Date A Live Encore - Volume 9 - Chapter 1

Itsuka Parents

 “…Wow, there’s a lot of people here today.” 

 On a certain winter day, Shido decided to go to the department store in the city by himself. There was a special limited-time sale on Hokkaido-imported goods being held at the special sales venue on the 11th floor, where Shido was currently located. There were many ingredients that wouldn’t be normally seen, alongside delicious looking exotic desserts. Of course, there were many other people who were here for the same purpose and so the whole store was packed with customers. 

 This event was also Shido’s goal. He’d discovered it from a pamphlet about the sale ahead of time so he decided to come to the department store, which was starting to look more like a bustling marketplace, to buy ingredients for dinner. 

 “There are so many types of fresh fish and crustaceans, it’s not like I’d get a chance like this every day…Making seafood wouldn’t be a bad idea especially since everyone’s around.” 

 Shido mumbled to himself and mentally counted the number of people in his head with his fingers. 

 That’s right. Since today was a day off, all of the Spirits were patiently waiting at the Itsuka household for Shido’s return. 

 Currently waiting at his home were Tohka, Yoshino, Kaguya, Yuzuru, Miku, Natsumi, and Origami. And because Kotori was working aboard the <Fraxinus> due to her work for <Ratatoskr>, he needed to make sure he was back before dinnertime. 

 “This should be enough if I counted correctly. There are nine people waiting…No, wait, Tohka would need at least three servings so I need to buy eleven servings total…” 

 What was normally a bearable weight which Shido had endured easily in the past, became burdensome in his arms. If only there was someone around to help…Well, if he asked for help before even giving his best effort it would only make things more problematic. So he pressed on the best he could on his own. 

 Shido smiled bitterly as he carried the shopping basket to the shelf where fresh ingredients could be seen on display. 

 At that moment. 

 “Huh…?” 

 Shido suddenly paused as he heard the sound of a ringtone from his pocket. 

 His first thought was that one of the Spirits that was staying at home was calling him, he glanced at the phone’s screen…But it turned out that wasn’t the case. The words “Unknown Number” were displayed on the screen. 

 “…Who is this?” 

 Shido was suspicious but nonetheless pressed the answer button. 

 “Hello?” 

 Immediately afterwards, there was a vague and unclear voice that came from the other end. 

 [“—Your daughter has fallen into my clutches. If you want her back unharmed, have 100 million yen ready by tomorrow.”] 

 Hearing such unexpected words made Shido’s eyes widen in surprise. 

 “W-What?” 

 [“I’m not lying. I’ll let you hear her voice for a bit.”] 

 [“Kyaah! Save me, daddy!”] 

 From the other end of the line, there was a panicked cry that could immediately be determined to be fake. 

 After hearing those voices, Shido sighed in relief as he put a hand on his forehead. 

 “…What was the point behind using an unknown number to call, Dad, Mom?” 

 [“Ara, we’ve already been exposed?”] 

 As Shido finished speaking, the responding voice was now much clearer and sharper compared to before. 

 On the other end of the phone, it was his beloved parents who were currently working overseas: Itsuka Tatsuo and Itsuka Haruko. Incidentally, Haruko was the one who played the role of the kidnapper while Tatsuo played the role of the hostage daughter—a terrible role assignment. 

 “We haven’t spoken on the phone in such a long time and this is the first thing you decide to do…?” 

 [“Sorry, sorry. Work has been really busy lately. Aah, but it really is Shii-kun. Being able to see through us in an instant.”] 

 “Please don’t call me Shii-kun…So is something wrong?” 

 [“What reason would we need to talk to our son?”] 

 [“That hurts. This is truly saddening. We’re crying with heartbreak. Huhuhu…”] 

 “…I’m going to hang up now.” 

 [“Ah! Just wait a minute! I guess we can’t tease you like we used to…You always were so serious.”] 

 [“Exactly. If this was Kotori, we surely would have scared her.”] 

 Even after that, the two of them moved closer to the speaker and said in unison, “Right.” This couple was as energetic as ever. 

 [“Ah, that’s right. I almost forgot. Would you like to guess where your parents are right now?”] 

 “Where? Shouldn’t you be in the United States? Weren’t you on a business trip to the main office…?” 

 [“Incorrect, Tatsuo-kun, please answer instead!”] 

 [“We are currently in Tengu City in Eastern Tokyo in front of our lovely and nostalgic home!”] 

 [“Ding! Ding! Ding! That’s right! Tatsuo-kun got 100 million points!”] 

 [“Wow! If I have 100 million points, can I buy a new computer!”] 

 [“It’ll take ten billion points in order to buy a computer!”] 

 [“How cruel!”] 

 “What…?” 

 The rush of information surged like a hurricane and made Shido freeze on the spot as his pupils turned to pinpricks. However, his parents on the other end didn’t notice Shido’s silence and continued to speak without a care in the world. 

 [“So, we’re back at home! Well, actually, this is only a temporary vacation so we’ll have to go back soon…”] 

 [“Ah, it’s been such a long time since we last saw you and Kotori. Are you both still doing well?”] 

 “W-Wait a minute!” 

 After Shido let out a loud wail, the nearby bystanders glanced at him with surprise. Yet, Shido did not give them a second thought as he continued to speak with his parents. 

 [“Eh? Is something wrong?”] 

 “It’s nothing big…It’s just that I’m actually shopping for ingredients for dinner so I’m not home right now. Kotori isn’t home either right now…” 

 [“Ara! I see! Then this is good timing, did you buy enough for us as well? Shii-kun’s cooking! I’m really looking forward to it!”] 

 “T-That’s not what I mean! Anyway, can you pass the time somewhere else while I come back?!” 

“Eh? Why? It should be fine if we just wait at home.” 

 “Kuh…T-There are certain reasons, so please!” 

 Listening to Shido’s earnest pleading, Haruko laughed out an unconvinced, evil laugh. 

 [“Did you hear that, Tatsu-kun? It sounds like Shii-kun has been hiding something at home while we were away. Let’s go in quickly and do a careful inspection of the house.”] 

 [“Okay, let’s go.”] 

 “NO DON’T!!!” 

 As the situation took a turn for the worse, Shido let out an ear-piercing scream. 

 [“Ah, so it’s settled then. We’ll leave dinner to you. As for the menu, perhaps mommy’s reaction will be softer after discovering Shii-kun’s secret treasure? By the way, Mommy will have the Sichuan crabs.”] 

 [“Ah, Daddy wants sea urchins.”] 

 It seemed that they already knew that Shido would be at the Hokkaido Special Fair as they gave their requested dishes without a second thought and then promptly hung up. 

 Shido, whose face was now ghastly pale, quickly operated his phone, intending to call Tohka and the other Spirits who were waiting at home in order to warn them. Unfortunately, it seemed that because he had forgotten to charge his phone the night before, just when he was about to press the call button, the screen turned black as the phone’s battery had died. 

 “Why now of all times?!” 

 The dire situation in which Shido found himself would only get worse going forward. It was already beyond the point of being able to trust the house to their son who’d brought over several unfamiliar girls without their knowledge or permission. It would probably lead to a family meeting on the matter. No matter how open-minded his parents were, this was not something that they could forgive simply by buying and treating them to dinner. 

 “I need to hurry back…” 

 The longer he was gone, the worse the situation would end up being. It would be almost impossible to prevent his parents from meeting the Spirits, but hopefully he could prevent any fatal conversations between the two parties. Shido needed to get home as quickly as possible and pushed his way through the throng of customers. 

 Although he knew it would be a useless affair, Shido was mindful enough to add some crabs and sea urchins into his shopping basket just in case. 

◇◇◇

 “Rgh…! Come on, Origami, one more time!” 

 In the Itsuka household’s living room, Tohka, who was holding a video game controller in her hand, shouted. She was a beautiful girl with long hair as dark as the night and crystalline eyes. 

 However, her current expression was one of profound regret and frustration. The reason why was obvious: the screen in front of Tohka showed her character unconscious and the word “KO” displayed intermittently on the screen. 

 “The result will be the same no matter how many times you try.” 

 The response was given by the girl sitting next to her, Tobiichi Origami. She watched the screen with a relaxed expression on her face as she stared at the screen. 

 So far Tohka has challenged Origami five times and lost five times. Because the games that the Yamai sisters were playing looked like fun, Tohka also wanted to play. But from the beginning, Tohka hadn’t managed to score a single victory because of Origami’s superb techniques where, and more importantly than anything else, she was just toying with her. 

 Seeing the two of them clash with each other, Kaguya spoke from her place behind them. 

 “Kaka! Truly you are worthy of your stature, Origami. Verily, I must not brush aside my kin’s suffering. The time has arrived for me to be your adversary in battle.” 

 “Criticism. Kaguya can’t even beat Yuzuru.” 

 Yuzuru, who was sitting next to Kaguya, sighed and replied. Kaguya couldn’t help but protest in an unsatisfied tone. 

 “Ah, I can’t accept that sort of cunning play! It’s not in the least bit elegant!” 

 “Denial. A win is a win. Kaguya only needs to watch herself continue to be slaughtered repeatedly until she becomes rife with irritation.” 

 “U-Uuuu…” 

 Kaguya bitterly grumbled. In reality, even if it was a chess game where she was the grandmaster, the times where she had the tables turned on her through an unbelievable counterattack accounted for the vast majority of her losses. 

 “E-Everyone, please try to get along…” 

 “Yeah, the whole point of playing games is to have fun after all!” 

 Behind them, Yoshino and the rabbit puppet worn on her left hand, Yoshinon, reminded them. Behind them in the living room, Yoshino, Natsumi, and Miku were all sitting quietly and elegantly sipping black tea while watching the fiery match between each other. 

 “Yeah, there’s no need to fight. Relationships come first, after all. Just like Natsumi-san and me!” 

 “…There is no relationship between you and me. More importantly, why are you leaning closer to me like that? It’s creepy.” 

 “Eh? I haven’t moved any closer. If you think so, then it must be an illusion. That must mean that I’m becoming more and more important in Natsumi-san’s heart!” 

 “…Anyways, could you please remove your hand from my knee? Also, stop wiggling your fingers like that. It’s really creepy.” 

 And thus began the battle of offense and defense between Miku and Natsumi. 

 Although Tohka was concerned about that intensifying conflict, her immediate concern was her own conflict with Origami. Tohka shook her head and raised her voice. 

 “I won’t accept this loss! I will keep fighting until I defeat you—” 

 However, Tohka paused halfway through her sentence. It seemed as if she heard some kind of suspicious voice from the hallway. 

 “—?” 

 With Origami in the lead, everyone else also noticed the unusual noise in the hallway. Everyone quickly stopped speaking at the same time and listened in closely. 

 “…That voice…” 

 “It’s coming from the front door…I think…Are Shido-san and Kotori-san back yet…?” 

 “No, Shido and Kotori’s footsteps are different from these people.” 

 “Well then, maybe it’s a guest?” 

 “No, don’t guests usually ring the doorbell?” 

 “Acknowledgement. That’s right. Then that means—” 

 “—Burglars.” 

 Origami finished, causing the Spirits to all gasp at simultaneously. 

 “N-No way. To do something like that in broad daylight…” 

 “It’s possible that they could be a robber. Either way, there is a person that’s not Shido or Kotori who entered the house without ringing the doorbell. This much we know for sure.” 

