A Demon's Tale

The process of a funeral for a being so high up in the world was often a fast paced event. From the natural curiosity of regular citizens, a public funeral that would be broadcasted for all to see would be expected. However, before that could happen, a more private funeral for only family or friends of the individual would be held prior. Inside of the beautiful, royal church, were multiple members of the Bloodfire family along with many friends. The kitsune mother, Kōkatsu the Almighty, had already paid her respects and swiftly returned home to continue looking after someone she cared deeply for. Due to the new situation at hand, only one of the deceased’s children could attend, that being Yuri Bloodfire. Along with him was his young daughter, Colada Bloodfire, who sat beside and looked after the other children within the Bloodfire family as she was the oldest among them. Just like Colada, the remaining triplet grandchildren had also attended. Tina Bloodfire struggled to keep her composure, while Alf Bloodfire broke down, comforted by his wife Silvia. The last of the three, Xander, stood outside of the church with his wife.

The morning sky above the two could hardly be considered a beautiful view. Clouds reached out across every surface of the blue sky, causing nothing but a gloomy mess above them without any rain to accompany it. Together, the two shared the pain they had.

Shiro: [I’m not going to blame myself, just like Devi said… But at the same time, I feel terrible…]

Looking down to Shiro, who was seated on the stairs, Xander spoke somberly.

Xander: [Shiro…]

Shiro: [This past week was leading up to this… Even if we delayed Nero’s plans, I hate that it came at the cost of losing Devi…]

Making his way over, Xander sat down gently beside her.

Shiro: [She told me, at one point, she didn’t know what friends were… For the longest time, Devi went through her whole life without having a single friend in her own mind… Tequi was her friend, and I wouldn’t doubt her husband being the same either… But I can’t imagine a world where not a single friend exists…]

Her teary, crimson eyes looked back at her husband.

Shiro: [That’s why this last week felt so special… I got to be Devi’s friend… I showed her the friend that Tequi was… I broke her out of the depressing shell she had kept herself in… only for nothing of meaning to come from it…]

Xander was silent in response. The words he could speak would possibly be unable to resonate within Shiro’s heart, even if he was her husband. However, there was something that broke past this barrier. Placing his hand on her shoulder and rubbing it gently, he looked towards the clouded sky.

Xander: [It might not be the best place to say it, but from the way she was talking to me yesterday morning, it seems like she knew she would die.]

Taken aback by Xander’s comment, Shiro jumped back in shock and widened her eyes.

Shiro: [W-what…?]

Xander: [... When I was making coffee, the two of us had a chat. It was fairly normal at first. I assumed that it was just Grandmother Devi trying to catch up with me, but at one point, she asked me something really strange. Instead of the usual “Would you like to be the next ruler?” she had asked me for the past several years, she instead asked if I’d like to receive one of our pieces of land in Zero, for our family to live in, absolutely free. She told me that there were some nice locations, perfect for the two of us to relax as well as fun activities available for the children. It could have been a simple offer from a grandmother to her grandson, but there was a problem with it.]

Stroking his hand through his hair, Xander showed his palm to himself, with a single blood red strand now sitting softly upon it.

Xander: [She never included herself. Despite everything she told us, despite how much she wanted to live in the Babylon District with us, to have dinner alongside us and take care of her great grandchildren, she didn’t include herself in that offer. I noticed it immediately, and as she walked away, I tried to stop her by questioning what she meant. All she did was look back at me with a smile, and left the room.]

He turned back to view Shiro again, a tiny smile now stretched out on his face.

Xander: [I think she went into that battle with the hopes that you’d make it out alive, Shiro. Even if it cost her life, so long as you were alive, to her, that was enough. Winning, losing, none of that most likely mattered if you were still standing, because in her mind, that was her own victory.]

Unable to control her sadness, Shiro quickly collapsed into her husband’s chest, viciously crying and wailing as Xander gently stroked her hair while holding her close.

Tears for the woman who longed to meet Shiro, the one who brutally examined her abilities, the former ruler who understood the world and life as a whole much clearer thanks to her, the grandmother-in-law who felt wonderful to be a part of her family, and to the Braveheart, who felt courageous to the end as she fought alongside Shiro.

After several minutes of her tears washing Xander’s black clothes, Shiro slowly stood up and turned back to face him.

