponent appeared to be approaching but never actually came. What a nastything to, do. Hmhmhm and hmmm! Its rare to see you making a face like that. You are aterrible, person. Not gonna call me Darling anymore? Taiyou jested as fist clashed with her sword. Ruris expression faltered for an instant. Gotcha! Hera charged in, this time to actually hit. Taken aback at that voice, Ruri cut her down with her katana. Still, this was the closest Hera had come. Cmon, you really think she wouldnt get what you were up to if you yell gotcha? Whaaat, but theres so much romance in saying gotcha. Almost as epic as a super robot screaming out their move. Kukuku, well then it cant be helped if its romantic, ja. Taiyou seems to have a distorted definition of what romance is, doesnt he Kohaku and Akiha were up and ready to challenge Ruri again. Taiyou, Hera, Kohaku, and Akiha. The four of them repeatedly challenged Ruri in a fight of survival. Hey, was it always like this? Was what? Aoba questioned Yourans question. Hera hitting walls whenever Ruri crashes into her. Uhhactually, Im not sure. From what I recall Having returned to the room, Sakura rejoined the conversation. In the last fight, there was a phenomenon that occurredcalled Lone Rally. Yeah, I know that. Hera has in fact crashed into the ground before. Like when Master strikes her into the ground. But I was wondering if walls ever had the same effect. You know what? I dont think I have seen that yet. Shes always easily slipped through the walls and the ceiling. Plus I feel like Hera-chan said she couldnt touch the wall. The three sisters answered in a soul chorus relay. Then that must mean? Yes, that has to be it. Sakura was the one who answered. Aoba and the three sisters didnt seem to yet understand. Well, as we look at the red pulsating in the wall, it seems to mean that everythings going as planned. As plannedah, I get it. The wall is made of the same material that was used for the clothing. Yup. Hera, do you read me? Yes indeed. What is it, Yuri-chan? Were having such fun right now. The observation monitor delivered Heras response. Theres something I want to talk to you about-a plan, rather. Come back here real quick. Uhh- Hera glanced at Taiyou. Go ahead. Yes indeed. Taiyou gave an immediate answer, to which Hera responded by charging in the direction of the wall. She wanted to go through it to return. However Geh! Owowowow Hera slammed spectacularly into the wall, massaging her nose. Seems you cant get through it. If she cant get through, then does that mean I think so, yes. Also, hopefully this is only temporarily No, you need not worry about that. Sakura said to Youran. Just think of it as adding dye to fabric. After you dye it, it will take more than just one wash to get rid of the color. Okay then. Umm For the processing Is there anything we need to worry about? The three sisters asked Sakura. No, nothing to worry about in that regard either. After we remove it from the wall, we have prepared the normal fabric to replace it. Although that made the cost go up considerably Its pricey? Aoba made an anxious face. It sure is. Welp, Master can pay it off later like he promised, so no worries. Well yeah, theres nothing Natsuno-kun cant pay off when he puts his mind to it. Wow, I didnt expect you to say that. Youran made a slightly surprised face. Shingetsu-sama, I believe that might be a tad rude to him if you are that surprised. Grr. Well well, more importantly. How about we discuss what clothing well be making for Hera-chan? Yes, something different than her current dress. The four of them began a discussion after the triplets suggested this. In the middle of their discussion, Sakura brought in paper, and the accustomed triplets got straight to drawing the images of what the clothing would look like. The project was steadily approaching completion. Chapter 402: The Beginning of Nigh Ruri was the last one standing. She was quite literally standing for a long time by herself. As expected of you, Ruri-chan. You have the strength of a hundred. It was like every time we got back up, there were more of herwere we really beaten that badly? Akiha asked as she threw out her feet. She was the weakest of them all, but she constantly challenged Ruri at close combat, actually getting defeated the most, her clothes tattering. In that case, you should say Ruri cuts down a hundred or a thousand people. It indeed sounds cooler. Right. Are you all right, Kohaku-san? A-Ayenothing crazy, ja. Taiyou hugged Kohakus shoulders, peeking his head through. Kohaku didnt have any visible injuries, but she was the most exhausted out of everyone here. Her young face was pale, and it felt like her eyes were sunken in. It was clear that this was due to the aftereffects of overusing the dagger of blood and soul. Youre clearly not fine. This is justIm sorry for not realizing what was happening. I was distracted. Aye, ye were pretty absorbed, ja Sorry. I wouldve expected a thank you from ye, Danna-sama, but wow, never thought Id hear a sorry Kohaku teased him in a weak voice. Taiyou was surprised. He had realized something. The next moment, he took a deep breath, changing his facial expression. And then he smiled and looked at Kohaku. Thank you very much, Kohaku-san. And Id like to apologize for what I just said. Sorry again. Danna-sama. Yes. I love ye. No. He shook his head with a serious face, surprising Kohaku. I love you way more. No, Danna-sama, I cannot yield even to ye in this regard. I love ye more, ja. No, I do. Then how about we call it a tie with you two and say I win. Akiha joined in. She said it jokingly, but she probably thought it would be her loss to sit out on the topic of love. Unfortunately, it be impossible for ye to love him the most. Plus ye got Aoba too, ja. Whaaat, so youre saying just cause I like Aoba too I cant love him the most? Then Taiyou definitely cant love you more. Danna-samas on a whole other plain, ja. Simply increasing the people he likes wont split up the love, ja. Kohaku-tans weakened, indeed. Shes so weak right now that she doesnt realize her contradictions, indeed. As Hera said that, Ruri walked over silently from where she was. Are youalright? Her tone was now back to what it had been as of late. She had an apologetic look on her face. Fear not. Ye held back good enough to prevent anything bad from happening. Plus Pluswhat? Now that Im like this, I get to have Danna-sama nurse me back to health, ja. Ahhh, that makes me envious. Mhmenvious. Akiha and Ruri spoke almost at the same time. Taiyou made a small wry smile as he held Kohaku. Let me just say that I dont make you envious on purpose. Taiyou clarified, but he still didnt try to move his hands away from Kohaku. She wasnt hurt at all, but he understood that Kohaku was too weakened to walk by herself. He had made sure to clarify beforehand so that they wouldnt misunderstand. Alright, I think we can return now. You are returning? Yep. Thats fine, but Taiyou-chan, wouldnt it be best to confirm if it was a success or not? You could still keep holding Kohaku-tan. Confirm? Yes indeed. Hera nodded. Taiyou briefly looked at her, then shook his head in disagreement. W-Why the reluctance? Well, look Aye, well, Im sure that she doesnt realize it herself, ja. You too, Kohaku-tan? Dummy, you dummy. Im what now!? Thena foolish commoner? Now Im pretty sure Im hearing straight up insults!? Following Taiyou, the other brides all let Hera have it. Hera wasnt sure why they were saying such things. Taiyou took another sigh before speaking. You know you were called over by Youran and the others already, right? Yes indeed. Everyone is horrible for calling me over and then suddenly leaving me hanging. And you still dont realize what happened? Realize what? Cmon, you couldnt go through the wall earlier. Ohhh! After a bit, Hera clapped her hands together as if being suddenly enlightened. Yes, now it makes sense, indeed. I couldnt take out my rage on any of them because I couldnt go through the wall-wait, what? Why could I not go through the wall? Hera looked at the wall, cocking her head. Isnt it cuz she can touch it now? Can touch it Do I have to spell it out for ya? The wall became something you could touch. So its a success. Ohhh! Hera reacted the same as earlier. Did youseriously not realize that? Well, I guess thats sort of to be expected with her? Exactly. The door opened, and Youran and the others filed in. The brides who werent able to participate in the fight also entered the room, and now the entire Taiyou household was together. Master, leave the rest to me. Okay, gotcha. Please rest now, everyone. We have rooms and every necessity all gathered for you. Sakura said. And you guys? We will be Going to Begin discussing Hera-chans clothing with her. Kay. Akiha nodded. Leaving Hera there, Taiyou and the members who had fought in the battle left the room. Sakuras subordinates had been waiting outside, and they led them to the rooms they would be staying in. Taiyou entered, supporting Kohaku. Alright, good night. Goodnight. Akiha and Ruri said to him. Taiyou turned back, his eyes slightly widened as he spoke, What are you saying? You guys are coming in too. Eh, but Akiha said, looking at Kohaku. Taiyou grasped her chin, kissing her. Just come in. He said. O-Okay Akihas face went red as she followed Taiyou into the room And there was Ruri, somehow ahead of them, gazing at Taiyou with excited eyes. Chapter 403: Entrance to Nigh Entering the room, the first thing Taiyou did was lay Kohaku down on the bed. When he had first laid eyes on the king-sized bed, he had let out an exclamation of So huge!, but now the size was actually reassuring. Kohakus tiny body was now wrapped snugly in bed. You really did well today. Ayeand what exactly are ye doing, Danna-sama? Yes, so Im thinking of taking off your clothes, starting with the socks. Just as he said he would do, Taiyou put his hands on her socks. She was wearing kneesocks covering up to her thighs, and he pulled them down slowly with adept movement. I-I can do it meself-fuahC Kohaku tried to get up, but Taiyou pushed her gently down with his finger on her forehead. When he did so, she fell straight backward, bounding on top of the bed. Wha-What are ye doing, Danna-sama? Just stay put and relax, Kohaku-san. Ill take care of all this. All thisall this Kohaku muttered, savoring every word. Gradually her face became more and more red. She seemed to understand what he meant by all this. Please wait, Danna-sama. We cannot, not here. Listen to the plea of a maiden- Akiha. Yeah. Please hold down Kohaku-san. Taiyou asked Akiha, who had come in with them. Alright, you want it to feel like a rape simulation, right? That wouldnt be bad, butIm thinking something better. Like what? Taiyou questioned her rather than jump to any conclusion. Akiha and Ruri looked at each other. Ah, that. I got it. Akiha made an elated expression. She got on the bed, approaching Kohaku. W-What are ye doing, ja? Its fine, it wont hurt. Itll all be over shortly. Thats 100% guaranteed to make me anxious, ja- Heave ho! Akiha prodded Kohaku with her second finger joint above the solar plexus and between her breasts; a somewhat solid bone area. WhaC Momentarily surprised, Kohaku stopped moving. There was an astonished expression on her face, and she moved her eyes around and around. What the heck was that? Something Master taught me. Howd ya like that one, Master? 80 pointsfairly decent. Tch, I thought I had it perfect. Youre so savage, Master. Because scoldingis how you grow. Nothing wrong with complimenting me though. Cmon, you know you want to. Complimentingis Darlings job. Oh? Because Im happy whenDarling compliments me. Oh, okay then. Yep yep, youre right. So Taiyou, please gimme a compliment- Akiha posed as if to say hey cmon!, and Taiyou watched her. He decided to show her not through words, but through actions. He kissed her. It was a light smooch. And with that, Akiha had a happy expression on her face. D-Dont think you can just gloss over it by doing this. Im not such a cheap woman, okay? She was clearly happy, but denied that with her mouth. Alright, Ill show you a real good time later then. Youve said it now, Ill remember that. Yep. Taiyou nodded. That only made Akiha even more happy. And then he turned back to the immobile Kohaku. Alright Stop it, Danna-sama. Ye cannot use such underhanded methods. Lewdness should not be taken so far, ja. Its fine, I dont care. But I do, ja. Hauah! Kneesocks, dress, negligee. And under there isoh, nothing. He stripped off everything Kohaku was wearing one by one. Because he had forcibly taken off the battle-torn clothes, they had effectively become rags. Taiyou put them all under the bed before taking Kohakus thin arm, touching it lovingly to his cheeks. Thank you so much. Its because of you that everything went well. If it were just me I would have been defeated by Ruri fairly quickly and it would have ended there, I think. Danna-sama. Is your body doing okay? Your heart? It really seemed to be eating into your mental state and you really had me going there. I constantly wondered if you were alright, and every time you got back up I was less sure. It be fine, ja. Kohaku said in a soft voice. Is that so? Im glad. He nuzzled her, lightly kissing her on the lips. The immobile Kohaku still somehow managed to twitch. And Taiyous body and heart twitched in response. Taiyou sunk his lips in deeper, bathing the loli babas body in a torrent of kisses. Her body continued shaking, but she could not escape. Kohaku was like a fish on the chopping board. Akiha and Ruri looked at each other. They got on the bed too, sitting next to Taiyou. Quietly, and gracefully. Obedient and chaste, like true wives, they went straight for Taiyous clothing to pull it off. Taiyou, who was busy going for Kohaku, simply let the two of them do it like it was nothing. While kissing Kohaku, he let his clothing be stripped off. It was like what a king or noble might do. No one told the wives to do that, and no one told Taiyou to accept it. No one in the room thought anything strange of it. That was just how their household worked. That was just the kind of relationship they had. That was just the kind of night that they were having. Chapter 404: Dark, Bright Nigh The four of them snuggled together naked on the king size bed. The scene was reminiscent of moonlight seeping down into the bottom of water, and they all snuggled, feeling each others warmth. I wonder if theyll do a good enough job on the clothing. Oh? Ye seem quite worried today, Danna-sama. Yeah, but making clothing for a fairy that cant even normally be touched is bound to make you worry. But I havent been worried at all, matey. I only be having fun right now, ja. I feelthe same. Ruri opened her mouth. Taiyou thought it secretly amusing that Ruri spoke with her usual way of speaking, but seemed to be fitting in quite well as she spoke. The triplets will be making it, after allso its fine. Really now. Taiyous eyes opened wide, his head tilting to the side. It was one thing to chime in with Kohaku, but her reasoning was quite fascinating. Were you always that close with her? Weve known each otherfor a while, you know? I know that. Theyre the best peopleout of all of us. Is that supposed to be a compliment? And theirfood is tasty. Is that all you care about!? Taiyou raised his voice. The mismatched sisters were good enough to be called housewives with how they were taking on all the household chores by themselves. This of course included cooking, which was what Ruri was referring to. Their fried ricewas tasty. True, it appears plain at first glance but it actually shows how advanced they are. Their foie gras saute wasso good. Yeah, theyve been using good ingredients as of late. Somenwas the most delicious. Somen!? The best? Taiyou asked, surprised. He had known since meeting her that Ruri was an eccentric young person, but her remark just now was still astonishing. Ohhh, I know that one. Right, you werent there that day. They made somen. Akiha had now joined the conversation. They made it? Mhm. Wait, when you said they made it, you dont mean I think they made it because you werent here. Are you serious Taiyou was at a loss for words. Akiha added further. At first I felt like roaring with laughter, but you wouldnt believe how smooth the noodles were. Its because theyre so smooth that they be so uniform in how thin they are. I had always thought that they only became that way when people started using machines to make them. I get that. Their dipping saucewas good. Ahh, and they make their own bonito flakes too, I think. You serious!? Taiyou exclaimed. It had been surprise after surprise so far. For how cute their faces be, they really like to make people eat, ja. They probably be the most talented out of all of us, ja. I think its a little unfair. Cause they can just split studying between the three of them and share what they learned. So they can always grow three times that of a normal person in anything. It be their innate abilitytruly worthy of being called geniuses, ja. ButI think its difficult for them. Ruri said softly. Difficult? How so? Their feelings are also three times strongerso the amount of time spent away from Darling is three times more difficult to endure. Ahh, okay I get it. Aye, that would certainly be difficult, ja. Those flames that consume the body are three times the intensity. One wrong move and it be enough to madden anyone, ja. When you think about it that way, they really have it together, huh. They were the very first to become Taiyous, but is it just me, or do they have the least amount of time spent together with him? They be experiencing what wives do when their husband go off to sea. Fiery and outspoken. Kohaku, Akiha, and Ruri were saying various things about the three sisters who were not there, recounting many episodes. But the one thing they shared in common was that all of them had respect for the three sisters. The freewheeling Akiha, the aloof Ruri, and Kohaku, the eldest of them all by far. The three sisters were all different in their personalities and their growth, but they all received the same amount of respect. Taiyou thought that was interesting. He felt a slow surge of emotion in his chest. Wow, she really is amazing. Yeah, so I think itll be fine to just leave it to them. I think the result will be great. Im very excitedto see what it is. You wanna try guessing? I think theyll come up with a goth lolita outfit. Like how I wasback then? Yeah yeah yeah yeah, just like that, but more over the top, I think? You know, like how that girl is miniature size, but has quite the rack to make up for it. Aye, she might even have more than I do. Yeah, your size is size zero after all. How rude! Ill have you know I just be nice n chiseled out, ja. Thats the first timethat I heard someone being arrogant about that. Ahahaha. And so since she has boobs, I think theyll make it so that it emphasizes her chest. How so? Mmm, like opening the chest area and putting a corsage of roses in the center. Well then. Taiyou replied halfheartedly. Huh? Maybe Im not explaining it right? Look, youd enjoy seeing pretty roses if they were near you, right? And so youd also see her cleavage. Akiha explained. No, I think I got that, butthis is Hera were talking about. Taiyou said, not really feeling what she was saying. She wasnt like that for him. He didnt enjoy looking at her chest. Hm, this be a serious injury, ja. Alright Danna-sama, ye must go on a date tomorrow, ja. What? Whered you get that idea? Ye must go too Akiba. Until ye get horny by looking at figures, we shall go around and about and train ye up, ja. Do you really want me to be that kind of man? Eh!? Taiyou quipped in a shrill voice. Pillow talk just became so fun this time around. Chapter 405: Cosplay? In the midst of his slumber, someone shook his shoulders to wake him up. They were soft, warm hands accompanied by a gentle voice. Suzune, huh. Yes, good morning, Taiyou-san. He slowly got up. He could see the three sisters in uniform, sitting in a seiza posture on the bed. They all had a calm atmosphere. But Taiyou already knew that it wasnt because of the morning. Hyan. She gave a small shriek. He pulled his hand back, the small body falling securely into his arms. Youre warm. Because its morning. Youre soft. Because Im a girl. You smell good. T-Thats because I took a shower. That was all it took to make Suzune stammer. Taiyou stifled a laugh, thinking of how she might have been secretly expecting this. Well, he could start something else right now, but he decided not to. There wasnt a particular reason. He just decided not to. He nuzzled her cheeks, then let go of her. That was all it took to fill Suzunes face with a smile, which actually made him feel turned on. Were done with the uniform. Okay, and wheres everyone else? Theyve changed too and theyre waiting outside. Its a different location than usual, so I was thinking we should all go to school together. Okay. Taiyou nodded. It was true that this place was neither the condo they had lived in nor the apartment Kohaku had given them, or even the temporary condo that Youran had prepared for them. It was a hotel-like place where they had stayed the night only once before. It was probably best that they all stay there in order to go to school. Ah, hes awake hes awake! Morning, Natsuno-kun. Aoba and Akiha opened the door, entering the room together. The usual half-upswept hairstyle and the usual ponytail. Even in uniform, you could probably tell the two of them apart by just looking at their silhouettes. Cmon cmon, get up quickly. Breakfast has been ready, yknow? Aoba and I made it this time, so you better try it. Wow, thats rare. Im amazed they let you do it. They were at it all night, so I stepped in and proposed we do it. Oh. Getting off the bed, he took Aobas hand and gripped it a bit tightly. It was as if he were massaging it. Aoba also used her strength to grip his hand back. Just a bit of skinship, but Aoba already had a smile on her face. Suzune, Aoba, Akiha. They supported him as he changed into his uniform. Akiha also firmly set his hair. When he was by himself, he had just used his hands to brush his hair, but now someone did it for him. It tickled at first, but when Akiha insisted on touching his hair, he just let it be. If Taiyou had the time hed want to touch their hair too. He was the same way. So he no longer said anything, simply letting them do as they pleased. Aoba wiped his face with a towel that she brought, and lastly, Suzune being the model wife that she was, organized his collar and necktie, and his morning apparel was finished. Masteroh, everythings done. Aye, he be rocking the style of a true man today, as always. Good sense, Danna-sama. This time Kohaku and Youran entered. The loli baba, and the ruler of the city of a million. They were also wearing the same uniform. Morning. Youre going to school today too, eh Youran? Yes, I have a small errand. Ah, dont worry, Im not going to inconvenience you or anything. How disappointing. Playing around with your words again, I see. Ye dont see the fun in that? I truly pity yer personality, ja. Well, to each their own. Taiyou-chan. He heard a voice come through the door that Kohaku and Youran had left wide open. When he looked back, Taiyou gaped at what he saw. A butterfly-winged fairy. She had been wearing a grass-colored dress until yesterday, but now it was a uniform! Suzune, Kohaku, Aoba, Youran, Akiha. The same as them, Hera was wearing the academy uniform. Other than how it was a miniature version, the fabric was completely the same. Whatsup with that? Heeheeheee, does it look good on me? Well does it? No, this has nothing to do with whether it looks good Taiyou said with his eyes wide open. He then looked at Suzune. Suzune made an expression that was both calm yet elated at the same time. We made it. But why a uniform? I ordered it, indeed. I said I wanted the same clothing as everyone else, so they came up with many ideas, and a uniform was one of them so I chose it and BAM! It was made for me. Seriously? How is it, how is it? Does it look good on me, Taiyou-chan? Taiyou no longer knew what to say. He hesitated, instead just staring fixedly at Hera. There was the fact that she had wings, and that she was a miniature size of 30 centimeters. Ignoring how she could be obnoxious at times, Hera was a perfect beauty. Blond, long hair, fantastical facial features. That kind of girl would already be perfect in anything she wore. So of course a school uniform would work. How is it? W-WellId say its cute, yeah. Unlike his brides, Taiyou answered with a slightly red face as he looked away. Yaaay, Taiyou-chan complimented me! Good for you, Hera-chan. Yeah! Now Sakura-chan should be fine too. Since I was fine. Sakura? Taiyou asked, puzzled. Why would Sakuras name come up right now? But he soon understood why. The door through which everyone had entered. Kotone and Kazane pushed Sakura through it. And lo and behold, she also had a uniform on. Chapter 406: Uniform and Dress UhhSakura-san? Taiyou was so surprised that he found himself addressing her more respectfully than usual. That was how surprising Sakuras outfit was. There was nothing odd about the clothing. It was the same uniform as everyone else. The size was normal, and as long as you ignored how it looked like the breast area was about to burst at the seams, it was probably more normal than Hera. But Taiyou still gaped. R-Right, I shouldnt, huh? Someone of my age wearing a uniform,, just makes it look like Im cosplaying. Sakura said, moving to flee from the room. But as if anticipating this, Kohaku swerved around her. Kukuku, talking about yer age in front of one such as I? What an impudent lass. Uu Sakura lost her words. It was true that discussing her age around an eighty-something year old like Kohaku was bound to lose its weight. T-Thats because you look young. So unbalanced in two ways. After all, this be clothing for high schoolers, ja. Uu Sakuras eyes filled with tears as she realized she couldnt win. Then she looked at Taiyou. Her eyes were begging for help. Then Taiyou gasped. He realized that they had forced her to wear those clothes. Hence his next statement. You look beautiful, Sakura-san. Eh? It looks good on you. How should I say ityou look dignified, like a student council president or something. We agree. We already told her that, though She wouldnt believe us. The chorus of souls, the mismatched sisters all spoke. But just think about my actual age- I mean, some people would see it as cosplay, but youre fine the way you are, Sakura-san. Actually, why do I feel that way? Taiyou pinched his chin, gazing at Sakura as if evaluating her. UmmBut I still Sakura fidgeted-for the first time since meeting each other as she asked him a question. Is my makeuptoo excessive? Excessive? No, not in the slightest. Are yousure? Yeah, you feel like a senpai Id aspire toward. Sakuras face reddened. She stared at Taiyou, slightly out of it. Taiyou stared right back, and for a bit, neither of them said anything. Alright Danna-sama, time to knock er down, ja. The two of you are sakura-colored right now! Sakura just became more embarrassed as a result of the comments from the peanut gallery, averting her eyes. Cmon, you guys While a bit exasperated, Taiyou was inwardly thankful. If left to it, he might have actually knocked her down. That was just how well Sakuras clothing fit her, and she looked cute. A round in the morningthat might not be so bad. But this was a rare opportunity. Sakura-san, todayuhh, do you have time this morning? Eh? Yes, I dont really have much to do. Then lets go to school together. Whaaaaat? And everyone else too. As he said that, everyone else besides Sakura said Okay. T-To school? Yes, were all in uniform for once, so lets all go. B-Butbeing seen by anyone else-its embarrassing. She said in a fading voice. That made her look so cute. He began getting aroused again but resisted the temptation. Its embarrassing, is it? But I want to show you off. Show me off? Yes. Taiyou nodded. I want to show you off to them and brag that my Sakura-san is this pretty and cute. Ill prove it to all the fellows. Sakuras eyes widened in surprise. She stared fixedly at Taiyou, as if trying to detect the truth. Taiyou stared right back. There wasnt a single lie in what he had said. Everything was true. He wanted to show her off. Sure, it was partially that childish desire to show off a toy, but in the end he wanted to brag about her. Taiyou stuck his chest out, staring at Sakura. After a while, Sakura nodded timidly. I understand. I will accompany you. Thank you. He said, kissing her to thank her. Then he lifted his face up, looking around. All the beautiful women around him were in their uniforms. Taiyou looked at them before asking a question. Wheres Ruri? I amright here. Wah! Suddenly there was a voice behind him, astonishing him enough to make his heart stop. It was Ruris voice, and she was definitely not there just a moment ago, hence the deathly surprise. Quickly turning behind him, he saw her. It was Ruri as her usual self, the sunlight beaming down on her back. This was his femme fatale, who had ethereal beauty. Whatare you doing? Pretending to be Ma DaiHera-chan taught me how. Dont teach her useless things like that! And thats not even what Im trying to ask! After quipping magnificently, Taiyou gestured as if moving something to the side. Why arent you in a uniform? Taiyou asked. Indeed, Ruri was in a white dress, the only one without a uniform for some reason. Sakura had a little resentment in her eyes as she looked at Ruri. Chapter 407: Everyone’s Toy So youre not wearing a uniform. Would it be goodif I did? Ruri asked, eyes looking up at him. Her dressed in black or white was of course cute, but at the moment- Yeah, how about you wear it. I want to see you in uniform. Mmokay. Ruri simply acknowledged him, Wow, youre skilled, Master. Nay, that be her true self, ja. I vote that she planned this. Its more likely that shes just a blockhead. A debate was occurring behind Taiyou. ThenIll get changed. Yeah. Taiyou nodded, and Ruri abruptly took out a uniform. Took it out from under her dress. The heck are you doing!? A womansexpertise. Oh right, I remember you doing that before! Taiyou quipped desperately. She had said that before, pulling out her katana from her skirt. As soon as she took out her uniform, Ruri immediately took off her dress. With a thud and the rustling of clothing, the dress fell onto the ground. In the morning light, without a moments hesitation, a body of perfect balance was exposed for all to see. Her white, transparent skin had a tinge of crimson to it. Was she embarrassed, or was she excited from being stared at? It was difficult to measure Ruris chest size, but Taiyou feigned composure as he commented on it. Taciturn. He felt like someone was watching him from behind, his heart pounding. As he stared at her, Ruri began putting on the uniform-but I cantfit in it. Ah, thats no good. The three sisters said all at once, going over to Ruri. She had apparently put the uniform on the wrong way. With the help of the three sisters, this time the sleeves fit snugly. Ruri now had on the uniform of Oritate Academy. It was a fresh sight, but even more so Beautiful She was so beautiful that Taiyou couldnt help but let his pure thoughts out. Taiyou never held back what he thought about his brides. Pretty, cute, he liked them, he loved them, whatever was on his mind. Compared to normal men, he complimented them easily a hundred times more. Still, there were two types of compliments. Truth and lies-no, of course not. Two differing kinds of truthful compliments that came out of his mouth. Right now was the latter. And you could tell which one had the more critical hit on them just by looking at Ruris even redder face. Dontlook too much. Ah, right, sorry. Taiyou said, instinctively looking away. He was reacting to her like an innocent middle schooler. Okay okay, leave it at that. Or are ya gonna get roudy in here? Youran and Akiha broke in between Taiyou and Ruri. This would have become something crazy if they hadnt intervened, so Taiyou inwardly thanked them as he said something else. No, not right now. Not right in the morning. Okay then? Master is a wild beast after all. Brushing off their teasing, Taiyou cleared his throat. Then lets go to school. No one objected to his proposition. Everyone left the room and the building excitedly. There was a courtesy car waiting outside, but Lets walk today. Taiyou said. Werewalking? Yeah, lets do that. Together. Ye wish to flaunt ye flowers, eh? Kohaku said half jokingly. I dont even care about that. I just want to walk with all of you. Everyones in uniform for once, so I want to walk to school together. Yes indeed! I am sure we will treasure this moment, indeed. Yeah, lets go then. Then I call dibs on holding hands with Aoba! Kukuku, then how about I take Kazanes hand, matey. Ahahaha, you would look too good like that. And then we walk through the street like that and raise our hands up when crossing. Of course I intend to do that, ja. ThenIll go with Darling. Ill take the other side. The procession walked on the sidewalk excitedly. They attracted an incredible amount of attention. But of course. This was Taiyou, accompanied by various beautiful girls, nine of them no less. How would you not attract attention like that? They naturally split into several groups, and as everyone laughed and made merry, there was just one female who wasnt partaking in it. Sakura. Whats the matter, Sakura-san? Ifeel self-consciouswith everyone staring. Not used to it? Of course not. Sakura frowned, clearly concerned. You might be fine with it, but this outfitjust the thought of being seen in it is Hm, so its okay if its only Master? Youran said, which took Sakura aback. The other brides all looked at Sakura, grinning with intent. No, thats just a figure of speech You sure? Taiyou said with a pained expression. Eh? No, that figure of speech was just a figure of speech, and-ahhh, I give up! Its finewe get it. Ruri said, to which Sakura looked at her like she was crazy. Sakura alsosays she loves Darling Thats- Sakura hesitated at publicly proclaiming her affirmation, but neither could she deny it. Not used to the way they did things, Sakura became everyones toy for a bit. Chapter 408: Transparent Human? Break time, Taiyou visited the chairmans office. Sakura was hugging her knees, sending him a glare as he walked in. Its becoming a rumor everywhere. He shut the door behind him. Whos that beauty? Thats what theyre saying. T-There are rumors already? Yeah. A-And what did you answer? No one asked me directly, so I said nothing. Phew Sakura smoothed down her chest. Just for reference, could you tell me what I should say? D-Dont say anything. Nothing about me. Just say you dont know me. Or say that theyre possessed by something. If thats what you want, then thats fine by me. He sat next to Sakura, moving his hands to her shoulder. She resisted at first, but eventually just gave up and rested her shoulder against him. This embarrassing playits too much. I didnt mean to make it that sort of play, I just wanted you to come with us. Thats a lie, isnt it. Yes, yes it is. Taiyou casually admitted. Yes, I do want to show off. Tell everyone that my brides are all beautiful. A bit childish, huh? Thats horrible. Sakura said in a pouty tone. Well, that made sense. I do feel badbut, I cant resist. So you just want to show them, yes? Sakura whispered. Eh? You just want to show them, is what I asked. What do you mean? What else can I do? Thats it, just show you off. He asked her, and Sakura responded with a slightly peeved face. You arent going to let us be touched by other men or-o-or hand us over to them, is what I meant. Nah. Taiyou took a knee. His face showed his recognition of what she meant. He knew about those kinds of people with those interests (via Kohaku and her knowledge). Letting other people use their possessions and watching it to enjoy themselves. That was what Sakura was talking about. Taiyou had no such hobbies, which was why it took him so long to realize. Please relax. I would never do that. And I can take you up on that? I cant promise anything about the flaunting part, though. Taiyou admitted implicitly. The sagacious Sakura quickly understood that, breathing a sigh of relief as she leaned back. ThenI shall endure it. Thank you. In exchange, I will do whatever I can for you. I see youre not saying everything. If I phrased it that way, I feel like Kohaku or Hera would fly right over to call me out on it. He jokingly said. Then there is one thing I would ask of you. Mm, what is it? Sakura moved away from Taiyous arms. She stared straight at Taiyou. Pleaseunravel this ribbon. Of the uniform? Yes. Alright. Was that what she wanted? Taiyou wondered as he unraveled the ribbon at her collar with skilled hand movement. He was bad at putting on clothes, but he was quite adept at taking them off. Is this fine? And please put it on. I need to? Yes, on me. Taiyou nodded, struggling to tie the ribbon around her. Compared to when he unraveled it, the ribbon was now quite untidy. It was like tying shoelaces with one hand. The balance was just off. This is okay? Yes. Sakura whispered softly again. Staring at the ribbon at her chest, she lovingly stroked it with her finger. What was the meaning of this? He was about to ask her but stopped at the last second. There wouldnt be much meaning to it even if he did ask. Right now he wanted to keep her just like this, indulging in supreme bliss. One minute passed as she kept that expression on her face. Thank you. Are you fine with that? Sakura returned to Taiyous side, resting her shoulder against him again. Yes, its fine. Usually Id like a second button for this, but if I get a lead on them, everyone else will probably get angry. Ah, yes, that they would. Especially Kohaku-san. Oh? But I feel like she would be eager to spur it on, if anything. No, I think in this case, she would say Nay, yed best save that fer graduation ceremonies, ja. because she also really likes butting in from that angle. True, she does seem the type to say that. Right? Oh, and theres one thing I wanted to ask you. Oh? What would that be? Sakura moved away from Taiyou, sensing a serious topic. Facing Taiyou, Sakura had a slight smile on her serious face. Everyone came to school today, right? Yes, that they did. And Hera was with us. Yes, that she was. She was wearing the same uniform as everyone else, made for her. That she wasAh, is that what youre referring to? Hearing the rest of it, Sakuras face showed that she finally understood. Its strange how everyone around her doesnt go and say Hey, there are clothes floating around, isnt it? Taiyou nodded sharply. Chapter 409: Ribbon I was also wondering about that, thinking of a few hypotheses. Such as? Rightcould you call her over? OhHera. Jajajaaan, Taiyous only fairy has arrived in flowery uniform fashion! Hera appeared in an instant, dancing around in the air. Maybe it was because of the uniform, but she seemed to be weaving about more than before and her face was flushed. Your mouth looks a bit different. But of course! Just like those kung-fu girls with their pies, I have made special arrangements. Oh my, what is this? Phrasing it that way makes me sound like some Chinese person beloved by both men and women. But that is cool in itself. Hera was more chatty than ever before. Is it? Thats definitely what Aki-han would say. She just plays along though. But so do I. This girl just admitted to it. Ufufu! Hera was rather hyper. Taiyou turned to Sakura. I called her. Yes. Hera, theres something Id like to ask of you. Is that alright? You may ask anything, madam. Hera said, hitting her chest as if to say leave it to me. Could you go and look at the outer wall of the school building? Outer wall? Hera asked with a puzzled face. Yes. Go look at it and tell me what you find. You got it! Wait a darn skippy moment! Hera said before going through the wall. Oh, so she can indeed go through. Huh? Oh yeah, you mean with the uniform. A moment later, Taiyou had understood what she meant. Hera was wearing the school uniform. It wasnt hers, but something that Taiyous brides had worked