 “T-Then what do we do…?” 

 Yoshino asked quietly, her voice laced with fear. As she did, Origami fixed her gaze on the hallway connecting the living room and the front door. 

◇◇◇

 “I’m not sure why but I feel a sort of nostalgia standing in front of the door like this even though we own the place…” 

 “Ah, yeah…” 

 Standing in front of the front door, Haruko and Tatsuo spoke to each other as they sighed out with intense emotion. 

 Haruko had short red hair, prominent eyebrows, and powerful red eyes that stood out as she puffed out her chest. In contrast to his wife, Tatsuo wore black-framed glasses over green eyes. He always seemed to be smiling and had a slightly noticeable hunched back. 

 There is a saying that couples that live together for a long time will gradually start to look more and more like each other…That may be true for other families but such an idea did not apply to the Itsuka family. When the two stood together, they didn’t look at all like a couple. If anything, they looked more like a leading heroine and some civil servant; or an indulgent young woman and an attendant; or a bridesmaid and a groomsman who’d been invited to a wedding ceremony. 

 “So let’s just go in.” 

 “Yeah, okay…Whoa! Ouch!” 

 At that moment, Tatsuo tripped over one of the steps and accidentally crashed into Haruko. 

 “Ahh! Whoa!!” 

 At that moment, his face ended up buried in Haruko’s chest as she turned around in surprise at what happened. It was such a cliched occurrence that could only be seen in some manga or anime. Haruko could only slump her shoulders and sighed deliberately. 

 “…Really, you haven’t changed at all…” 

 “S-Sorry…” 

 “It’s fine; I’ve gotten used to it. If I were the old me, I would have beaten you to a pulp in an instant.” 

 “Uuuuu…Please don’t remind me, I still have memories of you crazily clobbering in the past.” 

 Tatsuo quickly apologized as he stood up and straightened his posture. He had always been like that in the past. Haruko could only smile wryly as she steadily put her hand on the doorknob. 

 “Come on, the sooner we get in…Ara?” 

 At that moment, Haruko suddenly tilted her head in confusion. 

 “What’s wrong?” 

 “The house is supposed to be empty so the door should be locked but it seems it’s unlocked.” 

 “Really? It’s really rare for the usually diligent Shii-kun to be so careless.” 

 “Well, no matter how good the law and order is in Japan, that’s being too careless. He has to be more careful about this sort of thing.” 

 Haruko said as she and Tatsuo leisurely walked through the front door. However, contrary to the previous expectations, Haruko discovered a second questionable aspect of the hallway and reactively frowned. On the porch, there were several pairs of womens shoes neatly placed together. 

 “Seriously, are all of these Koto-chan’s? She bought so many while we were away…I don’t even recognize some of these styles…” 

 “Ahaha, could this be why Shido didn’t want us to come inside in the first place?” 

 “Ah—! Perhaps that’s why. Really, Shii-kun has always adored and spoiled his adorable little sister.” 

 Haruko simultaneously expressed her irritation and yet shrugged her shoulders as she took off her shoes and entered the house. Next to her, Tatsuo followed her lead and stretched out his body. 

 “Phew…home sweet home. The staff dormitories weren’t bad but I’d rather stay at home than somewhere foreign. The atmosphere is much more relaxing here after all.” 

 “I understand. We are Japanese people, after all.” 

 The couple laughed heartily just like old times as they opened the door leading to the living room. 

 —At that moment: 

 “Huh?” 

 Haruko and Tatsuo exclaimed in unison. 

 However, their reaction was perfectly reasonable: in the few seconds the couple stepped into the living room, it had already been too late when they noticed the silhouettes immediately lunging out from the shadows at them, pinning them to the ground and subduing them. 

 “W-Wha?! What in the world is going on?!” 

 “H-Haru! Are you okay?!” 

 In spite of their struggle by moving their legs around, both of their hands had been firmly restrained, rendering the couple unable to freely move. The two painstakingly attempted to turn around in order to get a better look at their attackers’ identities. As they did, Haruko and Tatsuo both received another nasty shock: their assailants were actually two young girls. Not only that, but their facial features were nearly identical—they were twins. 

 “Hmph. Resistance is futile.” 

 “Warning. Please cooperate.” 

 “Wh-What…” 

 The sudden development in this state of affairs caused Haruko’s eyes to widen in fear. Several other girls appeared from their hiding spot behind the sofa in quick succession. Additionally, they were eying the two of them with immense suspicion. 

 “Um…so are these the burglars?” 

 “T-They don’t look like those kinds of people to me…” 

 “…You’re too naive, Yoshino. Bad people don’t always have bad people written on their faces.” 

 The girls soon engaged in a dialogue that ultimately wasn’t very important. 

 The word burglar echoed in Haruko’s mind for a split second. However, as she observed the appearance of the newly emerged girls, she was unable to harbor any notion that they were the burglars…Well, perhaps it was as the girl on the left with the fierce expression said: bad people don’t have the word bad written on their foreheads. 

 At that moment. 

 “—Guah!” 

 While Haruko’s mind was bogged down in confusion, Tatsuo let out a blood-curdling shriek from next to her. 

 As she turned around, she spotted a new girl who’d emerged from the shadows, grabbed his collar from behind and pressed a knife to his throat. 

 “T-Tatsu-kun!” 

 “—Who are you people?” 

 The girl whose appearance looked like that of a doll: her expression unyielding as she emotionlessly interrogated them. Her stoic character made Haruko gasp from an instinctual fear. From a single look, it was cleared that she was trained in using knives for more than just threats. 

 “If you refuse to answer, I’ll sever this man’s fingers, one by one.” 

 “Hiii…?!” 

 “H-Hey, Origami…” 

 The girl’s comrades furrowed their eyebrows uncomfortably. 

 “Don’t worry about it. Although this method is a bit old-fashioned, it’s still effective. Combining simple pain with the possibility of losing an important body part like a finger is a very effective way to make people surrender information.” 

 “O-Origami…?” 

 “In addition, it’s more effective if there are two people. Especially if there’s an intimate relationship between them. It’s possible that one of them would be unable to bear witnessing the other suffering in excruciating pain and confess to everything. Even if there is no trust between the two of them, it will be an effective method to make an example of the first to compel the second to tell the truth.” 

 “H-Hiiiii—?!” 

 While the girl explained this line of reasoning without so much as batting an eye, her words alone caused Tatsuo to let out a shriek in fear. 

 “I-I didn’t mean it like that! I was just warning you not to overdo it!” 

 After listening to what the dark-haired girl said, the girl holding the knife in her hand let out a thoughtful hum as she thought. 

 “What you say makes sense.” 

 “D-Do you understand?” 

 “True, compared to cutting the fingers off, I should start by peeling their nails off first instead. How silly of me to overlook that.” 

 “Y-You didn’t understand it after all?!” 

 The dark-haired girl shouted as the girl with the knife tilted her head confusedly. 

 “So…should we use a truth serum instead?” 

 The other girls shook their heads in disbelief, putting their hands to their faces. 

 It looked as though the other girls were more interested in a more humanitarian, and also an actually legal method. At the very least, they didn’t have any intention of killing Haruko or Tatsuo if they didn’t speak, or try to force her to reveal her bank credentials and so on. Haruko thoroughly strained her body and tried to force it out of the confines of her throat. 

 “I-I should be asking who in the world you people are…! What are you doing in someone else’s house?” 

 “What are we doing…? We’re looking after the place?” 

 The purple-haired girl explained simply as she gingerly slanted her head as though this was obvious. 

 For a moment, Haruko thought that the other party was trying to mess with them. However, that theory was immediately dismissed as soon as she took a better look at their expressions: they were all genuine and she knew that they weren’t lying. 

 But if that was the case, then what was going on? Could it be that she and Tatsuo had walked through the wrong door…? She briefly considered the idea but it was immediately dismissed as she took in the portion of the living room within her field of vision. Just from what she could see, there was without a doubt the house that Haruko and Tatsuo had purchased with help from a thirty year loan: their beloved [Love Nest]. 

 Of course…there was also the smallest possibility that the neighbors had renovated their house to resemble the Itsuka household down to the smallest details. But taking into consideration that this wasn’t some sort of game, such an unfortunate coincidence was utterly improbable. 

 “Looking after the place…We don’t remember asking anyone to do that for us…” 

 “Hmm? What are you talking about?” 

 “Astonishment. Yuzuru does not recall being asked by you as well.” 

 The twins who’d still been detaining Haruko and Tatsuo gave their response. Hearing their presumptuous and disconnected statements, Haruko suddenly burst out into a fit of rage. 

 “So then what the hell do you think you’re saying just now?! Entering someone else’s house without permission!” 

 As Haruko shouted those words, the girl who had been holding the knife to Tatsuo’s neck suddenly widened her eyes as though she had finally realized something crucial. 

 “Muuu…What is it, Origami?” 

 “…Could it be…?” 

 The girl known as Origami quickly put away the knife and instead pulled out her smartphone from her pocket and quickly searched for something. 

 Subsequently, she moved forward and her gaze alternated from Haruko and Tatsuo to her phone and back again. After confirming something, Origami stood up and pried the Yamai sisters’ grips on Haruko and Tatsuo, setting them free. 

 “W-What are you doing?” 

 “Doubt. What’s wrong Master Origami?” 

 The twins asked in surprise to Origami’s sudden change in behavior. Origami did not pay them any mind as she instead greeted Haruko and Tatsuo softly. 

 “Are you alright? You can relax now, Otou-sama, Okaa-sama.” 

 “Hah…?” 

 “Just now, what did you say…?” 

 Haruko’s and Tatsuo’s pupils had shrunk to pinpricks. If nothing else, the girl present before them was now drastically different from the one that had been threatening to cut off their fingers and peel off their nails among other things. 

 However, Haruko wasn’t the only one taken by surprise. It seemed that the girls in front of them also showed similarly clueless expressions. 

 “Huh? Are they Origami’s parents?” 

 “But…aren’t Origami-san’s parents…” 

 Origami shook her head gently. 

 “These two are Itsuka Tatsuo and Itsuka Haruko. They are Shido and Kotori’s parents.” 

 “…?!” 

 After hearing Origami’s explanation, all of the girls’ stunned faces soon turned to ones of dawning horror as it hit them what they had done. 

◇◇◇

 “Ahh! Crap! Why did I have to deal with a traffic jam now of all times?!” 

 Shido, who was carrying two heavy shopping bags, ran as fast as he could along the side of the road. 

 At first, Shido had planned to take a bus to hurry back home, but it seemed that there was an accident on the road and it wasn’t clear how long it would take to clear the traffic, leaving Shido effectively stranded. If he continued waiting, he would only be wasting valuable time before he returned home. In the end, Shido had to get off the bus and continue the journey on foot. 

 He suspected that the Spirits had already met his parents and there was nothing he could do to prevent that. 

 However, the Spirits staying with the Itsuka household were all good and kindhearted people. They would surely be able to acquaint themselves with his parents, there was no doubt about that. Surely, they wouldn’t attack and threaten them. 

 The best case scenario, he hoped that the Spirits and his parents would be able to get along as Kotori’s friends. Yet, Shido really had no idea how things would actually develop. 