Shiro: [Do you know if anything will happen to her sword?]

Xander: [From what I understand, she wrote a will for that. She didn’t make it exact, but instead wrote that the oldest member among the youngest generation can receive it if they choose to. I talked to my uncle, and Colada doesn’t want it. Yui didn’t seem to want it either. Alf mentioned that you fought against Nero with Devi, so we deserve to have it. Now it’s just a matter of deciding who wants it.]

Shiro: [... If you don’t mind, Kō told me that she had a storage facility in Itazura that we could keep it in. Only she knows how to enter and remove items from the building, so it’ll be extra safe in her hands.]

Xander: [Sure. If it means keeping it safe till the kids are old enough, I’m all for it.]

Turning her eyes back to the front, Shiro looked towards a depressed, jet black oni waiting nearby.

Shiro: [I wish I could stay and speak to Devi some more, but I have an entire list of things that I must do if I’m going to carry out her will.]

Xander: [Right. I’ll meet you back home with the kids later. Take care until then, Shiro.]

The goddess, now dressed in black as opposed to her usual white, turned to her husband and smiled. Tears still moved past her eyes as she did so.

Shiro: [Love you, Xanxan! I’ll see you when I get home!]

Walking away, Shiro failed to notice the surprised look on Xander’s face. Astonished that his wife had known that name, the calm man smiled, with a single tear falling down his face.

Xander: [I see, Grandmother… You told her about that nickname, didn’t you?]

As Shiro made her way over to the oni, her name was called out to her by another individual. One who had left the church temporarily to get some fresh air, while their husband was comforted inside by his sister.

???: [Sssshiro!]

The red eyes looked back to meet a purple lamia in black clothing. The close friend of Shiro, and one who married into the same family, taking the last name as she did so, Silvia Bloodfire. Without words, the two exchanged a hug and looked up to the sky.

Silvia: [Regardlessss of beliefssss, I believe sssshe issss looking at ussss from up there.]

Shiro: [Yeah… I think so too.]

Silvia: [Perhapssss it issss sssselfissssh, but I want to have my own diner in the future. I'd like to honor Devi in itssss name, after everything sssshe hassss done for Alf.]

An air of silence filled the space around them. They did not require the need of speech with one another, as they could already tell the mutual feelings they had felt. However, there was a piece of Silvia that cracked through this silence.

Silvia: [Sssshiro.]

Shiro: [Yeah?]

Silvia: [We’ve ssssertainly known each other for quite ssssome time, haven’t we?]

Shiro: [Yeah… I guess we really have…]

Silvia: [You were the firsssst persssson to ever trusssst me, Sssshiro. When I believed no one would, you believed in me. You called out to me, desssspite my flawssss, and that meant the world to me. That issss why I’ve alwayssss conssssidered you my clossssesssst friend. I likely would not be here, with Alf, with all of you, without your help.]

Puzzled, yet understanding where Silvia was coming from, a question sparked in Shiro’s mind.

Shiro: [... Sil.]

Silvia: [Yessss?]

Shiro: [The debt you have towards me. It’s a joke, right?]

The narrow eyes of Silvia expanded ever so slightly, only to then return to form as she looked away and held one hand on top of the other.

Silvia: [There are many thingssss I enjoy teassssing you about, Sssshiro… but that debt issss not one of them. You trussssted me, ssssomeone who you did not need to trusssst, with your attempt to become a goddesssssessss on the line. You performed ssssomething rather, and pleasssse forgive me for ssssaying thissss, sssstupid jusssst for me. I will repay you, whenever I can. I believe ssssmall bitssss of change will not be enough. When the time comessss, I will pay you back in full, in my own way. If I do not view it assss a correct choisssse, I will try again. It isssss assss sssssimple assss that.]

Adjusting her shirt, Shiro spoke calmly.

Shiro: [I have a request then.]

Silvia: [Of coursssse. Pleasssse sssshare.]

Shiro: [When that time comes, if that time comes, if you’re going to repay me, I want it to be absolutely necessary, for my own sake.]

Silvia: [... Assss you wissssh. I will wait for that moment to arrive.]

Ready to move towards the oni, Shiro spoke to her friend one last time before leaving.