together to make. In other words, it was of this world. Built from the principles of this world. Hera was wearing it, yet had still managed to get through the wall without complication. She wasnt able to go through last night. Right, I remember. Taiyou nodded, gathering the fragments of his memory. He was in fierce combat with Ruri, so his memories were vague and he had to try and remember that part. I dont know the reason, but apparently it becomes hers when she wears it. Hersso the type becomes the same as her. In the way you would phrase it, yes. As they were talking, Hera came back through. I am indeed back. There wasnt anything, just a regular wall. Is that right? Thank you very much. One more thing. What would that be? Hera made another puzzled face. Hera, stay still real quick. Yes indeed? Cocking her head, Hera stood still in midair. Taiyou stretched out a hand toward the collar of her uniform. Clothing fit for a doll, a ribbon with fine handiwork. He struggled a bit trying to untie it. W-What are you doing, Taiyou-chan? What are you doing? Unless- Sakura covered her mouth in astonishment. This was the same thing Taiyou had done for her earlier, or at least appeared to be. Hm? Ah, no, thats not what Im doing. Realizing what she meant, Taiyou calmly denied it. And then, loosening Heras small ribbon Could both of you wait here for a moment? He said, leaving them in the room. Going out into the hallway, Taiyou was just in time to see one female student walk by him. She was someone unfamiliar, someone he had never talked to. Hey, can I talk to you real quick? Yesah. The girls face turned red as soon as she saw his face. That was a very common reaction as of late, so Taiyou paid it no heed as he finished what he needed to accomplish. Look at this for me. He took out Heras ribbon. What can you see? Eh? This iscloth? Yeah, and the color? Ummthe same as my ribbon? Yeah? Kay, thanks. He thanked her, sending the female student off rather confused as he made his way back to the room. She could see it, apparently. Is that so. Eh, eh? What is the meaning of this? What has happened? Sakura took no time in comprehending it, while Hera had no idea what was going on. Sorry for springing this on you. Here, Ill put it on. Eh? Hera immediately began trembling. I-Im fine, I can indeed do it myself. You can? Yes indeedTaiyou-chan is an Erosuke, so its guaranteed that youll try and touch my boobs when you put it on. Like hell I would! He returned the ribbon to her. Accepting it, Hera clumsily tried to tie it, but it wasnt working so well. Huh? I just do this here andwait, what, whawhat? The fairy was becoming more and more confused. Whats up? You are to wait a moment. It does not seem to be going well. Is this your first time getting dressed by yourself? Yes indeed? Now it makes sense. Come to think of it, she had always had that dress on ever since she first appeared. Hera had probably never changed in her life. Then theres no wonder why you cant tie it. Here, let me see. Eh? No, Im- Just gimme it. Cutting her off, he took the ribbon and tied it for her. Taiyou wasnt good at it either, but he was still better at it than her. And as he tied it Unbeknownst to Taiyou, Heras face became a touch redder. Chapter 410: Afterschool Dream Club After tying the ribbon, Taiyou explained the gist of what was happening. Is that what it was! I totally thought you were trying to Fuddle me. (*TL: Fuddle is a confusion move in Dragon Quest) First time I ever heard someone use that as a verb. Anyhow, you know what that means, right? Theres no way I could get that. Hera said proudly. No getting proud about that, dont you dare. But I never expected that I would get such a marvelous thing made for me. Not like I could ever think about changing my clothes before. Right. Ill get you up to speed on this. Sakura said. As long as she has that fabric on her, she can go through walls and is still invisible to everyone else. But if it comes off of her it will be visible and can no longer do such things. Truly convenient. Am I a convenient woman? The meaning is a bit different when you put it that way. That was on purpose anyway, wasnt it? Whaaat, no way. Liar. Your eyes are sparkling way more than usual. When he pointed it out, Hera whistled on purpose, as if it werent obvious enough. Plus its great that its convenient and all, but its a bit creepy like this. Perhaps theres a better way to go about this. He thought quietly about Sakuras suggestion. Can I count on you? Yes. Then please do find a better way. I will take over this mission, then. Sakura nodded, and he kissed her to thank her. Oh deary, iforgottoturnthegasstopcockoff. Hera said an unnecessary line before going back through the wall out of the room. The heck was that third-rate quote from? Im sure she was thinking of you when she said that. Im sure she was, but- Taiyou slightly grimaced. The next moment, the bell rang. It was the bell notifying them that break time was ending. -Well that was basically pointless. Are you going to return to class? Yeah. Taiyou stood up, contemplating. What will you be doing? Ill be getting to work. Sakura stood up too. That moment, the atmosphere shifted. The somewhat comical attitude she had since this morning was completely gone now, replaced once again with the stiff air of a talented woman. Theres something I was about to work on. Plus there are now more things to do. Okay. What about nighttime? I cant return at night-however, I will briefly come back in the evening. Evening? Why? With you. Sakura smiled bewitchingly. It felt like it could steal his soul. Walk home with me. Ill still be wearing this. Taiyou was taken aback. He nodded, looking at Sakura. Yeah, with everyone. Yes, everyone. They both promised, and then went their separate ways. In the evening, Sakura came back to the school as promised. The same members as in the morning. Taiyou and his seven brides as well as the uniformed fairy. They all left for home together. They gathered even more attention than in the morning. On one hand, there were boys and girls sending jealous or grudging looks their way, while on the other hand, there were also those taking pictures and feasting their eyes on the sight for some reason. So how was club today, lassies? Kohaku asked the three sisters. It was fine. When we discussed it with the leader He understood what was going on. What about you, Kohaku-san? You made a new club, didnt cha? New club? This was the first time Taiyou had heard this. It be the club that has me elite guards, ja. Ah, the Kohaku-tan Elite Guards. What? I never heard about this. Akiha got super interested. Taiyou explained to her what it was. But thats super fantastic! Is it, now. Taiyou grimaced. He couldnt quite agree with her. Its just fantastic. Wait, ohhh Akiha put her hands behind her back, thinking. What? Just thinking maybe I should make something. What? Well dont Youran and Sakura have a bunch of lackeys? Used to have retainers and right-hand men, too. I even have a secretary. Even more fantastic! Akihas eyes glittered. But wow, elite guards. I think I should make a group similar to that, where Im the top and all. For what purpose? Her best friend Aoba questioned her. Never thought Id see the day when Akiha talked about making a group. Didnt you say similar stupid things back in the day? Never did, no. I did say something about it being boring, though. That be the same thing, ja. Why did ye change yer mind, then? Mmm, well, how should I say thisah, a subsidiary. Subsidiary? What do you mean, Akiha? Aoba asked her. To the side, Youran and Kohaku exchanged glances. I think I know what she means. Aye, that be the path I went quite a while ago, ja. Ah, so I was right about that. The term changed a bit, though. The way I phrased it was I offer everything to ye. Yeah yeah, a bit different but thats essentially what I meant. Kohaku, Youran, and Akiha all nodded at each other. A moment later, Sakura nodded, understanding what they were discussing. On the other hand, the three sisters and Aoba couldnt comprehend it one bit. Ruri was staring absentmindedly. Akiha took one step ahead of everyone, turning back to face them. She spread her arms out in front of them, as if presenting something. In other words, were all going to be the heads of our own groups, all us girls. She pointed at all the girls in order. Subsidiary, subsidiary, subsidiary, subsidiary, subsidiary, subsidiary, subsidiary. Then after the seven, she pointed at Taiyou. The head of the parent company. And with that, the three sisters and Aoba both finally understood what was going on. Ruri took the katana out from under her skirt. Chapter 411: First? Rendezvous Never thought Id hear you of all people suggest that. Taiyou smiled awkwardly. Just as she herself had said, Kohaku had gone down that path quite a while ago. Should I have not said that? No, youre fine. It was the same with Kohaku, and its the same with all of you. Do what you want to. Laissez-faire? I, guess you could say that. Taiyou reached out and smoothed out a strand of Akihas beautiful hair, sifting it between his fingers. Its more correct to say that I realized how great it is to see all of you doing what you love. Even if it inconveniences you? You assume that it will. Dummy, of course it might inconvenience you. Akiha pouted a bit. Taiyou smiled. His fingers ran down to her earlobe, pinching into it as he spoke. No mistake about it, in general its appealing to have you all do whats fun for you. And if that somehow inconveniences me or causes mayhem then I can look forward to trying to solve the issue. So either way I prefer you do what you feel like doing. Well Ill be. Ye changed. Back then ye were so opposed to the idea, ja. Kohaku said keenly, like a grandma sunbathing on the veranda. People grow. Or rather, I want to grow. You say this like its nothing, but I can feel some sort of determination from you. Sakura said, looking straight at Taiyou. Do you have some sort of reason? You see, humans climbing mountains begin to see the top in more detail the more they climb. You know that saying, right? The comparison between human growth and the profound nature of the paths they tread. Yeah. The same as that. He abruptly stopped talking, looking at everyone present. Taiyous brides, the seven brides. He looked at each of them in order, the women whom he exchanged love with. Every time you grow, things you originally couldnt see become apparent. Thats how it is for me, and every time that happens I see you all for the amazing ladies you are and fall in love with you all over again. I want to see what lies beyond that. So I want to grow more and more. He spoke quietly. Determination was coursing out from him. Quiet, firm determination to succeed in his goal. The girls all gaped at him. The majority of them were blushing. Natsuno-kunthats so unfair. Unfair? How so? When you say something like thatIm just a normal girl, and I dont know what to do about that. Youre not normal in the slightest, Aoba. Just recently there was that poll among the boys to vote for the most popular girl and you were at the top. Are you kidding me? Nope. Taiyou nodded with a serious face. Some other ones among you wereKotone, Suzune, Kazane, Kohaku-san, Akiha, and even a mysterious twin-tailed girl Was that last one me!? Youran asked, surprised. Taiyou continued. And you were ranked second of all the girls in the academy for the poll among the females. No way someone as popular as you could be normal. Oho, great job, my dear Aoba! Mine, you mean. Ehhh, then how about a split end of hair. Well, I guess thats okay. Taiyou and Akiha had a little banter. Meanwhile, Aobas eyes were wide open like it was a bolt from the blue. But it sounds reasonable, ja. But who be the top, ja? Anyone we know? Tenchi Rameko. Rameeeko-chan? Yeah, that was a surprise. No Leti? She was the top in the teachers. Still somehow made it third place in the students too. I bet. Her appearance is just perfect. Taiyou and his brides continued their conversation. Aoba was still in shock. Taiyou grinned at her. So if you say that youre normal too much, everyone here might flip at you. Eh, uh, uh-huhOkay, I wont say it anymore. Aoba nodded obediently. Darlingcan I say something? Ruri approached him. What is it? Come to think of it, why have you had your katana out all this time? Enemies arenearby. Enemies? Mhmassassins. Assassins? Ruri nodded quietly. Assassinsaiming for you. That sort of thing? Why does that sound like a question? And why me? Ah, that might be my fault. Possibly me as well. The two Juunishimas said. I see, so I imagine theyre from Juuni Island. Yes. And where are they right now, incidentally? He asked Ruri. You cant see them from heretheyre that way. Youre right. I feel a strange vibe. Akiha said, apparently having learned that from Ruri. Are they going to be a handful? Not ifshe can detect them too. So theyre not worth my time. Hey, thats mean! Youre a meanie, Taiyou! Ahhh, sorry sorry. That pisses me off so Im just going to go ahead and beat em up. Ill be right back. Akiha zoomed over in the aforementioned direction with big strides. Ruri, just in case. Taiyou said to Ruri, asking for a follow-up. Okayleave it to me. Taiyou looked around. Right around the entrance to the shopping district, Taiyou caught a glimpse of something near a fast food shop. Alright, well be in that joint, so meet up with us there once its over. Thatsunfair. Ruri pursed her lips. Unfair? After schoola date with Darling. It hasnt been a date all these times? Go in the shoprank up. OhOkay, then Ill be waiting over there. Ruris eyes opened wide, nodding and then chasing after Akiha. The date was far from over. Chapter 412: Game Prize They were seated on the second floor of a fast food place, choosing the back area where they clustered tables together. Even without Akiha and Ruri, they were still a large family. I always wanted to do this, ja. By this, do you mean dumping the fries onto the tray? Aye, it feels much like something students would do, ja. Fantastic. I see. I also want to have a snack party opener, ja. Party opener? Youran cocked her head. She had quite a bit of knowledge, but didnt seem to know that. Rather than opening the bag from the top, you open it from the center. Like this. Sakura casually brought out her phone in front of Youran to show her the image she had searched up. Wow, you want to try this, huh? The way she has the fries laid out here has a similar nuance to what you are looking at, Shingetsu-sama. Perhaps it would be easier to think of it as similar to the continental style. Ah, so its the fun of being able to reach out and grab whatever you want. Youran said after thinking a bit. Taiyou, the three sisters, and Aoba often brought new things to light that Youran wasnt familiar with. Yeah, this might be fun. Kukuku, this be only the beginning, ja. What do you mean? If Kohaku-san is laughing like that, then it can only mean one thing Yup, only one thing. Aoba and the three sisters nodded at each other. Youran and Sakura both cocked their heads at them. Whats that thing? Is it something youve done before? Not quite. Also, Kohaku-san. Taiyou stared at Kohaku with exasperation. Please dont tell me youre going to do that here of all places. Ye have good intuition, Danna-sama. Are you serious So what is the thing youre talking about? Pocky game. She told Youran the answer. Pocky? Pocky game. Two people eat one long, thin thing from either side, and the first one to move their mouth away loses. Hm? That qualifies as a game? Its very understandable why you dont get it, Shingetsu-sama. Sakura said with a serious face. She had understood what the game entailed. Whys that? Its probably becauseThis is a game in which men and women participate in. That is why such rules can exist. Oh, its like a chicken race between people who wouldnt normally kiss. Probably. Sakura said, and they looked at Taiyou. Well yeah, thats what it is. I understand the rules, but, this still cannot be a game. After all Sakura picked up a fry and fed it to Taiyou. She then began eating it from her end and was suddenly finished with it, smooching Taiyou. Just like this, you can tell that kissing is perfectly natural among us. As you can see from Kohakus reaction, she wants to do this, otherwise she would not have brought it up. So it is impossible for it to be established as a game among us- So hardheaded, ja. Kohaku cut through Sakura mid-speech. If anything, getting closer may allow us to understand the reason why people move away at the last moment. What do you mean by that? In other words- Kohaku fed Taiyou a fry, kissing him from the opposite end. It be an excuse to kiss, ja. Oho, so its one of those things thats too embarrassing to say out loud! Hera exclaimed. How rude of me. I was too absorbed in understanding the rules. No, theres no need to apologize. Youran said. She was gazing earnestly at the fry. And what does that mean, Shingetsu-sama? It means this. Youran gripped a fry, feeding it to Sakura and putting her own mouth on the other end. Youran and Sakura were now participating in their own pocky game. Sakura was surprised at how sudden this was, but Youran still continued eating at the fry. Right before their lips stuck together, Sakura wrenched her face away. In terms of the rules, this was Yourans win. W-W-What are you doing, Shingetsu-sama!? This counts as my win, right? Ignoring Sakuras objection, Youran confirmed with the other girls. Aye, this be ye victory, matey. Hey, how about we do this all together. It could be a tournament or whatever, but the point is that we have winners and losers. And then only the one whos won can kiss Master. I see, that sounds interesting. But Kotone interjected. The two of you were avoiding the kiss, but the three of us dont have that need. Yeah, me, Koto-chan, and Kaza-chan. Even if we kissed, it would just feel as if our lower lips were touching our upper lips. The three sisters said. Different body, same mind. They shared one soul, so a kiss would feel no different then closing their mouths. There really was no need for them to back away from that. Then lets try this. Hera proposed. Simply create a forward step-out rule. If you make the mistake of kissing someone then you lose. That will motivate everyone to pull back. Wasnt it that the ones who dont pull back win? That part bugs me a little, jaWe can try both options and test if they function as rules, ja. And thus, the rules were decided upon. Taiyou, the prize of this contest, had said almost nothing. He picked up one fry and tossed it in his mouth. Without further ado, the pocky game had begun among the wives. Taiyou couldnt complain, since it was quite erotic. The prize man simply watched in silence. Chapter 413: I Belong To Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan. Hera went up to his ears as he was slowly grabbing the fry. Same energy as always, but she was speaking in a more subtle voice. In order to match that, Taiyou lowered his voice to inquire. What is it? Tada! She said as she spun around in the air. Every turn she made had a graceful, model-like air to it, very different from the usual level up animation. What do you think? About what? Oh, you are so daft, Taiyou-chan. A girl wears cute clothing and asks you how it looks, what do you think the answer is? Yeah. Taiyou recognized that she wanted him to compliment her. Very true. When a girl wears pretty clothing, you should compliment them, thought Taiyou. He had realized that lately, and had of course proceeded to answer that way. Seeing them get happy or embarrassed was always something he quite enjoyed. He often forgot when it came to Hera, but if thats what she wanted he would oblige. The words would not come out. He knew what he must say. She was a beautiful uniformed (although not the same size) girl, so why not compliment her as he always did? That was what he actually thought, so that was what he should say. What he actually thought. Still, he could not say it. He could not put it into words. Noticing that he was acting strangely, Hera cocked her head. Whats the matter, Taiyou-chan? Scavenging for food? No, not that. He outright denied it. He didnt even make any smart remarks. It was at that moment that Taiyou realized that he was perplexed. Perplexed, and unable to say what he wanted to. He must say it. Even if this was Hera, he must compliment her. But the words got stuck in his throat. W-Well, not bad. As a result of his hesitation, Taiyou had ended up blurting out that silly, or maybe even negative thought in his head. Not bad? Y-Yeah, not too bad. He nodded, awkwardly looking away. This was because Taiyou not only felt guilty but was scared of how Hera would react. But then Thank you, indeed. Huh? Heheh. Hera pinched the hem of her skirt and flew around in the air. When she did this, Hera really did look like a perfectly normal, attractive girl. No, even better. Golden hair and an appearance so perfect it boggles the mind. Taiyou was captivated. Taiyou-chan? - He furtively looked away, trying to mask what he had been feeling just a moment ago. I-Its nothing. But youve been weird for a while now. Are you really okay? Hera said as she flew up in front of Taiyous eyes. She came closer to where he could feel her breathing and put her forehead against his. -ngh! Taiyou slammed his back into the wall. W-What the heck are you doing? I was wondering if you had a fever, Taiyou-chan. So I tried to measure it. F-FeverHow would you know something like that anyway? Taiyou objected, but Heheh, I dont know about anyone else, but I do know about you, Taiyou-chan! She put her hands on her hips, showing off. Really? Yes indeed. Just like how you can touch and hurt me, I know what your body temperature is! I didnt know There are other things too. Such as? Such as? Hmthere are so many things that I would need to think about that. She crossed her arms and held her chin as she thought. But in one sentence, I would say that I am the most normal girl in your eyes, Taiyou-chan. -ngh! Taiyou gasped. He had not been this surprised in ages. His emotions had been like a rollercoaster all this time. Meanwhile, Hera was perfectly calm. The most normal girl in your eyes or the girl who belongs only to you. Which sounds better? Hera asked. Taiyou had heard the second part numerous times. He hadnt paid much attention to it before now. He had thought it to simply mean what it sounded like, and half-no, more than 90% of the time he had ignored it. Hera had repeated that phrase, along with a new one. Hera didnt seem to have any ulterior motives shown on her face. Taiyou, the listener, seemed to be the only one overreacting. Even the things he said showed how much he was overreacting. Uh, the second one sounds fine to me. You mean the girl who belongs only to you? Y-Yeah. Yes indeed, then I will continue using that one from now on. Hera grinned without reserve. It was a graceful, alluring smile. It looked so special, so different from everyone else. While questioning why he felt that way, Taiyou managed to nod once. Y-Yeah. Eheheh! Twirl twirl twirl. Hera was spinning so fast that her skirt was fluttering. At length, she said one more thing. And I will always be the girl who only belongs to you! The same phrase came rushing at him with destructive force. Chapter 414: Sakura The Victor Is something the matter? -ngh! Taiyou let out a moan. Looking at the source of the voice, he found Sakura looking over at him with a mystified expression. W-Whats the matter? Oh, I just wanted to say that I won the game-but whats the matter? N-Nothings the matter. What were you two talking about? Sakura asked Hera. I said that I belong to Taiyou-chan. Hera said calmly. Sakura made a pensive expression. It hasnt been very long that Ive been able to see you, so my knowledge is lacking in this regard, but youve said that phrase before, right? Yes indeed! Ive been saying it ever since I met Taiyou-chan. And what exactly is the issue here? This time she asked Taiyou. He couldnt answer. There was no way for him to. He himself didnt even know why that was the case, so there was no way he could answer. So he had no choice but to gloss over it. W-Wow, so you actually won, huh? Alright. He pulled Sakuras hand in order to get her standing up, then took her straight to the unoccupied bathroom. What are- Sakura began puzzledly, but he cut her off with a kiss. A fierce kiss. A kiss rich enough to cause the water in the room to reverberate. They confronted each other in an embrace as they kissed countless times, absorbed only in that one activity. Even Taiyou was finding it difficult to breathe. Sakura leaned on Taiyou, who was sitting on the toilet seat, sinking into him. Their rough breathing continued briefly. Now. Sakura suddenly opened her mouth quietly. Now I feel happy that I competed. Competing on equal terms with everyone, I won and got to come here. Somehow I feel even happier. Sakura softly spoke in his chest. She spoke straight from the heart, with nothing disguising her true feelings. Taiyou could sense her feelings of gratitude. He felt a pain in his chest. He began to feel ashamed for bringing her into the small room just to evade questioning. Im- Thank you so much. Sakura had cut Taiyou off. Was it on purpose, or purely coincidental? He could feel Sakuras breath on his chest, which only made him feel more and more apologetic. Umm W-What? Please dont think of me asa vulgar woman. Sakura began, lifting her head up and staring right at Taiyou. Can we do itone more time? Eh, one more time? K-Kissumm, this isnt exactly part of the deal with the contest anymore, so I do feel a bit sorry for everyone, but, but Sakura pleaded. As Taiyou saw her bashful appearance, her feelings began to invade Taiyous chest, oozing into him. Lets move somewhere else. Eh? You really want to do it, so wed better do it in the proper location. B-But Its fine. Both hands on Sakuras shoulders, Taiyou left the bathroom. They startled a salaryman who had been waiting his turn, but they did not care. Returning to where everyone was, Taiyou decided to make an announcement. Everyone, feel free to go home. Ill spend the day with Sakura-san. Aye, I understand, ja. Welp, I expected this more or less. Aoba, you can go back ahead of me too. I asked Master to help train me before returning. No one present objected or made a sour face at Taiyous announcement. They all began moving out at their own pace, leaving Taiyou and Sakura behind, and the next moment they were all out of the fast food place. Watching them leave, Taiyou was nonchalant, but Sakura was slightly surprised. Now then, where shall we go? He asked Sakura. We can go anywhere youd like. He whispered to her. Those passionate words made her even more red-faced. I-In that case Like a girl in love, Sakura timidly lays out her request. On the bed, cuddling Sakura, Taiyou stared at the pitch-black ceiling. It was quiet enough to cause ringing in ones ears, but there was a storm raging within him. He had made love with Sakura after that event. Smashing every ounce of his love into her, he had extracted whatever reservation was still hiding inside her. As a result, Sakura was thoroughly exhausted, falling asleep. There was no hesitation in the exchange of their feelings. This was what Taiyou was like now. What was that all about? He remembered what had happened with Hera. Why had he been so flustered? He had heard Hera say that phrase numerous times up until now. Taiyou worried himself over it, desperately thinking of an answer. But he didnt know. No matter how much he thought about it, his thought process had entered a blind alley with no answer in sight. Umm Sakura called out to him. She had apparently woken up. Hm? Is it really all right for you to be up like this? Sorry if I woke you up. No, Im just wondering if your body is holding up alright. Oh, no worries about that. Now that were both up, wanna talk a bit? Taiyou proposed. If thinking about it would not bring forth an answer, there was always the option of distracting himself with pillow talk. Sakura slightly nodded. She really likes you, doesnt she. Hm? Who do you mean? Doesnt everyone- Im talking about Hera. Sakuras words silenced Taiyou. Chapter 415: Things You Just Don’t Know I can tell just by looking, she really likes you. Yeah? Taiyou asked, barely concealing the shaking in his voice, much to his relief. Yes, I think so. Or to change the nuance a bit, perhaps you are very important to her. Important? Yes, important. Taiyou was relieved to hear that. What do you think of her? Who knows? Didnt expect that. She snuggled on top of Taiyou, staring at him. What did you expect? I didnt know how you would respond, but I expected something more concrete, not this iridescent answer. Huh, so thats the kind of guy I am. More like thats what you became like. You werent like that at all when we first met. When we first met His memory resurged the events of that day when he had faced off against Sakura, fighting for the three sisters. He had barely gotten his power at the time, which was in a weak state. Taiyou also didnt have anyone to protect at the time. The same as that? Possibly. Honestly, I might have liked you from the very beginning. Are you trying to lead the conversation somewhere else? Eh? Youve said that before. What, so I cant say it anymore? But I really want to keep saying that I love you. But there is a time and place for that. Plus I just realized something. Hm? Sakura had a meek expression on her face, to which Taiyou opened his eyes wide and questioned her. Whenever youre confused, you tend to develop a sexual urge. GhC Taiyou narrowed his eyebrows for multiple reasons. He knew what Sakura was hinting at, their bodies still touching. Taiyou had not been able to hide his confusion. Lately Yes? He answered softly. Sakura interjected to show she was paying attention. I always feel weird to see her. You feel weird? I feel my heart thump, I cant look directly at her. I overreact to anything she says, etc. Weird, isnt it? I wonder why. You dont understand why? Is it so easy to understand? Yes. Then I guess youre perceptive as always No, I think all of the women at your side would understand the moment they heard you. That sort of thing. Eh? Taiyou frowned some more. All the girls, all 7 brides. Everyone being able to quickly understand this meant that Taiyou was the only one out of the loop. Taiyou felt both surprised and a bit hurt. But he swallowed those emotions, wanting to instead know what she was talking about. So what is it? Youre fine with me telling you? Please. Taiyou answered promptly. He could meekly bow his head to beg when he wanted answers, unconcerned with the vanity that most humans had. Love (koi). Koi? You mean the fish? You dont have to play dumb, you know. She saw through him in an instant. Wait, butlove, youre talking about love? Indeed. Ilove Hera? Based on the situation, Id say so, yes. No nothats just Taiyou found it difficult to accept. But he was no fool. There hadnt been a circuit within him to convey the information, but now that the answer was spelled out for him, Taiyou wasnt the kind of person to still be oblivious. He could feel his heart pound at her appearance. He couldnt look directly at her. He overreacted to every little thing she said. All of these things could be easily explained. I love Hera? Have you never loved in your life? This would have sounded really weird to anyone who happened to listen in on their conversation. After all, Sakura was Taiyous bride, someone who was in an intimate relationship with him and who would walk with him for life. It was a bit comical to hear Sakura ask Have you never loved in your life?. But she had a firm grasp on the situation. It didnt begin with love for Taiyou. And it had been that way for nearly all of the women around Taiyou. Even the first members of the harem, the Hayakawa sisters, were no different. They confessed to him out of the blue, showing up at the condominium he was in, and then they joined him after he saved them. The process of falling in love? They had completely skipped that. It was the same with Kohaku, Aoba, Youran, and Akiha. Strictly speaking, there was no romantic love between them. Now, there was plenty of universal love to go around. But that was completely different. The only instance where Taiyou might have experienced such love was Ruri, I guess? I see. But you could probably still argue that its not romantic love. I still feel like I was drawn in by some fierce emotion that surpassed how I felt about everyone else. Isnt that romance? Bittersweet, right? There was nothing like that with Ruri. Yeah, it scorched me a bit, but I was determined to get her. Taiyou discussed his feelings. The more he talked about it, the more he realized how many steps he had skipped with all his brides. Congratulations. Sakura said suddenly. Eh? Taiyou looked at Sakura like she was crazy. Sakura smiled sweetly, then continued. Well that means this is your first love, doesnt it? Chapter 416: Flattened By Asa-Chan Sakura left the room at daybreak. She approached Hera, who had been amusing herself by fluttering around in the air. Huh? Are you leaving already? Yes. Sakura nodded. She was dressed in the same uniform as yesterday, but she had a calm air about her that the other girls didnt have; not even Kohaku. Hera was pretty sure that Taiyou would like this sort of thing. You dont want to do an Asa-chan with Taiyou? Everyone always does it with him. That does sound tempting. Sakura calmly remarked, but did not slow her walking pace. Hera flew next to her at the same speed. But that will have to wait for another time. I have work to attend to, and theres also something else that takes high priority. What would that be? The building weve been discussing. Ohhh! Hera clapped her hands. This plan was being administered by the girls, but Sakura was the one entrusted with the execution. Youre so diligent, Sakura-chan. I just wish to see his face light up. It seems that he enjoys seeing the girlsgetting along, in the truest sense of the word. So I need to replicate that environment. In the truest sense of the word? I mean that I cant cut corners. Hera stared at her in puzzlement. Her face showed her confusion. Which reminds me, theres something I want to ask you. What is it? Do you like him? Sakura asked her directly without any room for confusion. This sort of approach was rare for her to take. Likewise, Hera answered directly. I indeed do! And is that in a loving way? What do you mean by love? In a sexual way? You mean do I want to have sex with him? No, I dont. Hera answered without much thought. It sounded like the pure, unfiltered truth. Really? Yes indeed. Is it because your bodys like that? Body? Hera looked at her body, goggling it all around to find anything that was strange. What about my body? No, I guess Im overanalyzing it. Sakura shook her head. Heras height was roughly 30 centimeters, about the size of a figure. Any attempt at sex would be hindered by how small her body was. At first Sakura assumed that was the reason, but Hera hadnt even thought about that from her reaction. But you say you like him. Yes indeed. I exist only for him. She had repeated that numerous times since her birth. Every time something happened, Hera would mention it. Her existence was for Taiyou. Sakura didnt know that. She had only recently been able to see her. But that was exactly why she was able to ask Hera her true feelings. I see, thank you for your input. Hm? Mhm, indeed, you are very welcome. Hera didnt see what was going on here, but she nodded, sending Sakura off. She arrived back where Taiyou was sleeping. The master of the harem of seven beautiful women was sleeping with a childish expression on his face. Awake, he had a sort of dignity or aura about him, but asleep, there was an innocent, naive feeling he exuded. Ahaha, same as always I see, Taiyou-chan. Hera looked at him and laughed pleasantly. Then she hopped on his shoulder. Lying face down on Taiyous shoulders, she propped her chin up with both hands, looking at his sleeping posture. She did nothing, just looked at him. Juuust stared fixedly at him. She dangled her feet around. She kicked him with the tips of her toes, tapping him. Taiyou showed no sign of reaction. He was in a deep sleep. Heeheehee! This was fun for her, especially since Taiyou wasnt reacting. She flapped her butterfly wings in light strokes, sending a breeze his way. Taiyou moved around fretfully, snorting and twitching with his eyebrows. Ahahaha! That was fun too. It was fun watching Taiyous reaction. Her fluttering wings entered her field of vision. One wing was still damaged from the fight with Taiyou when she had been under the control of the sword of blood and soul. She rubbed it against Taiyous skin. He fidgeted some more. Taaiyoochaan She called his name with an exaggerated voice. Taiyou did not wake up. But that was good. Anything was fine, actually. Anything Taiyou did was fine. It was fun being with him, observing him. Hera was currently very satisfied. She desired nothing, nor was there a need to do so. She already felt as if everything had been given to her. I will sleep with you too. She released her elbows and sprawled herself on top of Taiyous shoulders. The next morning she was pinned under Taiyou as he rolled over, making uncomfortable noises. Chapter 417: Date in the School That day, a uniformed Hera was constantly sitting on Taiyous shoulders like a pet bird. Regardless of Taiyous flirting with his brides on the way to school or the jealous boys at the school gates who followed behind them or the feelings of rivalry that emerged in track-and-field, Hera continued to ride on his shoulders. You plotting something or what? Taiyou found this phenomenon to be quite peculiar as he walked through the hallway by himself, inquiring from Hera as to what was going on. Im not plotting anything. Is that true? Yes indeed. Ah, I guess at most theres one thing. Whats that? I just want to see you pull off the cool stunts you usually do from the best seat available. The heck. I mean what I say! Must you overanalyze everything? No I get what youre doing but why so sudden? Because I really want to see right now. I want to take in everything and tell everyone of the grand tales of the legendary Taiyou-chan. I seriously dont get you. As he said, Taiyou didnt get what she was trying to do, but it was at least clear that she wanted to see something. He didnt particularly care if someone was watching him. It has happened countless times. People had observed his good points, his bad points, mental insecurities, physical insecurities. Why would he suddenly start caring now? Youre free to look at whatever you want, but Im not picking you up if you fall down. That is indeed fine. Hera smiled broadly. Because Im technically not riding on you. What? I am constantly hovering about 1 mm above your shoulders. Essentially, it is an air chair! That makes no logical sense. Ahahaha! Taiyou wandered aimlessly through the hallway. Hera continued topretend to ride on his shoulders, travelling with him. This years almost over. Yes indeed. Its been quite a while since we first met, but thinking about it, it still hasnt even been a year. Indeed? Yeah, it was Spring, right? Thats when you appeared in front of me. You crushed the competition with Jenga. Actually, I recall digging holes and filling them back up. That was super fun. I seriously freaked out when the cops surrounded us. But now you can break through them like the warrior you are. I wont though. You wont!? Of course not. He flicked Heras forehead. She lightly flew back, then went right back to his shoulder like a homing missile. But but, Im surprised too! Why? You gathered your seven brides so quickly. When you fell in love with Ruri-chan, I really thought to myself well ats a real kicker innit. What kind of dialect was that just now? Taiyou quipped, but nodded his head. Well I get that. Surprised me too. I expected a drawn-out battle. Lets go, rawr rawr. Come at me, Ill chew ya up. I thought itd turn into something like that. Hera spoke in a tone reminiscent of an old person. I never felt like drawing things out like that. But even though he said that, something in him sort of thought that wouldnt have been bad either. Taiyou and