 The only thing Shido could do now was get home as quickly as possible while keeping a careful eye out for the Spirits and his parents. In the worst case scenario, the Spirits could drop some confidential secrets that could turn out to be severely fatal. The best Shido could do in that situation was try to divert the conversation to something else. Until then, all Shido could do was focus on getting home— 

 “…?!” 

 Shido suddenly stopped at that moment. 

 As for why, he suddenly noticed the woman who’d fallen down in front of him. 

 “A-Are you okay?” 

 “O-Ouch! My ankle is sprained…Eh? Itsuka-kun?” 

 “Tama-chan…no wait, Tama-sensei!” 

 After recognizing the woman’s appearance, Shido’s eyes went wide with surprise. The woman who had tripped on the ground in front of him was Shido’s homeroom teacher, Okamine Tamae, often called Tama-chan. Not only that but she looked even more beautiful with the lovely looking dress she was wearing, and it seemed that she was using more makeup than usual. It seemed that she had tripped over her high heels. 

 “What are you doing here? And in that dress no less…?” 

 “Itsuka-kun!” 

 Before Shido could finish speaking, Tama-chan immediately grabbed Shido’s hands. 

 “Whoa! W-W-What’s wrong!” 

 “P-Please, bring me to the Ni-Chome Union Buildings!” 

 “Eh?” 

 The abrupt request suddenly caught Shido off guard, eliciting an odd noise from him. 

 “I-Is there something going on that you need to go there?” 

 “There’s a blind date party taking place there!” 

 “I-I see…” 

 Tama-chan’s fiery passion radiated toward him like a savage onslaught, forcing Shido to take a step back in surprise. However, it looked like Tama-chan had no intention of letting go of Shido’s hand. 

 “This party is a high-end party limited to men whose annual income exceeds 8 million yen! The competition rate is very high! It’s an event for women in their twenties. This is my last chance! I can’t afford to fail here! It would be a disservice to all of my comrades’ sacrifices that helped me make it this far!” 

 Tama-chan implored desperately, her eyes welling with tears. 

 Shido could feel sweat trickle down his forehead as he tried to think of a way to gently refuse her request. 

 “I-I’m sorry, but I have something that’s really urgent right now…” 

 “…If Itsuka-kun won’t bring me there, then I’ll just have to marry Itsuka-kun…” 

 “Rgh…” 

 Tama-chan threatened Shido with a dark, demonic, ghost-like voice while sending a frosty chill down his spine like a bat straight from hell. 

 From where they were right now, the Union buildings were about a ten minute walk in the exact opposite direction. Every time he thought about his parents meeting the Spirits, Shido decided the slight detour would only squander his precious remaining time. 

 However, he couldn’t just leave her in such a pitiable state (to say nothing of her threat). Shido let out a frustrated groan as he picked her up and set her on his back. 

◇◇◇

 “…Mine ears catch the susurrations of purgatorial spectres…” 

 Kaguya whispered with sweat trailing down her face. Although it wasn’t entirely clear to the other Spirits just what she had said, they could all understand enough to know that they had done something horribly atrocious. 

 No matter what phrasing was used, all of the Spirits agreed that they had definitely done something terrible. 

 For now, Tohka and the others were hiding in the shadows in a small area behind the kitchen counter, but everyone’s expressions were identical: filled with guilt and the desire to repent. 

 But that reaction was understandable, of course. Even though they didn’t understand the situation, there was still the fact that the Spirits had attacked Shido and Kotori’s parents. 

 “I didn’t expect Shido’s parents to return…” 

 “If I remember correctly… weren’t they working overseas…?” 

 “Yup! Yup! I think they were working in some sort of electronics industry?” 

 In response to Tohka’s statement, Yoshino and Yoshinon nodded their heads in agreement. 

 “Hmm… and we apprehended them at first sight… how awful…” 

 Miku spoke, supporting her chin with a finger. Although immediately, the Yamai sisters were the ones who subdued the couple, both seemed extremely anxious with downtrodden expressions on their faces. 

 “‘T-Tis damnation, we are cursed! A scarce prospect overexerted with overconfident close quarters skills.” 

 “Acknowledgement. We even went so far as to subdue with techniques utilized for suppressing armed opponents…” 

 Both Kaguya and Yuzuru wore dejected looks on their faces as they finished speaking. What they had done was indeed both unique and impressive, and no doubt the result of intense training and practice. They probably were even having a contest to see who could perform the better capture technique. 

 Hearing their confessions, Origami shook her head and closed her eyes solemnly. 

 “Kaguya and Yuzuru have done something truly terrible. The Itsuka parents now have an everlasting scar in their hearts.” 

 “O-Off with my head…” 

 “Melancholy. What should we do…?” 

 “…No, compared to what they did, what you did can’t even be compared to the worst kind of trauma…” 

 Natsumi replied as she gazed in Origami’s direction with a half-glance. The other Spirits nodded in agreement. 

 “This isn’t the time to be blaming each other.” 

 “Um, I wasn’t intending to point fingers at anyone else…” 

 Although Natsumi wanted to share more of her opinion, given their current situation, she decided that it wouldn’t be worth it. 

 “Seriously though, what is going to happen to us now…?” 

 Tohka asked anxiously as a disturbed look made its way on her face. Natsumi replied in a sophisticated manner. 

 “…Well, since they’re Shido’s parents, that means they’re the owners of this house. If we’ve enraged them, we can’t hope to be able to step into this place like we used to ever again.” 

 “H-How can this be!” 

 “And it wouldn’t just end there. They would probably tell Shido and Kotori to ‘Never see those ruffians ever again’…” 

 “…!” 

 “Forgive me everyone…but there’s no way I can get along with people who would use violence against my parents…” 

 “A-Ahh…” 

 Despite the fact that Natsumi has a habit of mentioning excessively negative things, that didn’t stop Tohka or the others from growing scared expressions at what she said. 

 “I-I don’t want that! What should we do?!” 

 After Tohka finished speaking, Miku crossed her arms as she listened to Tohka’s plight. 

 “—Ah, I have an idea!” 

 “Y-You do?!” 

 Miku nodded. 

 “Unfortunately, Darling’s parents’ first impression of us was, quite regrettably, the worst. However, if we work hard to finish with a better impression going forward, wouldn’t everything work out and override the bad impression?” 

 “A-A better impression…?” 

 “Then how do we do that exactly?” 

 Yoshino and Yoshinon racked their brains as they asked the question. In response, Miku raised a finger and explained: 

 “In short, a Japanese-style welcoming.” 

 “A w-welcoming?” 

 “Exactly. Darling’s father and mother had just returned home from a long-distance flight, so they must be exhausted. If we provide them the most heartfelt welcoming possible, we can surely improve their impression of us in their minds.” 

 Absorbed by what Miku said, a new ray of hope sparkled within the Spirits’ eyes. 

 “Alright, let’s do this!” 

 “Me too… I’ll help too!” 

 “Yoshinon’ll help out too!” 

 “Kuku… it’s not bad. I’ll show them the greatest experience of my infernal welcoming finesse!” 

 “Consent. Leave it to Yuzuru.” 

 “Well, I’m fine with whatever everyone else wants to do…” 

 “I have no objections.” 

 After confirming everybody’s acknowledgement, Miku nodded. 

 “Then it’s decided! If that’s the case—then let our battle begin!” 

◇◇◇

 “T-Tatsu-kun, are you okay?” 

 “I’m alright. What about you? Do your arms still hurt?” 

 Haruko and Tatsuo were confirming each other’s safety in quiet whispers. 

 The couple who had just been set free a few moments prior were sitting together on the living room sofa. Even though they were free, they still haven’t managed to relax at all. 

 However, their inability to calm down couldn’t be helped. After all, the mysterious girls who were occupying their home were having some sort of discussion behind the kitchen counter. 

 “T-Those girls… where did they come from?” 

 Tatsuo asked with a confused expression. 

 “They appear to be acquaintances of Shido and Kotori… What kind of relationship do they have?” 

 “I would guess that they’re just friends? Maybe Shido asked them to look after the house and we happened to come back. They had probably mistaken us to be burglars and captured us…” 

 “…Do you really think that girls these days would undergo military-level hand-to-hand combat practice, be skilled in manipulating knives, and even being knowledgeable about various interrogation torture techniques? Those girls are obviously not average children.” 

 “Well, that’s true. But even so, they don’t look so bad to me…” 

 Haruko could only shake her head in response to Tatsuo’s blissfully ignorant observation. It seemed that he lived without any sense of danger like always. Although he was an outstanding engineer, Tatsuo could be said to be completely out of touch with society. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that he was oblivious to humanity’s malice. In short, he was just too nice. As a matter of fact, had Haruko not intervened in time, he would have been the victim of fraud many times over. 

 Although, honestly, she did find this side of him to be exceptionally cute. 

 “…Anyway, it’s just too dangerous to stay here any longer than we already have. We should probably look for a chance to escape from here.” 

 “Hmm… if Haru-chan says so.” 

 Tatsuo mumbled, still unsuspecting. 

 “Right. Let’s try to make a break for it as quietly as possible.” 

 Once they were certain that the mysterious girls wouldn’t notice them, Tatsuo and Haruko tried to move while minimizing the sound of their footsteps as they tip-toed their way toward the hallway and hopefully out of the house. 

 However, at that moment. 

 “—It’s finished!” 

 Just as the couple managed to make their way to the other side of the counter, a clamorous shout reverberated around the kitchen, and a girl approached them while carrying a large platter in her arms as she walked into the living room. 

 She spotted the couple holding the door handle, the girl tilted her head in uncertainty. 

 “Muu? What’s wrong, Shido’s mommy and daddy? Where are you going?” 

 “Ahh, well. We saw the opportunity and wanted to esc—” 

 “N-No, it’s nothing! We just wanted to get some light exercise in, that’s all!” 

 Haruko quickly spoke up over her husband in order to cover Tatsuo’s overly honest answer. Although his belief was that honesty is the best policy, and it was this principle that Haruko loved about him, now was neither the time nor the place for such manners or etiquette. If their plans were uncovered, she didn’t know what would happen to them. 

 “Muu, is that true?” 

 However, it seemed that the other party seemed to be just as innocent as Tatsuo, as she completely trusted Haruko’s quickly improvised lie. 

 “So…about that…” 

 “Ah… My name is Tohka. Yatogami Tohka.” 

 “Tohka-chan, is there something wrong?” 

 Tohka nodded confidently as she placed a large dish on the table. 

 “I heard that if I made these myself, you would feel welcomed and happy. You both must be very hungry after a really long trip. So please feel free to eat these!” 

 Tohka gestured towards the contents on the plate. Haruko and Tatsuo looked at it with surprised expressions. 

 “These are… handmade onigiri?” 

 Even though they looked a little crooked, these were certainly handmade rice-balls: there was freshly prepared rice molded into a triangular shape and wrapped with dried seaweed. 

 However, that wasn’t why beads of sweat gradually trailed down Haruko’s face. Her reason was pretty obvious: there was no way these handmade onigiri that would fit into the palms of their hands, even fully outstretched. These were extra-large onigiri. 

 “Please don’t be shy and eat up!” 