Shiro: [Regardless of what happens, our next battle against Nero will be our last. Whether we win or lose, we’ll have to see. Even if I’d like for the two of us to get stronger, I don’t want you risking your life to save me, Sil. Don’t make Alf sad for a second time over the same thing Devi did.]

Silvia: [It hurtssss me that I cannot protect you… but I undersssstand. We sssshall fight together, with our livessss on the line.]

Shiro: [... Yeah. I’ll see you later, Sil.]

Silvia: [Farewell for now, Sssshiro.]

Step after step, Shiro walked away from the slithering lamia, until…

Shiro: [Sil.]

Halting her movement, the snake goddess turned back to her friend, who did not share a gaze.

Shiro: [I might not have the sake cup type of oath to show it, nor the friendship bracelets either, so you might think you’re not as important to me as everyone else in my life…]

It was only then that Shiro looked back.

Shiro: [But regardless of that, I want you to know that just like Kō, you’re as close as a sister to me. Just like that same relationship I share with her, I love my lamia sister dearly.]

Silvia’s face started to wrinkle as she tried to form a smile, only to be ruined by the tears that attacked her.

Silvia: [Y-yessss! I love my ssssisssster assss well!]

With that, Shiro made her exit, moving over to the oni who waited for her, Ryuka Ryoma.

Shiro: [I’m sorry that I kept you waiting so long, Ryuka. Let’s visit your brother now.]

Ryuka: [It’s alright, I understand that you lost someone close… I have a good understanding of that myself now… Anyways, let’s go…]

The two female demons departed, saddened both inside and out.

Their next stop would be the other individual affected by the battle, Ryuusei Ryoma. The older brother of Ryuka.

△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼

Making their way through the minka house after being greeted in, the goddess and her commander entered into a room with only three people inside. One being a kitsune with an orange ponytail, an orange and green kimono, green tinted zori and eight orange and white tails behind them. This girl had been the one to welcome the two into the room quietly. On the opposite side, a seated kitsune with the same color in her hair and fur, along with an extra tail attached, gently held the hand of a comatose man with her right hand while caressing his face with the left. Her kimono, which for once, was oddly worn properly, was colored in white with stripes of blue, along with a red hakama underneath and geta by her feet. The sharp ears on her head matched her face, providing an incredibly depressed look to her as a whole.

Finally, there was the man resting on the bed. With a smile on his face, he remained unconscious, unaware of what the world around him was like anymore. Due to the damages done to his previous outfit, the kitsune that gently comforted him had changed him into a new set of attire, that being a black kimono that had a large emblem with a flower of nine orange tails on it sewn into the kimono. His kimono matched his jet black, spiky long hair. Across his entire body were burn marks. Not nearly as severe as they had been after he had received them, but still clear that he had taken some serious damage nonetheless. For the past twelve hours, the kind kitsune had taken care of him. Whether it was feeding him nourishment, changing the damaged clothes into his new kimono, talking to him about her life and everything that happened or even sleeping beside him in her chair, she spent more than half of a day by his side.

It was only as her best friend entered the room that the world around her changed. Caressing the man’s cheek, the kitsune stood up and moved over to the two.

Kōkatsu: [Go ahead, Ryuka. Your brother should hear you speak to him.]

Ryuka: [Thank you…]

Slowly, Ryuka walked by. Once she had stepped past Kōkatsu, the kitsune’s ears had picked up on something Ryuka had whispered.

Ryuka: [... Sister.]

Tugging at the hem of her hakama, Kōkatsu bit down on her bottom lip, trying to force back her tears. Kaoru and Shiro lightly patted her back, slowly moving her towards the shogi so they could leave the room.

Their steps were sluggish as they tried to keep Kōkatsu moving, who was still struggling with her emotions. Eventually, the three had made it to the back of the house, where Kōkatsu had often gone to smoke. Kaoru had placed her hand into Kōkatsu’s kimono, pulling out the kiseru and lighting it up for Kōkatsu to smoke from. The sly fox goddess pressed her forehead against the girl’s, and then moved the pipe to her mouth, spewing out smoke shortly after.

Kōkatsu: [S’fucked up, y’know?]

Shiro: [Yeah…]

Kōkatsu: [I’ve been sittin’ here, waitin’ my whole life for someone. Guess I jus’ don’t get to have it, no matter what happens.]