Ruri. The hair on their heads becomes white, and wrinkles all over their faces, but still continuing to fight. Sometimes theyd fight each other, other times theyd fight together. But this had nothing to do with their gender. This relationship was, in a sense, a relationship of lifetime partners, to phrase it in a beautiful way. Also, I never thought Sakura-chan would be the seventh. Really? Yes indeed. I thought Leti-chan would make a comeback. Oh right, Leticia-sensei. He nodded, recalling the blonde princess. He met her nearly every day in school, but they had no further relationship past that. What might she be doing right about now? They hadnt kissed ever since that time, but he hadnt heard of her having a spasm either. I guess she overcame it or tried her best to suppress it. She said she could, right? The princess of the Fili kingdom. There must be something to it. If Leti-chan were your bride she would have been visually perfect. Ruri-chan is on the silver side, and Leti-chan is golden. Ruri is actually white though. It doesnt look silver to you? Hera asked him with a blank face. Definitely white. Taiyou answered immediately. To him, Ruri was a white girl. He understood what Hera meant by silver. But Taiyou didnt see it that way. To him, Ruri was white as snow. White. Her hair was white, her skin was white, the girl was just white down to the core. That was Tengai Ruri. There were no other colors mixed in, not even silver. You really like her. I love her the most. Even now? Ive never seen her as second place. Wowso amazing, Ruri-chan. Hera was impressed. Taiyou glanced at her. Come to think of it, theres one thing I wanted to ask you. What is it? What would happen if we kissed? Chapter 418: Evaluation Nothing would happen if we did that. Yeah? Yes indeed. Ah, do you think other people would see us if we kissed? Pretty much. He lied. He wasnt thinking that at all. Not until she had asked that. Unfortunately, that wont happen. Hm. Shall we try anyway? Sure, why not? Hera closed her eyes, puckering up for a kiss. Taiyou shook his head. Never mind. Really? Hera opened her eyes. Taiyou was shocked by how ready Hera had been for the kiss. To him, kisses were special, hence why he had asked her. But to Hera, it didnt seem like she felt the same way. If Taiyou had known the truth, things might have been different. Hera in fact had something equivalent to a kiss, and she had experienced it several times up until now. If Taiyou had known this, things might have been different. Which was exactly why it was a good thing. Hera leaned against the side of Taiyous head. She was riding in an air chair, but her back was against his head. They were touching, transmitting warmth at close range. Shall we go back to the classroom? Yes indeed. You seem to be enjoying yourself. Is there a birdhouse you could put around here? That way I could stay in it whenever. Where would you even put it? Uhhthe top of your head? There was a manga with a similar scenario. The two of them chatted as they returned to the classroom. Hera continued to ride on his shoulders. Break time, afternoon class, after school. Even after Yourans escort arrived to take them back to the hotel. She was still riding on his shoulders. Master, change into this. Yeah. Hera, get off for a moment. Yes indeed. Hera flew away from Taiyou as he changed into the black security police clothing, but came right back when it was over. Whats up with you? It is all the rage, indeed! Riding on his shoulders is all the rage? Yes indeed. Hera grinned. Together forever. Morning, night, Hera-chan will be right here, indeed. That makes me a littleannoyed. Id give anything to be by Masters side without being disturbed. Heheheh. Master. Yeah whats up? Taiyou said coolly. Let me do that next time! You mean always be around me? Yeah! Right, just like with the sisters. Ohhh, like when I snuggled with them the whole day? Sure, when you wanna do it? Taiyou accepted. He would never reject a wish from his brides. Tomorrow! But we have school. Then the weekend! At Juuni Island. Juuni Island? Why so far? I want to do it there! Alright, lets go. After promising, Youran got changed as well. She untied her twintails, changing into a kimono. The atmosphere had changed in a heartbeat. Juunishima Shingetsu Youran. Her whole body was now radiating an amazon-like aura. Its crazy as usual seeing you change like that. To one such as I, it is but a normal thing. Long before I met ye. Hm, yeah, youre beautiful. Do not lead me astray. I must maintain this form for today. Okay. So whats the occasion? Taiyou asked. He had changed just like she asked and came over here, but in actuality, he didnt have a clue as to what they were doing. Yeah. Youran said with a serious face. Just going to see someone. All the honored guests at the venue were women. Some were in a kimono, some in a dress, and some in school uniform. Various women were there, but they all had one thing in common: all of them were beautiful women of high upbringing. A good day to you, Shingetsu-sama. It has been quite a while. Is your grandfather Okyoku healthy as usual? Yes, very much so. He mentioned he would very much like to talk with you if you were able to. Then I shall go and see him, as is expected. I did not think it would surprise you so much. I have always highly esteemed the respect of our forebearers. How rude of me. Then I shall convey that to my grandfather. A good day to you, Shingetsu-sama. I am deeply grateful for the other day. Miss Fujimi, it has been a while. How fares your mother? Thank you very much. Her condition is stable. She is receiving medical treatment at the house. That is wonderful to hear. If anything happens, you may contact me. Shingetsu-sama, please hear this! My company that you contributed to is now ready to go public! This is all thanks to you, Shingetsu-sama! Thank you so much! It happened because of your dedication. I did nothing special. The women came in droves to greet Youran. Taiyou simply stood next to her, acting like a bodyguard. He could feel himself getting slightly dizzy surrounded by all these well-to-do girls. This is great. Hera opened her mouth. You can select any of them you want from this bunch, right? Good for you, Taiyou-chan. That one comment made him even more dizzy. Chapter 419: If There Is An Eighth He glared at Hera through his sunglasses, but she wasnt even looking his way. She was gazing at all of the ladies at the venue from Taiyous shoulder, a hand over her forehead. But wow, Yuri-chan has done it again! Cute girls as far as the eye can see. Taiyou couldnt disagree with that. But that was exactly why he felt uncomfortable. Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan, who do you like the most out of them? Ah, you cant answer because youre in the middle of being a bodyguard. Okay, then how about this Hera leaped off his shoulders, stopping in front of a lady wearing a beautiful, feminine pinkish outfit and pointing at her. She appeared gentle, with a refined, adultlike beauty. How about this one? Then maybe that one? She pointed at a slightly strong-willed lady next to her. Hm hm, could it be this one? Taking advantage of her invisibility, Hera flitted around and about, noisily asking him questions. Even after one lap, Taiyou did not answer. He wasnt able to tell her that he liked nor disliked any of them. He couldnt answer. He couldnt answer which one was the best. Because- Dont tell meeveryone? -gh! He caught his breath, attempting to play it off, but it was too late. Everyone? Oho, I see. Hera grinned. Taiyou had truly blundered. An additional blow came to him when Youran glanced over at him. Nothing to worry about. I believe that it is the duty of the powerful to accept everything. She said as she walked over to the ladies. On the surface, she was telling him not to worry about it, but there was clearly a message hidden in her words. It all started with Akihas proposal. Taiyous seven brides make their various groups, becoming the leaders, and indirectly giving ownership to Taiyou. Youran was currently setting that plan in motion, thinking also of the conversation she had with Kohaku. Before they had even entered the venue, Youran had told Taiyou this: You may inform whomever you choose. That sounded like she was serious. After all, she had already offered him Juurokuya. As a possession, as someone to serve under him. Youran had already done that once. So this must be her serious side. Taiyou took it as such. (Everything, huh Taiyou pondered. Was it really okay to just take everything? He would accept everything. Everything he took a liking to, everything he wanted. Youran was fine with that. In fact, she was encouraging it. The other brides would probably say the same thing. The three sisters had strongly desired a harem from the very beginning. Kohaku had said she would give him her everything. Aoba, who had three mothers. Akiha, who had opened her body together with her friend to the same man. Youran and Sakura, daughters of two different mothers. Everyone had the qualities of people who allowed and encouraged such behavior. It made sense for her to say something like that. But, still Taiyou examined his own status, peering at the area between his molars and eyeballs. The harem value. 65535 (57343) The numbers had overflown like a bugged interface. With even more bugging, the numbers that were left represented the negative revision of the seven brides idol. After subtraction, the harem value was still above 8000. Compared to the highest value number in Taiyous status, this one was 20 times above that one. In other words, he currently had enough power to easily maintain the current harem. But if he were to add another bride, the value would plummet. Probably to zero. Thinking of all the patterns and rules up till now, it wasnt difficult to expect that. But he hesitated. He had slept together with Juurokuya. But afterward, the negative points had not increased. Because Taiyou had made her his, but had not made her his bride. So there probably wouldnt be any issue with doing the same to every lady here. But (Hera) He looked at the fairy. It was all clear to him now. What he felt toward her It was the same exact thing as all the other brides. Romantic, or maybe filial, love. He had wanted to make Hera his, hence his hesitation. Taiyou desired everything. Even Youran told him to accept everything. However, the only thing to make Taiyou what he was right now was the ability to level up given to him by Hera, and the status as well. The moment he did that to hera, the harem value would plummet to zero. 65535 (65535). He anticipated this occurring. And so did his brides. Hence the seven brides. In other words, the moment he made her one of his brides, the harem value would likely collapse. If only he had not realized this. If only he had not been so pressured to make a decision. Taiyou had come to terms with his feelings. His relationship with his brides up until now was being put at stake, and Taiyou was the most worried he had been in ages. Chapter 420: Gambling Everything How was it? Youran asked Taiyou in the bathroom. Eh? Anyone you took a fancy to? Oh, that. Taiyou nodded. That hadnt even been in his mind until Youran had reminded him. There wasnt? Not necessarily. You mean if I just wanna screw em, right? That was pretty much all of them. Pretty much all of them? Guess we should root out the ones you dont need. I guess? So go tell them. Ill take care of the rest. You remember the conversation we had before this? Hm? When you get to be 40, you have to take responsibility for your reputation. Lean Karns words, huh. It was when they first met. Taiyou had seen through Yourans perfectly feigned behavior by looking at her face. That was what Youran had said to him. And what of it? Several of their smiles were disgusting. How should I say itlike their bad personality was oozing out. Threeno, four of them. Were probably thinking of the same ones. Mhm. So what were you thinking about earlier? Youve got a good eye to notice that. Taiyou smiled awkwardly. He had assumed she was too surrounded by the ladies for her to notice. Dont get too weirded out, ok? What, did you fall in love with Hera? Youran asked, surprising Taiyou. You already saw through me that much? Is my face really that expressive? Taiyou patted his face down, looking in the mirror. And what about it? Hera might be the eighth. If so, thats problematic. I get it. Youran nodded. She immediately understood what he was trying to communicate. That certainly sounds problematic. But it isnt like we cant find a solution for it. And what would that be? Just kick Sakura out and you get an open space. Youve got to be joking. He narrowed his eyes, glaring at Youran. Of course. If I actually wanted there to be an empty spot Id offer my own life. Now that really should be a joke. He didnt say it, but he was still happy to hear it. That wouldnt have been a good thing to say aloud. As he began paying attention to Youran again, he noticed how listless she seemed to be. Your face tells me that you dont really care. Thats because I do not. Seriously? Whys that? Because I will always be with you. Mm. Seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen-no matter how many people you bring in. Youran told him straight to his face. No matter how many people come in or leave, I will always be with you. Youwill be here for me? No. She shook her head. Nothing so presumptuous as doing something for you. I will simply be by your side. At first he thought it was a roundabout expression for her to use, but in actuality it was an extremely straightforward confession. Thanks. There is nothing to thank me for. Im glad youre here. I know six other women who would say the same thing. Her comment surprised Taiyou. What is with that face? Did you really not expect that? I sure didnt. Who is it that you do not trust? I will tell them off, so just say the word. It was just unexpected to hear you being so considerate of Sakura-san. This time it was Yourans turn to be astonished. Her Shingetsu-no-Kami face splintered for just a moment. But it really was just a moment. I have long since reconciled with her. Yeah, I know. But it just sounded so natural the way you said it. Besides- Besides? Im glad. Youran quickly looked away. This was one thing that Shingetsu would be incapable of doing. She currently was red to the tips of her ears, just an ordinary girl. He put a hand on her face and kissed her. It was the kind of kiss that crushed ones lips and tongue, a thick kiss. Im glad. I will not say it again. Its ok. Taiyou grinned. Youre quite the careless one, so Im sure youll slip up again and say it for me. I will not say it again, on my name. On your name? Well thats no good. Almost sounds like youre serious. Hmph. Youran. What? No matter what happens, stay with me always. Taiyou said on purpose. He felt he had to. Youran did not answer. She had a beautiful smile on her face, which was quite unusual. Hera. Late night, condominium rooftop. Taiyou called for Hera. Jajajaaan! As usual, Hera warped right in. What is it, Taiyou-chan? Are you not going to have sex with anyone today? Taiyou-chan? I need to tell you something. He looked at Hera with determined eyes, which threw her off. Tell me something? Yeah, its really important. Uh-huhSo what is it? I like you. I like you too, Taiyou-chan! Heeheehee, I always tell you that though, that I am yours! I dont mean that. He cut through what she was saying, replacing it with a new, firm statement that had no room for interpretation. I want you to be my eighth. Chapter 421: Tes Ruri and Akiha were on the rooftop of the condominium. And thatsfine with you? Well didnt you say its important to pay attention to ones feelings, Master? There are technicallymore important things. But you havent done it, Master. Then lets beginthe test. After having a rather incoherent conversation, Ruri pulled out her katana and slowly drew a circle on the ground. The circle was a meter in diameter. Ruri stood in the center, sheathing her sword and speaking to Akiha. Try toforce me out of here. Heh, does that mean you wont be using your clones? Rightno clones. And thats really ok? Its one thing for me to say, but I can seriously tell that Ive gotten stronger. I wont just pass the test, Id probably win against you when you just stand there like that. If you can accomplish thatyou will have full mastership. Alriiight, guess its time to get this over with. Oh, are there any other rules? Alive oralive. Master, youre so kind! After bending and stretching in preparation, she lunged straight for Ruri. Bang! Right before she had entered Ruris range, Akiha quickly thrust her hands out and slammed them together. This particular movement is referred to as nekodamashi in sumo-a surprise attack. Hyaah! And as Akiha lunged forward, she was met with a slash attack. Her attempt to hinder Ruris vision had failed. Ruri kept her composure. Thats my master! That wasa little sneaky of you. Thats just me in a nutshell. AmazingDarling has done it again. Heck yeah, but we both know that! Akiha brought out the various techniques she had learned from Ruri in her attacks. Every movement was skilled and precise, and anyone watching would never imagine that she was a rookie-in-training. Akiha aimed calculated blows at the vital spots. Ruri staved off the attack. She counterattacked with her katana, driving away Akiha. This would repeat itself, with Akiha charging back at Ruri only to be repelled again and again. Ruri wouldnt leave the circle. In fact, her feet had not budged a single inch. Great stuff, Master! You overwhelm me like a yokozuna in sumo! Gottsuan (special sumo word for thank you). Wanna try getting fat? Taiyou might be into that kind of thing when you do it. I will consider itat best. Aww, youre not gonna do it? That sucks. I will consider itwith enthusiasm. Oh, so you WANT to do it!? That surprised Akiha. The next moment, she went up a gear. Compared to earlier, her movement had risen a level to where she was no longer just striking from the front, but approaching from either side with steps to the left and the right of Ruri. Ruri and Akiha. Their fight was reminiscent of boxers in a fighting ring, one approaching and the other defending. There was Ruri, composed in the center and Akiha, restlessly maneuvering around her. Kuh! Akiha felt a clean hit in her flank, which prompted her to immediately rush off to the side, decreasing the impact of the hit. That was withthe back of the sword, just so you know. Well shucks, thanks for the info! Upon landing, she threw herself right back at Ruri. Almost as if nothing had happened. But the cold sweat that had emerged on Akihas forehead told a different story. Ruri had held back in the attack, and Akiha had quickly reacted to it, but she still seemed to have taken quite a bit of damage. Hey, Master. How many kids you want in the future? I want to have1.5 of them. Why is there a decimal in there!? How manydo you want? Well I want11 of them! Soccerteam? A baseball team and two coaches! Their conversation had mellowed down to chit-chat, which was the complete opposite of their fight that had only increased in intensity. Akiha had begun to wage more ferocious attacks on Ruri than earlier, and Ruri dispatched each and every one of them. Akihas raw wounds had begun to increase by the minute. If Ruri were really serious right now, Akiha would be split into seventeen pieces. Kuhah! Akiha was flung back into the wall. She tried to stand up, but her legs quivered, not permitting it. Its over. Determining that it would be impossible to continue like this, she had thrown in the towel. Ruri, who had yet to budge an inch, left the circle to walk over to Akiha. Yep, looks like I win. Akiha said all of a sudden. Ruri looked at her blankly. Looks like you got out of the circle, Master. So its my win. But that wasafter you surrendered. Yeah I surrendered, but I never admitted my defeat. I checked the rules real thoroughly. They only detail you losing, but theres nothing about what to do when I lose, yeah? Thatsa stretch. Hey, a win is a win. Akiha said. But of course she was not serious. It was just a joke. And Akiha herself did not think that would actually be allowed. Cheatermeanie. Heheh. I will not give the emblem of eligibilityto those types of people. I wasnt going to pass anyway, so who cares. Noyou did. Wha? Whatcha mean? I saidyou passed. But I wasnt able to get you out of the circle, was I? I saidtry to get me out of it. Mhm. I didnt saythat you had to succeed in it. This surprised Akiha. Come to think of it, she was right. Besidesthats impossible. Right, right! Even I thought that was a practically impossible challenge! I bet Taiyou would struggle with something like that too. Darlingcan do it. Wow. I intendedto follow the rules from the beginning. Is that right Soyou pass. Ruri sweetly smiled, taking out something long from her skirt. It strongly resembled what Ruri was carrying around with her. It was a katana with a plain wood scabbard. Akiha accepted it into her hands. Chapter 422: The Mightiest Disciple Akiha stared astonished, at the katana. This is? The proofof acceptance. And this is a real katana? Mhmits real. Akiha unsheathed the katana partway. The blade reflected the light, glittering in the night. The cold light accompanied by the air felt like it blew against her face at that moment. A real katana-a real sword. Akiha gulped, swallowing her saliva. Amazing And so nowyou have been initiated. But is it really okay? I mean yes, Im quite happy about this, but I wasnt able to even touch you, let alone make you budge. Heck, Ive never even accomplished that before. So whatwould you prefer? Eh? Preferuhh (Well, what would I prefer?) Akiha pondered. This result was what she had always wanted, nothing less. On top of that, she now had an emblem-a license that came in the form of a katana. How could she have any sort of problem with this? Okayhow about this. Eh? You kill your masterand take on her name. No no no You would like to bring me down with your deadly fistand pass on the legend? No way! Taiyou would be sad if you died. Mmgood. Ruri was visibly relieved. It would have been badif you wanted that. I wont try anything, dont worry. Thenwhat will you do? Thank you very much. Akiha hugged her katana to her chest, bowing her head. I will gladly receive this, Master. Mmgood. Ruri said, putting away her katana in her skirt. Ah, you still havent taught me that. What wouldthat be? You know, that thing you just did with hiding the katana in your skirt. Its totally invisible. Akiha flipped Ruris skirt up. All she could see was white underwear and thighs, with the katana nowhere to be seen. Stopit. Ah, sorry sorry. Ruri was slightly perturbed. Her face was a bit red. Akiha apologized and stopped touching her. I know I said sorry, but at least tell me about that, Master. I just gotta know. Mmokay. Ruri nodded, taking the katana back out of her skirt. Then she showed Akiha how to put the katana in and take it out. If there were a third person here, they probably would have found this scene and the explanations rather unusual, thinking the heck is that? in their heads repeatedly. But Akiha understood. After all, nearly everything Ruri had taught her up until now had been more unclear than the skirt procedure. Compared to that, this was relatively easy to understand and easy to accomplish, thought Akiha. Now we just needto practice. How long until I can master it? That dependson your capacity. Whaaa, thats the most amazing, most terrible answer, Master. By the way, how many tries would it take for a fast learner? Onetry. And slow learners? As many asa hundred years. Theyd be dead by that time! Akiha burst out in objection. Isnt there a trick to it? I showed you everythingjust now. Oh No complaining or nitpickingjust do it. You got a point. Akiha nodded, bringing the sheathed katana into her skirt. She looked down nonchalantly. This doesnt look right. Thats only becauseyou have an impure heart. No cmon, that cant be it. This is seriously weird. Thenits because you have love. Thats way different from what you said earlier! And its still questionable Akiha said as she released her hands. And then the katana disappeared into her skirt. Oh, oooh, oooooh! It had completely settled inside her skirt. It wasnt falling, even with her hands away from it. She pinched the ends of her skirt, fluttering it around. All that she could see was black underwear and healthy-looking thighs, with no katana in sight. Thats crazy, its really in the skirt! Following your instructions helped me to do it, and it only took one try. Mhmyou did it. Isnt this great? Isnt it? Yeahyour heart is definitely defiled. That has something to do with it!? No, but wait, you were able to do that before getting close with Taiyou! Even thenmy heart was pure black. Oh, thats what you meant! Although thats still shocking to hear. Every so often, Ruri would mention that, but now it was more of a joke than anything. Her heart-and hands-were dirty; soiled with fresh blood. Its finelets get dirty together. Hm, well sure, conditionally. Akiha said, bringing out the katana and putting it back. Both the katana and the technique had been entrusted to her by Ruri. It would have been a very surreal sight for anyone watching. Akiha, a high school girl, was reaching her hand into her skirt, pulling out a long thing from it. Yeah, think I got it down pat. Thatsgood. Then while were at it, Id like you to tell me one more thing. How greedy of youwhat is it? But Ruris face looked somehow happy when she said that. Her disciple was achieving great results, eager for more, which was what a disciple was supposed to be like. It was only natural for Ruri to be happy about this. Well, how should I say itthe thing you do to change your body? Change mybody. Yeah. See, I always wanted to try getting small. Akiha grinned. Snap! Suddenly, it felt like the air had frozen solid. Chapter 423: The Next Realm Alrightyoure excommunicated. Ehhhh? Wha wha, wait a minute, Master. Whats up with that? I feel some sort of dark aura coming from you. Iwill kill you. Wait, Master!? Akiha backed away. Ruris aura quickly abated, but you could still tell by looking at her face that she was not happy. It was at this moment that Akiha knew she had stepped on a land mine. Small meant small chest, aka flat. That was a forbidden word to Ruri, who was very disappointed in her chest. Especially when someone as well-endowed as Akiha said it. Sorry, I know its weird to say sorry but Im sorry. Hey, at least let me explain myself. Akiha put her hands together, begging. Then Ruri calmed down a bit. Her hands slid back down from her katanas handle. Akiha was this close to getting herself into a bloodbath. Im actually jealous to be honest-hey, at least hear what I have to say before you touch that katana! What is thereto be jealous of? The fact you can have whatever breast size you want. Akiha said. Ruris expression mellowed out slightly. Seriously, big or small. We dont call the shots, right? Taiyou does, right? Darlingright. If Taiyou says he likes em big, then big ones are more valuable. If he says theyre good small, then small ones are more valuable. Mmright. So whats important here is that Taiyou doesnt seem to have a set preference, yeah? Ruri gave no reply. She probably understood that the most out of all the seven brides. Taiyous preferences changed to suit the occasion. He always loved the woman in front of him the most. And Ruri was the only one out of the seven that could freely change her bust size. From a narrow perspective, big ones might be good sometimes and small ones might be good sometimes, but in the grand scheme of things, arent all sizes great? Mhmall sizes. Right, all sizes. Ruri and Akiha repeated the phrase all sizes, which had a different nuance with Taiyous brides. So wouldnt it be best to be able to have both sizes? And so you can do that, Master. And Ive learned a lot from you and even mastered what you taught me. In other words? Akiha prompted Ruri. You want tolearn that as well. Yep! Because ofDarling. Yep yep! Onlyfor Darling. When you put it that way its a little embarrassing, but yeah. Akiha said, but she didnt deny it. In other words, yes it was embarrassing but it wasnt wrong. AlrightI understand. Then!? Butno. Whaaa, why? Because I cannotteach you that. No cmon cmon, Master, dont be a cheapskate. Nothats not it. Ruri quietly shook her head. I cannot teach youI do not know how to. Hm? I do itwithout thinking. Oh, so its more instinctive. Akiha clapped her hands together in comprehension. Japanese really is difficult, eh Master? Mhmit is. Alright, so I get you dont know how to teach me it, but is it totally out of the question? Is it impossible for me to learn it? Ruri remained silent. She thought earnestly about it. I dontknow that either. So the possibility isnt zero. Rightnot zero. Then teach me! Even likesensory information would be totally cool. You can send the idea to me with a pew and Ill be all like baaam right back at you. Thats fine, right? Is it finewith you? Yeah! Akiha nodded firmly. In contrast, Ruri nodded silently. And just like that, the fellow brides, or instructor and pupil, began another session of training. Ruri taught, and Akiha learned. Before now, Ruri had taught her in a composed manner while Akiha eagerly listened in. This time around was a bit different. Ruri attempted to verbalize the nature she had within herself to the best of her ability, and Akiha earnestly did her best to take it in. Both of them were more heated than usual. But they still struggled. This was originally something that Ruri naturally did, which was quite hard to teach anyone. You can teach anyone how to take a deep breath, but there isnt any way to teach people how to breath. This was the same sort of idea. But their passion gradually made the process possible. Also Master, I see you like to wear kneesocks a lot. Your feet are like suuuper delicate so it does look good on you, but sometimes its more erotic to have the kneesocks dig into the skin a bit, yeah? -ngh! Akihas statement only accelerated the process. Akiha worked together with Ruri in order to decode the sensation within her. Until the time finally came. Ooo! They shrank a bit! And mine becamea bit more plump. The two of them had simultaneously come across the next realm, stepping in. Deeper and deeper. Into the realm of fetishes. Chapter 424: Miracle The mismatched sisters. The soul-sharing girls. They had the same exact DNA, born on the same day and from the same woman, triplets. And yet, the girls all had differing heights of 150 cm, 140 cm, and 130 cm. They were writing something on notebooks in their room. There was a knock at the door. Yes? The tallest triplet answered. It be me, ja. Can I come in? Yes please~ The door opened, and the young elder walked in. At first glance she appeared to be a child, but her mind was that of a truly experienced adult. Eternal Little. That was the name for the children who at age ten lost any further growth and remained with that same appearance until their organs weakened and they died. There was once a time when they were referred to as witches. In more recent times it was discovered to be a genetic abnormality. Azuma Kohaku appeared to be ten years old, but was actually born eighty years ago, a veteran surviving through perilous times. The three mismatched sisters and the eternal little. Both of them were similar in that they differed from the average person in genetics, so they often spent time together. Will ye drink? Is that liquor? Were underage, you know. That wouldnt be a good idea, I think. Nay, just a little bit is fine, ja. There be countries that allow drinking from 14, ja. Plus in Japan, married couples be considered adults. Hmmm. Well in that case We cant drink too much, though. The three sisters nodded reluctantly. It seemed that they couldnt find it in themselves to refuse. Kohaku brought in a sake bottle and sake cups. One bottle, two cups. But this was no mistake. Everyone followed Taiyous example in this house. Here ye go. Thank you. The three sisters thanked her, taking turns in sipping the drink, only getting their lips wet. Eeek! Sooo strong! My throat hurts Kukuku, it tastes good once ye get used to it. Besidescant ye feel it? The tip of ye fingers feels hot, jaro? Yes, it kind of feels prickly. Feels weird, jaro? Yes. It may feel that way for now, but eventually yer senses will become more keen. Keen? I sort of understand. I can feel it slowly becoming that way. And then it spreads from ye fingers to ye entire body. Try it a bit more, lassies. Okay. The three sisters said, putting the cup to their mouths again. A bit more than earlier, enough to roll down the tip of the tongue. Yow! It just Rushed in all at once. Kukuku. If ye learn to love it in that state, then yell enjoy it many times more than usual, ja. Is that so! Indeed, tis. Ye get why it be easy to slip up with alcohol, jaro? We have yet to slip up, though. The three sisters stared at the sake cups. They also glanced at the sake bottle that Kohaku was pouring into her own cup. Their throats were undulating, clearly showing their interest. Kohaku did not bother to question that, instead asking a different question. So what do ye be writing in them notebooks, ja? Got enough words in there to cause a gestalt. Ah, we were deciding on a name. The shortest girl answered. Name? Yes, our names. What, are ye changing ye names? Yes. Lochia? Kohaku had meant it as a joke, but she hadnt expected them to give such an immediate answer. Ye really plan to change ye name? But why? The names we have right now Are what our father gave us. So we want to change them. Ah. Kohaku nodded, emptying her cup and pouring more in. Kohaku was familiar with their household affairs. And she also knew what happened to their household. So Kohaku did not ask anything in particular, merely responding with an Ah. Might I see? Yes, please do. The triplets showed her their three notepads all at once. Kohaku took them into her hands, gazing into their contents. Other than all three names being for females, they were completely different. Some were old-fashioned, others were based on flowers, while others were currently popular names, like Akina. Ye got a lot written down there. We just figured it was best to begin writing something. Write as much as we could think of. And then decide after we can think of nothing else. I seemm, this is Kohakus eyes stopped on a particular name. Kiseki. Amongst the many names, this was the one that fit these girls the least. In fact, could something like this even be considered a name? Ye planning to name yeselves something like this? Yes. Nothing wrong with that, right? Were pretty much at the point of considering it. Considering it, ehbut Kiseki, of all things? Kohaku slightly grimaced. The three sisters corrected her. Thats not it, Kohaku-san. You dont read it As kiseki. Hm? Kohaku looked at the notebooks. Clearly, the symbols written there meant miracle, and could only be read as kiseki in Japanese. Then Kohaku gasped. Waitare ye going to name yeselves Miracle? She thought that was a sensible way to do it nowadays. But that, too, was incorrect. Taiyou-san. Wha? Taiyou-san, thats the name. The answer Kohaku received was even more unexpected. Chapter 425: Merging Souls Kohaku looked at each of the sisters notebooks in turn. And then she spoke. I see, so ye write it as the symbol for miracle, but ye pronounce it as taiyou-sanlike this. Jana. Kohaku took a pen and added a small notation above the symbol to make it easier to understand. E (Taiyou-san) Like this, jana. Yes. I see, well that is not a bad name at all. Right. I agree. If there arent any better ones we will probably go with this. The name itself be good, but this still not be enough, ja. What, why not!? The sisters let out a bit of a shriek. I see no issue with us referring to ye by that name. But who do ye younguns most want to refer to ye by that name? Eh? Who do ye want to say yer names the most, ja? The three sisters looked at each other, and then it dawned on them. It was Taiyou. Aye. Imagine Danna-sama whispering yer name into ye ears lovingly. Kohaku said, closing her own eyes. The sisters followed suit, closing their eyes. Everyone present imagined this at the same time. Pressing their skin together atop the bed. Taiyou whispering into their ears- taiyousan. Shivers. Everyone present could feel goosebumps. Sorry, please forget this happened. We never considered what that would sound like. Cringyheck no. Taking the notebooks back, they crossed out the suggestion with their pens. Kukuku. Failure be the privilege of the young. Keep testing things out, lassies. Kohaku sucked up some sake. Koto-chan, throw this away. The biggest girl ripped the page out, handing it to the smallest girl. She was closest to the wastebasket, throwing it in. Hm? Kohaku cocked her head, staring at the sisters, cup tilted toward her mouth. What ye say just now, ja? Eh? We were just throwing this Nay, before that, ja. What did ye call her just now? Isnt Kotone supposed to be you, lassie? Eh? Eh? Eh? The same reaction, three times. Repeatedbut not overlapping. There was no unison in the usual chorus of souls. Instead, it was a haphazard set of surprised exclamations. The sisters looked at the tallest oneKotone. Kotone also looked at herself. Yeah, Im Kotone. Im Kazane? The shortest girl asked in an unsure tone. It was as if she wasnt sure who she was. What happened. Kohaku asked plainly. Bizarrely enough, the youthful elder was slightly frowning. Uhh Kotone said, her gaze wavering. Just by looking at them, one could tell they were confused. The sisters looked at one another again. This time it was as if they were communicating with one another via eye contact. At length, Kotone stammered out a sentence. This has been occurring on an occasional basis as of late. This weird thing? Us not being able to tell which one we are. Kotone said with a slightly anxious expression, which mirrored the other two sisters. And its not memory loss or anything like that. I know who I am, but its just less clear. Mm, perhaps ye can explain it so that it be easier to comprehend? Uhh, ah, just talking to myself. We know who we are, but we dont know who we areI guess? The sisters looked at each other, nodding simultaneously. Kohaku pondered these words briefly. At length, she spoke again, this time with a serious expression. It be quite complex to put into words. So yer saying that ye consciousness as triplets is clear but yer individual consciousnesses have mergedmaybe? No, thats still not quite ityer consciousness should have been one before all this. Hmmm Uhh, I think thats the correct way to put it. We agree. In other words, this be like a telephone extensions label ripping off, jana. Extension? Kotone cocked her head. Ah, guess ye lassies arent from the generation with telephone handsets. Kohaku went back into thought, but Kotone interrupted that. Uhh, I think thats the right idea. Yes, thats it. Ah. Kohaku nodded, then seemed to remember something. Did ye discuss this with Danna-sama? Eh, nope, not yet. Were still a bit too confused to explain. Nay, do not use that as an excuse. Eh? How will not talking to Danna-sama help? Butwe do not wish to worry him Nay, not that. Kohaku firmly cut through what Kotone was saying. Just imagine Danna-samas reaction if ye tell him Were fusing more and more into one person!. How do ye think he would regard it? Uhh The three sisters were perplexed. Ye dont get it? Then let us go back a wee bit, shall we? I shall tell it to ye straight: Danna-sama highly regards the three of ye, sharing the same soul. Ah. The sisters voices overlapped in astonishment. Looks like ye remembered. Then let me ask ye again. If ye convey yer current situation to Danna-sama, how will he react? Hell be happy. They said. Kohaku nodded, satisfied with their answer. Chapter 426: Partner of Fate Aoba had returned to her familys home, the Miyagi household. Three mothers and one beloved daughter, catching up on life. Is that the person who injured Mio-san? Taiyous seventh bride, Sakura. Atsuko was asking about her. Ah Aoba looked at Mio, the only one in the room wearing a maid uniform. She was taken aback by the question. She