 Tohka said with a sunny smile on her face. Haruko, in response, could only smile bitterly as she took another look at the onigiri and felt the muscles in her face twitch with unease. 

 However, in stark contrast to Haruko, Tatsuo readily put his palms together enthusiastically. 

 “Aah, thank you for your trouble. Let’s eat—!” 

 “Wait a minute, Tatsu-kun!” 

 “Eh? What’s the matter, Haru-chan?” 

 Tatsuo asked with a puzzled expression at Haruko’s sudden warning. Although Haruko felt that his reaction was more than a little adorable, her personal feelings weren’t important at that moment. Haruko inched her way closer to Tatsuo’s ears so that Tohka wouldn’t be able to hear what she was saying. 

 “We still don’t know anything about who any of these girls are yet, much less what they could have put in these onigiri. Eating this without any prior caution is an extremely dangerous thing to do.” 

 “Goodness, don’t you think that you might be overthinking this a little bit? They don’t look like bad girls to me, and wouldn’t it be impolite to refuse food that she worked hard to make for us?” 

 “No, well… I guess that’s true…” 

 Haruko attempted to refute her husband but gave up almost immediately. The two of them have been married to each other for many years, and Haruko was all too familiar with Tatsuo when he became too stubborn to convince otherwise. Especially when it came to food… 

 “I get it. But let me pick first, okay?” 

 Haruko insisted adamantly. This was to ensure that the food wasn’t poisoned, and to protect Tatsuo since she suspected that if he were to taste it first, there was no doubt that regardless of whether he noticed something odd, he would gobble it down in a single bite without a second thought. 

 Tatsuo smiled none the wiser of Haruko’s intentions. 

 “Oh, so you wanted to pick first? I guess that part of you is really cute too, Haru-chan. Sure, feel free to choose first.” 

 “…Un. Thank you, Tatsu-kun.” 

 There was a slight sense of powerlessness mingled with a sense of joy at Tatsuo calling her cute, causing Haruko to reveal a complicated smile. 

 Nonetheless, Haruko coughed gently once just to help herself recover from the unexpected compliment, and then turned to face Tohka. 

 “Well, then I’ll start now, Tohka-chan.” 

 “Umu! Please feel free and enjoy!” 

 Tohka answered enthusiastically. Haruko swallowed not because of a healthy appetite but out of nervousness as she reached out for a rice ball. In order to confirm the contents, Haruko gently pried the rice-ball open from the center. 

 “So there’s… bonito, cod, tuna salad dressing, and many other things…” 

 “Umu! I didn’t know which ones to add so I decided to use them all! Ah, but rest assured, I didn’t add dried plums because those are… muu… too sour…” 

 As she finished speaking, Tohka had a bitter expression as though she had just eaten something very sour. It was just as Tatsuo had said—”This girl doesn’t look bad at all…” 

 Even if that was true, Haruko couldn’t afford to be negligent in her precautionary measures. She sniffed the onigiri and noticed the savory fragrance and the absence of any foreign odors and promptly took a bite. 

 “It tastes like… a normal onigiri…” 

 “How is it?!” 

 “Un! It’s very delicious!” 

 Receiving a thumbs up from Haruko, Tohka’s face brightened with excitement. 

 “Really?! There are many more so please feel free to eat them!” 

 “Thanks! In that case, I’ll help myself as well.” 

 Tatsuo snatched at the remaining onigiri on the plate, munching on it with massive bites without a second thought about the size. 

 “Wow, it’s really yummy! You’re really good at cooking, Tohka-chan!” 

 As he finished speaking, Tatsuo continued chewing on his onigiri. 

 In truth, the two of them hadn’t had any lunch and their stomachs were quite empty and so were itching for something to eat. Haruko mirrored Tatsuo and chewed on the onigiri for the second time, and then a third time. 

 However, no matter how empty their bellies were, there was a limit to how much food that they would be able to fit. Tohka had prepared six giant onigiri. They were large enough to be able to cover their entire faces, so they split them evenly between the two of them—leaving each other with three each. In short, there was no way that they were going to be able to finish them all. Tatsuo, who had managed to finish one whole piece, and Haruko, who’d managed to finish half an onigiri were already filled to the brim. 

 “Hoo… Thanks for the meal…” 

 “…?!” 

 In response to Haruko’s resigned but satisfied words, Tohka’s eyes widened for a moment and then a disheartened and slightly frustrated expression formed on her face. 

 “I-I see… if you’re full already… Umu, there’s nothing I can do about that…” 

 “U-Uuu…” 

 Noticing Tohka’s increasingly depressed state, both Haruko and Tatsuo held their breath in unison. Somehow, noticing her melancholic state helped motivate them to clear up space in their stomachs. They felt as though they committed a terrible crime against her by not finishing. 

 “N-No… maybe we have a little bit of room for more?” 

 “Ahaha…yeah. I actually could have some more.” 

 “…!” 

 Tohka’s expression immediately brightened the moment she heard the couple’s decision. They suspected that if she had a tail, it would be wagging with excitement. If she happened to discover the truth behind their sugar coated words, Tohka’s heart would be shattered again and torn to shreds. 

 “Really?! Umu! If that’s the case, then how can I say it? I'm really happy!” 

 Now that they had said that, there was no going back. Haruko and Tatsuo respectively forced a wry smile and began to eat the onigiri on the plate yet again. 

 —And then ten minutes later. 

 “Ugh, phew…” 

 “Fuh…” 

 Despite their forced efforts to push themselves to keep eating more and more food, their stomachs were about to burst. At that point, no matter how much they tried to force more food in. In the end, between Haruko and Tatsuo, they were able to finish two and a half rice-balls before they collapsed on the sofa as they reached their breaking point. 

 “Shido’s mommy and daddy! Are you okay?!” 

 Tohka asked anxiously as she watched the couple. But there was nothing that could be done as Haruko and Tatsuo had spent all of their strength to the point that they couldn’t even manage to wave a hand in response. 

◇◇◇

 “We managed to make it in time… really, thank you so much, Itsuka-kun. If I find a high-income husband, then I’ll make sure to invite you to our house for a visit.” 

 “N-No, there’s no need to thank me for that. I’m just glad I could help.” 

 Shido was quick to decline Tama-chan’s goodwill whom he’d carried all the way to the venue. Before she could say anything else, he quickly bowed his head and took off in a dead sprint along the road. 

 He spent more time than he’d originally expected, so Shido needed to pick up the pace. 

 “Please behave properly, everyone…” 

 Shido uttered an earnest wish as he ran down the road. 

 However, just as Shido was about to reach the crosswalk, the signal light on the roadside turned red, and Shido could only stomp his foot anxiously while he waited for the signal to turn back to green. 

 Coincidentally at that moment. 

 “Oh, Itsuka! What are you doing here?” 

 A certain voice reached his ears from somewhere behind him. Shido turned around to find his classmate, Tonomachi Hiroto, standing there and waving at him. 

 “Tch.” 

 “Hey, what’s with that reaction…” 

 “…Ah, sorry. I carelessly displayed my real emotions…” 

 “Shouldn’t you at least put a little effort in to cover it up or at least pass it off as a lie?!” 

 Tonomachi scolded Shido for being so open about this sort of thing. However, conversations like this were fairly common between the two friends. Tonomachi shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. 

 “Anyway, never mind that, your timing is perfect. If you’re free right now, could you come with me on a quick walk? A new game center opened up nearby and I want to check it out.” 

 “Sorry but I can’t come today. I have something else that I need to do.” 

 “What?!” 

 Shido intended to make a break for it the moment the signal light turned green. However, just as he was about to run for it, Tonomachi placed an iron-grip on Shido’s arm, forcing Shido to stop in his tracks. 

 “H-Hey! What do you think you’re doing? I’m in a hurry!” 

 ‘Something important? Could it be that it has something to do with a girl?” 

 “…Nope.” 

 “Liar! Then why did you stutter all of a sudden?! What a joke, why does this only ever happen to you?!” 

 “H-How am I supposed to know?! Anyway, let me go already! If I don’t get back home as soon as I can, it’ll be a disaster!” 

 “Not a chance in hell. You’ll be spending the day without any girls with me!” 

 “What the hell is wrong with this day—!!!” 

 Shido swore numerous profanities at the top of his voice at his misfortune as Tonomachi, who was three times more annoying than normal, dragged him away. 

◇◇◇

 “Ah…I think we went a little overboard back there.” 

 “Ahaha…I’m sure we’ll be able to eat more in the future.” 

 Tatsuo and Haruko, both of whom passed out as a result of ingesting too much food, were currently lying flat on their backs in their bedroom. 

 Speaking of which, the remaining onigiri that Tatsuo and Haruko were unable to finish themselves were eaten by Tohka in the blink of an eye. The reason behind Tohka’s dispirited expression suddenly made more sense. Just going by Tohka’s standards and criteria, Haruko and Tatsuo had only eaten a meagre helping of the prepared onigiri and then coldly ignored the remaining onigiri. 

 “A-Are you okay, um, Shido’s mommy and daddy?” 

 “Forcing oneself can be dangerous…” 

 As the couple was resting on the bed, they heard another person’s voice speaking from somewhere next to them. Looking up, they noticed two girls with petite and delicate figures standing there. 

 One of the girls looked exceptionally gentle and wore a rabbit puppet on her left hand; she seemed particularly amiable. The other girl, however, displayed an anxious expression as she watched the couple intently with an unhappy and uncertain expression. 

 If their memories served them correctly, their names were—Yoshino and Natsumi. 

 Previously, these two had switched places with Tohka and helped carry Haruko and Tatsuo to the bedroom. 

 “…Ah, I’m fine.” 

 “Yeah, we just ate a bit too much.” 

 After hearing Haruko and Tatsuo’s response, the two of them let out a relieved sigh. 

 After she was able to better discern their appearances, Haruko’s previously tense nerves relaxed slightly as relief swept over her. The girls, so far, were as Tatsuo had said—just like Tohka, they weren’t bad people. 

 “Yoshino-chan and Natsumi-chan, right? Are you two friends with Koto-chan, no… are you friends with Kotori?” 

 After Haruko asked the question, Yoshino and Natsumi replied in a slightly unsure tone. 

 “Yes… Kotori-san has been taking care of us for a long time…” 

 “Oh, is that the case? So then, where is that kid right now? If you’re all friends, asking friends to watch after the house is a bit too…” 

 “A-Ah, it’s not like that…” 

 Yoshino seemed a little incoherent as she tried to address Haruko’s doubts. Although Yoshino wanted to explain the situation properly, Yoshino couldn’t find the right words to describe it and it led to an awkward situation. 

 As for Natsumi, she tenderly put a hand on Yoshino’s shoulder in order to calm her down. 

 “Natsumi-san…?” 

 “…Leave it to me. Just wait for a minute.” 

 Natsumi quickly left the room, leaving Yoshino alone with Haruko and Tatsuo. 

 A few seconds later, a girl entered the bedroom through the door through which Natsumi had just left. 

 Everyone’s first thought was that Natsumi had returned—but it turned out that this was a false assumption. 

 “Oh! Otou-san—! Okaa—san—! Welcome home!” 

 “…! Koto-chan?!” 

 “Kotori?!” 

 Haruko and Tatsuo couldn’t stop themselves from calling out to the girl. She had rounded eyes and wore her usual white ribbons with her hair tied into a pair of ponytails. In front of them was undoubtedly their beloved daughter: Itsuka Kotori. 

 “What… you were already home? You should have shown up sooner.” 

 “Sorry—! I was busy with something. Anyway, didn’t I ask my friends to look after the house?” 

 Kotori stared at them with an innocent look in her eyes. 

 Despite the unclear circumstances ever since they returned, the couple was relieved to see their familiar daughter finally at home. 

 “Un…we’re home, Koto-chan.” 

 “Ah, it’s been a long time. Forgive us for not being able to return properly for your birthday this year.” 

 After he finished speaking, Tatsuo arduously sat up in order to embrace his daughter as he stretched his arms out forward. 

 Watching the scene unfold, Haruko started to feel extremely relaxed. Every time they returned to their home country, those two would always shout ‘Koto-chan—!’ and ‘Otou-san—!’ to each other and participate in the mutual bear hug which developed the ever growing rapport between them. 

 However— 

 Just before Tatsuo was about to hug her, Kotori’s cheeks flushed a bright red and she quickly gave Tatsuo’s stomach a powerful kick. As his belly had swollen due to the massive onigiri, Tatsuo could only let out a pained yell as he received this sudden blow. 

 “T-Tatsu-kun?! Koto-chan! What did you do to your father! Don’t you two always hug each other when we come back home?” 

 “…! Ah, no, t-that…” 

 Hearing what Haruko said, Kotori froze up suddenly as though her previous kick was a reflexive reaction. 

 “G-Guuu…” 

 Tatsuo covered his mouth with all his might in order to suppress the urge to vomit. From her place near Kotori and Tatsuo, Yoshino was quick to speak up. 

 “P-Please wait just a moment; I’ll go find some medicine…” 

 Yoshino quickly ran out of the room accompanied by the characteristic pitter-patter of her faint footsteps. 

 “T-That…” 

 Kotori, now left alone in the room with the couple, wore an ashamed expression on her face as she looked at Tatsuo. 

 “I’m sorry Otou-san—I was caught by surprise since it all happened so suddenly…” 

 “No, it’s my fault.” 

 After he managed to suppress his urge to vomit, Tatsuo smiled weakly at her. 

 “Kotori is fourteen years old now… she won’t always be a child after all… sob… sob …I always knew that this day would come… Don’t worry, Daddy’s fine…” 

 “Tatsu-kun…” 

 “Don’t worry about it… Why is everything suddenly so blurry…” 

 Tatsuo looked up and gazed at the ceiling in order to hold back his tears. 

 The last time Tatsuo experienced such heartbreak, it was the first time Kotori stopped taking a bath together with her father and another when she was able to see through his Santa Claus disguise for Christmas a few years ago. 

 “No, that’s not the case.” 

 Kotori scratched her cheek with an increasingly ashamed expression. 

 Just then, the sound of clumsy footsteps could be heard from the hallway. Yoshino came back holding a tray with a glass of water and some medication. 

 “S-Sorry, I kept you waiting…” 

 “Yoshinon has returned—guh!” 

 Yoshino and her rabbit-puppet said in unison. As a result of clasping the tray in its mouth, Yoshinon’s voice sounded more muffled than normal. 

 Regardless, it was still impressive that it was able to speak at all. 

 “Hyaa!” 

 However, because of her excessive panic, Yoshino stumbled partway through her trek, and the tray fell from her hands and scattered the tablets all over the floor. 

 “Uahh?!” 

 The clear water in the glass splashed over Haruko. 

◇◇◇

 “Hoo… Hoo… I… really… need to hurry home or else…” 

 Shido gasped to catch his breath as he raced down the road leading back to his house. 

 After a great deal of effort and strength, Shido finally managed to get away from the pesky Tonomachi. Though in reality, Shido reluctantly had to resort to bribing him with a crab leg he’d fished out of his shopping bag. In spite of that, the back-and-forth battle between Shido and Tonomachi had accomplished nothing more than increasing the distance between Shido and his house and wasted more of his little time to spare. 

 “Why did this have to happen now of all times?” 

 This increasingly tiresome situation continued to chase Shido to the ends of the earth as though the malicious vixen called Lady Luck had decided to cast a curse on poor Shido. What hope did he have, standing against such a preordained fate? The almighty gods were likely pointing at Shido from their place in clouds and laughing uproariously at him and his pitiful plight. 

 Yet despite his setbacks, he refused to give up hope. If Shido were to give up his pace, there was no doubt that the Spirits’ unintentionally destructive verbalizations would no doubt blindside his parents like a relentless assault. 

 For Shido, who was regularly misunderstood by many of his classmates and neighbors thanks in large part to <Ratatoskr>’s, more often than not, unhelpful assistance, the last he wanted to deal with was being misunderstood by his own parents. 

 They were the foster parents that Shido earnestly respected from the bottom of his heart who had raised him with care into a fine young man. They put their faith in him, thus Shido wanted to prevent them at all costs from thinking of him as some sort of eccentric sex criminal with a strike zone that ranged from girls who were older than him to girls who were much younger than him. 

 No, they would probably comprehend Shido’s actions. Even if they had misunderstood their son’s history as a philanderer, Shido’s parents probably wouldn’t pelt him with a barrage of pained reproaches or otherwise condemn him for the rest of his life. At worst, they would most likely wear troubled expressions and say something like, “Haha… I-Is that so? Shido is a young man, after all. But you have to take responsibility for those girls, okay?” Or something similar. 

 However, there was still the fact that the Spirits were hidden existences as far as the public was concerned so Shido wouldn’t be able to elaborate on that situation. If push came to shove, Haruko and Tatsuo would most likely end up heading back to the United States while believing their son had become a playboy. That would be problematic. How would he be able to face them in the future if things turned out this way. 

 “If I don’t make it back in time…” 

 Shido tried his best to speak as he continually increased his pace as much as he could. 

 However, at that moment— 

 “…!” 

 Shido suddenly came to a stop. 

 Because a few meters in front of him, Shido could make out the figures of three exceedingly distinct figures of the same age as him: Yamabuki Ai, Hazakura Mai, and Fujibakama Mii—they were the infamous trio of girls of Shido’s class. 

 Frankly, the situation simply boiled down to his classmates walking together just a bit ahead of him, so running past them would be an appropriate strategy. 

 However, despite how easy that might be, he had an ominous feeling hovering over him that desperately made him want to avoid bumping into them. 

 “…” 

 Shido made up his mind and instead made his way in a different direction while keeping his footsteps quiet as best as he could. Although it would take more time, taking a detour would still lead him back to his house and give him a chance to avoid his classmates. 

 However, at that moment— 

 “Hoho! Father, what a demonic force!” 

 “What’s the matter, Kitarou?” 

 “Ah! Over there! It looks like Itsuka-lkun is walking down the street suspiciously as if he committed a crime or something.” 

 “What did you say?!” 

 The trio turned their heads in unison, startling Shido such that his shoulders trembled. 

 “Kuh!” 

 “Ah! He’s getting away!” 

 “Get back here you fiend!” 

 “Children! Assemble!” 

 Ai, Mai, and Mii quickly turned towards Shido and gave chase as he ran away as fast as he could. Shido couldn’t help but raise his voice and yell as he heard their footsteps chasing behind him. 

 “Why the hell are you three chasing me?!” 

◇◇◇

 “…Ahh…” 

 Haruko listened as her voice reverberated quietly off the walls and let her body sink deeper into the warm water of the bathtub. 

 She had just been splashed with a large amount of cold water due to Yoshino losing her footing. In order to avoid catching a cold, Haruko had been invited to enjoy a warm bath. 

 Haruko, who was already drenched in sweat from the intense sequence of events leading to this point, was more than happy to accept the invitation. On the other hand, Haruko had also spent a lot of energy trying to console Yoshino who had apologized repeatedly with tears welling up in her eyes. 

 “Anyway…” 

 Those girls… who were they really? 

 Haruko continued to stare at the ceiling as she mulled the question in her mind. 

 Just from looking at them, she felt confident that Yoshino and Natsumi were roughly Kotori’s age. However, the other girls seemed to be high school students who were closer in age to Shido no matter how she looked at them. 

 Of course, she couldn’t rule out the possibility that Shido was the one that invited all of them over, regardless of how unlikely such an occurrence was. However, for Shido, who had never brought a girlfriend or even a female friend home before, to invite that many girls to the house at once, much less the fact that all of them were very good looking, was almost impossible for her to understand. 

 However, judging from the panicked tone in Shido’s voice when they spoke on the phone, could it be that he intended to prevent them from meeting those girls in the first place? The prospect was wild but pleasant one. Nonetheless, Haruko quickly dismissed it from her mind. 

 “Then…” 

 Nonetheless, although she had no intention of questioning Shido about it, if the normally bashful boy managed to get a girlfriend, Haruko would be delighted at such news. 

 However, leaving such a curious affair alone was not Haruko’s style. Hence, she resolved to do a thorough investigation to determine what Shido’s relationship with these girls was. While she was at it, she ought to investigate Kotori’s relationship with them as well. 

 Her resolution set, Haruko intended to stand up from the bathtub to start washing her body. 

 However, just as she was about to get out, the bathroom door immediately flew open and the twin sisters that had unceremoniously apprehended them earlier ambled into the room with only towels covering their bodies. 

 “The Yamai sisters shall be joining!” 

 “Appearance. Hello.” 

 “W-What’s going on?!” 

 Despite the fact that they were the same gender, having people suddenly intrude into the bathroom would always frighten her. Haruko immediately braced herself. 

 Their names were, if Haruko recalled correctly: Kaguya and Yuzuru. As for why they flashed dramatic poses before they spoke, Haruko hadn’t the faintest idea. 

 “Kuku… Permit me to cleanse thy sins that have accumulated over innumerable voyages.” 

 “Translation. Please allow Yuzuru and Kaguya to wash your back.” 

 “A-Ah…” 

 She hadn’t meant it as consent but Haruko had been overwhelmed by the twins’ imposing power and unconsciously nodded. So the Yamai sisters guided Haruko to a chair where she sat while they started rubbing soap between their hands. 

 The two of them sat behind Haruko and alternated working on scrubbing her back. 

 “Kaka. How is the Yamais’, combined technique, Heavenly Revolving Water Dragons? Let thyself be fully immersed in this pleasure!” 

 “Inquiry. Does it tickle?” 

 “Ah… Yeah, it’s fine.” 

 Having her back cleaned by someone else was a nice experience for Haruko. But in the end, Haruko was still uneasy as she continued to wonder why there were two girls who were washing her back. She scratched her cheek in confusion. 

 Having observing Haruko’s reaction, Kaguya and Yuzuru quietly whispered to each other: 

 “Hmm…why doesn’t she look happy? Is this not the ultimate form of hospitality?” 

 “Agreement. If anything, she appears to be confused.” 

 “How odd. If it were Shido, he would no doubt be exhilarated even though he would try to shy away.” 

 “Deliberation. Perhaps it is due to the difference in gender. It might be more effective against his father.” 

 “Yeah… but for some reason it feels wrong to do this sort of thing for any man other than Shido.” 

 “Agreement. Same here.” 

 “Besides, if it were Miku, I bet that she’d be excited if it were a girl that was cleansing her.” 