apparently hadnt realized it until now. She began to panic slightly. Thats wrong, Atsuko-sama. The perpetrator is someone else, and it wasnt a line of command either. They just so happened to be part of the same organization. Mother? Well well well, Mio-san, arent we the informed one here Its to be expected. Nazuna said. Mio-san does indeed know the full details, at least about the family over there. Shes been keeping tabs on Aoba the whole time to make sure nothing happens to her. Its only to be expected. Mio remarked nonchalantly. Oh, well I guess that makes sense, yup yup. Atsuko nodded as well, understanding the situation. Aoba was astonished to suddenly hear all this. Mios adoration for Aoba had convinced her that it was only reasonable to do such a thing; that it would in fact be crazy not to monitor her. But wow, my idiotic son really outdid himself this time. The madlad actually made a former enemy into his wife. Thats Natsuno-kun for you. Pffft, this girl just bragged about her man. So what? You all brag about your husband on a regular basis. Well yeah. Just keeps growing, doesnt it. So now were at- Nazuna counted on her fingers. Aoba answered before she could finish. Seven. Not nine? Atsuko asked a perfectly reasonable question. No, isnt it actually ten? Mio asked, clearly having caught on to something. Well, the sisters are all one person. And Juurokuya isnt even a bride. Seems to be getting quite complicated. Guess Ill hafta grab that dumb boy and get it straight from his mouth. I will prepare a truth serum for such an event. Lets have that be the last resort. But she never said they wouldnt be using it. On one hand, you had Atsuko all revved up to use the serum, whereas Nazuna appeared calm but seemed to also have a persistent nature to her. No, how about you just not do that. Aoba said with a grimace. Atsuko would probably object, but affairs in this household, or the actions of the three female leaders, were generally decided by a parliamentary system. With both Mio and Nazuna banding together, there was a high chance they would take the helm. Of course none of this would likely have an effect on Taiyou by this point, nor would he allow those around himsuch as Ruri and all the other brides, to be subjected to this (in more ways than one). Still, she felt she should at least warn them. Because there was a slim chance it might happen. But wow, how many people is it gonna be from now on? No, you dont need to worry about that. Aoba declared. Why? Uhh Aoba chose her next words carefully so that her mothers would quickly understand. Natsuno-kuns main wives are seven, thats been decided. Hmm, so the rest will be concubines, in other words. So thats where youve decided to draw the line. The three mothers all reacted differently. After a brief moment, Atsuko began speaking as if she remembered something. Oh yeah, Aoba, is there anyone among the sevenI mean, six brides who youre particularly close with? Close? UhhAkiha? Unable to interpret Atsukos reasoning, Aoba gave the simple answer. Oh, okay. Akiha-chan. What about it? Yeah, we were thinking of teaching you all sorts of things fairly soon. All sorts of things? All sorts of things. Atsuko lifted the corner of her mouth up in a grin. Aoba had a bad feeling about this. She knew that whenever this mother made a face like that, she was up to no good. So well have that talk sometime. How about right now? Nazuna attempted to escape, but Atsuko caught up to her, smiling with a thrilled expression that showed she would not let her close the conversation. Atsuko-sama, could you be talking about Mio seemed to have caught on. Mm, yeah. Are you opposed, Mio-san? Interesting. I rarely see you hesitate like this, Mio-san. Nazuna remarked, and Aoba was of the same opinion. Mio always had her priorities straight. So her actions were always clear and straightforward. How many years has it been since Mio-san hesitated? I dont even recall. At least ten years back. I think maybe twenty years. I havent the slightest clue The three of them exchanged their thoughts. That was just how rare this occasion was. What is it? What are you hesitating about? No, my apologies. I concur. Mio said. Her expression was back to that of Akita Mio, the maid with firm decision-making. Welp, even if Mio-san did object, we were still gonna do it. Right? Atsuko sought agreement. Right. Itd be two against one. And I understand that. All that aside, what in the world do you want to discuss? What do you want to teach me? Some. Thing. Good. Atsuko said in a playful manner. Aoba, right now you should call Akiha-chan over. Ah, it doesnt have to be her specifically though. Just whoever you get along with is fine. Seriously, what is it? Tell me. Youll find out once they arrive. Whaaat Aoba wasnt sure what to do. Was it really such a good idea to call Akiha over in this situation? In one sense, you could say Akiha would be fine. She had a strong personality that contended with Atsukos. But when she got out her phone Ah. It was right at that moment that her phone rang. Who is it, who is itoh. Well would ya look at that. Juunishima Sakura. The number in question belonged to Sakura. Chapter 427: No Quips Aoba wasnt sure what to do. By this point there was no longer a rift between her and Sakura. The issue was the mothers. If she didnt know what they were plotting, she couldnt just act recklessly. But. Cmon cmon, hurry up and pick up, Aoba. Atsuko pressed her as the phone continued to ring. (She wouldnt call mefor no reason, right?) Aoba had more of the impression that Sakura was a no-nonsense individual when it came to anything other than Taiyou. Without a real agenda, Aoba didnt think Sakura would have a reason to call her. But she picked up either way. Yes, this is Aoba- The moment she responded, Atsuko snatched the phone from her. We have your friend. She said while pinching her nose to speak in a different voice. This kind of thing was right up Atsukos alley. Aoba decided to give up. Its nice to meet you. My name is Juunishima Sakura. One hour later, Sakura arrived, exchanging greetings with the three mothers. She did a full bow, then when Atsuko motioned for her to sit down, she sat down on the couch. Weve heard, or rather, we were talking about you with Aoba just now. About me? Mhm. You know how Mio-san went to Juuni Island during summer break? I am so very sorry about- No, its cool. Sakura attempted to bow her head, but Nazuna stopped her before she could. Mio-san is more grateful than anything. She was able to protect Aoba after all. Nazuna-sama, thats not So you dont have to worry yourself over it needlessly. She ignored Mio and continued speaking. Im grateful to hear you say that. Sakura said before changing gears. So what did you wish to discuss with me? I hear you got with our stupid son lately. Stupid? Sakura cocked her head. She means Natsuno-kun. Because hes, uhh, technically their son-in-law. Aoba explained. Is that right? But yes, it is as you say. So ya did the deed? Must I answer that? Sakura became expressionless. Aoba became slightly frantic when she saw this. This definitely wasnt something to be discussed in public Yup, you sure do. Atsuko said. Aoba felt like holding her head. Come on, come on, are you serious? She glanced at Sakura, wondering if she was becoming irate. Alright. Eh? I am fully his. There is no place on my body that has not been used by him. Your butt too? Mama! Aoba could take this no longer, lashing out at Atsuko. My ears as well. Fwah? This rage quickly abated due to Sakuras unexpected comment. E-Ears, you say. Ah. You must mean the earlobes. No, it was the actual ear- AHH. AHH. AHH. AHH! Aoba let out a loud voice before finally quieting down. She really did not need to hear the rest of this. Your jokes are pretty savage, Sakura-san. Of course theres no way such a thing wouldC But it isnt a joke. Eh, seriously? UhhAh, earpickCyou know what, never mind. Aoba was about to say something else but hurriedly took it back. Who knew what other fearful things Sakura would say if she kept trying to interject. I see, I see. Youre quite the accomplished woman. Am I, now? You resemble us to a T. Fwah? Atsuko-sama, Nazuna-sama, perhaps this isnt the time to be saying such bold things in front of Aoba-sama But our daughters an adult whether she likes it or not. Dont worry about it. But Anyhow. Sakura-chan. Yes. Sakura had a slightly troubled look on her face. She probably wasnt called Sakura-chan very often. As to why we asked you thatYou know were a harem, right? I am familiar with this, yes. And so theres a lot going on. And of course I mean at night. Weve experienced a lot and researched a lot. I see. And so we were thinking of educating Aoba on that. To be more blunt, I mean the trick to doing it with multiple people. And you want me to? Yep. I mean, anyone would be perfectly fine, and theres not even anything wrong with having everyone go at it at once, but you happened to call Aoba as we were discussing it, so yeah. Alright, I understand the details. Sakura answered a moment later. I have no objections. Sakura-san!? If she says something like that, it must stem from a considerable amount of skill and experience. I guarantee results. Although if anyone outside finds out about this, they might not look at you the same way anymore. So it was that severe of a decision. Honestly, I do not recommend it. I am sure that you will find your own ways of- Mio began, but Sakura cut through her. Please, teach us. Mio and Aoba both gave her a look. Sakura-san, are you sure about this? I am behind the times. I joined quite a bit later than everyone else, so I am lacking in experience and everything else. If it is able to please him, I am willing to learn anything. Sakura-san This was the most surprising thing that Aoba had heard so far. She had no idea that Sakura felt so strongly about this. Thats no fair, Sakura-san. Aoba pursed her lips. If you put it that way, then Ill look bad for objecting to it! Chapter 428: Three Wives Really? Because I also want to make Natsuno-kun happyjust as much as you do. Hm. Right. Also Also? Sakura inquired. Aoba looked at her mothers before speaking again. If I let my mothers do as they please, who knows what kind of a pervert theyll coerce you into becoming. Its best that I join in so that I can put a bit of a brake on things. Umm, Aoba-chan, you do realize that Ill still go full sparta on her even if you are there, right? Atsuko said. Whaaat? Heck, even Mio-san will. I Cmon Mio-san, tell us your motto. Atsuko pestered Mio, who had a mixed expression. Motto? Mothers motto? This is the first Ive heard of it. Yeah, she had one. We can relate too, but Mio regards it more importantly than we do. Cuz its a motto. Nazuna and Atsuko said. Mother, what would that be? Aoba asked, only causing Mios face to grow even more troubled. She wasnt even looking at Aoba. But with Aoba staring directly at her, she soon realized it was no use evading the issue. It concerns how women sometimes must change faces at certain times. Faces? Yes. Three of them exist. The first is that of a housewife. Protect your husbands house and maintain that position. Hm hm, and the second one? Outside, you must be a lady, noble and refined, someone you can be proud of. Okay. And what might be the third one? Be a slut on the ground. S- lut? Did the conversation just jump to a whole new dimension? That was what it felt like. Aoba and Sakura looked at each other in astonishment. In order to please your husband on the bed, you are to become as lascivious as they come. In this case it is just between you and your husband, so go all out. Hahright, at first I was shocked to hear where you were going, but if thats what you mean then I might just have to agree. Indeed. However, from what Ive heard thusIt is the equivalent of one individual personifying everything, yes? That is correct. Wow, that sounds intense. The last one works just fine, but the previous two will be difficult. In that case, the ones in our house who would be a good example of this are the Hayakawa sisters. Mhm, and then Im not so sure about anyone else. I mean, look at Akiha. Shes the antithesis of a housewife. But all right, I understand. I share the sentiment for what we should aim for. Yep. By the way, girls Atsuko broke in. She had a mischievous expression on her face. Things get really crazy when you slack on any of the three roles. Like when you go outside, you might find yourself acting like a slut without even caring or realizing it. Wowthats horrible. And if you act like a lady in the houseyou become someone who literally does no chores. Thats also horrible, very much so. So the remaining two are the housewife roles and thebed role, correct? That sounds rather troublesome. Just a bit. Yeah, I get what you mean, just a bit. Im not saying to become a slut per say, but on the bedif you were in the housewife role till nighttime, you might be quite reluctant. Plus Id feel bad for him. Aoba and Sakura nodded at each other. Mios motto, and the bad habit you fell into without protecting it. Both girls seemed to sympathize with all the roles. And then. Okay, so youre doing all that by yourself, Mother? Of course I dont care about the bed part, but youre definitely doing the other two regularly. Id estimate shes in the housewife role 90% of the time. Plus she can act like a lady whenever she has to. Haahyoure incredible, Mother. Aoba sent a gaze of respect at Mio. Not at all. She sure is! Especially on the bed! Atsuko said, half teasing. Although we dont lose in that regard either. More like thats the only field we can win in. Welp, it is the part where we fight the most. So youre going to teach us all that? Mama. Exactly. Looks like you finally got it. Yeah, if thats how its going to be. Aoba said, looking at Sakura. Sakura spoke without changing her expression. I was fine with this from the beginning. Right, you were. Aoba grimaced. And then, they looked at the three mothers with resolution. Please teach us. Please do. Sakura spoke likewise, and the two of them lowered their heads. And so the two of them learned many, many things from the mothers through demonstration. The two of them absorbed the material at an astounding rate. This was because they empathized on many things as fellow harem members. Besides, they werent just cramming stuff into their brains. They should do this or that, and with Taiyou as their partner maybe this would work better. The two of them consulted each other about things like this. And after they had learned a good amount, they exited the Miyagi household to go test it out back home. Once they got back to where Taiyou was Huh? Whats up, everyone? Standing there were the three sisters and Kohaku, Akiha and Ruri, and Youran. Everyone was there, peeking through the gap in the door. Shhh. Youran gestured, pointing through the door. Though quite perplexed, Aoba and Sakura joined the group in peeking into the room. There they saw Taiyou and Hera with the most serious expressions they had ever had on their faces Chapter 429: Mind and Body Where is the camera? No, Im not joking here. Should I call over a colorful ambulance? My head is perfectly fine. Have you met with a boy with an incurable disease? Just look at me already. Yes, but For once, Hera had a clearly troubled look on her face. She was always unbelievably cheerful, so much so that it bothered Taiyou, but this time around she was acting the opposite way. This time Taiyou was bothering Hera. I purposely phrased it so that you wouldnt misunderstand. I want you as the eighth. After the other seven. Seven was an incredibly important number for Taiyou, or rather, the entire Natsuno household. No one would dare make a joke with the number seven. There was a silent understanding regarding it. Hence why Taiyou said what he did. It was so that he could convey just how serious he was. So it was understandable why Hera was so confused. Do you realize, Taiyou-chan? Do you realize what happens once you go past seven? I have a vague idea. And you still want to go through with this? I still do. So you dont want someone like Juurokuya? Not exactly. I figured you and I were similar to the triplets. Taiyou had no way to reply to that. He hadnt expected such a switchback. The triplets. The mismatched sisters, Kotone, Suzune, and Kazane. To Taiyou, they were one person who shared the same soul, physically three but mentally one. Hera was comparing her and Taiyou to their relationship. Of course not. But you see, I die when you die. Ruri-chan cant even kill me, and I only disappear when you die. If so, that makes us one in body and soul. Taiyou was at a loss. At very much of a loss. He had never thought she would throw such a curveball at him. Both of them could use these ingredients. Whoever took advantage of this would win. If Taiyou had recognized it before her, he would have been able to bring up the whole soulmate topic. But Hera was one step ahead. Denying anything thus far would end up denying the sisters without extra caution. After all, the way they discussed the sisters had its own train of faulty logic. Scientifically speaking, the three sisters were people who shared the same genes whose hormones simply went awry to the max. Telepathy between twins (triplets in this case) had yet to be proven, much less the existence of souls. So Taiyou was only acting based on what he felt. That was just how frail the basis was. And of course Taiyou had firm conviction that it was because the sisters shared the same soul that he felt so entranced by them. He never wanted to deny their existence. But neither did he want to put an end to things. He wouldnt have a problem with doing this to an unrelated third person. Who cares what the people on the outside would say. That was the policy he had adopted since acquiring his brides. But he didnt think such a mindset would be healthy in the family. Even so, I want you. Indecision. Taiyou was done with that. He would not use logic this time. He would push through with his emotions. Even so? Yeah, thats right. Taiyou nodded confidently. He was bothered, but his decision was firm. This was Taiyous inner state right now. He had wavered countless times, and now was the time to get past that. Hmmm, okay then. Really? But you know, youre not the one who decides who your brides are. What really matters is how they feel, right? I know. To put it a bit further, the decision is left to idol. Yes indeed. So Im rather sorry, but I cannot think that way. Because if I do that, then your harem will collapse, Taiyou-chan. Mm So kissing or intercourseits like masturbation. Interesting. Hera cackled before adding some more. Its fine if you want to do all that, but I cannot become your bride. Absolutely not. He had a complicated look on his face. This was yet another unforeseen predicament. He had no idea she would say something like that. And it hurt him. To put Heras words in even easier terms He could have her body, but not her heart. That was precisely what she meant. It came like a shock to him. To Taiyou, who had only now realized how much he liked her, there could be nothing sadder than this. He could feel himself going into a daze. You dont have to feel so down, Taiyou-chan. I will always be by your side, till death do us part! Heras comfortthe comfort of truth set in. Chapter 430: Decided From The Beginning Heeheehee! Hera was riding on Taiyous shoulders, nuzzling her cheeks against him. Maybe because of the difference in size, it felt less like a girl was doing it to him and more like an animal was doing it. That wasnt all too bad either, plus it warmed his heart, but it wasnt what Taiyou wanted the most. Ill always be by your side, Taiyou-chan. Whispering in my ear like that is so not fairand why does it always sound like youre proposing? Whats wrong with that? I still cant be your bride anyway. Hera whispered in Taiyous ear. Because Im even more special to you. Right you are. Changing your perspective, that might very well be the case, thought Taiyou. Their relationship was indeed special, one that couldnt be defined. He looked up at the star-filled sky, stretching out as far as the eye could see. Things might be fine this way, he thought. Seems like yer done talking, jana. Eh? Surprised to hear Kohakus voice, Taiyou turned around and was met with an even bigger shock. Standing there were all seven brides. Everyonewhy? We just couldnt find the right timing to squeeze ourselves in. Darlingloser. I think thats going a bit too far. Everyone said various things to each other. So youre done talking, yeah? Next up is my turn. Hey, Master. WrongI will be the one to speak with Darling. No, Im first. Now look at this. Taiyou-san! Please hear what we have to say regarding our names. And so they all began fighting for the position. Apparently everyone wanted Taiyou to hear something. The seven brides and their unfiltered love. Looking at Hera, their eyes met. She cracked a smile. He flicked her in retaliation. Okay girls, settle down. Im not Prince Shotoku, so Id prefer you line up in single file. First up is you three. What is it you wanted to discuss? We want to change our names. Right, you wanted one name. Did your souls link together a bit more closely? Yes, we kind of feel that way! Youre awesome, you know that? Taiyou, take a look at this. What is it-wait, is that Ruris!? Natsuno-kun, Id like you to come with us somewhere tonight if thats all right. Yes, please. Aoba? And Sakura, you too? Both of you? Yeah. Please. Thats fine, but what exactly is the plan? It involves the bed. Taiyous wives were all fawning over him. Hera was watching all of this from Taiyous shoulders, occasionally exclaiming in wonder and occasionally cackling. Away from the circle of people, Kohaku spoke to Hera. Are ye really fine with this? Yeah, yeah, Im fine! But when Danna-sama raised his experience points, ye- Oh dear, you saw through me? Everyone other than Danna-sama saw through ye, noja. Ooof! Hera reacted in a surprised manner. It was a bit exaggerated, but that was typical with Hera. When Taiyou racked up experience points, whenever he raised his level, experience points would flow into Hera. As a byproduct of this flow, pleasure would run throughout Heras entire body. In human terms, this would be the equivalent of sexual pleasure. So No no no, as long as you know that information you should realize that this is fine. Hera smiled broadly. Breaking/building jenga woodblock towers, digging/filling holes, flipping a one yen coin. Thats how I feel it. Taiyou-chan makes me get like that. Its craaazy good, something that no one else in this world can imitate. She spun around in the air. Leaving something like that behind just to get into a typical relationship is more of a waste. So ye think this is typical, eh. This time Kohaku was the one to smile. The kind of relationship you could find anywhere, a lovera bride. Kohaku looked at Hera with a jovial expression. Jaga, it be just as ye say, jana. Maybe the same cannot be said for Danna-sama, who does not have a full grasp on the situation, but its a bit weird to suggest something like that to me, ja. Yes indeed! Just in caseaye, this be the last time I ever check, ja. Kohakus face became serious as she asked. Ye truly do desire this, jana? Thats indeed all that I want. Hera answered immediately. Without the slightest hesitation. These were the feelings she had harbored ever since she was born. That was precisely why there was no delay in her response. Something special to her. Something no one else could imitate. Taiyou and Heras relationship had not changed. It had been the same when they first met and it would not be changing anytime soon. It was already complete from the beginning. But Taiyou would not come to this conclusion until later. A relationship that never changed, always fulfilled. This was the same for all of Taiyous brides. And thus, in the new year, Hera and the seven brides had come with Taiyou onto a deserted island. Chapter 431: Taiyou Island Are there reallyno people here? Wearing a short sleeve shirt, Taiyou muttered as he looked up at the sky. This was an island adjacent to the equator. The ship carrying them here had already left, so the only people on the island were currently Taiyou and his seven brides. The date was January 1st. Snow was falling when they had departed, but over here, even a short-sleeved shirt could not prevent the heat from making you sweat. No, no ones here. You can call people over to deliver things on a daily basis, but other than that well be the only ones here. Youran said, standing by his side. Her twintails, hotpants, and her pose with her hands on her hips was truly reminiscent of the day they met. Her slightly smug demeanor only added to her flavor. Would there happen to be a name for this island? No, not officially. But we can certainly give it one right now if youd like. Theres no name? Right. I pulled some strings and had the name removed after I bought it. This island is basically one that isnt on any map, so it doesnt officially exist. By this point the only way to find it is by using a satellite image roller. You can do that? Wow. Who cares about that. Whats important right now Youran linked her arm to his, pressing her breast against him. Taiyou felt his heart skip a beat as he saw Youran looking up at him with a flirtatious face. Is. Right. Here. Because were the only ones. The only ones? Right, the only ones. Just my masterand his brides. True, when you put it that way who even cares. So? So what? Youran tilted her head playfully as she looked up at him from their linked arms. This is a southern island? Yep. Blue sky, white seas. Yep. So why dont you have a swimsuit on? Of course we have them with us. Thats the most basic of basics. Geez, youre such a worrywart, Master. Oho? Ac. tual. ly This was the second time today that Youran had whispered in his ear. She didnt normally speak this way. She was probably very excited. You see, I went shopping with everyone at the end of the year. With everyone? Yup, everyone. And so it was my first time shopping at a department store. That sounds like one confused lady. Although you are nobility after all. Right. Cause before I became Shingetsu no Kami I simply chose from out-of-stores sales department catalogues. Whatever I wanted. And so after I became Shingetsu no Kami, I didnt have all that much time and everything was just kind of brought to me before I realized it. Wow. But yknow, you enjoy walking around in disguise, right? Couldnt you have gone around looking at things when you were doing that? Dont say I enjoy it, you meanie. I always try new things when walking around, but its always a shady job so I didnt have enough time to go shopping. Ohhh. So you seebuying regular stuff at the store like a normal girlwas really fun. You all went together, right? Yeah. Then of course that would be fun. Taiyou didnt even have to imagine. A large group of bosom buddies worked together to fulfill the same objective (swimsuits for the beach). Just doing that alone was guaranteed to be fun. He was convinced it was enjoyable. However. He said as he walked along the beach with Youran in tow. That definitely gives me the pampered young lady sort of vibe with that wholeuhh, out-of? Out-of-stores sales department. Thats the first Ive heard of this out-of-stores sales department. Sure, I can imagine that rich people use department stores, but I picture them more in a VIP room looking around and having fun. Yeah, one rank higher. What else? Another episode where you act like a rich lady. Or maybe a Shingetsu no Kami episode. No, itll be boring if I talked about that. No, I want to hear about it. We came this far so I want to know more about you. Okay. Yourans face flushed as she gave a small nod. I wasnt even a pampered girl for all that long, and it was a while ago so I dont remember it very well, but I can talk about when I was Shingetsu no Kami if thats what you want. Yeah, tell me. Maybeabout how Ive been in pictures with all the prime ministers these last ten years? All? Yes. You see, I meet with every newly inaugurated prime minister and we take a commemorative picture of sorts. Wow. And so I looked at all the pictures alongside each other. By order of year. And so I see myself growing up. From childhood to recently. Thats what happens, yeah. And so, all the prime ministers next to me are different. Theyre all titled Shingetsu no Kami and Prime Minister but every picture has a different one. That sounds interesting. Show me sometime. Yeah! And then I actually have peerage. Peerage. Taiyou wasnt used to hearing such a term, so he pronounced it in an awkward manner. Yeah, a title for an English knight. They officially call me Dame Youran. Youran? Not Juunishima? They put Sir or Dame next to your first name over there. Wow. Would you like to have such a title too? Almost sounds like youre asking me if I want a midnight snack. You dont need to phrase it like that. Taiyou grimaced. He was slightly curious as to what would happen if he expressed interest, but decided to not linger on it too much. The two of them took their time as they walked around the perfectly-sized resort island. Chapter 432: Private Beach Hyan! Aoba lost balance when a wave hit her, falling on her bottom. Taiyou offered a hand nearby. You good? Butt doesnt hurt? Yeah, Im fine. The sand is soft. Just as Aoba said, the sand on this beach was soft and smooth. She had fallen backwards onto her bottom but felt no pain. Whoa! Natsuno-kun? Whats the-whaaat!? Aoba let out a hysteric scream. As she grabbed his hand, Aoba realized that her swimsuit top was suddenly gone. It was snatched by the waves, moving farther and farther away from her. Whoa Taiyou exclaimed. He stared with intense concentration at Aobas naked upper half. Wha, Natsuno-kun!? Thank ye thank ye. Dont ogle them! Why wouldnt I? Theyre beautiful! Youre lashing out at me!? Aoba hurriedly stood up, hiding her bouncy breasts. Despite all this, Taiyou still gazed at them intensely, making Aoba seriously uncomfortable. Or more precisely, embarrassed. Jeezdont look at them for so long. No, I want to. But why? There isnt a single place on my body that you arent familiar with. Aoba was Taiyous third bride, a veteran of the Natsuno household of half a year. Of course she had richer experience than the other brides, and as she said, there wasnt a single place on her body Taiyou wasnt familiar with. Thats one thing, but this is another thing. But Taiyou spoke confidently. Seeing it at those times is one thing, but having your swimsuit come off on accident is a whole other story. Is it really that different? Its as different as iekei ramen and ramen jiro. Arent they the same? No, quite different. Taiyou asserted further. He scrutinized Aoba for a bit longer. Once her embarrassment had reached a peak, he took off his shirt and handed it to her. Now that she was wearing a shirt a size bigger than her, Aoba breathed a sigh of relief. That should do the trick! Hey, Aoba? What? Are your lower parts ragging too? No! And ragging? What is this new verb!? Aoba of course snapped. But Taiyou was unfazed. Please! Strip for me! Taiyou quickly put his hands together to the point of groveling on the ground. W-Why are you so eager for something like that? Youre wearing a mans baggy clothing so I cannot allow you to have anything on the bottom! Hmmm. Aoba looked uncomfortable, extremely so. She understood what he was saying. They had in fact done similar things many times lasting until the morning. It wasnt just a mans dream to have his significant other wear his shirt naked; women also aspired toward this among other things. She understood that Taiyou wanted that. But it was still embarrassing. It was nothing to get worked up over in the bedroom, but this was a beachCoutdoors. Much too embarrassing to just be wearing someone elses shirt. Sorry, Natsuno-kunthats too embarrassing- Aoba replied honestly, but the next instant, her expectations were thoroughly crushed. Because would you look at that-Taiyou had taken off his own bottom. Hey! Natsuno-kun, what are you doing? He had taken off all undergarments and soccer-kicked his beach sandals away. Taiyou was now fully nude. Thats seriously embarrassing! Hurry up and put something, anything on! Its fine. Theres no one here but us, so this private beach can also be a nude beach. So its fine. Ehhhhh? In fact, this is the right way to go about things! Taiyou tried to persuade her. Aoba just looked uncomfortable. What to do, what to doHer thoughts emerged on her face. Taiyou, would you rub some ointment on me? Akiha, Aobas best friend spoke up from behind her. Thank goodness. Now that someone else was here, she could escape. Or so she thought-but Aoba had underestimated her friend. Whyre you stark naked too!? Akiha only had a bottle of lotion in her hand, completely naked. Every part of her model-like, perfectly balanced body was exposed for all to see. Eh? But theres no one else here. Taiyous the only guy here, so why not strip? Aoba was speechless. Akiha wasnt just saying it was ok to stripCshe was saying it was wrong not to strip. Her thought process was so far off that it was pointless to say anything. You came at a good time, Akiha. Try and see if you can persuade Aoba for me. She wont take off her bottom. Take offnaked shirt! Akihas eyes glittered like that of a beast finding its prey. Aoba took a step back. Taiyou and Akiha, from time to time, were quite possiblythe worst possible, most fearsome combination. Please strip, Im begging you! Begging you! Taiyou and Akiha both groveled before Aoba. They groveled naked on the beach. The sight was unbelievable. Aoba knew she couldnt get away from this. But she still hesitated to take the plunge. B-But Sheesh, never mind. Taiyou, hold Aoba down. Ill strip it off for her. No Ill do it. You pin her arms down. Alright! Getting tired of waiting, the two carnivorous beasts lunged for Aoba at the same time. A scream rang throughout the beach-but all it looked like was a couple lovebirds flirting. Chapter 433: Dancer As she gazed at the fully stripped Aoba, Akiha spoke. Blue skies, white sand, pink- Taiyou karate chopped her. Restrain yourself a bit. Fantastic! He tried to stop her, but Akiha was hardly restraining herself. She was ogling Aobas naked body. If she werent close friends with Aoba or part of a harem, things could have gotten quite dangerous, judging by the look she was giving her. Cmon Akiha, dont look at me like that. But youd do it for Taiyou? Eh? Aoba looked at Taiyou. Would I do it for Taiyou? Her face showed what she was thinking. F-For Natsuno-kun, I Ahahaha, yup yup, makes sense. Jeez Alright, then lets see some more. More what? Hold on a sec. Akiha dashed off naked, coming back very shortly afterward. Tadaaa! A beach ball, huh? Thats right. Two beauties on the beach? Of course we gotta play beach volleyball. Is that right, Natsuno-kun? Well, I dont have any objections. Taiyou nodded. He figured he could see some amazing sights with Aoba and Akiha there. Akiha inflated the beach ball, pulling Aobas hand. The two of them began playing together. All they really were doing was tossing or lightly hitting the ball back and forth, but that was more than enough. Ooo, look at them bounce. Their fully ripened breasts shook every time they moved. This was way different from when they were clothed. Pretty, cute, and erotic. Taiyous eyes glued him to the spot. Not minding the sand, Taiyou sat on the bare earth and continued staring at the two of them. Whoa. Hey, Akiha!? Whats up with your movement right now Heheheh, this is a technique I learned from my master. Fantastic, innit? Fantastic? Eeek! When exactly was she planning to use such a moveTaiyou wondered, but it was technically doing wonders for him right now so he did not comment. It was light play, but Akiha was toying with Aoba. Chasing after a ball and diving into the sand was one thing, but the sight of their breasts catching on sand was seductive and beautiful. Of course Akihas were also bouncing about tremendously as she moved around. Taiyous gaze grew even more focused. Hera. Ta ta daaa! Hera warped in, not in a dress but in a swimsuit. Oho, you also have a swimsuit on. Yes indeed, I had it made for me. Thats good stuff. You look good in it. Yes indeed. Sodid you need something? Go get someone to bring over drinks. For two. Tworoger, indeed. Looking at the two girls playing together, Hera smiled, bowed, then flew off. Before long, the two of them returned to where Taiyou was. Aoba was dead tired, while Akiha didnt look fazed at all. This was the difference between a normal girl and a girl trained by Ruri. They sat on either side of Taiyou, pressing their bodies closer. Their sweat-drenched skin touched him, but unusually enough, Taiyou did not find the liquid running down him to be unpleasant. I see you worked up a good sweat. I ordered something to drink, so wait just a bit. Ah, then Ill go get it. No, you stay here, Akiha. Are you sure? Yeah. Then I guess Ill do that. Teehee. You seem quite happy, Akiha. Aoba commented on the other side. Cuz tropical islands are fun. And this is the first vacation Ive had. Ohhh right, this is the first time youve gone out with everyone. Its a first for Ruri and Sakura too. Youranits difficult to say. Everything happened after summer vacation after all. And I was all alone with Aoba during summer vacation, so the last time probably would have been the hot spring trip. That was really fun, especially being in your trailer car. Isnt it just fantastic! Akiha agreed with her usual catchphrase. She had never been on a trip but had in fact rode in the trailer. Oh yeah, there was an automobile version before. What happened to that one? Right, we only used it once. What did happen to it? He tried to remember, but he couldnt. He recalled carrying the three sisters and enjoying the ride, but nothing more. Well when we get the opportunity again, lets do it. Yeah! The three of them gazed at the sea, listening to the sound of the waves. Hey, Taiyou. Yeah? Are you horny? Honestly? No. Ehhh, why not? Akiha asked sulkingly. She linked her arms with his, pushing her chest against him. That finally prompted Taiyou to become a bit aroused. Youre too dazzling. You feel more pretty than you do erotic right now. So Im really not all that horny. Mmm, okay. Akiha nodded, gazing up at the sky. Alright,then how about this? This? Aoba, you come too. Eeek! She took her friends hand and moved a few meters away from Taiyou. Lend me an ear, Aoba. She said as she whispered into Aobas ear. What was about to begin? Taiyou wondered. He began to have a bit of a bad feeling about this, but simultaneously anticipated what would happen. With the last question, Taiyou was able to have a clear idea of what Akiha was aiming at. She wanted to arouse him, so he had slightly high expectations. Alright, lets go Taiyou. Natsuno-kuntell us if you dont like it, okay? He nodded, and then the two of them began to dance. They bent back and forth with their hips, shaking their breasts as they did. They were truly dancing like pros, but naked. Taiyou began to feel a bit aroused. Akiha did not miss this fact. It gave her more determination to provoke him. Oh dear! Ill come back in two hours! Hera had come to say something but covered her eyes on purpose and flew off. Taiyou had now reached the point of no return. Chapter 434: Shocking Proposal The moon sure is beautiful tonight. Taiyou said, looking up at the sky. A southern island sky filled with stars. Among them was the white moon that shone the brightest. What about the moon over here? Mmm, I cant find it. He said jokingly, searching with a hand over his forehead. Youran, the one asking the question, had a second name that meant new moon, hence the joke. Youre mean, Master. Mmm, such a cute voice. Too bad I cant see whoevers talking! You really like to drag things out, dont you Sakura commented, sitting on the other side of Taiyou. Right now, Taiyou, Youran, and Sakura were the only three people there. Taiyou was in his trunks and an open shirt, while Youran and Sakura were each wearing their own swimsuits. The night was warm enough to where they didnt need any overcoats, but the two of them still held close to him. By the way, Youran, are you sure you should be here right