 “Contemplation. Could it be that we misunderstood the method?” 

 “Oh, that may be the case. Then let’s try another approach. If we try again from behind…” 

 “Comprehension. The fondling move. But wouldn’t that be too difficult for Kaguya?” 

 “Eh, what do you mean?” 

 “Explanation. If it were Kaguya, even if they made contact with your chest, they would not notice anything.” 

 “Don’t try to mess with me like that. Even if they’re a little small…” 

 “Proposal. In that case, let’s begin at the same time from both sides…” 

 “On my signal. One… two…” 

 “W-Wait a minute.” 

 If she let the silence continue any longer, Haruko would no doubt enter a new world of rapture so she quickly stopped the two. 

 Ignoring that part, there was a piece of their conversation that Haruko found even more unsettling. With cold sweat trailing down her body, she turned to face the two girls seated behind her. 

 “About that… Did you two say something about Shii-kun… Shido just now?” 

 After Haruko asked them directly, Kaguya and Yuzuru blinked several times and nodded. 

 “Hmm…yeah, we did.” 

 “Confirmation. Is there a problem?” 

 “No, it’s just that… you two, have you taken a bath with Shii-kun or something like that?” 

 Haruko asked curiously. The two girls, having noticed Haruko’s response, now wore worried expressions as they realized that they said something that they shouldn’t have. 

 “U-Uh, thy sins have been fully purged!” 

 “Approval. Yuzuru and Kaguya shall take our leave now.” 

 “H-Hey, wait a minute!” 

 In spite of Haruko’s exclamation, the Yamai sisters had already turned on their heels and fled the bathroom with their agile movements. 

◇◇◇

 “Well then…” 

 It had been thirty minutes since Haruko left for the bathroom. Tatsuo had been lying down while he was waiting, giving him time to recover from his stomach pain which now felt much better than before. 

 “Ah… are you feeling better now?” 

 “It’s not good to force yourself.” 

 Yoshino and the rabbit puppet worn on her left hand, Yoshinon, asked in a worried manner, having been looking after Tatsuo at his bedside ever since he endured Kotori’s kick. 

 “Yeah, it’s all thanks to the medicine that Yoshino-chan gave me.” 

 “A-Ah…” 

 After hearing Tatsuo’s response, Yoshino couldn’t help but feel extremely apologetic and her shoulders trembled a little. Even though Tatsuo didn’t mean it to be hurtful, Yoshino was most likely still thinking about the problem she caused bringing the medicine. She truly was a kindhearted girl. 

 Tatsuo wore a reassuring smile to show that he was fine and stood up, making his way downstairs. 

 “…Where are… you going?” 

 The girl who had forgotten to add an honorific and was standing next to Yoshino was undoubtedly Natsumi. After Kotori mentioned that she had something that she needed to take care of and took off, Natsumi took her place as though she was a stand in. 

 “Ahh… Haru-chan should be done soon, so I’ve got to prepare a change of clothes.” 

 “Ah… Let me take care of it…!” 

 As Yoshino quickly offered to do so, Tatsuo waved a hand in refusal. 

 “I’m grateful for that, but it’s fine. Haru-chan doesn’t like to carry luggage during long trips. Today, we only brought the bare necessities, plus our pajamas are already here. Even though it’s a bit early, I’m thinking whether I should borrow a change of clothes from Shido’s room or not.” 

 “Then let Yoshinon lead the way!” 

 Yoshinon gestured and eagerly suggested. 

 “I see, then I’ll be counting on you.” 

 Even though they were in the Itsuka residence and there was no way that Tatsuo didn’t know where Shido’s room was located, he nonetheless grinned and nodded in response. After all, it was a kind gesture from the two of them and he couldn’t think of a reason to decline. 

 “T-This way…” 

 “…Let’s go.” 

 Yoshino and Natsumi guided Tatsuo out of his room and up the stairs. Tatsuo continued to follow the pair’s tiny figures and ascended to the second floor. 

 “P-Please go ahead.” 

 “…Here we are.” 

 “Yeah, thank you.” 

 Tatsuo pushed the door to Shido’s room open. 

 Even though it had been a while since Tatsuo had entered his son’s bedroom, there didn’t seem to be much difference from its current state and how he remembered the room the last time he’d been here. It was probably due to Shido’s thoroughly meticulous nature that the room was regularly tidied. 

 To be perfectly honest, Shido’s room was probably more organized and spotless than Tatsuo’s and Haruko’s place in the United States. He could only smile wryly as he opened the closet. 

 “Hm? Isn’t this…” 

 He’d originally intended to search for a plain shirt but Tatsuo suddenly noticed a specific item in the closet that gave him pause. 

◇◇◇

 “Ah…seriously, what the hell was with them…” 

 After he managed to shake off the improvised chase scene with the trio. Ai, Mai, and Mii, Shido finally managed to breathe a sigh of relief. At the same time, he wiped the sweat off his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt. 

 Despite it currently being winter, because he had been running for his life, Shido was now sweating profusely, sweat permeating throughout his entire body. 

 …No, to be precise, it wasn’t just exercise that was causing this but also the anxiety of the situation and heralding of his time running out. It all took its toll on his mind. 

 “If things keep up like this, it’ll only get worse. But where in the world am I…?” 

 Shido spoke weakly and looked around. In the process of attempting to avoid that menacing trio, he ended up getting himself lost in an unfamiliar area. 

 “I should probably find the main road first.” 

 Although he didn’t know exactly where he was, regardless of the direction, walking was definitely better than standing still. Once Shido caught his breath he broke back into a sprint. 

 But after running not even a hundred meters, Shido slowed to a stop. 

 Of course, Shido knew full-well that he couldn’t afford to stop now, but at that moment, there was something drawing his attention toward a narrow alley on his left. 

 There was a young girl whom Shido was familiar with standing there. She had long dark hair, porcelain skin, and a long fringe to cover her left eye. With a seductive, charming smile on her pale face, she carelessly stood there. 

 —It was Tokisaki Kurumi; the one known as the <Worst Spirit> who’d emerged in front of Shido. 

 She was leaning forward, facing what looked to be a ferocious feline that mirrored the femme-fatale in the corner of the alley. 

 “I’ve finally found you, So you’re the boss of this street—Toramaru-san, I presume?” 

 Kurumi reached out her hand with a fearless smile, while the cat named Toramaru hissed viciously back at Kurumi. 

 “Heeheehee! As expected of you, a basic trick won’t work well against you. That’s what makes it exciting, doesn’t it?” 

 As she spoke, Kurumi opened the package held in her palm and spilled the contents onto the ground—it seemed to be some sort of cat food. 

 Toramaru’s ears gently flicked back and forth before cautiously approaching the cat food and began munching on the crunchy bites. 

 Only a few seconds later and having consumed several of the bites, the now lump Toramaru startled to rock back and forth as though it was drunk and finally slumped to the ground exposing its now defenseless belly. 

 “Heeheeheeheeheeheehee! You’ve fallen into my trap! This special cat food was infused with a special catnip!” 

 Kurumi cackled loudly as she crouched down in order to gently stroke Toramaru’s soft belly. The previously vicious cat instead let out a contented purr that was in stark contrast to its behavior from before. 

 “Heeheeheeheeheehee! With this, I have conquered every powerful boss on this street! All the counts now belong—” 

 At that moment, she probably felt someone’s gaze on her and Kurumi suddenly turned on her heel and her eyes met Shido’s. 

 Both of them remained silent for several seconds. 

 “…Shido-san. How long have you been standing there?” 

 “N-No… I-It’s not what you think! I-I was just passing through here by mistake, so…” 

 Shido somehow felt that it would only end poorly if he stayed any longer. Hence he hurriedly tried to forget everything he’d seen and went to run away as quickly as he could. 

 Not that it made any difference because in a split second, something tightly grasped his shoulders and Shido was forced to stop in his tracks. 

 “You’ve got the wrong idea!” 

 While Kurumi’s tone was calm, some might say that her tone was too calm, to the point where it was a bit creepy. 

 “If you misunderstand, It would make me very displeased. This is not what you think it looks like, Shido-san.” 

 “Eh? No, I don’t know, I already said that I don’t know anything…” 

 “Could it be that Shido-san is thinking that I would be someone who would rely on adding catnip to pet food to influence all the little kitties on this street and had plans to establish the perfect Cat Sanctuary—Tokisaki Kingdom—or something like that?” 

“No, I haven’t had any sort of thought like that…” 

 “But that’s not the case. It’s absolutely wrong. I will explain the reasons behind what I’m doing from start to finish so you have to listen properly, okay?” 

 “A-About that! Kurumi?!” 

 Although Shido had forcibly raised his voice to grab her attention, Kurumi was already in a trance where she was deaf to everything in the world now. 

◇◇◇

 Haruko gently wiped her hair with a dry towel as she stepped out of the bathroom, and made her way down the hallway. 

 “…Hmm…” 

 Frowning, Haruko tilted her head in confusion with a complicated expression on her face. Even though Haruko’s body felt warm thanks to the bath and the stress of the trip had been washed away, there were still lingering doubts and suspicions that gnawed away at her heart and had only been increasing after the bath. 

 “…For God’s sake, what did Shii-kun really do while we were away…?” 

 Haruko couldn’t help but mumble to herself as she reflected on what the Yamai sisters said while they were in the bathroom. 

 Certainly, no matter how much she thought about it, she wouldn’t be able to get any answers until she spoke to Shido himself. 

 With that resolution in her mind, Haruko stepped back into the living room and noticed her husband sitting on the sofa. 

 For some reason, Haruko could tell that there was a sense of unease emanating from him. Like her, Tatsuo also wore an uncomfortable expression. 

 “Tatsu-kun?” 

 “Ahh…Haru-chan…How was the bath?” 

 “Oh, it was very relaxing. Thanks for the clothes, Tatsu-kun.” 

 With that said, Haruko tugged on the sportswear that she’d borrowed from Shido. As for her previous set of clothes along with her undergarments, Haruko had already thrown them into the laundry basket. 

 “Ahh…yeah.” 

 However, for some reason, when Haruko mentioned Shido’s clothes, a dubious expression briefly formed on Tatsuo’s face. 

 “Is something wrong?” 

 “Um…Actually…” 

 He appeared ready to mention something to her. But before he could muster his voice— 

 “I never would have guessed there would be a second life for the <Salon de Miku>!” 

 There was an extremely energetic voice that resonated around the living room, abruptly interrupting Tatsuo’s and Haruko’s conversation. 

 They looked around cautiously in the direction from which the voice came, and they spotted a tall girl with a gorgeous figure standing there—Miku. Even though this was the first time that they’d met her, they had the strangest feeling that they had seen or heard her somewhere else. 

 Miku continued with a lovely smile. 

 “Now then, Darling’s Otou-sama and Okaa-sama. You must be very tired after such a long journey.” 

 “D-Darling?” 

 Although Haruko shouted in confusion, Miku continued as though she hadn’t heard her. 

 “However, now that I’m here, there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll provide you with the perfect body massage to ease your fatigue.” 

 As she finished inviting them, Miku clapped her hands twice. Then, from somewhere behind Miku, the girl who’d prepared the onigiri before—Tohka—poked her head out. Surely, Tohka gave off the impression of a large dog. 