now? What do you mean? The average person like myself treats this as a regular weekend, but doesnt someone of your status have a lot of events to attend to on New Years? Of course she does. Loads of it. Sakura answered in place of Youran. Interviews, religious services, etc. Shingetsu no Kamis work extends into many areas. Then- Its fine, its fine. I left Juurokuya behind for that. Ahhthe double. He remembered the girl with the same face, voice, and atmosphere as Youran. She resembled Youran even more in her Shingetsu no Kami mode, and even Taiyou had difficulty figuring out which was which. In recent times he had begun to see a difference in the bedroom where he made her cry out, but all that aside True, having her there would resolve everything. Or so Taiyou thought, but I recall you making it through every year by splitting the work with Juurokuya. I also recall you saying that you didnt have enough people to handle it? Shhh Youran said, bringing her index finger to her lips. Seriously? You pushed that hard schedule on her? ButI wanted to come with you on vacation, Master. Hmph. Pursing her lips, Youran pouted a little bit. Hmph, you say? Besides, everyone came with you. It wouldnt be fun to have one person gone, right? Thatswell, thats true, but He contemplated what that would look like. Six present, one missing. Very true. They couldnt have as much fun by worrying about one person missing. Ill compensate Juurokuya properly after all this. Please do. You should do something for her too. I should? What did she mean? Taiyou looked at Sakura. She would probably feel validated in all her efforts if the master of her master were to congratulate her. Makes sense. Juurokuya was not Taiyous wife. Still, she had a great deal of trust and respect for him as the master of her master. Ill go ahead and see her once we get back, thought Taiyou. So you two Hm? What is it? Hows it been going recently? An exasperatingly vague question. How was what going? But neither of them commented. Even Sakura, who loved wordplay, did not attempt to point it out. So the answer came quickly. We now greet each other every morning and every night. Wha, you dont have to say that much! For some reason Youran began panicking. You dont mean that in a sexual way, do you? Hell no! Youran countered in a loud voice. We say good morning and good night, no matter what now. Wow. All thanks to Shingetsu-sama for the proposition. You proposed it? Ugh Yourans face went red as she groaned. Cuz were sisters. I thought youd be happy if we got alongugh, geez! I wont do it anymore! Its not like you consider me an enemy. I dont either! So lets just stop. Youran said desperately. Clearly she was embarrassed from all this. Youre quite the stubborn one, arent you? It was the same in summer. You still feel that way. Yeah riC Im impressed with how youve continued the cute sulky thing. Thats a talent right there. EhC Youran exclaimed. As she did so, Taiyou hugged her close to him. Keep it going. You want me to? Yeah. No problem with that, right Sakura? Not at all. Then keep the trend. As you rightly guessed, that makes me happy. A-Alright then So whats happened as a result? Did it bring you any closer? Honestly, I am not quite at that point. Hm? He looked at Sakura while cuddling Youran. As Shingetsu-sama says, I no longer bear ill will toward her, but there is still a-complicated feeling at the back of my throat. I get you. Taiyou figured that wasnt something that could be done away with so easily. Being sisters from a different mother in a den of ogres, they had long opposed each other. Something like that would not disappear in a matter of a few days. Taiyou examined his options. He could just leave it at that and wait for time to resolve their relationship. However, it could also be good to try something. He contemplated what that could be. Then a lightbulb went off. A divine revelation from the heavens themselves. Hey, you two. Hm? What is it? Would you be interested in having children on the same day? Youran and Sakura had rather baffled expressions on their faces. Yep, the similarity in their expressions shows that theyre sisters after all, thought Taiyou. Chapter 435: Sister Daughters I suppose he means he wants us to give birth on the same day. Precisely. What the heck do you mean, Master? And how would that even help? Sakura had a mixed expression, Youran an exasperated one. But that was to be expected. Taiyou explained the details with all that in mind. In many ways. First, giving birth on the same day will mean your pregnancy cycles are essentially the same, yes? As a male, I doubt Ill ever truly understand, but wouldnt giving birth at the same time give off the feeling of sticking together through thick and thin? Its a question of approximation, butI do understand. Even if you cant be sisters who get along right now, I was thinking you could become something akin to comrades-in-arms. Or is that out of the question? Youran and Sakura looked at each other after Taiyou asked the question. Now both of them had complicated expressions. Sisters who get along? No. That was probably their reaction to what Taiyou said. Im not necessarily opposed to the idea. It could potentially work. At least I think so. Sakura? I will say I feel a bit of reserve, but I feel that if both Shingetsu-sama and I are both under the same man, then we can get along. Of course I still feel a strong resistance to the idea of us being sisters. But because of that, I do see this comrade-in-arms thing as a possibility. That right there is what I mean. That right where? The part where you said you still feel a resistance to being sisters. I certainly wont call you out on it. It might not be a good thing, but then again, is it really all that bad? It just goes to show how youve come this far in your lives. So considering all that, why not make your daughters unique sisters? Unique sisters? Sisters born from different mothers. You raise them like twins born on the same day. They become siblings that grow up being loved by both mothers. For a moment, it was as if both girls had stopped breathing. Both mothers love them. Youran doesnt just dote on her child, she also dotes on Sakuras. Sakura also treats both children like her own. That way theyll have similar circumstances to the two of you but grow up together. What do you say? Want to try it? Is this atonement? Nothing serious like that. Youd just be having your children do what you werent able to. Its like convincing someone who receives their first Christmas present that Santa exists. Thats quite the unique example. What do you think, Sakura-san? As I said earlier, I believe it to be feasible. You can be affectionate toward Yourans child? Yes, because it is your child. She said the same thing as earlier. Sakura was able to comply on that one premise. It wasnt like there were no issues, but it was a practically sound idea. (Just goes to show how far shes willing to go) He would have seriously pounced on Sakura if they werent in the middle of a serious conversation. That was how happy he was. Youran, what about you? I amopposed. Why not? Both Sakura and I are well-known for how weve dealt with each other, and even when our children grow up, there will definitely still be people who know about this. Mm. This was very true, thought Taiyou. Their opposing relationship was well-known enough to be in an online encyclopedia. That was just how famous Juunishima Shingetsu no Kami was, and anyone related to her was sure to be in the limelight. If we have children like that, some idiot is definitely going to say something they shouldnt. Like Sakura said earlier, atonement, or possibly even a substitute. I dont want your children to have to hear that, Master. You really are a cutie. Im being serious here! Yeah, but thats what I mean. I still think that would be fine. Why? Aoba. Aoba? Taiyou cocked his head. Why did her name come up out of nowhere? She learned how complex of a family she had and took that refinement to the next level. They just have to do it like how she did. Evolution, eh? Huhthats just speculation. Now, why would that be? Yeah, that may be true for Aoba, but youre forgetting the most important thing. Most important thing? Master. Youran said with a self-satisfiedslightly disdainful grin. Aoba only improved because Master was there for her. More specifically, he was there during the most tumultuous time of her life. Dont you think that was amazing luck? What happens if our children dont have that same luck? Fair enough. Sakura agreed. No, thats clearly not fair enough. But without you-or without someone of your caliber at their side, it will be difficult. Mhm. Cmon, you both overestimate me. Not at all. Indeed, we do not. Both sisters countered. Is that rightWell in that case, we can end the conversation here. Dont you think there would be a less complicated way? Youran asked. Objective and method. Right, the objective is to make you two happy. Taiyou, who had the same thinking pattern, verbalized the other requirement. Then its super easy. Dont bother with all that junk. Just keep being affectionate to both of us. I agree. Taiyous eyes became dots. Was it really that simple? As he looked at both of their faces, he began to feel that things were fine this way. Actually, when Im with you like right now Youran extended her hand, reaching past Taiyou and pinching Sakuras nose. It was a little prankskinship. I dont even mind Sakura all that much. Yes, I feel the same way. So I just need to stay with you? If thats all it is, thenwhat did we spend all this time talking for? Taiyou felt like all this had been pointless. HeeheeI was pretty happy about it. Youran pressed her chest to him in a jovial manner. Happy? Yeah, after all She grinned, as per usual. Its the first time you said Let me impregnate you! I dont think I quite worded it like that, but okay. Taiyou smiled awkwardly. Chapter 436: Alone Together Taiyou was relaxing in his room. His languid demeanor of reclining against the armchair was as per usual, but now he was blindfolded. He had an eye mask which blocked out any light. Suzune and Kazane massaged his feet. How does it feel, Taiyou-san? Is it the right amount? Yeah, its great. If it ever hurts Please let us know, okay? Thats what they say at beauty parlors He quipped as they continued to massage him. Lately, this style has increased. Whenever he spent time with the sisters he would put on this eye mask and block out his eyesight. This would enable him to sense the sisterssense them as one. It was quite addicting. The same soul, the same presence. And yet, right now he was physically being massaged by two pairs of hands. It was the gap in logic that had him so hooked. Nene. Yes. Suzune and Kazane said at the same time. Fetch me some regular water while youre at it. Okay. They said together again. Three minutes later, the door opened. Kotone brought in a tray with colorful tropical juice and iced water. She carried it before Taiyou. Thank you for waiting, Taiyou-san. Here is your juice and water. Mhm. Taiyou took a swig of juice. The taste of fresh southern island fruit spread through his mouth. He took another sip and then kissed Kotone. The liquid moved from his mouth into hers as he lifted his tongue up. Its very good. Im glad you like it. Kotone smiled cheerfully, placing the juice on the tray, which she placed on a nearby table. Then she squeezed herself next to Taiyou. She had already been in this position before getting the juice. She had simply returned. It appeared as if she werent doing anything, but Suzune and Kazane said nothing. In fact, after Kotone kissed Taiyou, the two of them had even happier smiles on their faces, becoming even more determined to massage Taiyous feet. The collective advanced, the individual vanished. That was how the three sisters felt right now. Whatever he did to Kotone would transmit to Suzune and Kazane. Whatever Suzune and Kazane did was the same as if Kotone were actually doing it. They shared one soul. With Taiyous stamp of approval, the girls continued their evolution into a single entity without being hampered by anyone. And their new name was Nene. The sound was simply taken from the last part of their names, ne. They didnt add a third ne. There was no need for that. After all, they were not three people. They were one girl. So the name combined theirs together to make a feminine-sounding one. Thus, Nene. Oh yeah, Nene. Yes? Who do you like and dislike the most among the other six? Whats up with that? Just chatting. Even if you dont dislike anyone, maybe theres someone whos inconveniencing you in some way. By the way, I like you the most, Nene. Akiha is the one who worries me sometimes because shes been trying to practice anything Ruri teaches her on me. Well, I mostly ignore her attacks, though. Taiyou said in a nonchalant, carefree tone. He was simply having a relaxing chat with them. Well if thats the case It would be Ruri-chan Who is a bit troublesome. Ruri? Whys that? When Ruri-chan is with us She always splits herself into three To match us. Ohhh, thats what you mean. Taiyou imagined the sight of Ruri splitting herself into three and doing all kinds of activities to match the three sisters. It sounded funny, but he could also understand why it bothered them. And who do you like? Sakura-san. Sakura-san? Yet another interesting answer. Taiyou was quite surprised at this. The three sisters and Sakura had had quite the history with each other. Without Taiyou there, the father would have sold them off to Sakura to become potential lab rats. And yet they said they liked her the most. It was truly normal to be surprised here. Weve gotten the chance to talk to her more what with the building and all And the more we spoke with her, the more we realized how good of a person she is So were going to go shopping with her when we get the chance. Just the two of you? Yes! Thats great. Taiyou truly felt that way. There was nothing wrong with his brides getting along. In fact, it was great. Sometimes they got along a bit too well with each other and bothered him a bit, but that was all part of the fun. Okay then. Im more than glad that Sakura-san is blending in with everyone. Are you concerned? One voice. Someone had asked a question. Just a bit. Sakura was the only one out of all of you to be a clear enemy at one point in time. Ruri was too, but more of a mercenary on the job. Plus she soon began to help me, so I dont think of her that way. Meanwhile, Sakura-san was alienated from me before I began making moves on her, plus she scuffled a lot with Youranso Im just happy shes fitting in. As he said, Taiyou was truly relieved. So what will you go shopping for? We want to make clothing for Ruri-chan, so Were going to go and see What kinds of fabric we can find. Didnt you say she bothered you the most? Yes. They said in unison. There was a hint of mischief in their voices. Were going to make three sets for her. Three of the same articles of clothing with different colors. And well hand them to all three of her clones and ask them to wear it. Wow, thats savage. Those clones are just her moving really fast. Taiyou chuckled. The three sisters also had gentle smiles on their faces. Chapter 437: In Your Dreams Hey Nene, Ive been wondering about this for a while Whats that? When one of you-Im just saying that for the sake of convenience, but when only one of you is asleep, how do the other two feel? Taiyou had always pondered this. It wasnt too important or crucial. But they were already having small talk. Before we met you Whenever we were separated it was the same It was like one eye was closed and sitting there idly. Yeah, I sort of get it, I sort of dont. No, I mean I get the closing one eye part, its like having your eye covered by someones hand to where you cant use it. Yes. Plus I do recall you saying it felt like there were eyes on the back of your shoulders. I get that, but what do you mean by sitting there idly? We mean were fully awake And doing something But suddenly wonder what we were doing. Hm With his sight blocked by the eye mask, Taiyou pondered all this as he felt the nearby presence and warmth of the three sisters. He did feel that sensation quite often. Sometimes hed be doing something and the memories from earlier would suddenly slip out. They said it was close to that. So you experience that pretty often, I take it? Cuz I see one of you doze off first quite a bit. Yes. And that isnt inconvenient or anything? When he asked that, they replied that they were accustomed to it. Taiyou questioned whether that was all. As expected, Taiyou found this to be interesting (in a good way) and something to aspire toward. The only brides he felt aspiration toward were the sisters. As they were doing this and that, Kotone began breathing sleepily in his arms. The two who were massaging him continued moving their hands, probably because of everything they had just discussed. Taiyou-san. We have somewhere wed like to go with you sometime. Hm? Where? Weve actually entered into a competition. In fact, we already have a product lined up. Would you like to come see it with us? Competition? Like for patchwork or something? Yes. Wow, I had no idea. He remembered what they were doing in their club. So is this part of your extracurricular activities? Yes, if we dont get some results the club budget might decrease. I sent the finished work to the competition venue. And have the results come in? No, not quite yet. At least not until after the new year. But either way, I think youll blow em out of the water, Nene. No, I dont think so. Its a section thats open to the public with lots of people entering. Public? So you might get working adults too. Yes, and artists among them. Usually there are a lot of people among them who set up their own exhibitions. The two sisters sounded just a bit weak in the knees. Even the massage felt a bit weaker. Huh. But either way, I think youll blow em out of the water, Nene. Taiyou repeated the exact same thing he said earlier. It wasnt mere flattery. He truly thought that way. The air in the room became brighter. No, theres no way. It really is difficult, you know. Although they continued to act modest, the girls seemed to be happy. Their voices were strangely bright, and he couldnt see their faces but he could tell they were grinning. They must really be happy, happy to be complimented and trusted by Taiyou. Heehee As proof of that, the sleeping Kotone let out a giggle. He could tell she was definitely sleeping. She wasnt feigning it. Hence why Taiyou could tell they were being honest with their feelings. He continued in order to make them even happier. You made several articles of clothing for me, plus I looked at Heras clothing and wow, that is a fine piece of work, Nene. Oh, not at all Sheesh, Taiyou-san. Are you going to work in that field? We havent thought about that yet. Were just making them for fun. I think itd be fun if you tried making a living out of it. Id root for you. Heck, you could even take the whole world by surprise. That would be even better. The world? The sisters asked, confused. Yeah. I dont know a whole lot about that side of the world, but you know how there are influential figures that everyone knows and youre like Oh its that person!. Yes. There are some people out there whose productions would make you exclaim in disbelief. I think itd be great for you to become like that. You can do it, Nene. When he said that, for some reason the sisters became subdued. Taiyou wondered what was up. What is it? UmmTaiyou-san We thought you might not like that. Whys that? Ive heard that Husbands dont like it when their wives do that sort of thing. Yeah, youre talking about the husband-wife gap. He knew what the sisters were talking about. From a financial or societal standpoint, couples would sometimes deal with issues as a result of qualitative differences. This would occur especially in cases where the wife was at the top. Humanity-or at least in Japan, for a long time men were at the head of society, and so men being at the top was never an issue. But on the flipside When women got to the top, men would often feel injury to their pride and problems would emerge. The sisters were concerned about that. No problem. Two reasons why. Okay. First off, you wont surpass me. This has to do with my resolve to make all seven of you happy. Usually a man has to be at least seven times, or according to Atsuko-sans hypothesis, twenty-one times stronger. So if I became such a man, would you really have surpassed me? The sisters shook their heads from side to side. And one more. Remember Ruri. I like strong women, women who can get the job done. He could feel them catching their breath. And if possible, Id like those women to surpass me. In other words, your worries are completely needless, Nene. You good now? Yes! The sisters nodded, proclaiming their understanding. Well do our best to aim for the top. The sleeping Kotone let out an eheheh and smiled even brighter. Chapter 438: Kohaku the Destroyer Lately, Kohaku, youve felt unbelievably cute. Afternoon on the beach. Under a beach parasol, Kohaku was sitting on Taiyous lap as he made that remark. Well that was out of the blue, ja. For instancewhen we slept together last week, I heard you talk in your sleep. Mm? And thats when you said Danna-samaplease continue to love on me. You called me the same way you always do, but the way you talked was in a super normal fashion, like a regular person. Im sure ye heard it wrong, ja. Okay, how about I get my phone out? Yer a scoundrel, Danna-sama! Kohaku said in a loud voice. So savage of you to eavesdrop on me to use as blackmail. So you mean that men dont have special permits to destroy themselves with pillow talk, yes? Well, leaving that asideWhen I heard that, I thought of a certain hypothesis. Hypothesis? In other words, I think your true self actually has a normal way of speaking. Not using the word ja, but just normal speech. Heck, I dont even think many elderly people talk like that. Plus I know you tried creating all these personas in the past. Oh, did I really now, kano? Wuff wuff, punish me for being such a bad girl. Mmmmmm Oh? What is this mmm you speak of? He rested his chin on Kohakus head, rubbing it. And to conjecture a bit, there is a possibility that you are merely faking the ja sound. Oho, that is indeed a reasonable conclusion, ja. Jaga, this be me true self, ja. And if so, thats totally fine. Mm? I thought of that possibility as well. So I tried imagining what other manners of speech would sound like with your voice. From what I picture, you could pull off a youthful boy voice or a tsundere. I dont know what youre talking about, Mister. Kohaku tried an impression. Thats not so much a boy as it is a mascot. And seriously? Youre still bringing up memes at a time like this? Please dont. Ye say that, but yer fantasies be super gross and I have to bring up memes or Ill die of cringe, ja. Virgin power for the win, am I right? Virgin? What ye talking about, ja? Kohaku giggled, skillfully reaching back and flicking Taiyous forehead. Ye put ten women into a coma. Howre you a virgin, ja? Ten womendid I really do that? Taiyou counted on his fingers. When he counted the three sisters as three people, that would make the number above ten. As for the ones he kissed, Leticia and Pochi would be included, and that would definitely make it more than ten people. Well, lets just say prestige virgin. I can already hear the vengeful cries of virgins all over the world, ja. Anyhow. Please do something. Hm? In your cute voice. He said, breathing into her ear. Kohaku fidgeted, moving her body up. Do something please. But even if ye say that Then can I make it a request? If its you asking me, then I guess I have no choice, ja. Okay, then how about the tsundere suggestion I said at the beginning? I-Its not like Im doing it for you or anything, OKAY! The atmosphere shifted. Ooo, youre skilled like I thought. I can totally see you with twintails now. Alright, make the next one a captured female knight. Even if you defile this body, my heart shall never yield. Ooo, I can feel the murder in your voice. Nexthow about a rich lady? Ohhhohohohoho. Sebastian, slap him with a roll of banknotes, will you? Super annoying, super cute. Okay, next is- Taiyou requested more and more, and Kohaku responded to each. Even though she said she had no choice, Kohaku got right to each impression with refined skill. Not only was she well-rehearsed, the quality was high as well. She perfectly responded to each of Taiyous requests with easy-to-understand phrases. Youre craaazy good at this, Kohaku-san. Did you take some sort of training in this area? Just the fruits of age, jana. I see. And as I thought, you really are cute, Kohaku-san. If thats what yer complimenting me on, I dont know how to feel, nanoja. Oh yeah. How about we go to karaoke sometime? Yet another crazy topicI mean, it isnt a bad segway, but Anything in your repertoire? War songs. Old! And gloomy! I sang them in real time, ja. Thats the first Ive heard. Cause I be the same age as that Sekijo. Let me ask you just in case. Youre not some admiral in your spare time, are you? At every alumni meeting. Why? So you were doing all that. Wait, alumni meeting? Taiyou smiled awkwardly. He had kind of tried picturing it. Many ships now transformed into young girls, and among them was Kohaku in the same age range. It sounds too weird and now Im freaked out. Next time Ill put on a ships outfit, noja. Please stop reading my mind. But I have already done the marriage parentheses for reals thing, gano. Kohaku lifted up the ring on her ring finger. By the way, which ship do ye think I would look like, Danna-sama? A destroyer, to be sure. It already looks like a loli. Thats the spring edition, jana. Alright, then lets try along those lines, noja. Well, try to have some restraint. Taiyou didnt stop her. That was because he figured that Kohaku in that outfit wouldnt be too bad either. Chapter 439: Kidnap Bride Are you really doing this? Taiyou asked Kohaku. As he said, Taiyous face showed he was a bit reluctant. Of course, ja. We be on a deserted island. Why not use it for that purpose, noja? Yeah, but still Shh. I see it now, noja. Kohaku put a finger up to Taiyous lips. Both of them were looking at a seaside log house. Inside it were Youran and Ruri. The two of them were relaxing in swimsuits, but both of them were silent. There was no conversation. Taiyou kept his eyes posted on Ruri, quieting down as he spoke to Kohaku. I cant do it anymore. Ruris over there. Youran is one thing, but its impossible to outdo Ruri. Nahhh, you can do it, Danna-sama. Trust yeself a bit more, and trust in me, noja. That last part is impossible. Especially right now. Taiyou casually said something that could be taken very seriously depending on the circumstance. Then you are to trust in Ruri, ja. Why would I trust her! Taiyou found himself almost raising his voice as he interjected. He panicked as he covered his mouth. He looked at the girls. They didnt seem to have noticed. (No way. Ruri definitely knows Im here.) The strongest girl in the world could detect anyone nearby and had devilish ears. If Taiyou and Kohaku had already been conversing close enough to where they could be seen, she most definitely knew he was there. So why did she not say or do anything? (I guess thats what she means by trust in her.) Taiyou somewhat understood what Kohaku meant. Meanwhile, Kohaku handed the hemp bag she had brought to Taiyou. Here, Danna-sama. Use this, ja. Are we really doing this? Aye. Also, ye must not speak any further. We must stay silent the whole time, ja. Alright. Taiyou made up his mind. Not doing it was easy enough, but if he wanted to go through with it, it had to be all or nothing. He took the hemp bag and took a deep breath. He scrutinized the area-then dashed off immediately. He crept closer, masking the sound of his footsteps, and threw the bag over Yourans head from behind. Kya! W-What? Who is it? As he was told to, Taiyou silently lifted up the bagged Youran. Now all he had to do was withdraw-but first he took a look at Ruri. Ruri sent him a small wave. As per usual, she had a meager facial expression, but Taiyou could kind of tell she was trying to say See you later. (I guess Kohaku-san was right.) Taiyou carried Youran over back to Kohaku and the two of them moved out to their destination. On the other side of the island, in the shade of a rock wall. Taiyou and Kohaku looked down at Youran, face obscured, hand and feet bound. The two of them silently listened to the sound of crashing waves. What are you trying, Master? This is ridiculous. Youran guessed the name of her abductor correctly. (Well, Im the only one after all.) The only one on this island who could carry a person and move elsewhere without breaking a sweat was Taiyou. Youran wasnt the only one who would guess him. Isnt it over now that she knows? Taiyou looked at Kohaku, but She was nodding, grinning as she jerked her head at Youran. (Shes saying just do it) The plan was as follows. First he would suddenly attack Youran and take her to a place where no one was. And then without revealing his identity, he would play sexual pranks on her. That was it. Taiyou had questioned the one who proposed it, Kohaku, but Something interesting will happen, ja. Kohaku said confidently. (Well, if I just think of it as some exotic play) Taiyou came up with a clear explanation. When he actually went through with it, Youran quickly found him to be the culprit. Plus, this sexual prank that Kohaku suggested felt to Taiyou like an abnormal way of flirting, a unique type of play. So at first he didnt want to really do it, but now that he was in motion, Taiyou felt just a bit like jumping on board with it. He groped around Yourans side. She was in her swimsuit, so he directly touched her exposed hips. Eek! A slightly more overt reaction than usual. M-Master, where are you trying to touch me? (Umm, your hips?) He thought, but didnt say it. Taiyou was just touching her hips like normal. This wasnt even enough skinship for foreplay. But Yourans reaction was rather extreme. To test it out, he ran his hand along her, tracing her navel. Nn She fidgeted. Even this was more than she usually did. Taiyou looked at Kohaku. Still grinning, she waved a hand. It felt like she was saying this wasnt anywhere close to what she wanted. This was becoming more and more interesting. He began caressing Yourans body. He kept the lewd bar down, sticking mainly to things like caressing her shoulders or head. The skinship this time around was a bit too vanilla even for his taste. But Youran with her eyes blindfolded, reacted quite a bit to this. Master, stop itthis is weirdstop it. (Weird? All I did was caress your cheek.) Seriously, sto-hey, Masteryou are Master, right? Yourans reaction changed. Her voice showed how uncomfortable she was. Not Shingetsu no Kami, not the twin tailed beauty. Are yousomeone else? Hey, who, who are you? Fear and tears settled in. This was the third face of Youran that Taiyou did not know about. That was how he felt as he looked at her. Ba-dump. Taiyou became even more eager to go through with this. Chapter 440: Chain of Happiness Taiyou looked at Kohaku, who beamed at him in return. He finally understood why Kohaku had urged him to do this. Hey, say something, will you? Really, who are you? Master, right? Or Ruri? Or is it Akiha? Youran asked, trembling. Ruri and Akiha were both women who could lift someone. Or is it Kohaku-san? Yeah, it must be Kohaku-san. She probably made Master do this. (Sharp as ever.) Half on the verge of crying, Youran had actually managed to guess the truth, which surprised Taiyou. He looked at Kohaku, who shrugged her shoulders in a befuddled manner. Her face was weird too. She looked like she wanted to punch someone in the face. Cmonwho is it Taiyou felt the sadist in him stimulated. He touched her with his hands only so that she wouldnt know. He groped around her whole body, caressing her cheeks, tickling her jaw, and scratching at her collarbone. Each time he did that, Youran tried to wrench her way out and escape. But he wouldnt let her go. He continued touching her. MasterMasterrr Finally, she continued calling Taiyous name in delirium. He decided to comfort her just a little bit. Taiyou put his index finger over her mouth, sticking it in. Aah. At that moment, Yourans face began to smile broadly. She sucked on Taiyous finger like a child on its mothers breasts, accompanied by the sound of sticky liquid. Mazzderrr, mazzderrr He looked at Kohaku, a bit put-off at what they were doing. She put a finger to her mouth. And so they continued messing with Youran some more. Youran felt both comforted yet somehow uneasy at the same time. That was because Taiyou continued to not say anything. He touched her and caressed her with skinship. Sometimes he did things only she would understand. But this was all without talking and without letting her see what was going on. He kept her in suspense like that for two hours. Once Kohaku became too tired to stand and sat down close to watch, Taiyou took off Yourans blindfold. The moment she saw Taiyou, Youran began smiling widely. It was a fantastic smile he had never seen before in his life. Master! Hold on a sec. Ill untie you right now. Master! Master! Youran tried crawling up Taiyou like a caterpillar. Once he completely unraveled the rope, she leapt up onto Taiyou with a tackle. Master, yes, its Master, I thought so, I knew you were. Youran was still acting a bit differently from usual. Aye, but the one before that was not Danna-sama, ja. I dont believe that! Youran immediately countered. It was all Master, I just know it okay! Kukuku, if that be what ye want to believe then why not. Okay okay, thats enough Kohaku-san, please dont tease her anymore. Whaddya mean? Ye gotta take er down another peg to make it even more sweet n pleasurable, ja. It looks like bullying but its definitely for her benefit, jazo. Well, theres no guarantee that its all for the best. But I always give ye my best, Danna-sama. Yes yes, you sure like to give it your all. He said it jokingly, but Taiyou figured that Kohaku was serious in how devoted she was. In fact, she may have said that in order to pin it all on herself. Kohaku was just that kind of gal, willing to do anything to enjoy the remainder of her life. As they discussed these things, Youran continued to behave like a spoiled child. Youran. What iiis iiit? Im sorry, okay. Nah, I know Master was the one who did it, so Im totally fine. Really? Then you wanna give it another go? Youran made a conflicted face. It was the same expression she made at the end of the prank. 90% expectation, 10% uncertainty. She trusted Taiyou, but couldnt help but feel a bit uneasy with her eyes blindfolded. Well, dont force yourself. Umm! Master! Hm? Can you do it to Sakura too!? Sakura-san? You mean what I just did to you? Mhm. I want to see what would happen. Sure. Taiyou nodded after he gave it some thought. That might not be too bad either. But actually. You sure we should pick Sakura-san? Dont you think theres someone elselike, Aoba, for instance? She might be fun. The one that sounds the most fun is Ruri, jaro. No, right now shes beyond my reach. Taiyou figured even if he bound her up, she would just escape. Or Juurokuya. Although it wouldnt be right now, itd be later. Nuh-uh, I want Sakura. Youran said with conviction. She insisted that no one but Sakura could do the trick. He tried to think of a possible meaning in thatand then stopped. He figured it was best not to think too deeply about it. Youran wanted the same thing to happen to Sakura. He figured that was fine in itself. Alright, lets do it. What should I do? Ill stay here. You two can go ahead, ja. Kohaku waved a hand and sent the two of them off. Taiyou and Youran assaulted Sakura, kidnapping her and blindfolding her as a prank. And the way Sakura acted in response would become a long-lasting meme of Yourans mischief. Chapter 441: The Guide to Reconciliation The beach under the setting sun. Taiyou crept up behind Ruri, who was wearing a white dress, and placed a straw hat on her head. I dontneed it. Nope, keep it on. It looks good on you in that outfit. ThenIll keep it on. The girl standing next to the shore. A white dress and a straw hat. Taiyou truly thought that was cute, and that thought was conveyed to Ruri. This place is really fun. Funbut But? Arent youtired, Darling? Nope, not at all. Heck, right now Im just as energy-filled as you are. Time to give you a taste of your ownuhh, wrong line. Ruri stared at him. Arent you tiredfrom interacting so much with everyone? The tone in her voice showed her concern. The eyes that had been so hazy when they first met no longer existed. The color was still on the reserved side, but her gaze itselfthe focus of her gaze was clearly on Taiyou. And Taiyou softly embraced her. Then he sat down on the beach. Ruri let him advance, resting her head against his shoulders. Im not tired. If anything, Id say Im healed every time I feel tired. Like this right now. Thisis enough? Can I kiss you too? If you wantto do it, Darling. And they kissed right away. Ruris lips were soft, and just touching them was enough to revitalize him. Ruri. ? How have things been going with your big sis lately? Her body twitched. Darlingyou meanie. Really? If you werent the one talkingId split you into two. Scary. Do you still wantthe sibling bowl? Why do you guys always have to steer the conversation that way! If you control your emotionsyoud be surprised what you could do. No need to do that. He hugged her tightly. I dont need you to do that. I just wanted to know how everything was going. Ever sinceI havent met her. Ever since? You mean ever since you were last separated. Ruri nodded. Dont tell me shes seriously locked up right now. Taiyou thought it might be possible though. Youran and Sakura both had power, enough power to use people and organizations to their benefit. And they had a tendency of making clear distinctions between friend and foe. Youran and Sakura reconciling in itself was largely due to their inclusion among Taiyous wives. Im sure youd lock me up too if I pissed you off excessively. Whydo you ask such a thing? Well, you changed, didnt you? Ruri tilted her head when he said that. To quote one of those cliche things, you accepted your fate and changed as a result. You meanthis? Ruris hair fluttered, and a phosphorescent light began enveloping her entire body. An ethereal-like atmosphere made its way around her. The scene looked a bit unbalanced, however, and anyone watching from the side might find it a strange sight. So I was just thinking your relationship with your sister might have changed a bit. Would you behappy? I mean, dont force yourself to make amends. MhmI know. And to add furtherWell, you know Aobas family. I do enjoy knowing the fact that even family members not directly related to each other can still get along. Youran and Sakura are both my brides, so thats a bit different, but you get it. Mhmokay then. So again, I really dont want you to force yourselfbut I guess I failed to convey that. You didntfail. Ruri shook her head. Actually, Im gratefulIll do my best. Although you might fail. If it makes you happy then Ill do my besteven if I have to lick her toes. You dont have to go that far. Taiyou imagined what that would look like. Ruri licking Yuris feet. A different kind of feeling arose within him. No seriously, stop it. Itll be fine- No, I mean you shouldnt lick other peoples feet. Ruris eyes opened wide. The light faded, and she stared at Taiyou in surprise. I shouldntlick other peoples feet? Right. Onlyyours? Thats right. He said with emphasis. Okaythen I wont lick them. Please dont. Butwhat about Akiha? Eh? AkihaI might lick her feet. Why would you!? Some lesbian playin front of you. Not that again! As per usual, she proposed a variety of different sexual play ideas. So Idont need to do that? Wereall fellow brides here, right? Ah, Im such a horrible person. Taiyou covered his eyes. That was because he secretly thought that such a thing wouldnt be so bad to look at. Akiha and Ruri entwining their bodies to please him, right in front of him? There was no way hed dislike that. In fact, he found himself getting a bit turned on. And he felt some self-loathing as a result. Thenwell do it. Just to tell you, do it with other brides only. Not with Juurokuya or anything. Mhmif you wish it, Darling. Ruri said, leaning against him. A very gentle, graceful mannerism. Almost like that of a meek wife. Damn, I really am one happy guy, huh? Even as he cursed, Taiyou truly felt happy. That was his current psychological state, and it spoke for the situation he was in. They heard an explosion. It was from the opposite side of the island, and the ground shook beneath the two of them. What the hell was that! He turned to look at the source. The night sky was lit up with a red glow. Something was going on. Chapter 442: Death Flag Get back, Aoba! Haaah! Akiha took out her katana, slicing the man in front diagonally up. Aoba, who was screaming during all this, felt Youran pull her by the hand. Run, Aoba! Yeah, b-but! Just leave this to me and go on ahead! Akiha had the enemies stopped in their tracks. Four enemies in front of them, minus the one who was already cut down, so now there were three. They had ski masks and other equipment on them, almost like some sort of special forces. Shingetsu-sama! Over here! Kohaku-san! You get in first, you youngsters! The other girls were all there, peeking out at Ruri and Taiyou. Sakura guided them one by one into the elevator. Is this safe? Youran asked Sakura. Its a secret route with independent electricity that isnt on any map. Okay. Everyone in? Akiha! Go on ahead. Akiha yelled, in the midst of a hard fight. She was brawling with the three special force men, katana in hand. They were nearly even-matched. Theres no way you can catch up! So hurry up! Yeesh! Akiha was in offense mode. She pushed the enemy back and then rushed into the elevator with all her might. Kuh! Someone attacked Akiha from behind, and she groaned. But she used the momentum to her advantage and leaped into the elevator. Sakura! Yes! The door shut in an instant. Knocking sounds could be heard outside. Apathetic to all of that, the elevator descended. Phew. Someone let out a sigh of relief. That breath spread through everyone there, and everyone felt relieved. Sheesh! Stop overdoing things, Akiha! Aoba fiercely reprimanded her friend. But Theres no way wed leave you behind when you say something like that. Something like that? Did ye not realize? Ye said to leave it to ye and go on ahead, ja. Akiha stared blankly, then spoke again. Ooo, fantastic. No, not fantastic! Aoba slapped Akiha. Akiha stared blankly at her, unable to even react to what had just happened. Stop doing that. I will put a stop to it if you ever say that again. But there would be less to sacrifice if one person held them off, right? No, Natsuno-kun would be sad if even one of us were gone. No, hed be sad if everyone were gone. We just have to make sure everyone survives. But thats just- Okay, okay. Kohaku broke in. That kind of debate will rage on to the ends of the earth without pause. Leave it for later, ja. Kohaku, the eldest of the group, managed to bring everything under control. Aoba and Akiha still had something they wanted to say, but decided to pull back for now. Sakura, this-shelter? Whats going to happen? Well continue ten levels underground. The operators can only control the elevator from inside this little box, so itll be fine once we get down to a certain level. Where are we headed? Its another independent source of electricity with enough materials to help ten people last a month. Okay. Welp, Master and Ruri are on this island, and Im sure they detected the danger, so it probably wont even take a day. Indeed, jana. How do we let him know were here? Come to think of it, my phone has been out of range for a while now. Aoba, what about you? Same here. Shingetsu-sama? Everyone turned to look at Youran. She had her own order-made, specialized phone, which could call anyone anywhere in the world. I dropped it when we were attacked. Is that right. But thats not even a big problem. Once he sees he cant contact us, Danna-sama will send Hera our way, jaro. The mood was about to get immediately dark, but Kohaku livened things up again. The level up fairy, Hera. She was the joker in many ways, having not originated from this world. More reassured of the situation, everyone breathed sighs of relief again. The elevator reached the bottom. The doors opened to reveal seven simplistic private rooms and one living room. This was clearly made to match the seven brides in the Natsuno household. Mhm, living here for a bit could be fun- The moment Youran said that with a smile, They heard a thud. Everyone turned around, surprised. It sounded as if something had dropped onto the ceiling of the elevator. They immediately rushed out of the elevator. Whats going on? Youran asked, and Sakura shook her head. They jumped down. They gave up on trying to get the elevator back up and decided to just jump down holding on to the wires. But thats- That does sound like a rather obvious blind spot, jana. Next time yed best make it so that the shutters close once the elevator goes down, jana. Theyre coming! Everyone get back! Everyone immediately retreated when they heard Akihas cry. Akiha, who had learned the basics from Ruri, gripped her katana hilt and readied herself for a counterattack. Hey, thats cheating! Looking at the men who had broken the ceiling to jump down, Akiha jumped to the side and clung to the wall. Immediately after, the sound of gunfire clamored throughout. The submachine guns opened fire, scattering around large amounts of bullets. Kyaaa! Sakura! Are there any other exits? Akiha asked. Technically, there is one. Use that exit to escape. Ill hold them off. Akiha! Kohaku-san! Akiha called Kohakus name in a loud voice, the name of the young elder who knew that the debate would continue to the ends of the earth. At least make sure you dont give up till the end. Of course! Akiha responded as she swung her katana around in order to prevent any of the assailants from leaving the elevator. Aoba resisted, but the other brides held her down and forcibly took her off. Akiha regripped the katana as she listened to the voices of the girls getting away. She pushed the attackers back with a slash, but a bullet grazed her cheeks. As she flinched, a different enemy emerged and scattered bullets everywhere. Akiha dodged to the side and hid in the shadows. She had managed to halt their movement near the elevator, but ended up losing that point. The gunshots momentarily ceased. Peering out slowly, Akiha saw five enemies in the elevator, exercising caution as they refilled each others magazines. I guess this is it, huh? If she didnt manage to push them back before they came out of that narrow area, Akiha would be forced to deal with five enemies and their refilled machine guns, which was ludicrous. Small, single shot guns were easy enough to deal with, but she couldnt do anything against machine guns. Right when Akiha was bracing herself, The men disappeared! More accurately, the elevator the men were on flew back up at an impossible speed. W-What just happened? After hearing an ear-splitting metal screech, she momentarily heard gunshots above, but they soon faltered. Ohello! Hera? What just happened? Ah, well, the elevator wouldnt move so Taiyou-chan tugged on the wire and swung it all the way up. Oof. Akihas eyes were wide open. And then she began laughing. This shelters messed up in so many ways. She would continue to laugh until Taiyou and Ruri came down. Chapter 443: Placeless Taiyou caught all the scattered bullets. Gunfire had no effect on him whatsoever, thanks to the skill Nullify Long-Range outside the laws of physics. The bullets halted in their tracks as soon as they touched him, falling right onto the ground. Is this all of you? Taiyou asked, almost as if he were asking what was for breakfast. Of course no one answered. In fact, they all clustered together with their firepower. Not gonna answer, huh? Welp, guess I can spare one of you the destruction. Taiyou grinned, charging at the enemies. He took on the rain of bullets by himself, knocking them right back at every enemy. Taiyou was only punching, but this punch was the equivalent of the armpower of pulling an elevator up. The enemies that got hit were launched off, landing in dangerous positions and bounding off from there until they stopped moving. Taiyou made sure to leave one of them unconscious, and then the battle was over. Wheres Master? Akiha asked as she went to meet Taiyou descending the stairs. I had her go protect everyone. Shes more of a joker in the case of something happening. Okay. But I guess she didnt have to do anything. Youre crazy strong after all, Taiyou. So you were alright? Of course. Akiha-sama would never let thugs like those take her out. Whats this? He touched Akihas cheek with a finger. Blood was emerging from the bullet grazed wound. Ah, one of them grazed me. Yeah, just a trivial wound, thats all. Dont get yourself hurt so much. Wait, did you stay behind to stop these guys? Mhm. Leave this area to me, you go on ahead. No cmon, you cant say that! Ahahahahaha, right in the middle of a death flag, indeed. Hera cackled as she flew in from the side. You didnt seriously say that, did you? Aoba got really pissed at me. Uh yeah, anyone would! It was the first time Aoba got angry at me. Fantastic! Youre fine with anything, arent you Taiyou snapped. Then he sighed. But its true. You didnt see her earlier, which is why you say that. But that version of Aoba was the most fantastic so far. Just so you know, I dont want to see you angering her on purpose just to see that. Yeah, yeah, I know. Akiha patted Taiyous back. Ill just wait for the right opportunity. Something that cant be helped, like today, yeah? Taiyou grimaced. True, he wouldnt get angry if Akiha said it in a pinch. Hed probably thank her for saying it, in fact. However. I wont let you do that. Oh? Ill make sure this never happens again. Taiyou declared assertively. He had made his decision. Taiyou, Kohaku, Youran, and Sakura. The four brains of the group had gathered in the same room. Im very sorry. Sakura apologized to Taiyou. What happened? Youran asked. You managed to take one of them alive, but they died just now. Killed themselves with a poison kept in their back teeth area. You kidding me? Suicide yet again. Danna-samas enemies seem to share that trait, dont ye think? Or at least thats how it is for my enemies. Its happened a lot. A lot, you say? Indeed. Despite what my appearance would have you think, I have quite the number of enemies. Youran said in her Shingetsu no Kami tone of voice. She was clearly messing around. Yeah, but dont you think you have one too many enemies? Aye, she has a lot. In fact, isnt it rare to even get targeted once in yer life- Kohaku asked, looking at Youran. I dont remember past the hundredth one. Yup, ye got too many enemies, ja. So do you have any idea? I dont know who they are, but I have an idea who might have leaked our location. Wow. After I got seriously betrayed last time, I did many things to ensure that no information would leak about our routes. Sakura. Leave it to me. I will take care of it. Take care of what? Taiyou asked Sakura. Send the darkness back to the darkness appropriately. Well, that does sound like the best plan. Taiyou heard some ominous words, but he figured it was for the best. Right now, there was no one more important than his brides. He had to think of this as a necessary precaution to protect every bride. So whats next? Whats next? I mean are we going to continue our vacation or not. Ah, mm Youran fretted. Now that they were already assailed, it might be rather dangerous here. Leave itto me. Uwah! Taiyou freaked out. This was because he suddenly heard Ruris voice from behind. Ruri! Since when did you get here? I wasalways here. No, tell me. Anywayleave it to me. Leave what to you? I can easilykeep watch over this island. So youd quickly find out if we get any intruders? Kohaku asked, and Ruri nodded in affirmation. Focusthats all. Crazy It would be in our best interest for you to do that, but Sakura said, looking at Taiyou to see what he thought. In other words, the final decision always lay with him. You said youd just focus, right? She nodded silently. So you cant do anything else? Would you seriously be okay with being left out? In that casemou man tai. Huh? When we get backIll just have you all to myself for one day. In other words, she would have her fun later, and all alone with him. Taiyou thought for a bit and then nodded. Alright, thanks. This special bargain sale would have never been possible for her before. Chapter 444: Hip Bath Open-air bath that overlooked half of the island and the vast ocean. Initially Taiyou had cocked his head, thinking A bath on an island?, but now he was thoroughly entranced by it. To sum it up in one wordshallow. The surface of the water wasnt even 10 centimeters, not even enough to submerge ones feet. But once he lay down face up in the shallow water, Taiyou was able to fully soak the lower half of his body in the water. In addition, the bottom of the bath was rugged in a good way, made to just fit his body type. The water was tepid, and the wind refreshing. And in that dreamlike bath, Taiyou and Youran were together. Never knew something like this was here. I had them make this. Totally turns you into a bum, doesnt it? Yeah, I can see why. Feels like a lot is being pulled out of me. Master, you should try sleeping in here once. I shall. Taiyou slowly closed his eyelids. He slept as he normally did, and woke up the same way. He had slept in the bath several times before this, and each time he woke up it was with a bang. Almost sinking under the water until your eyes spring wide open. That was what it had always felt like. But this bath was different. He slept as per usual, and woke up as per usual. Almost as if he were sleeping on an actual bed. Thisis amazing. Taiyou blurted out. Turning left, he saw Youran sleeping. Long, billowing hair, and beautiful, art-like breasts facing upward. She also seemed to be sucked in by this bath water. Although he was seeing her naked, he didnt feel like doing anything. He wanted to look at her forever. And as he continued to watch her, he fell back to sleep. The next time his eyes opened, Taiyou realized that someone different was next to him. Turning to the side, it was no longer Youran, but Sakura who was next to him. Sakura-san? Youre awake? Yes. Wheres Youran? She swapped places with me and went out. She was rather discontent because you never tried pouncing on her. Thats totally a lie. Taiyou pointed out with a smile. Theres no way anyone would feel that way in a place like this. But women, on the other hand No, I think women would feel very much the same. That was just how destructive this bath was in Taiyous eyes. Wait, can I pounce on you right now, then? If you so wish to. Well what do you want? Please, pounce on me. Ill look into it then. Taiyou ended the conversation by declining her offer. He knew full well that Sakura did not actually want him to do that, and he didnt want to either. He simply wanted to bask in the warm water right now. Sakura-san Yes? Hows everything going with work? Sounds to me like Youran just threw Juurokuya under the bus. Everythings coming along one way or another. I believe it is all working out. Hasnt it been difficult? Exciting. Okay. Taiyou said, closing his eyes again. The next time he woke up, it was evening. Lightly calculating it, he had been asleep in the bath for more than 6 hours, but he still felt no inclination to get up. Master. He heard Yourans voice, right before he felt her kiss him. Something came from her lips. It was water. Cool, refreshing water soaked him from corner to corner of his body. He moved his mouth to get some water replenishment. Youran was on the opposite side of where Sakura was. Youran to the left, Sakura to the right. Taiyou gazed upon both Juunishima sisters in the flesh. How odd. No matter how much I sleep I feel like I can keep going. Thats just how it is. This is my first time experiencing it, so Im quite a bit surprised. Yeah Sakura, youre probably even busier than I am with work. That is because I, too, had a time when I had to plan things out. But you do that right now too. Its just that your opponent-enemy changed. Things have already been easier now that you are not my foe, Shingetsu-sama. Is that what it is? To relate this to shogi, up until now Ive had to read your every move and predict the end game, but now I only have to read about three steps ahead. Im not even that intelligent, though. Oh, stop being so humble. It was pleasant to listen to the stereo sound conversation going on between the sisters to the right and left of him. The ice had finally thawed in their relationship. Taiyou was truly glad that they were so friendly now. And as he thought that, Taiyou fell back to sleep. Amidst the starlight, Taiyou woke up again for whatever time that was. Then he realized there was no starlight. Taiyou squinted, trying to see what the issue was when he realized that the reason he couldnt see the stars was because his vision was blocked by the flesh of the sisters. They were sitting on either side of him, peeking inward. Their breasts were blocking out the stars. Is it okay to be awake right now? The water and outside air arent all that different temperature-wise. And the wind stopped at some point. Okay. Taiyou nodded, moving his hands for the first time since entering the bath. Hyan! Ah Touching both of their chests made both girls raise their voices. Not ticklish voices, but very feminine voices. Their skin felt like silk, and Taiyou slid his hands along it. Gosh Im happy. Werent you already happy? I always tell you I love you two, right? True, come to think of it, you do. And because Master always makes a point of saying that-I love that part of him. Youran came closer to him, Sakura followed suit. Taiyou felt the warmth of their bodies as his own body became warmer. And so the tepid water was replaced by hot water. Chapter 445: The One I Love The Mos Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan, Aoba-chan is in heat! The hell you just say? Taiyou swatted at Hera in a swimsuit. In the morning on the beach, Taiyou was enjoying himself when Hera suddenly came around to say that. Its true, indeed. Shes suuuuper in heat! Yeah yeah. Taiyou ignored her. He figured it was another one of her delusions. Sheesh, just trust me a bit more, Taiyou-chan. Alright, then what exactly do you mean by saying shes in heat? After she drank water that Aki-han poured for her, her face went red and she started panting. Thats a rather serious matter! Taiyou sprang up to his feet. Where is she? Over there. Hera led the way, and the two of them dashed through the beach. Entering the building, they made it to the room Aoba was in. Aoba! Shhh. Akiha put her index finger to her lips. Aobas- Never mind that, lets go outside. Akiha pushed him outside the room. Looking back, he caught sight of Aoba. Her face was red as she slept on the bed, and she looked extremely pained. Once they got outside, Akiha closed the door before speaking. She has a little fever again. I think shes fine, but just in case, you know. Fever? Aoba was acting weird starting from the morning. She must have a cold. Cold I did make sure she drank some medicine and drank a large amount of water, so I think shell be fine. Water Taiyou repeated, turning to look at Hera. Hera was averting her eyes, trying to get out of it with a small eheh!. Everyone makes mistakesCwhaaaa!? Taiyou grabbed Hera and flung her away hard. She had the wrong conclusion. Whats up with you? No, nothing. Anyhow, about Aoba, is it really a cold? Yeah, I think so. But Ill look over her a bit and if things dont improve then Ill have Youran send an emergency escort over here. Shouldnt you do that right now? Yeah, but if I do that, I feel like Aoba isnt going to take kindly to being separated from us. Shes always talking about how happy she is just to be in a harem. I see. Taiyou somewhat understood. Aoba would probably say that. Of course the three sisters were the ones who wanted a harem, but Aoba was the one who wanted everyone to get along. That was her mindset after being around her three mothers. Alright, then lets wait and see. Mhm. Are you okay, by the way? Me? Yeah, psssh, Im totally fine. Ive never caught a cold, yknow. And you do like hanging around high places. (*Note: There is a saying in Japanese that stupid people and smoke like high places*) Ahahaha, exactamundo! Akiha slapped Taiyou on the back. No, thats where you point out that Im insulting you. Hey, but its true! She grinned. Plus, well, Masters taught me a lot. Like how to heal myself if I somehow actually get one. Theres a move like that!? Yeah. Masters super talented, yknow? She even said she could kill off a parasite inside her body. Thats totally a lie. Taiyou interjected, but It is a lie, right? Taiyou timidly asked. He still didnt believe it, but this was Ruri they were talking about. Yeah, Im kidding. But she can actually kill off a virus. Thats even more difficult to accomplish! He interjected again. Alright, how about I get a towel to cool her off? Ill do it. Whaaa, no its fine, you should just go off and spend time with someone. Leave Aoba to me. I cant enjoy anything knowing whats going on with her. Mm, yeah I guess you have a point. Akiha quickly gave in. Taiyou and Akiha tended to Aoba. Aobas been like this since a while back, actually. Like what? Getting over-excited and collapsing with a fever. Ahh, that kind of pattern. And every time Mio-san stays by her side and tends to her, if I recall. That sounds like Mio-san alright. The two of them engaged in small talk as they helped Aoba. Suddenly, Taiyou realized something. You and Aoba have been best friends since way back, right? Well, it was a bit different at first. I really liked her after all. Akihas love. Now it was a different kind of love. So you know a lot about Aoba, things that even I dont. What what, you jealous? (/*note: jealous is shitto in Japanese) Not jealous, I just would like to know more too. Aw cmon, be jealous! You want me to? Well yeah, of course. Why wouldnt I? Okay then. If you get jealous then Im willing to tell you all sorts of things. Akiha winked. How do you tell if Im jealous? Do I have to yell out JEALOUS or something? Nope, sounds like the English cuss word now. Japanese only please. Sounding it out is that much of an issue? Mmm, Aoba, huh? She was always normal, I can say that much. Is it really okay to call someone you liked normal? But she is though. I mean not anymore, but she used to be. Loved her father and mother. Mm, yup, she was really normal. Akiha folded her arms in a thinking posture, but she wasnt really saying much other than how Aoba was normal. So she was normal, and thats why you started liking her. I guess? Meanwhile, youre not normal in the slightest sense. Non non, thats wrong, Taiyou-kun. Akiha shook a finger, speaking in a dramatic voice. Not because she was normal, but because shes Aoba. Okay. So how about now? Of course I still like her. I love her the second most in the world. Youre an incredible woman. Taiyou smiled awkwardly. And no, he did not ask her who number one was.Please go to to read the latest chapters for free Chapter 446: Face-Off Strong, Then Flow Along Hey, you sure its okay for you to stay here? Akiha asked Taiyou. Were on vacation for once, so you could go to where one of the other girls are or run along the beach with your schlong hanging out or something as part of your daily routine. What kind of routine is that Rudely interjecting, Taiyou swapped the towel Aoba had with another one. Im fine staying here, really. Yeah? This is just another form of flirting anyway. Get the hell out of here. Akiha said after a brief moment of astonishment. Why? I wont let you be the one to flirt with Aoba. Ehhh, but all three of us are here right now, lets flirt together. Aobas mine, boy. But youre mine too. The theory of the master behind the master. Taiyou quickly recalled Pochi. Taiyou and Akiha continued to jokingly throw strong words at each other. She was clearly affected when Taiyou mentioned flirting, but despite all the harsh language, neither of them were hurt or minded in the slightest. (Shes like Ruri.) Taiyou suddenly thought to himself. What they did right now reminded him of how he and Ruri would fight, katana and fist. From a third-person view it was fierce and tense. And of course the people fighting were serious about it to an extent, nor were they holding back. But neither of them were hurt. Attacking with all their might, dodging with all their might. Missing with all their might. Taiyou just thought what he was doing right now was similar to that. By the time it was afternoon, Aoba slowly opened her eyes. HuhNatsuno-kun. Morning. What happened? Wait a sec. He took a towel and then slapped it onto her forehead. W-What the heck, Natsuno-kun? Yeah, fevers gone down quite a bit. You should be fine now. Eh? Oh. You mean my cold. Yeah. Lie down a bit more. Its even worse when youre in the healing process but overdo it. Right Aoba looked around as she lay down. Ah, Akiha too. Ohello! Sorry, did I make you worry? Not at all. Now then, Taiyou. Move away. Huh? He wasnt sure why, but Taiyou decided to just do as she said. They switched spots. Akiha crouched down where Taiyou was, slapping the towel onto her forehead like Taiyou did earlier. A-Akiha? Mhm, fevers gone down quite a bit I see. B-But Natsuno-kun said the same thing earlier. Yep, sure did. Akiha said casually. Dont tell me you I dunno what ya talkin bout. Akiha said, clearly on purpose. Taiyou understood. Akiha was mimicking. Making the other brides her bridestreating them like lovers. She was trying to imitate what Taiyou did. Interesting. As he said, Taiyou found that interesting. Eh? Aoba, youre hungry right? Eh? Yeah, just a bit. I had Nene make some porridge. Ill bring it over. Okay. Ill go too. Taiyou left the room and Akiha followed him. After leaving the room, the two of them looked at each other, breaking into grins almost simultaneously. After a bit, Taiyou and Akiha returned with porridge-filled containers and china spoon sets. Im back. Kept ya waiting! Welcome bawait, why are there two? Heheh, youll see. Akiha moved first. She put some porridge in the spoon and blew on it before bringing it to Aobas mouth. Here. Eh, ehhh? Y-You really dont have to do that. Sick people need to just act obedient at times like this. Open up. O-Okay. Silenced by Akiha, Aoba put the porridge into her mouth. Is it good? Mhm. Alright, now its my turn. Eh? Aoba remarked in astonishment. Ignoring her reaction, Taiyou did the same thing and blew on the porridge-filled spoon before handing it to her. Here you go, eat up. You too, Natsuno-kun? Cmon. Same as Akiha, Taiyou urged her to bite down. Aoba timidly ate. And then Akiha came back in, and after her Taiyou, and once that was over it was Akihas turn again. Switching spots, switching positions, they continued to feed Aoba her porridge. And then, to top it all off. Now! They said in unison, outstretching both their spoons. Wha, I cant just eat all that at once. Aoba said, and Taiyou and Akiha looked at each other. And then they spoke to Aoba. Who do you choose, me or Taiyou? Decide right here right now. Whaaaaat. It was almost like a love triangle. Of course, Taiyou and Akiha werent serious. When they left the room, and right now. Every time they had the opportunity they would make eye contact and communicate their plan. Playing around every chance they got. Almost like a single scene where they fight in a love triangle over who gets Aoba. Taiyou and Akiha were enjoying this. Aoba was confused. Not having heard the conversation they held while she was asleep, she had no clue why this was happening. The way she saw it, she was in the position that Taiyou should have been in. Not quite to the point of fighting, but she had planned to do something with Taiyou alongside Akiha and dote on him. That was what Aoba was thinking. Which was why this confused her. We didnt mean to confuse you. How about we decide with a fair method? Then lets do rock paper scissors to start out. Alright, so starting out we got rock Watching the two of them play rock paper scissors to decide who gets to feed her first, Aoba became more and more perplexed. They glanced at her as they played the game. Taiyou and Akiha then exchanged eye contact. (Aoba sure is cute.) (Heck fricking yeah she is.) Their voices were almost audible enough for Aoba to hear, and the two of them had a rather hard time trying to keep smiles from appearing on their faces.Please go to to read the latest chapters for free Chapter 447: Catch A Cold This is very bad, Taiyou-chan is in heat! Youcoughstop yappingcough. Taiyou said, lying on the bed. Unlike usual, his face was red and he seemed to be having a difficult time, not even having enough strength to swat Hera. So you arent in heat? Were youcoughserious about that? Taiyou felt a headache coming on. Yeah yeah, move it along. Natsuno-kun, are you okay? Akiha brought a basin with ice water, and Aoba, all better now, entered the room. Their movement was very brisk as they took out a tightly wound, cold towel out and put it on Taiyous forehead. Thanks Some snots coming out. Kay, chin up. Akiha brought a tissue to his nose. Taiyou felt a bit ashamed, but his entire body was limp, so he was grateful for the extra care. First time I ever saw Natsuno-kun catch a coldI wonder if that was my fault. You mean because he took care of you he got it too? Hmm Akiha pondered. Thatscough coughnot true. It just took a while to get to me after I bathed in half my body. But AnyhowYouran and Sakura-san, are they alright? Making sure Aoba didnt worry, Taiyou asserted that the cause was the long bath he took. Y-Yeah. Theyre both fine. OkayThen Im glad. Taiyou said, closing his eyes. His head was vacant, his body was limp, and it was hard to even open his eyelids. But the cold feeling on his forehead was refreshing, and the other two in the room being there comforted him. He considered the possibility of the two girls once again catching a cold from tending to him, but it felt so good right now that he hesitated to say anything. (Eh, if that happens I can just take care of them.) He wanted to have his way for now. He wanted them to stay here. Heck, maybe he should call the others over too. A cold, a sickness he had not experienced in a long timeHe did not realize that he was in a weakened state because he got sick after Hera had appeared. He simply thought it was an extension of his yearning for his brides. Aki-han? Why have you been staring at that? That? Akiha, thats the tissue that was in Taiyous nose. Aki-han? Hey, colds heal once theyve already passed on, right? Eh, uhh, yeah. Aoba nodded, clearly troubled. Judging from the situation, it seemed like the sickness moved right from her to Taiyou, and she found it hard to say that. Alright, then Ill catch it. Ehhh? Catch it? You mean purposely try to get it? Well yeah. How are you going to do that? Aoba. W-What!? Eat this. Eh? Eat. Half for you, half for me. Ehhhhhh? Taiyou fought his dreariness and opened his eyes. He questioned what Aoba was getting so worked up aboutbut then he got so surprised he rose up. Akiha held out a tissue to Aoba, split in half. If we eat this and move the sickness to us- Yaaah! Taiyou used whatever power he could muster and slapped Akihas hand. The split tissue that had been in his nose fell to the ground. Hey, whats the big idea Taiyou? Thats what Id like to say-cough, cough cough. He was about to interject and then coughed loudly. It was an explosive, spasmodic cough. It felt like he was going to cough up his organs. Natsuno-kun! You okay? Aoba rubbed his back, concerned. Geez! Its because you say such weird things, Akiha. Whaaat? Throw away that thing already. You say you wanna eat it again and Ill get seriously angry, okay? Okay Akiha threw away the tissue and dejectedly headed to the trashcan in the corner of the room. As Aoba massaged his shoulders, Taiyou looked at her. Aoba. You okay, Natsuno-kun? Akihas cute when she acts like that. Taiyou said in a hoarse voice. Eh? Shes always cute, but dont you think that unusually depressed look is also cute? Natsuno-kun! Aoba said angrily. Dont say weird things like that. Rest and get better! Akiha. What? Akiha was despondent when she got back. Clearly she wasnt able to handle Aobas scolding. Could you stay by me as I sleep? Eh? Natsuno-kun!? Aoba exclaimed. Taiyou asked her to do the same. You too, Aoba. The heck are you saying, Natsuno-kun? When you have a cold you cant just- Aoba said, but Akiha quietly entered the futon and snuggled close to Taiyou. Is this fine? She inquired. Yep. He nodded, looking at Aoba. His eyes seemed to be asking if she planned to join. Aoba hesitated, but only for a few seconds. She sighed and entered on the opposite side of Akiha. They slept with Taiyou between them. But isnt it going to end up spreading if we do this? Ill make sure it doesnt. Who cares if it does? Akiha began to regain some of her energy. Geez Aoba gave up, clinging onto Taiyou. Taiyou almost felt like the dreariness was leaving his body. The cold was chased out of his body by the warmth of the two brides. That was what he felt. Im going to do it too! Dont yap in my ear. Wait, dont put your ass on my forehead! The fever came back just a bit.Please go to to read the latest chapters for free Chapter 449: Even Grannies Want Some Love I-I have a request. Sakura said with a face of resolution as she came before Taiyou. She had decided to jump in at the deep end. Even Taiyou felt overpowered. A-Ah, sure, what is it? When the time comes, please include me. Include? When the time comes? Please! Sakura said before running back out. Heyyy, Sakura-san, I still dont know what youre trying to say. He called out to Sakura, who was no longer in sight. It was just so sudden, so incomprehensible. Most people would be confused by this, but Taiyou had always been around strong-willed individuals. It would take more than this to shake him. I wonder what that was about. Sorry Danna-sama, that would be my fault, ja. Kohaku was the next one to appear, suddenly apologizing to Taiyou. And now Taiyou understood the gist of what was going on. So you said something weird to her, Kohaku-san? I did, but I never thought shed take it in that direction, ja. Huh. Whatd you tell her? That you love it when your brides act self-indulgent. Ohhh. Taiyou understood better now. He didnt think it was wrong. That was in fact what he liked. Having someone he loved ask for favors and seeing the smile on their face when he granted them was definitely enjoyable. Taiyou was quite impressed with how perceptive Kohaku was. Well, you put it into action the most after all. Aye. I will do anything for yer sake, Danna-sama. Although sometimes I wish you would hold back a bit. Rejecting someone is part of love too, ja. I really do mean it when I say I want you to hold back. Taiyou said, and then asked the question he had before. Pochi. Ohhh. Taiyou got the gist of what she meant. Understood. Ill call Youran over too. Aye, you do that. Theyll be happy. Im sure Youran will, but Sakura-san too? Well thats why I told her to say what she wants. No problem, right? True enough. Taiyou nodded. Kohaku came closer. Their skin touching, time went by at a leisurely pace. He ran his hands through Kohakus hair and touched her squishy cheeks. Taiyou then spoke again without giving it much thought. Kohaku-san, your skin is seriously beautiful. Of course, ja. Was it always like this? It will be until I dieor so Id say, but its not quite the same. Whats not quite the same? He cocked his head, questioning her. Until now Ive been but a girl, and my flesh has only been young. I met you when I was a woman. Polished to be touched is much different from the opposite. I get it, you mean how a maiden in love becomes beautiful. Precisely. Kohaku stifled her laughter. Well, thats half the truth. Its like saying yer dreams come true if you try, ja. Hm? What do you mean? The premise is a bit off, ja. Maidens truly become beautiful when the love is mutual. Is my love enough? Not unless I come back every so often to replenish it. Is that so. Taiyou smiled, kissing Kohaku. This was her own selfish inclination. As she said, Kohakus greatest wish was to come to Taiyou on a daily basis and ask him things like this. Taiyou was glad. She looked to him for desires, he answered her. Taiyou was happy that he could help her, that he could love her. Yer quite a bit different lately, Danna-sama. Hm? You gave me a direct response when I asked about Pochi. Oh, you mean that. I spoke with Juurokuya a bit earlier, ja. Really? That girl admires ye, Danna-sama. Said shed die for ye if she had to. Whoa, no way. I also asked her if she wanted to be yer bride, ja. And howd she answer? That she never gave it any thought, ja. Huh. That was a bit surprising to hear. Somewhere deep within him he figured anyone in her position would think about that. Hey, Danna-sama. Hm? Wanna be a bit more gracious? You mean with having Juurokuya or Pochi around more? Aye. We brides love you and are loved by you. But there are also women like Juurokuya. Would ye consider searching for them? I considered it. Taiyou promptly replied. Kohaku was a bit surprised. I thought about it when we were attacked. Increase the number of those types of women to benefit all of you when things get tough. You mean Juurokuya dying for Youran? Kohaku said quickly. Taiyou also nodded quickly. Exactly. Im horrible, arent I? Not at all. Kohaku smiled, bringing herself closer to him. That side of ye is amazing too, Danna-sama. You always say that. Surely you must want to object every so often. Too bad. Ill agree with anything if it serves ya. Thats the age Im at right now, ja. Im a maiden in love, ja. Is that how it is? Thats how it is, ja. Taiyou said okay and nodded. After some more skinship, Taiyou began whispering to Kohaku in a serious voice. Kohaku-san. Mm? Please love me forever. Kohaku immediately answered. Of course, ja.Please go to to read the latest chapters for free Chapter 450: Foie Gras Buffe t Chapter 449: Even Grannies Want Some LoveChapter 451: White Seven Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Here, say ahh. Ahh. Next is me. Master, eat up. Ahh. Eat. Me. Too. Were not doing that right now, ok Akiha. Nighttime, everyone was gathered except for Ruri. The table had food on it in a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast style, and they were all feeding Taiyou one slice, one spoonful each. There was a line in front of where Taiyou was sitting. The girls would take turns feeding him before finding a new piece of food and lining back up. It was almost like one of those handshake events that pop idols had. Im quite impressed that you thought of something like this, Akiha. Aoba said to her friend with a half impressed, half exasperated look on her face. Just as she said, Akiha was the one who thought this up. She suddenly came up with it in the afternoon and had Youran thrust it into the schedule. Taiyou grimaced when he heard the idea, but said nothing. Sakura had a mixed expression on her face, and Kohaku just grinned at him. Heheheh, whats wrong with this? Eating at a buffet is what comes to mind when you go on a trip. Is that really the case? The three sisters all asked at once. They were the least experienced with trips due to the environment they were raised in, so it wasnt as clear to them. Yeah. Breakfast or dinner at a hotel generally consists of a buffet. Wooow. By doing that they economize on the number of personnel. Rather than serving food to each and every guest, they have everyone gather in a big dining hall. Having everyone take food for themselves reduces the cost, ja. And the guests are happy. A system where no one loses. Fantastic. Akiha said, her eyes glittering. Sure its fantastic, but Im still impressed you thought this up. I never thought of having him sit there like that. I call it a foie gras buffet. Thats an odd name. Ah, but Ive wanted to see a fattened Danna-sama, ja. Hell look so cool and