 “Alright, I’ll take care of Darling’s Okaa-sama while you take care of his Otou-sama, Tohka-san.” 

 “Umu. Leave it to me.” 

 “Remember, you only need to gently press on his back. Don’t use your full strength, understand? If you do, Otou-sama’s body will break.” 

 “Muu… I see!” 

 “I have a bad feeling about this…” 

 Seeing Haruko suddenly break into a cold sweat, Tatsuo grinned gently. 

 “Now, now, Otou-sama, please head over that way. As for Okaa-sama, please just lie down on the sofa and relax.” 

 “Eh? A-Ah… Okay…” 

 Although she still wanted to talk to Tatsuo, Haruko was overwhelmed by Miku’s urging as she reclined on the couch. 

 Miku then immediately flexed her fingers and went to work, massaging Haruko’s back. 

 “Ara, your body is really stiff.” 

 “Yeah…” 

 Haruko had no other choice but to relax. Despite Miku exaggerating her talents just a little, there was no denying that her massage technique was as skilled as that of a professional. 

 “How’s the pressure?” 

 “Um… it… seems… very comfortable…” 

 It was not too much pressure but also not enough: the perfect balance of force stimulating the pressure points in her shoulders and back. The laborious nature of work and long distance traveling was quickly eased away and it all felt very soothing. Under the ministrations of Miku’s skilled technique, Haruko could feel a gentle drowsiness slowly overtake her little by little. 

 However— 

 “Hehehehehehehe… A mature woman’s body is also quite charming… this wonderful softness… truly the softest sensation…” 

 “…?!” 

 As Miku blushed and spoke excitedly under her breath, Haruko’s eyes suddenly shot wide open just as she was about to fall into a light sleep. 

◇◇◇

 “Really… what did I do to deserve getting thrown into these horrible situations…?” 

 After being forced to listen to an increasingly elaborate and confusing process of the series of events that led to Kurumi doing what she was, Shido finally managed to get himself out of her clutches at long last. 

 Even though Kurumi seemed keen on continuing her explanation, Toramaru, having recovered from the catnip and regained consciousness, quickly fled. Ergo, she had to stop part way through her explanation and give chase to the escaping feline. 

 Ever since then, Shido had since lost track of how long he’d been walking until he finally found his way back to a familiar street. 

 Even though it had been well over an hour since his parents called him and it was very likely that it was too late, perhaps there was a slim chance that he could avert a poor outcome in his race against time. He latched onto this thread-like ray of hope as he made his way back home. 

 But then… 

 “Huh?” 

 There was a group of elementary school students that appeared before him. They appeared to be playing hide and seek. They seemed to be glancing over their shoulders as they ran away with a shriek. 

 A moment later, the person who had been seeking the children. As to who that person was, she gave off a strong impression: she was foreign-looking girl with blonde hair and purple eyes as her defining characteristics. She was also dressed in a dark business suit that made her stand out against the residents. 

 “What…?” 

 Having spotted those irrefutable features, Shido couldn’t stop himself from gasping in dawning horror. 

 But such a reaction was reasonable. After all, she was a wizard from DEM Industries, an organization that opposed <Ratatoskr>’s efforts—Ellen Mira Mathers. 

 “Hurry up, we’re over here!” 

 “You’re so slow, Onee-san!” 

 “You can’t call yourself the strongest like that!” 

 “Y-You guys… It’s because…” 

 Having been provoked by the young students, Ellen gritted her teeth reluctantly. 

 Ellen suddenly slumped to the ground while clutching at her chest. 

 Taken by surprise, the students rushed to Ellen’s side with looks of worry on their faces. 

 “A-Are you okay?” 

 “Where does it hurt?” 

 “Should we take you to the hospital?” 

 “—Not a chance!” 

 At that moment, Ellen suddenly raised her head and suddenly grabbed one of the students’ shoulders. 

 “Eh! That’s cheating!” 

 “No fair!” 

 “That one doesn’t count!” 

 “Oh… what are you talking about? In the rules that we initially set, the person who was touched by the ghost is to play the next ghost. There was nothing about being deceived because you were foolish. If you want someone to hate, hate yourself for being so stupid.” 

 Ellen replied triumphantly. Immediately after, the kid that she’d grabbed put his hands into a cross-shaped gesture in front of his chest. 

 “But I made a barrier just now so your attack didn’t work.” 

 “What… A barrier…? Does such a thing actually exist?!” 

 “If you make a barrier, ghosts can’t touch you.” 

 “Onee-san, didn’t you know that?” 

 “I’ve never heard of such a rule before now. But I have to challenge that: if I use my Realizer unit, no matter what barrier you use, compared to my strength, you’ll all be…” 

 It was at that moment that Ellen noticed Shido standing a short distance away from her. 

 Ellen’s face suddenly turned a dark red. 

 After seeing the way she reacted, Shido had a bad feeling about how this was going to turn out and decided to immediately make a run for it. This day had already been complicated enough; he didn’t want to deal with another problem. 

 “W-Wait a minute, Itsuka Shido! Don’t misunderstand this! This is just—whoa!” 

 “Onee-san fell down!” 

 “Are you alright?” 

 Shido did not give their faint protests or laments as second thought as he quickly picked up his running speed. 

◇◇◇

 “Hah… Hah… What’s going on with that girl…?” 

 After managing to escape from Miku’s surprise assault, Haruko sighed as she ran her fingers through her messy hair. 

 “Is everything okay there, Tatsu-kun?” 

 “Ahh, yeah. It seemed a little too cautious so it felt more ticklish.” 

 Watching Tatsu grin wryly over his shoulder, Haruko couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. 

 “That’s good to hear… Anyway, what did you want to say before?” 

 “Huh? Oh…” 

 Tatsuo put a hand to his chin before remembering the crucial topic he had wanted to discuss before. 

 “To be honest, I don’t really understand what it means. Even if there was something like that in Shido’s room, I don’t understand why he would have it in his possession in the first place…” 

 “Eh? What do you mean…?” 

 Haruko tensed up at Tatsuo’s vague remark. 

 “What do you mean by ‘it’, exactly? C-Could it be… it’s not some kind of dangerous drug, is it?” 

 “Ahh… No, it’s nothing like that. It’s just that…” 

 “Just…” 

 “Well…when I was looking for a change of clothes for you in Shido’s wardrobe…” 

 Tatsuo spoke carefully. 

 But at that moment— 

 “Otou-sama, Okaa-sama…” 

 Another girl made her appearance in front of them, cutting their dialogue short once more. 

 “Whoa! 

 “Waa!” 

 Haruko and Tatsuo each let out a startled noise as they toppled backwards at the same time. 

 But this was an understandable reaction, owing to the fact that the girl before them was the one who had previously threatened Tatsuo with a knife. 

 “Please forgive me for the delayed greeting; the others have disrespected you so much.” 

 “N-No… it’s okay.” 

 Although Haruko privately thought ‘You’re the one who has been the most disrespectful.’ She suppressed the urge to say it aloud for the sake of their safety. 

 Then, the girl knelt before Haruko and Tatsuo with formal etiquette that was a stark contrast to how she behaved before. Once she was on her knees, she then bowed her head afterward. 

 “Allow me to properly introduce myself as this is our first meeting. My name is Tobiichi Origami—I am currently in a relationship with Shido.” 

 “Ah, hello. That’s very polite of you… wait. What?!” 

 After hearing such a shocking fact stated so clearly all of a sudden, Haruko’s eyes suddenly widened in surprise. 

 “W-Wait a minute, you said that you were in a relationship… you and Shido?!” 

 “Yes.” 

 Origami nodded without so much as a change in the blank expression on her face. Seeing the girl’s demeanor, Haruko and Tatsuo glanced at each other. Due to the fact that they had never discussed the topic with Shido, the two didn’t know what kind of preferences their son had as far as the opposite sex was concerned. Nevertheless, they never would have guessed that he would be interested in this type of girl. 

 Having noticed Haruko’s and Tatsuo’s incredulous looks, Origami produced a number of photographs. 

 “I have evidence here.” 

 “T-This is…” 

 Haruko and Tatsuo looked at the pictures that she gave them. 

 The photographs she gave them indeed showed Origami and Shido together. 

 “Ara?” 

 However, almost immediately, Haruko noticed that there’s something wrong with the photos. 

 “A-About that, Origami-chan?” 

 “Yes?” 

 “About these pictures…even though they do show you both together, aren’t those positions a bit strange? It seems like these are selfies with Shido as the background, don’t you think so?” 

 “That is a misconception.” 

 “Then what about this one… why does it look like Shido isn’t looking in the camera’s direction? It seems like a picture of two people who happened to be coincidentally side by side with each other and was taken with a hidden camera placed there in advance.” 

 “That is a misconception as well.” 

 “…Is that right…” 

 Haruko felt a new wave of sweat trickle down her forehead as she listened to Origami’s firm denials. After looking through the remaining photographs, Haruko couldn’t help but suspect that each photo possessed an unnatural impression in their contents. 

 “…Hm?” 

 At that moment, Haruko’s attention latched onto a specific picture and her eyebrows furrowed. 

 “Haru-chan? Is something wrong?” 

 After noticing the subtle change in Haruko’s expression, Tatsuo spoke up. 

 “Yeah, it’s something that’s not important…This is Shido, right?” 

 “Huh? Can you show me which one?” 

 Just as Tatsuo was about to get a good look at the picture in Haruko’s hand, a piece of paper appeared out of nowhere, obscuring their view of the photograph. The person responsible—it was without a doubt—Origami. 

 “O-Origami-chan?” 

 “Please take a look at this.” 

 “This is…?” 

 Haruko immediately followed the girl’s request. 

 “Eh?! Isn’t this a marriage application?!” 

 That’s right. Origami presented a marriage application with all the relevant information regarding the bride’s side having already been filled out. But that wasn’t all, Origami had circled the witness’s section where the parents would have to sign with a red pen. 

 “According to Japanese law, Shido-kun is unable to get married yet. Thus, when he reaches the age of eighteen, I would like Otou-sama and Okaa-sama to be our witnesses.” 

 “W-Wait a minute, suddenly proposing marriage like this… What does Shido think about all of this?” 

 “He was the one who proposed this offer. He said that you were both indispensable.” 

 Origami blushed faintly. Haruko and Tatsuo couldn't help but let their eyes widen in amazement at the sight. 

 “This… is this true?” 

 “For Shido to… take the initiative like this…” 

 “Yes. After that, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into a passionate kiss.” 

 “Wha…?!” 

 It was completely different from how the Shido that they remembered would act and took the couple entirely by surprise. However, because Origami’s expression showed her earnest solemnity, the two couldn’t detect a hint of dishonesty from her. 

 While Haruko and Tatsuo were trying to figure out how to respond, Origami pressed the marriage application into their hands. 

 “I will repeat my request—please entrust Shido-kun to me.” 

 “T-This…” 

 “Even if you say something like that…” 

 The role reversal blindsided Haruko and Tatsuo. 

 But at that moment— 

 “Hey! What do you think you’re without permission, Tobiichi Origami?!” 

 At that moment, the door to the living room flew open and the rest of the girls, with Tohka at the lead, rushed into the hallway in unison. 