dignified. Mhm, quite good. Sounds like a sumo wrestler I know called The Wolf. You are on quite friendly terms with him after all, Shingetsu-sama. Although that had to be after he retired. In fact, I think he retired before I was born. They chatted together as they gave food and more food to Taiyou. The brides were amusing themselves with the repetition. Hey, could we call Ruri over here? Youran proposed. Master, huhhmm, what should we do? Todayshould be fine. We raised the security levels since then, so as long as nothing crazy happens Thats a flag! Yep, thats a death flag right there, ja. The two of them who liked subculture interjected at the same time. Then how about without the flag. As long as shes here with us, well be fine no matter who comes. Ah, thats kinda true. Actually, it might be safer to have her here. Thats just how strong Master is. Shes not called the strongest in the world for nothing. Shes only become even more amazing in recent times. Its like a cheat unit turned into a fortress just by having her around. Then shall we? I disagree. Were in the middle of carrying out Taiyou-sans request, so it would be a little too much I also disagree for that same reason and also because she knows what were doing and saying so shes basically with us right now anyway. Same as Aobaaa. Actually, shes being purposely left out right now and deprived so that once she gets back to Taiyou hes going to love on her, so itd be best if we didnt call her. Three votes against it. Sakura? Youran asked her sister from another mother. Im in agreement with the idea. Six of us already are here and we usually do other things, so calling her would be a good idea. Kohaku-san? Agreed. I wish to see her divide into clones and make the line longer. Now what do you think, since you proposed the idea, ja? Three against three, huh? Youran indirectly said she was in agreement. What to do Aoba, what would people in your house say if they were to vote? Akiha asked Aoba. Whenever something had to be decided at Aobas house, the three matriarchs of the house did a majority vote. Her best friend had known this for a while. Which was why she asked her. Umm, okay, were going to do it one more time. This time well have unsigned votes. Thats a bit of an exaggeration, but itll be something like this: you write your opinions on paper and open the papers all at once. Aye, looking at all the opinions in order might bring about some sort of effect, ja. That might be better. Im opposed to that. It isnt that its a bad idea, but I feel that our family should try something else. Im in agreement as long as your idea is fantastic. Something that only we can do? She must be the only one, jaro. Kohaku pointed at Hera. Me? Aye. Something that puts you to use. Something way different that no one can imitate, ja. I see, indeed. Youre going to have Hera give the last vote? How about we try roasting her, ja? In ancient times, you heated up the carapace of turtles and decided all sorts of things based on the cracks in the shell, ja. That could be good. Theres also the fact that no one can hurt her but Master. The brides shared their various ideas. During that time, they were lining up, carrying things, and feeding them to Taiyou. Rinse and repeat. Taiyou said nothing, added nothing. All he did was eat the food that was given to him. He continued to chew his food with a nom nom sound. That was what the night was like.Please go to to read the latest chapters for free Chapter 451: White Seven Rooftop at night. Taiyou sat opposite Ruri, staring at her blankly. Ruri was sitting on the ground, staring far away with her beloved sword Heaven Reversal in hand. She wasnt looking at Taiyou; she was focusing on just one thing. Guard security. She was doing her absolute best to carry out what was requested of her. You could tell from her focus that she had accepted her job. Taiyou, however, couldnt leave her like that. Hey Ruri. Ruuuriii. Calling her name, he waved his hand in front of her. He tried to distract her in every way he could, but Ruri showed no reaction. Her eyes didnt even flinch. It was as if Taiyou were a transparent human and she couldnt see him at all. Cmon, lets talk about something. Youre really going to ignore me that much, huh? Taiyou sat down, folded his arms while pondering. When he first thought of the idea, he thought it might work. But he began to feel like something was missing as he flirted with the six brides. Not guilty or anything. Just the lack of something. It was clear that Ruri was right there. And yet, he couldnt flirt with her. Not being able to do that with his favorite bride was quite stressful. Which was why he had come to mess with her a bit. Of course, first he just stared at her. He did nothing other than stare. And then got bored quite soon after. Before and now, Taiyou had never been able to simply look at this girl. This was Ruri were talking about. In fact, they had met in a life or death situation. Taiyou stood up straight, clenching his fists. He couldnt talk to her. But it wasnt enough to look at her. Then there was only one thing left to do. He clenched his fists and stomped firmly on the ground. He took a deep breath and lunged at Ruri with a full-powered punch-with some options he thought of for backup. And it-slipped through. WhaC Taiyou blurted out. It was like Ruri was a ghost or a three-dimensional image. He just went right through. Turning around, he looked at Ruris back. He felt her there. She was definitely there. After pondering it a bit, he understood. The moment he had lunged for her, she had dodged so quickly that she left an afterimage. If thats how you wanna play it! Taiyou leaped at her again. Again and again. He was starting to get worked up. If she was going to keep ignoring him, then he was going to make her pay attention to him. Five minutes later, Taiyou was gasping for breath. He tried unleashing all his strength to make Ruri do something, but he couldnt even touch her. She wasnt even trying. She was still ignoring him. If this is haahthe extent of what I can dohaahaahthats really kind of depressing. If you can make a double, then all you gotta do is fight me with that double. Taiyou said without giving it much thought. Ruris doubles were imprints left from her high speed movement, so it was meaningless and was just a hindrance. He knew that. Which was why he said it without thinking. Thenthats what Ill do. Ruri split into two. One version was posted in one location, motionless like a statue while the other one walked over to Taiyou. Youre going to actually do it!? Whynot? I mean I dont mind, but I was wondering if you were okay with that. Im fineIm watching over there. Ruri said, pointing at herself. Ahhh, okay then. Taiyou decided he may as well take it. No point thinking about it. Can I touch you? Surego ahead. Ruri said, and Taiyou touched her cheek. Astonishingly enough, it didnt feel weird at all. It was like she was actually split into two. She felt like anyone else. How about that? Can I touch it? If you touch thatI will slice you in half. So this is only moving quickly? Yesjust moving quickly. Oh. Want totry it? Nah, theres no way I could. Taiyou said, flopping onto the ground and lying down. He had Ruri sit down and used her lap as a pillow. As he felt a soft, warm sensation in the back of his head, he looked at her. She was there, most definitely. Taiyou stopped thinking. Ruri was too phenomenal and it was pointless to even analyze her. Right now he could feel warmth, and that was more than enough. Trips almost over. Itsure is. When we get back its flirting time. Ill put all my power into flirting with you. Yesthat is my reward. Heck yeah, Ill get you that reward alright. Mhmgive it to me. Anything specific youd like? I want totry on a dress. Huh? Taiyou looked at Ruri, wondering what the big idea was. You saidthat white looks good on me. Yeah, that I did. A white dress would look better than a black one. SoI want to wear a white dress. A wedding dress, eh? Thatcan wait. Ruri shook her head. Not yet? Mhmnot yet. But you intend to at some point. I want to wear thatwith everyone. That might be fantastic. Taiyou imagined the seven brides wearing wedding dresses all together. It really sounded like a fantastic sight.Please go to to read the latest chapters for free Chapter 452: Fake Back to school in the new year. In the classroom, Taiyou felt like people were looking at him. Well no, he didnt just feel that way. They were actually looking at him. His classmates were clearly sneaking glances at him, saying something. I remember this happening before. Taiyou recalled when summer vacation had ended. Just as he had been then, he was the center of attention today. Just in case, he concentrated and searched for any abnormalities. He thought there might be an enemy lurking among the students, but there was no such thing. So he let it be. But he still felt someone watching him, and he still felt the same way after school. Natsuno-kun. Hm? Someone spoke to him as he was getting ready to go home. When he looked up, he saw one of his female classmates standing there. She went by the name of Mogami Rina, one of the more sociable students. Are you free today? Lets go out someplace. Go out? Taiyou puzzled over why she invited him. The gaze hed felt since morning felt like it intensified. When he casually looked around him, Taiyou could tell that most of the classmates in the area were paying attention to their conversation. What in the world was happening? Taiyou wondered. Sure, fine by me. But he didnt think about it any further. Rather than overthink everything, just plunge on in. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Nene. Yes. The class began making some noise. He heard people ask Nene?. Come to think of it, this might be the first time calling them this in public, thought Taiyou. Im going to take a little detour today, so go ahead and go back with everyone. Understood. He spoke to Nene before turning back to Rina. In that instant, he could tell she was sullen. That was only for an instant, and the next moment she was back to having her amiable smile. Kay, lets go then. She said, linking her arm with Taiyous and walking out of the classroom with her taking the lead. The hallway was filled with students returning home, and they looked at Taiyou and Rina with surprised expressions. Taiyou questioned what exactly they were so surprised about. He watched them before he and Rina exited the school. Rina had a rather proud expression on her face as she walked with him, arms linked. After they hung around the station for a bit, the day was growing dim, so the two of them entered a cafe. Today was fun, huh? Rina said to Taiyou on the other side of the table. It was fairly enjoyable, so Taiyou agreed. Yeah, it was fun. Natsuno-kun, whatd you do for New Years? I went to the ocean. Whaaat, why the ocean? Its cold in winter. I dunno, I think the oceans pretty fun in the winter too. He decided to leave out the part about going to an island under the equator, since it would have dragged things out. Wow, Im jealous. I was just in my house and didnt go anywhere. I mean, I did go visit a shrine for New Years but thats it. I see. As he talked with Rina, Taiyou kept on trying to figure out what her true intentions were. He had never actually talked with her very much. They had always been classmates, but had only ever conversed once or twice, that was about it. But today, she had suddenly invited him out and even linked arms with him. Taiyou wasnt about to naively assume that was all there was to it. (Although maybe Kohaku-sans had a bad influence on me.) He thought as he continued their trifling conversation. It really was just smalltalk. What did you eat yesterday? What television programs do you like? Questions of that sort. They were all harmless but pointless topics, and Taiyou found himself getting confused. He couldnt tell what her objective was. So Natsuno-kun, you called Hayakawa-san Nene earlier, right? Yeah. Taiyou slightly poised himself. But at the same time he felt relieved. Finally it had begun. Why Nene? They all have ne attached to their names, right? So I call them all Nene now. Explaining was a drag, so Taiyou referred to Nene as being three people. Wow, so you call them that. Yeah. Are you on good terms with the Hayakawas? Id say so. Whats so good about them? Taiyou felt startled for a second. He could feel some malice in the way Rina asked the question. Thats a hard one. I dont think its something I can explain in one sentence. So theres nothing good about them? I mean there are too many good things about them. Whaaat, thats gotta be a lie! Rina said as she cackled. Taiyou felt himself becoming more uncomfortable. He still couldnt tell what she wanted, but that was becoming less of an issue. (Yknow, I really dont like Nene being dissed) Hey Natsuno-kun, what do you think about me? What do you mean? Compared to Hayakawa-san. A lightbulb went off. Taiyou knew what was going on. So thats what shes trying to do! He recognized it. As he was wondering how to handle this There you are. How about we attach a transmitter to you from now on? Two girls came by. One of them was an attractive blonde, and the other was a long-haired girl with a dignified attitude. Both of them were wearing night dresses, clothing too unfitting for a cafe. They were now the center of attention. Leticia? And Juuroku-Youran. Leticia, their instructor, and Juurokuya, Shingetsus shadow. Neither of them were Taiyous brides. We looked all over for you. Wanna come with us for a bit? I have prepared a car outside, as well as a change of clothing. Okay, got it. There had to be a reason for these two to come together. Something far more crucial than Rina. Sorry, Ill see you tomorrow, kay? Taiyou said to Rina, who seemed stunned by the sudden appearance of Leticia and Juurokuya. Taiyou then exited the shop with the two of them. The last he caught sight of Rina, she looked incredibly frustrated.Please go to to read the latest chapters for free Chapter 453: Symptomatic Therapy So where are we going? And isnt it rare for you to hang around with Juurokuya? What, ya know just by lookin? Leticia said in her Kansai dialect. The blonde, blue-eyed girl was a princess from the Fili Kingdom, so it was odd that she spoke Japanese in such a manner. Heck yeah I do. Taiyou said as if it were to be expected. Theyre way different from each other. If everyone thought like ya, her existence would be totally meaningless. R-R-Right, I-I-Ill do my best to resemble Shingetsu-sama. Juurokuya made a small clenched fist. She had Yourans face, but it was true that if they were that easy to tell apart then she would be pointless as a double. So? What is it? Taiyou asked again. We need you to go to a party. With us, mate. So with Princess Leticia and Shingetsu no Kami. Yup. Thats fine, but why not Youran? The fool says she got [somethin she cant get away from] to take care of. Got a problem, you go n lecture her. Well, depends on whats going on. Taiyou nodded. Leticia, Yourans best friend had an exasperated look on her face, so he just wanted to make sure everything was alright. The car continued moving along. Inside the quiet car, Taiyou stared straight at Leticia. Whazzup? I just feel like its been a while. But ya just saw me in the homeroom before ya left. Leticia said with an exasperated look on her face. As Taiyous instructor, she met him on a daily basis. Thats true, but I just feel like its been a heck of a long time. Okay then. Maybe thats just how long I havent been looking at you. Wha- Leticia exclaimed. Her sagacious, beautiful face was painted scarlet. Why ya gotta say random stuff like that ya fool! Oh yeah, you still okay from that? What! The kissing. Leticia caught her breath. Taiyou had stolen her lips a little ways back. After that, Leticia had quite often [lost consciousness when deprived of kissing]. And she was registered as one of the brides in the [Idol] category. Afterward a lot happened and she had begun to stop fainting and was removed from the bride list. Taiyou got together with Youran, Akiha, Ruri, and Sakura, getting bride after bride until the seven slots were filled. During that time, surprisingly enough, Taiyou found that he hardly remembered Leticia. Despite seeing each other every day in homeroom, Leticia just felt like the memory of her had fallen out of his consciousness. He recalled that just now. You okay? I toldja before, that Id do somethin bout it. Im fine. Yeah, you said that. Then Ill ask once more. Are you okay? Im fine, I been handlin it well. Okay. Taiyou nodded, zooming his face closer and stealing a kiss. Their lips overlapped, it was a strong kiss that sucked the inside of the other persons mouth. Juurokuya was stammering off to the side, but he ignored her and continued kissing Leticia. T-The heck ya doin ya dunderhead! Just felt like it. Ya JUST! Leticia exploded. Do ya just kiss someone else when ya got brides!? Yeah. Whaddya mean YEAH!? Leticia became even more furious. Taiyou turned to the side, cupping Juurokuyas chin in his hand and kissing her. Juurokuya did not resist. She accepted somewhat ecstatically, in fact. After kissing, he spoke to Leticia. See? I do it with Juurokuya too. If you want I can even throw in some bonus activities. Thats! Just because she has the same face as that buffoon! Next time Im doing it with PochiOh wait, that might not count since shes her younger sister. Hmmm Taiyou folded his arms, contemplating. After he thought about it for a bit, Taiyou took out his phone and dialed Sakuras number. [What is it?] Sakura-san, you know me, Youran, and Juurokuya, right? [Yes.] Do you have anyone like that? [Is it really okay to use you as a tool?] Sakura replied immediately. Tool? What do you mean? [Juurokuyas sense of loyalty has increased even more. She now swears equal loyalty to Shingetsu-sama and yourself. That is what I mean.] Oh, thats what you meant. Yeah, then sure, go ahead and use me. In fact, keep using me as much as you want. Id be super happy if I could be of use to you. [If thats the case, three people. There are other people I do not wish to use in this.] Then lets talk about that a bit more tonight. [Very well.] He ended the call. Then he looked at Leticia. Her mouth was wide open, quite unfit for a beautiful young lady. So you see, thats whats going on. Whatwhat happened to ya? Yer way different from when ya talked to Akiha. I guess you could say I grew up. Im impressed ya sayin that with a straight face. Its thanks to everyone. So I want to ask one more thing. Retracing their conversation, he stared straight into Leticias eyes. Are you really okay right now? Leticia went silent. Taiyou stared at her, and Juurokuya was holding her breath watching. After a bit, Leticia took out a small bottle. A bottle full of pills.Please go to to read the latest chapters for free Chapter 454: Surrounding the Princess Whats that? The answer to yer question. So youre suppressing it with medicine? Leticia nodded silently. Her normally sagacious face now had a look of indifference. So thats what you meant by doing something about it. Yup, sure does. Okay. Taiyou nodded, then spoke again. Im kind of relieved. Leticias facial expression completely shattered. Relieved? The end of what she said sounded shrill. Her face was truly astonished. Yeah, relieved. Honestly, I didnt have the most positive outlook. What kind of outlook didja have? That you mightve been going at it with another guy. Whaa? Jealousy, if I had to pinpoint how I felt. Jea- Leticia was at a loss for words. Juurokuya caught her breath to the side. Well, thats good, phew. Good? Listen to ya Anyhow. Could I see that medicine real quick? Aint even listenin to me Exasperated, Leticia obediently handed over the medicine bottle. Seems to be made like the ones they sell on the market. Was it expensive? The price aint nothin special. Especially when ya consider that its supporting a princess. Its just that the manufacturin time is long- Hey, wanna know something? Taiyou rolled down the power window, and tossed the medicine bottle out. The bottle rolled onto the asphalt, flying behind them along with the scenery. Wha, whatcha doin mate! You have any more? Ill dispose of them, so take em out. Like hell I will! The hell ya thinkin? Without it, youll have no choice but to kiss me, right? Youll be back with me. Ill ask someone else, not you. Thats not possible though. Taiyou declared confidently. Ill just stick to you like the plague and make sure you dont see anyone. I can handle it by myself then- Then Ill have Ruri watch you. -ngh! Leticia exclaimed. The worlds strongest sword wielder, Shirokiyami, Tengan Ruri. That name had a strong impact on anyone who heard it. Ill ask Ruri to monitor you. Ill even have her slice up anyone who tries kissing you. I-If ya ask that gurl, youll go bankrupt. Her service has been cheap lately. In exchange, she asks that I flirt a heck of a lot and I accept. Leticia was really at a loss for words now. Nighttime, Leticia came yelling into Yourans place. The heck is that man thinkin! That man? Youran stared blankly. Of course she wasnt so quick to understand what Leticia meant. Yer hubbie. You mean Master? Leticia nodded. Her eyes were focused in a glare at Youran. What about Master? Leticia discussed what had happened just now. What had happened in the car, how Taiyou had thrown out the medicine bottle, and how he had threatened her shortly afterward. She explained it all to Youran. Oh. Why ya so calm? Oh right, I need to be a bit happier about this, dont I? Haaah? Master finally wants to begin, so I gotta be happy. Yawhatcha sayin? So he kissed you? Youran asked as a counterattack. Hell nah! What a waste. You had him right there with you ready to kiss you. But I dont even- Why did you even separate yourself from Master, anyway? Interrupting Leticias sentence, Youran asked. Whats the reason? There isnt one? Leticia completely fell silent. What a waste. If you were a bit different, Leti, you would have made it in before Sakura. But I guess I should thank you since I became a good amount closer with Sakura. And well its also thanks to Master, but yeah. -ngh! Im gettin outta here! Leticia tried to leave the room in the same huff she was in earlier. Leti. What! Youd best ready yourself. Masters serious about this. Hell probably ask Ruri to monitor and break any bottles she sees. So youd best be ready-or not. Get ready, I should say. Leticia had no idea what to say to that. So can I count on you? Mhmleave it to me. Ruri nodded in Taiyous arms. Thats justeasy peasy. I bet it is. For you it sure is. Also, I should add that you stop Leticia when she gets desperate. Of courseI know what you want, Darling. Mhm. Objectiveand method. So you started memorizing that too, eh? Your catchphraseI want to steal it. Steal as many as you want. Its a spell thats quite effective in life, if I do say so myself. Taiyou said, embracing Ruri. Hugging one bride while talking about another woman. And he had no misgivings about asking his bride to do something about that woman. That was the kind of man Taiyou was right now. This was the face of the man known as Natsuno Taiyou-fully molted and ready to fly. Now that he had reached this level, as horrifying as it sounded, his brides love for him was now rising at exponential speeds. Shirokiyami-the girl who even darkness itself feared was now all lovey-dovey with Taiyou. You could tell at one glance.Please go to to read the latest chapters for free Chapter 455: Princess Fili Wet, dripping sounds could be heard in the room. After school in the staff room, the only ones remaining were Leticia and her student, Taiyou. Taiyou was once again forcing his way into her lips and she was simply accepting the advance. Leticias body trembled in short, repeated movements as her mouth was invaded. Every so often she would suddenly remember to resist, doing things like pushing against Taiyous chest, but it didnt help at all. Leticias weak struggle wouldnt even match Kohaku, let alone Taiyou. As I thought. Taiyou separated his lips from hers and stared straight at Leticia. I enjoy kissing the most when its you. W-What are you saying? Still in her teacher outfit, Leticia spoke in the standard dialect. Her face turned red and she averted her eyes. I told you before, didnt I? I wouldntremember something like that. Okay, then one more time. No, Ill say it as much as necessary. A kiss shared with you is the best. You cant justmake up things right here. I dont tell lies. Nor do I make up things on the spot. I always tell everyone that I love Ruri the most. Leticia had a mixed expression. She wasnt surprised. Clearly she knew that Taiyou was going to do something like this. The one I respect the most is Kohaku-san. The one I admire the most is Nene. The one I want to make happy the most is Aoba. There are many most categories, and I dont hide any of the rankings. So Ill tell you again. He clasped her chin, giving her another kiss before speaking. Kissing feels the best with you. Leticias face was becoming redder and redder. The beautiful blonde, blue-eyed princess of Fili. That was her title, but right now she was limited to being just a normal girl. A normal, bashful girl. Thats justthats just Hey, is it ok if we do it again? No, someone might come! Its fine. Ruris watching out for us. Shell tell us if someone comes, and shell even chase em off if the need arises. But Leticia still seemed like she wanted to say something. Taiyou gave her no time to say it, instead going in for another kiss. There was no resistance. Leticia, with Taiyous arms around her shoulders, accepted his kiss. Once the kiss was over, Leticia faced the ground. Taiyou had a strange feeling about this. Something was different than before. Leticias energy felt like it was definitely changing. It wasnt a bad change. There wasnt anything he had to be careful of. Taiyou had experienced his share of carnage-filled battles, so he knew this was not one of them. Then what was going on? As Taiyou cocked his head in confusion, Leticia looked back up. Is it really that good, kissin me? Yeah. An ya wanna do it from now on? I do. For life? Of course. Taiyou immediately replied. If she hadnt said it first, he would have. Then Illget serious here. Serious? Taiyou cocked his head. What did she mean by serious? As he wondered that, Leticias white hand touched his cheek. Imma do it. Kay. He just nodded. Leticia was the one to close the gap this time. A soft sensation, warm lips. The next moment after feeling the tongue slide in, something white pierced through the top of Taiyous head. It exploded in his brain and occupied it. A white impact that prevented him from thinking of anything else. When he came back to, Taiyou realized that Leticia was staring blankly at him. What just happened? Bout eighty percent, mate. Eighty? I was gonna give it my all but decided to stop halfway through. Uhhwe, did kiss, right? Yup. What? Dont tell me, you sucked energy out- No way, mate. I just kissed ya. But this time I was the one to start. Thats it. Technique? Leticia nodded. Women of Fili hafta learn a lotta things from their childhood in order to kiss. A lot of things? Looots of things. For instance, I can write a kanji in my mouth with a cherry stem. What!? What is this superhuman skill you speak of!? Taiyou interjected loudly. He did know about the technique for tying a knot in your mouth with a cherry stem, but Leticias version was several levels above that. In fact, she had traversed into a realm that transcended humanity. How bout I teach ya how its done? Nah, Im fine. I think I get it after having kissed you. But ya gotta realize that my serious kisses are like what I did just now. Leticia seemed to be asking Taiyou if this was really okay with him. Taiyou recognized what she meant. And he gave another immediate answer. Alright, you take the lead from now on. Hah? Rather than me do it, itd be way better for you to do it. I cando whateva I want? Yeah. Somethin wrong with ya head? Maybe? Nah, there is something wrong. Yeah? Taiyou neither affirmed nor denied it. He simply let her say whatever she wanted. Taiyou and Leticia stared at each other. Leticia came closer, her face approaching his in a kiss. Taiyou accepted her advance. He let her do whatever she wanted. In the staff room after school, Taiyou and Leticia continued their kiss. Without being bothered by anyone and as long as they wanted, the two of them continued kissing.Please go to to read the latest chapters for free Chapter 456: Mistake of Youth And so now youre all over Master in love. Nighttime, Leticias room. Youran, who was visiting, commented with an exasperated face. At least that was how it looked at first glance, but the corner of her mouth was in the slight shape of a smile. Youran was well aware of this, and Leticia took notice. As a result, Leticias white skin was tinged with scarlet. Nah, Im the one teachin him, kayIm surprised yer content with that sucky kissing of his. You really calling Master bad at kissing? You must have a death wish, Leti. Oh, Id like to see ya try gurl. The two friends didnt pull their punches. Their words were as sharp as a pointed blade, but neither of them got hurt. They were just practicing swings into the day after tomorrow. Welp, Ill teach him the ropes for kissin so check back n see how hes doin. So, theres one thing I wanna know. Whazzat? What kind of way does Master feel about you? Youran and Leticia. The two of them should know full well what the answer was. Youran as well as Leticia could check Taiyous status, so they knew that there were seven brides. So Youran knew nothing had changed, and Leticia knew what her position was. Itd be difficult to express it in one word. But it aint the same as the rest of ya. Okay. What if that wasnt the case? Would ya do somethin differently? Go back to the drawing board and play garagarapon? You sure use some old language, Leti. W-Who cares, mate! Unlike Japan, Fili still has that word in use. Leticias face went red. Fili Kingdom used the same Japanese, but due to its national traits, it often had some old-fashioned terms. Leticia knew that, which was why her face went red and she counter argued before changing the subject. Welp, Im sure hell love you the same. This is Master were talking about. Ya really changed, gurl. Maybe. Ah, let me tell you one thing. What? Kiss another man besides Master and Ill kill you. Just so you know. This time she was serious. Youran looked at Leticia with a cold gaze. Leticia didnt care. She simply said yes, yes. Happy New Year. Yeah. Been a while, Bro. Kirisaki Clan Office. Taiyou came to offer a new years greeting. It was just the two of them. Rough, but not evil. That was how Kirisaki looked to Taiyou as he greeted him with a smile. Whered you go for New Years? I went with my brides on a trip. It was quite surprising because the next thing I knew I was on a tropical island. Wow, you went to a damn fine place. I assume you took advantage of the secrecy and flirted your heart out? I went around greeting people. My sister and her bunch dont care about all that, but yknow Pops. For once, Kirisaki had a grimace on his face. I have heard of the duty and humanity culture if thats what you mean. Taiyou and Kirisaki chit chatted about various things. There was a knock at the door. Come in. Boss, Big Sisters are here. Sisters? Kirisaki frowned. Yes, girls with the same face from Uncles side. Ah, that would be Nene. Have them come in. Aye. The underling went out, replaced by the three sisters who came in. The three mismatched sisters wore casual clothing, stiff and timid. As soon as they saw Taiyou, they rushed over. Taiyou-san! What is it, Nene? Hes very kind, but It was kind of scary. He calls us big sis too. Yeah, thats just their thing. Yep. Any girl that a brother has is referred to as big sis. And theyre only scary cuz theyre tools of the trade. Kirisaki laughed heartily. B-But People like that with scars all over their faces And his smileits scary Scars all over? Taiyou looked at Kirisaki. You mean Takahashi. Thats cuz he was a rascal as a kid. And what does he look like? Ah, its this guy right here. Kirisaki said, pointing at the picture on the wall. It appeared to be a group photo of the clan. The man Kirisaki pointed at had a scar stretching from his forehead to his jaw, with teeth missing and the shape of his ears distorted and different on both sides. He could tell that the mans appearance had changed quite a bit. Coupled with being a skinhead, he looked menacing enough to make a crying kid quiet down. Yep, I can understand why this would scare you. This guys a cool dude though. Every year at Christmas, we hand out candy to the neighbors kids, and this guys the most popular out of everyone every time. Youre kidding. Taiyou exclaimed. With a face like thissorry, this might be saying too much, but with a face like this, hes still popular with the kids? Yeah, the kids have some guts too, believe it or not. Huh Taiyou gave a raw reply. There was another knock at the door. Takahashi. Eeek! Taiyou and the three sisters let out their voices. The one who entered was none other than Takahashi, who reported to Kirisaki with a blank expression on his face. Boss, Big Sis has come. Chapter 457: Sun Generation Kirisaki and Taiyou sent a puzzled glance at the door, to which Takahashi hurriedly added something else. Uhh, shes Sister Azumaya. Oh, Kohaku-san. Let her in. Aye. Takahashi left, replaced by Kohaku entering. Unlike the three sisters, the young elder had no fear on her face, looking quite calm. Kohaku didnt seem to have an issue with Yakuza offices, but when she saw the three sisters, she gave a little tsk. Kohaku-san, you too? Whats up? I just wanted to meet ye, Danna-sama. Okay then. Taiyou nodded. As soon as she said that, Kohaku stood behind Taiyou like a modest wife of the day. She said nothing, simply stood there. Im jealous of you Bro. What about you? Shes such an unmanageable woman. Just the other day she said Im going to kill you and then kill myself! and that was just a drag. Ahahaha! Taiyou laughed, and then realized something. Seriously? Yup. Kirisaki continued to look calm and composed, but that was the composure of one who had endured a battle. Sounds like you have quite the handful. You dont have anyone like that in your life? Uhhwell the violent partis an everyday thing. Every day!? Even Kirisaki was taken aback. But thats just when Ruri and I mess around. Oh, thats all it is? Kirisaki laughed. Taiyou, meanwhile, smiled awkwardly. In terms of physical danger, Taiyou and Ruris fighting was probably far worse. Taiyou, who had by this point harnessed superhuman power, and Ruri, the worlds strongest sword fighter. Their so-called messing around was unimaginable. It was like comparing two elephants playing with each other to two ants fighting to the death. Even if its just messing around, youd best educate her. Let women do what they please and they get full of themselves. Educate, you say? Yeah, you give em a good whack and let em have it. Mmm, but Ruris stronger than me, so thatll be impossible for a while. Hah? Shes actually stronger than you? Thats right. I didnt know such a woman existedthats just like Big Sis. Big Sis? Yeah, you know, the- The door was knocked on three times. Takahashi entered with an apologetic expression on his scar-ridden face. Boss, Big Sis has made an appearance. Who is it this time? Taiyou asked. The three sisters and Kohaku were here. He wondered if the same thing would just repeat itself five times and all the brides would gather here. Its me. Orikawa Maho had entered the room. Big Sis. Been a while. Didnt know you were here too. Hello there. Taiyou slightly bowed his head. During that time, Takahashi left the room. His hasty exit made it seem like he remembered something. Happy New Year, Big Sis. Kirisaki stood up, reverently lowering his head. A happy new year indeed. Sorry, I had to deal with stuff so I came in late. Am I the last one? Big Sis Suzuko and Big Sis Haori have already shown up. Big Sis Hotaru is the only one who has not. Oh? I see. Their conversation going in one ear and out the other, Taiyou sipped the tea he had been given. He didnt know much about their relationship, nor did he intend to look very deeply into it. Taiyou figured it was time to head out. He stood up from his seat. Lots of sisters there, eh? After he left, Taiyou remarked. Aye, a bargain sale of sisters, jana. That person was The incredible company president That we saw on television, wasnt she? The three sisters asked. President, or CEO to be more correct. Its a world-renowned business and she meets with people like Kirisaki from time to time. Aye, Orikawa Maho. Shes from quite the heroic generation, jana. Theyve done an outstanding job all over the world. The menace of the baseball world, the problem child of the sumo world. Just like them, or heck, even greater than them, jana. Ahh, yes, that generation. Taiyou nodded. He had seen them quite often on TV as a child. The pitcher called The Menace who made it to the major league or the problematic foreign yokozuna with his pro wrestling techniques. And Kohaku was including Maho in the same generation as them. Every person born in that generation is remarkable. The golden generation, ye might call it. When ya look at history, those things occur from time to time, ja. Numerous talents from their golden generations show up all at once, or sometimes one person is famous enough for all of them. Wow. Danna-sama, yer the latter. Hm? In this generation, yer definitely top class, ja. Eventually yer name will spread throughout society and the generation known as the Sun Generation will stir up commotion, jaro. You sure about that? I think so too. Someone like you Will definitely become that figure. Even the three sisters thought so. The sisters and Kohaku were teaming up to elevate Taiyou. It wasnt a bad feeling in the slightest. Taiyou didnt take it too seriously, but it wasnt half bad to be complimented by his brides. Theres nothing as heartwarming as the adoring gaze of someone important to you. Chapter 458: Hayakawa Nene Morning in the gym. The academy used the interior in the wintertime for morning assembly instead of the courtyard. The students were lined up, and the three sisters were onstage. Taiyou smiled satisfactorily as he gazed at them amidst the crowd. You look happy. Leticia talked to him from the side, in her teachers outfit. She was back to standard dialect in front of everyone. Yes, I am happy. Taiyou was also around everyone, so he spoke to his teacher politely. Not really sure how to explain it, but its like competing and winning numerous times. Yes. The three sisters were currently receiving awards. They had succeeded in outshining everyone in the quilt contest they had participated in for their club. And this wasnt sponsored by their club. They had participated in a competition open to the public. The principal (who Youran had set up as a figurehead) was speaking with emphasis about their accomplishment. Initially, the students hadnt even known about the quilt contest, but as soon as they knew about the sisters defeating not students, but rather actual working adults and outshining them, voices of surprise and praise rang out here and there. The three sisters were idling on the stage in a bashful manner. That day, Taiyou did not approach the triplets until school had ended. Whenever it would get to break time, someone would always come and talk to them about the quilts they made or the competition, and for lunch break, they were surrounded by girls and went off somewhere. When he went to their club room after school, there was prosperity like never before. Ah, Taiyou-san. Kotone saw Taiyou and cut through the crowd to reach him. The students pressing into her saw Taiyou and momentarily stared at him blankly, but Kotone and Kazane told them about him to clear up confusion. A little ways away from the club room, Taiyou asked Kotone a question. Whats happening here? Uhh, we ended up knitting mufflers. Hm? Sorry, did you maybe skip a few details there? Ah, uhhright. Kotone organized the information in her head before speaking again. So you know the competition award thing today. Well some people asked us what else we make, and we told them we also knit those things. Oho. And then someone asked us to teach them how, and more and more people wanted it. And thats how you got into this, huh? But do things usually escalate this quickly? Uhh, well it is almost Valentines after all. Right. Thinking for a second, everything now made sense. Taiyou realized that there was a month until the fated event. St. Valentines Day, one of the two events in the year for lovers. Yes. Well, in that case, it does make more sense now. Yeesh. Taiyou looked back at the club room. There was an incredible vortex of heat in the air. The girls must all be itching to get their presents to their lovers. He also saw glimpses of boys in the room, but decided to ignore them. Youre amazing, Nene. No, its really nothing special. Only amazing people say their work is nothing special. I dont even see Ruri bragging about her own talent. I mean, she does pull a few gags, but thats it. B-But Hey. Taiyou sensed that her humble attitude was going to loop around again, so he put an end to the topic. You wanna knit, Nene? Eh? As youre teaching people you could knit me something too if thats cool with you. -Okay! Kotone nodded with a beaming smile. Ah, butit might be a bit too bulky. Bulky is totally cool with me. Then Ill put my heart into knitting you a muffler, sweater, or gloves. What would you like? Everything. Taiyou immediately replied. Alright. Make mine match yours if you can. Ill wear it around you and walk around as people give me angry looks and tell me to go blow up. Yes Kotone nodded, embarrassed. ThenIll go make everyones. Id be really happy if you could, but are you sure its not too much to handle? Its fine. Until Valentines we haveyes, well definitely make it in time. Still Taiyou made a rough calculation. Everyones set. That would mean clothing for ten people. Taiyou, the sisters, and the other six brides. Materials for ten people would be necessary. And if they were to follow what Taiyou had suggested, the sisters would end up having to knit a three-set for each person consisting of a muffler, a sweater, and gloves. And there was only a month until Valentines. Taiyou was really beginning to wonder if they could do this. You sure its going to work out? Yes. Kotone nodded nonchalantly. Her facial expression seemed to be asking Is there a reason why we cant?. Pfft. Taiyou burst out laughing. He just couldnt help it when he saw Kotones reaction. The laughter was loud to the point where it could be heard throughout the hallway. W-Whats the matter? Nah, I just thought that you really are amazing, Nene. Huh, but I, umm, have three sets of hands, and we still have ten days left. And thats what I mean. The fact you can say all that with a straight face is amazing. Yeah, if I had to phrase it Taiyou thought a bit before continuing. Even when I carry all of you in a trailer truck, the wheels are there to support it, yknow? It still moves. Thats what youre like. Thats because youre amazing, Taiyou-san. Yeah, and so are you. Oof Kotone groaned. She didnt appear to be taking the compliment so well. Taiyou gave her a smooch and walked off. Picturing the finished sweaters or mufflers in his head, Taiyou could feel his chest gradually warming up. Chapter 459: Eternal Little Nighttime, temporary condominium. There were two loli babas in the living room. One of them lived in this home, aka Taiyous second wife. The other one had the same stature, but with long, blonde hair that would put Leticias to shame, wearing pure white gothic lolita clothing. Kotone was out in the hallway to serve tea to their guest. Taiyou took the opportunity to ask a question. Whos that person? Uhh, she seems to be an acquaintance of Kohakus from a long time ago. An eternal little, huh. Kotone gave a slight nod. Due to an abnormality in their genes, the eternal littles showed no sign of growth or aging past the age of ten, spending their lives with the same young appearance until eventually they died of organ deterioration. Thats how it was for Kohaku, and despite passing the age of eighty, she still looked like a ten year old on the outside. Come to think of it, that person did look the same as Kohaku. I get it now. Taiyou was curious as to what the two eternal littles were discussing. The door opened with a click. There stood the blonde, loli baba, looking up at Taiyou. Might we request your presence? Yeah. He didnt know what she wanted, but this wasnt the time to be refusing when she was staring straight at him. He gave Kotone a glance to let her know everything was ok before following the blonde back inside. Taiyou sat next to Kohaku, who seemed troubled, while the blonde girl sat on the opposite side. Then he spoke to her. Its nice to meet you. Im Natsuno Taiyou. Cecilia, Cecilia B Hangman. And what might you need, Miss Hangman? I heard that you were this girls sweetheart. Kohaku-sans? Well yeah. Then I would like you to help persuade her. With what? Danna-sama, I- Taiyou thrust out a hand, cutting off Kohaku. Unusually enough, Kohaku was getting emotional, and it was a strong negative emotion at that. Taiyou decided it was best to hear out Cecilia first. He looked at Cecilia with full attention, and she continued. I am currently acting on behalf of the Permanent Lady Association. Permanent Lady Association? Or, more colloquially, this is how we write it. Cecilia took out her business card. As Taiyou accepted it, he checked the writing on it. Permanent Ladyohhh okay, so this is the official name for them. Since they are in fact girls who never change. Yes. The Permanent Lady Association is a support group in Japan that both helps and receives aid in regards to eternal littles. There are in total 107 eternal littles in Japan, and from what we understand, they are all members of the association. I didnt know there were that many. Gotcha. After he gazed a bit longer at the business card, Taiyou put it on top of the table and asked Cecilia a question. So what kind of persuasion are we talking about? I would like her to be the new representative after me. That is what I want you to persuade her on. You want Kohaku-san to be the new one? Yes. Any reason for it? One reason is her age. Shes not very far off from me in age and is the second oldest of all the eternal littles. In addition, she is a realist and makes accurate decisions. Makes sense. By the by, what made you want to resign? Maternity leave. Eh? Taiyou doubted what he heard. Sorry, I think I heard something weird just now. I said maternity leave (sankyu). Thank you? No, when you say thank you you should pronounce it as senkyu not sankyu. Although even the s is more like a sound between s and d, so thats not quite right either. She completely destroyed his attempt at running from reality. No, but wait just a minute please. Uhh, you said this earlier, right? You said the next oldest will succeed you. How old are you? You dont just go around asking women their age. Nonono. I mean yes, I understand, I will not ask. But youre older than Kohaku-san, right? And yet you have maternity leave. Thats right. For serious? He looked at Kohaku, who nodded slightly. Haahthats crazy. I wont be able to do work properly for several years. So I wanted this one here to replace me. Okay, I understand. He looked at Kohaku and asked. And since we have to persuade you, that means youre reluctant for some reason. Whys that? Im not qualified enough. I dont have as much charisma as Cecilia-san, and it be impossible to lead everyone the way she does, ja. Theres one more reason why I chose you. Eh? Eternal little, old maid. You know that the greater 90% of us have led constrained lives. Yes. Kohaku nodded for a change. So we need someone who isnt afraid. We cant just leave the job to someone who lives in fear and pessimism, can we? In that sense, you are someone we can count on. In both mind and body. Thats You know full well why I want you. Youve changed into quite a different person from a year ago. One year ago? Does that have to do with me? It is you. What else could it be? Cecilia said. Kohakus face went red, and she turned the other direction. Taiyou nodded before speaking again. Alright. I will do my best to persuade Kohaku-san. Danna-sama!? When someone holds me in high esteem like that, I cant just refuse, yknow? Taiyou cracked a smile. Kohaku opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish, unable to say anything. As Cecilia looked at this spectacle, she smiled in satisfaction. Chapter 460: Ripple Chapter 460: Ripple Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama After Cecilia left, Taiyou and Kohaku were left in the living room. Taiyou had Kohaku resting in his lap, who made a discontent, pouty kind of face. Kohaku had put the inauguration request for the Permanent Lady Association on hold.Taiyou had responded with a leave it to me and sent Cecilia back. Kohaku appeared to be pouting over that. Danna-sama, yer so forceful, ja. Am I? Aye. Ye dont even consider me feelings. Just plunge on ahead, why dont ye. I dunno. Taiyou wracked his brains. Why did you refuse in the first place? I am not the kind of person suitable to lead others, ja. Thats definitely a lie. Taiyou said with conviction. No, it is a lie, ja. Kohaku-tan bodyguards. Taiyou said, and Kohaku groaned with an ugh sound. Kohaku-tan bodyguards. That was the name of the group that Kohaku had made in the school. As the name suggested, the bodyguards consisted of mainly males who acted as her hands, feet and bodyguards. The group sprang up quite soon after Kohaku had enrolled. You make a group like that and say you cant lead? Thats the most ridiculous thing Ive heard. Even if you dont have as much charisma as Hangman-san, dont go saying things like that please. Taiyou was two steps ahead to make sure Kohaku didnt come up with any other rebuttal. Kohaku was becoming more and more sour, pushed into silence. But she didnt seem to show any inclination of moving away from Taiyou. Instead she pushed against him more, as if protesting the idea. Why dont you just accept? Kohaku-san. He said in a slightly tough tone. Kohaku stopped moving. After a bit, she began to slowly speak of her reason. Itll take time out of my day, that Permanent Lady organization. Helping eternal littles all over the country who have led dark lives? How much time do ye think thatll take? Ohhh. Taiyou thought about it for a bit. Probably would take quite a bit of time. I wish to spend the remainder of me life by ye side, Danna-sama. I dont want ta work no more, nanja. That might be the first time I heard you be a little selfish. I understand the reason. And thats fine with me. Then- And with all that in mind, I still would like you to accept the offer. Danna-sama? Kohaku exclaimed. She cocked her head and looked at Taiyou. You see, I want you to show me your cool side, Kohaku-san. In terms of abilities, Id say you rank second among us, Kohaku-san. Second? First is Ruri. Shes just crazy, but in a good way. Next up is you, Kohaku-san. What about Youran? If we count her social status as power, then maybe she could give you a run for your money, but from a pure aptitude standpoint, youre ahead of her. Your years of experience far outweigh hers. Kohaku didnt deny it. The eternal littles had a tendency to think about things from a logical standpoint, something a bit unusual for women. For Kohaku, who had lived a long time, that tendency was even stronger. So she had no counter to that, because she agreed. So I want to see more of that cool side of you. Dont you agree, Kohaku-san? Do I? Dont you want to see me acting cool? Kohaku pursed her lips. She was pouting, but in a slightly different way than earlier. Yer so cheap, Danna-sama. Am I? Yer a cheater, cheat cheat ja. Are you growing younger, by any chance? If ye say it that way then I cant refuse, ja. Well I am trying to say things in a way thatll persuade you, plus when it comes to objective and method, I never choose my method. Uu- Kohaku continued to groan, but also continued to press closer to him. As she pouted, Kohaku was also trying to get special attention. Alright. But on one condition, ja. What is it? After I start working, ye gotta love on me like never before. Thats me condition, ja. Very well. Taiyou smiled, embracing Kohaku, who play-bit his arms, prompting him to push her down on the ground. Haah In the classroom after school, Aoba sighed in melancholy. Then Akiha walked up to her. Ohello! Hey, the frick happened, Aoba? Akihano, its nothing. Like heck its nothing. What, you got something troubling you? Tell me. Could it bethat youre expecting something? Akiha leaned forward. Her eyes were glistening with excitement. No! How do you reach that logic? And youre too happy about that! But it would be a child between you and Taiyou! Taiyou and Aobas kid! Taiyou and Aobas kid! You said it three times already! I bet theyd be suuuper cute. Your guys child. Hey hey, can I come up with the name? Taiyou and Aobas child. Id be the naming parent. Youre way too excited right now Akiha! And Im serious, thats not what the issue is. Ah Akiha was visibly dejected. Aoba almost wanted to burst out saying Are you really that quick to be a downer!?. Then why are you so depressed? Just thinking that I want to do something. Eh? The sisters all won the grand prize in the quilt contest, and Kohaku-san became the representative of a place called the Permanent Lady Association. I want to do something spectacular like that. Ah, thats what you mean. Chapter 461: Manager Chapter 461: Manager Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Why? Because Im the only one whos powerless without Natsuno-kun around. Aoba said sadly. Everyone else can do great things without Natsuno-kun around, except me Hmmm Akiha, even youve been getting stronger lately. I heard that you succeeded in cutting through pistol bullets. Yeah, but thats like one bullet in five. Its still amazing. Aoba was becoming more and more depressed. The fact that her best friend had taken instruction from Ruri as her master and tried to overcome the human barrier just drove her further into depression. I understand how you feel, but theres just one thing I gotta revise there. Revise? Mhm. Youre wrong, Aoba. You act like Im fine without Taiyou being there, but its exactly the opposite. Im pretty sure that if Taiyou were to disappear right now, everyone would be all shaken up. I estimate at least three of us would follow him. Followah. Thats just how major Taiyou is to us. So thats a huge mistake to say wed be fine without him. Yeahyoure right. Aoba nodded. But I still think I havent done anything significant. True. Akiha just admitted it. Then you could try doing something about it? I dont know what that something would be. Im normal after all. Then Ill help you figure it out. Eh, but Ill think of a real good one. This is all for you, Aoba. Ill think about it even if you dont want me to. Akiha said. Her pure, Aoba-centered thinking was back at it again. Aobas face softened a bit at her friends usual demeanor. Well theres always this. To borrow Taiyous word choice, your objective is whats crucial here, Aoba. Objective? Objective and method. Akiha said, taking Aoba aback. Its still fine if you want to compete against everyone. For instance, since you have the best figure out of everyone, you could try going the model route, or I happened to overhear that you can be the student council president. Anything really. Anything? Well yeah, if thats what your objective is. You could even take me to Koshien stadium right now. No, thats not possible. I just mean you can do something of that scale. But thats a bit meh, so I recommend a different direction. A different direction? Mm. Aoba thought about it, contemplated it in deep thought. In the evening glare, the ponytailed girl thought harder than she ever had before. Until at last, she muttered a few words. You really are completely Natsuno-kuns bride, huh. Whered that come from? By this point youre way more smitten over Natsuno-kun than I am, right? Aoba cracked a smile. No way! I still like you, Aoba. But you like Natsuno-kun more, right? Otherwise youd never go through such rigorous training. Eh? I know, okay? You were always slipping in some trainingascetic practices, was it? You were doing that. That was! I swear I was just doing normal practice that Master told me to. But your master was worried about you. Said you were clearly overworking yourself. Fwaah!? Akiha let out a voice of disarray. She wouldnt tell you because you wouldnt listen, but she was super concerned. Master wasah. Akiha was looking down when she realized something, her face slamming back up. Its fine, I havent told Natsuno-kun. Aoba said before Akiha got the chance. You dont want him to know, right? Y-Yeah. Thats what I said to Ruri. Whenever you were out there training, she found a way to divert Natsuno-kuns attention. I told everyone else a bit about it too, and people like Sakura-san would entertain Natsuno-kun while you were out there. Stuff like that. No wayI didnt know Everyone was happy to help out. Kohaku-san even said The more she trains, the more time I have to flirt with Danna-sama, ja. You did all that, Aoba? Because I had everyones help in it. Akiha clung to Aoba. It was an embrace that felt a bit different, with a slightly different feeling in it. Aoba accepted it and gently pulled Akiha closer. Thanks, Aoba. It was to help you, Akiha. Mm, thank you. Looks like I wasnt able to comfort you but ended up being comforted myself. What do you have to say for yourself, girl? Akiha was already back to being herself. Aoba knew that she was faking it, but that was also part of Akihas personality and very endearing to her. Youre fantastic, Akiha. Whered that come from? Yep, youre fantastic. I sorta feel like the nuance in that last statement was different. No, not at aaall. Aoba said jokingly. The two friends messed around. Their relationship was now farther along than before, farther along than it had always been. Aoba was all better now. Nighttime, the Miyagi residence. Aoba was standing before Atsuko. The other two mothers had an errand they went out for, and the only one left in the estate was Atsuko. Whats this all of a sudden? You coulda just sent a letter saying you were returning to your former home, yknow. Oh cmon Mama! I see youre joking around as always. But you say its Mio-san? So serious that its cringy. Right!? The mother and daughter laughed together. Chapter 462: Friendly Enough To Fight Chapter 462: Friendly Enough To Fight Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Both mother and daughter were very unique. Firstly, there were three matriarchs in the family. The head of the household, Toshiro, had gotten intimate with all three of them. And none of the three mothers were part of the family registry. And to this day, no one had made it clear to Aoba, their daughter, who the real mother was. From a young age, Aoba had seriously thought of all three of them as her real mothers. Even now it wasnt any clearer. As a formality, she had conducted a gene test, and to Aobas relief, the information she got back mentioned was regarding whether one of the three mothers is the real mother. The answer was a yes. That made Aoba happy. That was one aspect. The other aspect was Aoba. As a high school student she had already gotten betrothed. Aoba had become the bride of a boy named Natsuno Taiyou. She left her family to live with Taiyou. So this was another long-awaited reunion for both mother and daughter. So whatd you come for today? I have a request, but Mom and Mother arent here, so maybe Ill leave it for another time. Just tell me what you came to ask. I can even go and ask them myself. Mm, yeah, good point. Aoba nodded after giving it some thought. I was wondering if I could go and learn from Dad where he works. Youre talking about Toshiro? Atsuko asked, surprised. What? You felt like taking on Toshiros line of work? Im thinking that might be good, yeah. What caused this to happen? The other girls are just too amazing Aoba began. She talked about what she had been fretting about recently and the little exchange she and Akiha had at the school. Combining those together with her feelings, Aoba talked to Atsuko. I want to become a woman who looks even a little fitting to be alongside Natsuno-kun. So I want to be able to learn from Dad. So pesky. Eh? Aoba asked, surprised. Im talking about that rodent of a son. He irritates me. N-Natsuno-kun didnt even do anything to you. I mean, he just goes and snatches my beloved daughters heart. Now I cant have her back, can I? Mamaaa. Once she knew Atsuko was joking, Aoba breathed a sigh of relief before pursing her lips. Both mother and daughter laughed together. It was fun, merry. After they had laughed for some time, Atsuko spoke again. Sure. If thats what you want, Ill go and tell Toshiro about it. Eh? But Mom and Mother are Hm? You mean the majority vote thing? Aoba nodded. When deciding things in this household, the majority of affairs were decided not by the head, but by the consultation of the three women. Anything decided by the majority vote would be absolute, and anyone living in the house would have no choice but to follow. The Miyagi household had always had that custom. Other than Aobas phase of teenage rebellion, there had not been one exception to this. Aoba had always assumed that there were no exceptions among the females, too. Sure, we decide by majority vote when theres a difference of opinion. Then? Aoba, you dont get us. You dont get how much we understand each other. Atsuko grinned. Eh? Yes, of course we do have a majority vote when we disagree. But what about when you decide things? Would that cause us to have a difference of opinion? Will someone object? Ah So thats why. And so they reached an agreement. Juunishima Shingetsu no Kami Youran was riding in a plane. It was a private jet owned by the Juunishima family that the head used for foreign travel. Youran and Sakura were riding in it. Inside the conference room modelled after that of Air Force One, the half-sisters were facing each other. What are the plans after landing? Please ready yourself. In order to accommodate your wish to not stay long, we have a fairly tight schedule. Think of the time were there as a minute-by-minute schedule. Haah? Why do you push everything on me? I know for a fact you wanna get back quickly too. Not as much as you do. Ill do whatever work that I must. So now youre a goody-two-shoes, huh? Im more surprised at you as of recently. Are you sure youre not reverting back to a child? Haah? The heck are you saying? Im a woman of action too. That would be wonderful. You are Shingetsu no Kami after all. The two of them disputed. Neither was willing to give in to the other, and at first glance they seemed to not get along well. The people around them and the staff were just staring vacantly. Not nervously, vacantly. Everyone was astonished. And the same thought was in all of their minds. When in the world did these two start getting along so well? Youran and Sakura were notorious for not getting along. No, it was far past just not getting along. The two half sisters were political opponents in a noble family, trapped in a bloody battle of bloodlines. When the two of them convened in the past, on a surface level they were speaking to each other cheerfully, but hiding thorny words beneath the surface and pricking each other with them. Now it was the complete opposite. At first glance, they appeared to be verbally abusing each other, but this was in fact the dialogue of two people who were very close to each other, a conversation between amiable acquaintances. Everything was different in their current relationship from before. Everyone around them was astonished, or maybe the right word was bewildered. Chapter 463: Trust Chapter 463: Trust Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Ahhh you piss me off. I will definitely humiliate you one day. Feel free to do so as you wish. And do take care to not be humiliated yourself all the while. Even those sharp sounding words served to further increase the perplexity of all watching. S-Shingetsu-sama. One of the underlings approached her. What? You have a call from Lady Leticia. Leticia? Put her on. Youran said, and the subordinate went back. After a bit, the large monitor on the wall displayed Leticia. The background was some sort of room, and she was wearing a dress. [What, ya still up there on the plane?] Did you already arrive? [Yup. I was tryna figure out where ya are, and meet up if yer close enough.] Sakura? About three hours until landing. A complete 180 from earlier, Sakura shifted to a more businesslike manner. Well there you go. [Thats quite a bit of time. Oh well. Anyhow, about that man] That man? You mean Master? [Yup.] Masters in Japan. [Ya didnt have him with ya?] Nah. This particular trip is a bit of a drag and rather shady too, right? I didnt want to drag Master into this. [Ya sure he aint gonna catch wind of this and run over?] No way. And why do you even care, Leti? [Why do I care?] Leticias beautiful eyebrows ruffled up on the other side of the screen. [Cuz ya got rid of all ma medicine! Why ya actin like you aint responsible?] Ahh, right. Without Master here, youll end up breaking down. [Dont talk about me like Im a robot!] Its fine, Leticia-sama. I have instructions from him. [Instructions?] Our fair princess can collapse as much as she wants, Ill be there to gently wake her up with a kiss. [Ugaaah!] Leticia let out a piercing scream. Yourans subordinates watched all of this with lukewarm expressions. This happened quite often. Leticia H Kelaz, a near-perfect princess. Everyone knew well that in private, especially around Youran, she just acted like a normal girl. They were used to this. Hes looking after you, so you can relax and let yourself faint. At least I think you should. [Like hell I will! Now Ill just hafta last until I get to Japan by pure willpower!] No way, thats just impossible for you, Leti. I have to agree with Shingetsu-sama this time around. [Nooope, Ill do it.] Im telling you its not gonna work. Youran cackled. I mean, you just grinned right now didnt you? [Hah?] Leticia began touching her face all over. [I-I aint gonna let ya fool me-] You saw that, right Sakura? Yes, she did in fact grin. You all saw that too right? Youran was now asking her subordinates too. All of them either grimaced or casually looked the other way. As Leticia saw that, her face went red, the base of her ears the color of boiled crab. You totally just, like, imagined a princess getting woken up by a kiss from her beloved prince, didnt you? Just now. But hey, you, like, are a princess, right? And Ill have Master become a king before long, so why not, like, think of him as a prince right now? Youran said, purposely stretching out the word like similar to how a regular high school girl would, teasing Leticia to the max. They could hear snickering. Both from Yourans subordinates and from the speakers. On the other side of the screen, Leticias subordinates were undoubtedly doing the same thing. [-ngh, I will, I will endure until I make it to Japan no matter what. Youll be so frustrated youll have tears on yer face.] Or you could stop overdoing it and just accept your fate as a princess. I agree. Leticia left a sharp parting remark and cut off the call. The mood had become a bit more mellowed out in the plane. That was because everyone in there understood. This little skit just now with Leticia was a perfect sign that Youran and Sakura had completely reconciled with one another. And just from the fact that everyone in the plane had been able to slightly participate in the conversation made it easy to surmise where their current relationship was at. And everyone-especially the women-had their minds racing, wondering just who this man named Natsuno Taiyou was that he should have so much power over this princess. I have arrived! Akiha swung her katana, cutting through the enemy encirclement. Nighttime in the city, a city of carnage. Akiha was participating in a fight between two organizations as a third power. Ruri, the strongest girl in the world was behind her, walking briskly. She had no weapon in her hand. She walked slowly along the path that Akiha had carved up. How do you like that, Master? Am I stronger now? Somewhatbut you still have a ways to go. Hooray! Its the first time I got a somewhat from you! Akiha rejoiced as she cut through all the throngs of punch permed specialists leaping out from the shadows with their daggers. Akiha bisected all of them, attacking one and then the other immediately after. Relax, everyone. Im just hitting you with the back of the sword-oho, I did it, I always wanted to do this! Mhm, fantastic! Carelessness-is your worst enemy. Im not being careless, I trust you. Youtrust me? Youre not participating because you have confidence that I can do this, right? So its fine. Ill prove that you were right in trusting me. Chapter 464: Leaving the Nest Chapter 464: Leaving the Nest Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama Lionsdrop their young off ravines. Ahahaha, the way you say it almost convinces me that Im vertically jumping off a precipice! Akiha moved forward as she cackled. In recent times, she had become exponentially stronger. Although she still didnt amount anywhere near Taiyous strength, Akiha was still super strong. Far stronger than a regular human. -ngh! Ugh, cheeky bastards! Sparks flew, and they heard something metallic echoing throughout the area. Akiha deflected the bullets launched at her from afar. How was that? Well, how was it, Master? Next time Ill teach youhow to cut through them. Cut through them? Not deflectslice. Ooo, a move to slice the bullets in half. Fantastic! Akiha spoke casually like she was at a girls gathering, when in actuality she was exerting her dominance over the entire yakuza office single-handedly. After that was over, Akiha and Ruri walked home together. As per usual, Akiha still had a nonchalant mood. Hey, hey Master, we should totally go shop for some clothing next time. Shop forclothing? Yeah, cause youve always been wearing the same clothing, right? I mean, its winter right now and youre in a summer dress. Clear your mind of all mundane thoughtsand even fire feeleth soothing. But its winter. Ruri thought about that for a moment before speaking again. If Darling pats my headwinter is also snug. Ahahaha, what a horrible revision. Akiha cackled. I do get what youre saying though. Darling ishot. Hes the sun, after all. The namesymbolizes the body. Yeah, I agree. Its the samefor you. Ahahahaha, I think itll be a bit longer before I can reach that realm. Id betterchange my name too. You mean like what Nene did? Ruri gave a short nod. The three Hayakawa sisters, the mismatched triplets. Nothing had legally changed about them, but Taiyou had recently begun to call them all Nene. The three sisters loved this, and although not all of the brides had gotten used to it, they were pretty much all leaning toward thinking of them as Nene. Akiha was the first one after Taiyou to accept that name very quickly. Mmm, but okay. Your name is a little weird with how its spelled after all. TengaiRuri. Doesnt it basically mean to roam the earth? Ruri nodded. SoI want to change it. Mmm, is that really necessary though? I dont mind it. Becauseyou aint got your name changed? Ruri looked slightly sad. No, no. Youre such a dummy, Master. Dummytakes one to know one. What are we, in elementary!? No, I mean in the sense that youre his woman of destiny. Woman ofdestiny. Ruri thought for a bit. Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. Ruris entire body glowed with phosphorescent light, her white hair was fluttering despite there being no wind. You meanthis? Yeah yeah, that. Thats another reason why Taiyou sees you as his woman of destiny, right? So I think that Taiyou would oppose you changing your name. I mean, if you really insist on getting it done, this is Taiyou that were talking about, so hed probably still let you go through with it anyway. Hmm Ruri contemplated as they walked. She was jealous of the three sisters, but there was also some reason to what Akiha said. She seemed to think that. The two of them walked in silence for a bit longer. Huh? Akiha raised her voice and stopped dead in her tracks. Ruri stopped too. The two of them looked forward. Standing in front of them was Ruris older sister, Tengai Yuri. Yuri was striking a daunting pose, staring at Ruri like some sort of doll. Hmmm. Akiha looked at the two of them, clearly understanding the situation. So youre Masters older sister, right? You need something? The two of them stared at each other silently. Akiha acted on Ruris behalf and asked for the gist of the story. You seem to be happy. After silently glaring at each other, Yuri had opened her mouth. Yep. Akiha was the one who had answered. She spoke nonchalantly and without restraint. You wanna join too? Yuri sharply glared at Akiha, who shrugged her shoulders saying ooo how scary!. As she joked around, Akiha paid close attention to Ruri. She had heard about Ruri and Yuris relationship. Akiha prepared herself for any sort of incident. ThanksYuri. Ruri said. Haah? Thanks to youI was able to meet Darling. So you finally realize you were using other people as stepping stools. Yuri said in a challenging tone. MhmI did. Wha- Thank youI will never forget you. Pffahahahahaha! Akiha, who had been trying to exercise caution, burst out laughing. Because it was at that very moment she knew that Yuri had completely lost her mind. And Ruri walked on forward. She wasnt ignoring Yuri, but neither was she scared of her. She just walked forward like usual, calm and composed, with the phosphorescent light of destiny around her. Akiha, who was walking with her, spoke to Yuri as she passed by. Come on over whenever you wanna be happy. Taiyou would be glad to have both sisters. Are you an idiot? Thats just- Cause Taiyous love knows no bounds. Come over whenever you feel up to it. Cutting through Yuris objection, Akiha had the last word as she walked off. Master? Yeahwhat? You still wanna change your name? Ruri shook her head without hardly thinking. NoIm fine now. Okay. I just rememberedthat I like having Darling call me Ruri. -pffft. Whyare you laughing? You really gonna ask? Master, you really are a dummy. Ruri made a slightly sulky face as the two of them walked off in the distance, shoulder to shoulder. Chapter 465: The Seven Brides and Levelling Up Chapter 465: The Seven Brides and Levelling Up Translator: Reflet Editor: ryunakama _______________________________________________________________ Nighttime in the park, Taiyou and Hera were alone together. Taiyou was riding on one of those seesaws you could find anywhere. His weight pressing down on one side, it lowered onto the tire in the ground with a thump. He got off the seesaw and walked to the other side, getting on again. His weight pressing down on that side, it lowered onto the tire in the ground with a thump. Then he hopped off and got back on the first side. His weight pressing down on that side, it lowered onto the tire in the ground with a thump. He got up on one side, and got off. He got up on the other side, and got off. A meaningless action, also known as a task of repetition. As Hera tagged along watching, Taiyou was levelling up. Its almost been a year since we first met, huh? Yes indeed. Man, I was really surprised to suddenly see a fairy like the kind you find in one of those phone games from way back appear out of nowhere. I totally thought I was going mad. You also doubted my existence, I remember. Well duh, I think itd be an issue if I just started believing in fairies out of nowhere. Taiyou made small talk with Hera as he got on and off. When did you start believing in my existence? Lets see Taiyou recalled that time. Yeah, I think it was in this exact park. You came to let me know I levelled up, and even when the policeman was there he still didnt see you, so I began to realize ahh shes the real deal. I see, indeed. But wow, one year, huh? Taiyou murmured wistfully as he got off and on. A lot had happened. That was the main thing Taiyou thought right now. Suddenly, a light illuminated him. The source was from a flashlight near the park entrance. Please dont tell me its that policeman againTaiyou thought, but then he heard: There he is! Taiyou-san was over here, everyone! Ye didnt show up to the house, so we looked around for ye, ja. Nene, Kohaku-saneveryone. It wasnt the policeman who had appeared, but his brides. Nene. Kohaku. Aoba. Youran. Akiha. Ruri. Sakura. The seven brides made their way into the park one by one. As Taiyou continued getting on and off, he asked a question, puzzled. Whats the matter? Didnt you all have things to do today? As Taiyou said, today was supposed to be a busy day. Lately, the brides had been swamped with work. The three sisters were taking on an increasing amount of juniors and other students wanting to be their apprentices in addition to taking part in another competition, causing them to be busy. Kohaku had taken on the position of the Permanent Lady Association, so she was busy. Aoba had been helping out her family and said she was studying for her future, so she was busy. Youran and Sakura were getting along quite well, quarreling on the surface but cooperating in Juunishima-related work. Ruri and Akiha were fighting in numerous battles here and there. Everyone had their own business to attend to. Today just so happened to be a break in all of their schedules, so they had set it aside to be out of the house. Yeah, thats how it was for a bit, but then I hear that no ones here today and that you were all alone, Master. Sowe came back. Seems like we all had the same idea, jana. Apparently everyone had cancelled their plans and coincidentally returned at the same time. Everyone Taiyous chest felt warm. He wanted to just embrace all of them right now. Nene, could you bring some things over here? Let us all watch Danna-sama level up. Okay! We will have everything ready soon. All right, were going to have you bring a blue sheet this way. And put itright here. Thats amazing, Master! You just swept the grass clean in one draw of your sword! As his brides began clamoring excitedly, Taiyou found himself taking in the sight. They werent going to impede his progress, instead they were waiting until he was done. Taiyou could tell that was what they were implying. And so the seven brides were hanging around, having fun together. Taiyou could feel his heart fill up with satisfaction. Its totally different from that time, isnt it? Yeah. Taiyou-chan, are you happy? I sure am. He answered Hera immediately. Thats great. If youre happy, then Im happy as well, indeed! Gotcha. Hera beamed at him. Taiyou had at one point held feelings for her. Even now, they hadnt entirely gone away. Ill be with you until death, so I want you to always be happy, Taiyou-chan. Right. In that case, it looks like I gotta keep smiling. Im sure everything will be alright as long as everyones here. And I have you here too. Indeed, of course! Is it really of course? That was the phrase the seven brides had cultivated amongst themselves, a casual way of reassuring someone. And Hera completely ignored that. She ignored it so well that he almost felt like grimacing. But it didnt feel bad. What Hera kept saying about being with him until death That was definitely the truth, the truth and nothing but. Surely he would approach that time together with Hera. He just had that feeling. And the seven brides. Shingetsu-sama, the list in question is now complete. Please look it over. I already saw it, so show it to everyone else. This isA List of Ladies? Oh, its a list of girls for Taiyou-san to make love with. This many? How fantastic. The seven brides all got along well. Sometimes they got along a little too well and would team up to ask the impossible of him, but even that was enjoyable. Because they were all happy when they did that, Taiyou, too, was happy. Imight just be able to always have a smile on my face. That is only to be expected! Right you are. With confidence in his heart, Taiyou continued to climb up and down the seesaw. Until at last Te re re te te teee! ? Taiyou-chan has levelled up! Hera swerved around and around in the air in a dance.