 “This isn’t what we decided on! This was supposed to be a proper welcome!” 

 “This is my type of hospitality. Is there anything better than knowing that your son has a capable wife?” 

 “You, what do you think you’re saying?!” 

 Origami’s response made Tohka frown and furrow her eyebrows. Then, the rabbit doll Yoshinon flailed its paws excitedly. 

 “Eh, then let’s just have Yoshino become the bride!” 

 “…! Wh-What are you saying, Yoshinon…” 

 “Kuku, that’s right Yoshinon. Just like you said, the candidates for marriage are not limited to just thee or to Origami.” 

 “Acceptance. Even if it is Master Origami, I won’t concede Shido to you.” 

 “Exactly! How cunning of Origami-san, indeed! Darling is mine so you should be my bride instead!” 

 “…No, that sort of thing is weird.” 

 Although Natsumi replied half-heartedly, the other girls were beyond the point of no return as they became more vigorous with their arguments. 

 “What a joke… I am the wife of Shido…” 

 “I’ll never hand Shido over to you!” 

 “A-As for me…” 

 “Yoshinon has no intention of surrendering either!” 

 “Kaka, all is fair in love and war! I admire thy courage but Shido is already…” 

 “Challenge. Shido is Yuzuru and Kaguya’s shared property already.” 

 “I have an amazing idea! Why don’t all of you become my wives!” 

 “…I’m fine with whatever…” 

 “W-Wait a minute…” 

 “Calm down everyone—” 

 Despite their desperate attempt to get everyone to settle down, Haruko and Tatsuo were unable to get through the girls’ ears. 

◇◇◇

 “F-Finally… I made it back…” 

 Shido had long since lost track of how much time had passed since he’d spoken to his parents, but today he finally returned to his long-lost family. 

 Due to the fact that he’d been running constantly, he felt that he was close to collapsing even though it hadn’t been much time since he managed to escape Ellen. 

 However, the worst was yet to come. The real battle was still ahead. Shido tried to mentally prepare himself as he took a deep breath. 

 Since he hadn't had a chance to call them even once. Shido hadn’t the faintest clue what sort of interaction the Spirits had with his parents. Therefore he was going to have to fabricate an excuse for his relationship with the Spirits, and he couldn’t even use the term ‘Spirit’ to describe it. 

 “…It’s impossible…” 

 Shido couldn’t help but furrow his eyebrows. It was obviously an important matter but he was unable to adequately explain the situation. Shido was at a dead end. 

 But standing there was only going to make things worse. Shido mentally prepared himself and opened the front door. 

 “I’m home—!” 

 “—!” 

 Shido’s voice was entirely drowned out by voices coming from the living room. It sounded like there were people in there arguing with each other. 

 “Could it be…?” 

 Shido had a bad feeling as he hastily took off his shoes and rushed inside. 

 Just as he was about to open the door to the living room, a man and woman had pulled the door and fled the living room. 

 “Otou-san, Okaa-san.” 

 Shido shouted instinctually. They were the owners of the house—Itsuka Tatsuo and Itsuka Haruko. 

 “Shido-kun! Welcome back…” 

 “W-Wait a minute! Who in the world are those girls?! Talking about marriage all of a sudden…” 

 Haruko demanded as she pointed towards the living room. 

 Shido looked in the direction where she was pointing. Inside, he could see an intense dispute was brewing and it looked like it wasn’t going to stop anytime soon. 

 “They’re…” 

 Shido pressed the palm of hand against his forehead. Although he didn’t know the specifics about what had happened, he could tell that his parents did not think favorably of the Spirits. 

 “They’re…” 

 Not only could Shido not mention anything pertaining to the Spirits, but even if he did, he couldn’t know for sure that they would believe him. 

 Shido adopted a firm stance as he faced his parents. 

 “…Otou-sama, Okaa-sama, please hear me out first.” 

 “…?” 

 “Shii-kun…?” 

 Having noticed the seriousness in they’re son’s face, Haruko and Tatsuo couldn’t help but also look at him seriously as well. 

 With that said, Shido nodded his head lightly and continued: 

 “First of all… I’m sorry for not telling you about them sooner.” 

 “Don’t worry about that… But who are they in relation to you?” 

 Having heard Haruko’s question, Shido bit his lip nervously as he shook his head. 

 “…I’m sorry. About that… but I’m not allowed to say anything… about any of it…” 

 “What? Why not?” 

 “Really… please forgive me. But I can’t share anything no matter what. I know I’m being selfish for having received your kindness and care for all of this time and that what I’m doing is unbecoming of your son. But… Please don’t hate them…” 

 “Even if you say that…” 

 “Please! I’m begging you! Even if they did or said something wrong, all of them are really good people. Each… Each and every one of them… are very important to me!” 

 “S-Shii-kun…” 

 Haruko was at a loss as she stared at him with a confused expression. However, at that moment, Tatsuo gently put a hand on her shoulders. 

 “Tatsu-kun…” 

 “Isn’t this fine, Haru-chan? Shido’s speaking this earnestly so I don’t think he can be wrong.” 

 “B-But…” 

 He could see that Haruko was still hesitant so he smiled warmly. 

 “After hearing my son speak like this, it makes me a little happy too…” 

 “Happy…?” 

 “Isn’t this the first time that Shido has made a request like this?” 

 Haruko’s eyes widened as she understood the significance behind what he was saying. She looked from Tatsuo to Shido and ran her fingers through her hair. 

 “…You two are really hopeless. Well… if you really can’t talk about it, then I guess it can’t be helped for now… But in the future, you need to tell us properly about these things.” 

 “…! Okaa-san!” 

 “…You’ve already gone this far. As parents, how can we not trust our own son?” 

 Haruko looked away from them shyly as she spoke. It was a look that reminded them of her daughter, Kotori. 

 “…?” 

 It was at that moment that something caused Shido to suddenly raise his head. Apparently, it seemed the argument taking place in the living room had ended with a ceasefire some time ago. 

 He tried to get a better look at the situation, Shido noticed that all of the Spirits’ gazes were fixed on him. It seemed that his previous pleading with his parents reached their ears too. Shido’s cheeks flushed red at the realization. 

 “…Ah, I’m sorry to intervene when you’re being so emotional…” 

 Suddenly, a familiar sound came from behind him. 

 Shido quickly turned around to find his sister, Kotori, leaning against the wall for who knew how long. 

 “Kotori! When did you get back?” 

 “I just got back. I thought that something major happened because the house was so lively—Welcome back, Otou-san, Okaa-san.” 

 Kotori waved toward Haruko and Tatsuo. However, the couple shook their heads in astonishment. 

 “Welcome back…?” 

 “But didn’t we just meet earlier…?” 

 “Huh?” 

 Hearing what her parents said, Kotori’s eyes likewise also widened with confusion. 

 Nonetheless, that moment of disbelief instantly disappeared when she spotted Natsumi and it immediately dawned on her what happened. Natsumi, in response, quickly hid behind Yoshino. 

 “…Well, that doesn’t matter. Anyway, I’ll explain everything from the beginning. First of all…” 

 Kotori then pointed at Tohka and the others. 

 “—These girls are Spirits.” 

 Just like that, the real truth that Shido had done everything he could to conceal, was completely divulged to his parents. 

 “Wha…! K-Kotori!” 

 Shido couldn’t help but scream. But that was understandable. After all, the topic of Spirits was considered confidential. They were existences whose information could not be disclosed to dear family members. Or at least, that’s what Shido had been told. 

 However, now his parents knew about them. 

 “…I-I see…” 

 “So that’s what the situation is…” 

 But then their expressions showed earnest comprehension. 

 “Huh…? That’s…what’s going on?” 

 Shido’s gaze alternated between his parents and Kotori and back again several times as he tried to process what happened. 

 A few minutes later. 

 The Spirits had already returned to the apartment complex next to the Itsuka household or their own residences. This left only a few people remaining in the Itsuka household. 

 “—Otou-san and Okaa-san are mechanical engineers for <Ratatoskr>?!” 

 Hearing such a shocking fact for the first time, Shido couldn’t help but mourn all the effort he’d put in. 

 “To be more precise, they work for Asgard Electronics which is the parent organization for <Ratatoskr>. They were part of the development for the Realizer unit for the <Fraxinus> that we’ve been using. If you think about it, from some perspective, you could consider that airship as our sister.” 

 Kotori explained as she licked her treasured lollipop in her mouth. Tatsuo and Haruko, who were seated next to her, nodded in agreement and chuckled a tad. 

 “Eh, could it be that we never told you about this before?” 

 “And here we thought that you already knew!” 

 “What do I know! If that’s the case, then why didn’t you notice that they were Spirits?!” 

 “Hmm… I guess it’s because this was our first time meeting any Spirits.” 

 “Right, and plus they’re called ‘Spirits’, we expected them to look like mythical creatures or something like that…” 

 After they finished speaking, the couple laughed with amusement. Shido felt as though he had lost his grip on reality in that instant as he watched his parents. 

 “Then… what was the point of my suffering like that…” 

 With a miserable sigh, Shido slumped on the table. Seeing Shido’s reaction only made his parents laugh harder. 

 “Well, anyway, it’s good to see that Shido can get along well with the Spirits.” 

 “Yeah, even though there were some misgivings at the beginning. Hopefully there won’t be any more problems if that’s the case.” 

 “Yeah, although it’s no good to fight like that, but I guess that just shows how much those girls love Shido.” 

 “But one of them taking out a filled-out marriage proposal all of a sudden really did take me by surprise.” 

 Haruko and Tatsuo nodded together in unison. 

 After hearing what they said, Shido felt at ease and relieved after undergoing all the painstaking and stressful ordeals of the day. No matter what he had to endure, Shido was happy that his parents had accepted the Spirits. 

 However, at that moment… 

 “…About that, Shii-kun, it doesn’t have anything to do with that though…” 

 Haruko lowered her voice as she pulled out a certain photograph from her pocket. 

 “This is Shii-kun, right?… What happened here?” 

 “Eh? This is…um?!” 

 Shido gasped at the sight of the image. 

 Of course, that was unavoidable. In that picture, after putting on makeup and a women’s outfit, was Shido’s female form: Shiori-chan. 

 “W-Where did you get that from?” 

 “One of those girls, Origami, just gave this to us… then, who is this?” 

 “No, this isn’t me! This is just someone who looks a lot like me!” 

 Just as Shido broke out into a cold sweat as he tried to explain, Tatsuo shouted as though he remembered something important. 

 “Oh yeah, when I was looking for a change of clothes for Haru-chan, I found a girl’s uniform in your closet…” 

 “…Eh?!” 

 Shido’s eyes widened in shock. Indeed, because there was only limited storage, he had no choice but to place the uniform in his closet. He never expected anyone would just find it by chance. 

 “Shii-kun…why do you have that in the first place? We’re not angry or anything, but we’d like a reason at least. Is this some sort of hobby? Or perhaps…” 

 “Yeah, Shido. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. I have an acquaintance that has a similar hobby as well. Even though society doesn’t seem ready to accept such a thing. At the end of the day, you’re our son. We’ll share in the burden of your suffering, okay?” 

 “I already said that it’s not what you think!!!” 

 To Shido’s parents who clearly were misunderstanding everything, he could only raise his voice and let out a wail of protest.