After placing her kiseru to her mouth again and blowing out more smoke, Kōkatsu looked to a nearby pond in the backyard to see a pair of koi moving close together. One that was purely white, with a spot of red on its head, and another that was only orange in color.

Kōkatsu: [... Shiro.]

The succubus’ attention, which focused on the same fish, snapped back to attention as she heard the kitsune’s call.

Shiro: [What’s up, Kō?]

Kōkatsu: [... I never kept my promise, did I?]

Tilting her head, Shiro raised a confused eyebrow to Kōkatsu.

Shiro: [Your promise? What do you mean you never kept your promise?]

Kōkatsu: [... I promised that we’d exchange secrets a long time ago, on the night of our first sparring match.]

It was only then that Shiro remembered what Kōkatsu spoke of. After a brutal sparring match between the two, Kōkatsu had requested for the two of them to speak their secrets to one another. Though Shiro had shared hers, recalling the red headed figure she saw in her dreams, Kōkatsu refrained from telling her own and instead asked if she could speak it later. No matter how long it would take, Kōkatsu promised that she would tell her friend eventually.

Shiro: [O-oh! Right! I remember now! You don’t need to tell me if you don’t feel comfortable about it though, so–]

Kōkatsu: [No. I figure I should say it. By this point, y’ve likely figured out what it is already.]

Moving her hand over to the lower end of her stomach, Kōkatsu looked towards the cloudy sky and spoke the secret she held for so long.

Kōkatsu: [... The reason I built this whole family of mine, and the reason I feel so unlucky, is all because of this. I’m infertile.]

Despite what Kōkatsu had assumed about Shiro, the snow-like woman had never realized this was the case. For the longest time, Shiro had assumed that the reason Kōkatsu did not have children of her own was the same reason she felt devastated about the now comatose Ryuusei Ryoma. The idea that she could not find someone to share her love with. However, the events of the past started to add up in Shiro’s head. Kōkatsu’s desire to start a family of her own, her journey of adopting children into her family, the great deal of love she showed towards them. Even if Ryuusei had continued to breathe the air and walk the earth, Kōkatsu was already burdened with the curse that they would be unable to show the gift of their love. A child could not be conceived by Kōkatsu the Almighty.

Kōkatsu: [... I found out durin’ a doctor’s checkup when I entered the godhood school. It was around then that I stopped wantin’ to attend my classes, but there were a few other things that were added onto that. It wasn’t until I met ya that my whole life changed, Shiro.]

Shiro: [I… I see. I never realized, Kō…]

Kōkatsu: [... When Kiyomi hit me hard enough that I needed healin’, I assumed that Kaoru would be able to fix that. I only found out later, when she tried to do the same thing after I mentioned bein’ infertile, that it couldn’t be fixed.]

Kaoru: [... It’s not to say that she cannot be fixed, but as it stands there is no healer strong enough to my knowledge. My healing capabilities are rather limited, but I do know that the best healers in history would struggle with a case like this. The damage is… too deeply rooted, like a carriage without wheels…]

Kōkatsu: [And s’cause of that scenario of mine that I decided on my advanced ability’s condition. If I lose even one of my special children, I’ll be able to use it…]

Shiro: [I… I see. That’s a pretty harsh condition, Kō.]

Kōkatsu: [Yeah, it is. But if I’m gettin’ an ability that strong, I wanna be able to exact my wrath onto whoever took what I already had taken from me.]

Following her fierce words, the ears of the kitsune dropped down. Shiro felt heartbroken over Kōkatsu’s secret along with the conditions of her advanced ability, but there was something far more important. In Shiro’s times of need, Kōkatsu was always there for her. Traveling with Shiro in her kimono from the freezing weather, sending Kaoru to assist Shiro against Daroma the Dark, keeping Shiro’s family safe after the framed broadcast, and even at her lowest of all times, where Shiro questioned her reason for living after the first battle against Nero, Kōkatsu was there for her. This was exactly why, no matter how sad Kōkatsu felt, Shiro would cheer her up.

Shiro: [If you did have your own child, what would their name be?]

Turning to Shiro, Kōkatsu’s sadness was replaced by bewilderment.

Kōkatsu: [Where the hell is this comin’ from? I jus’ said I couldn’t, didn’t y’hear?]

Shiro: [I heard. But I wanna know, if you did have one, what would their name be?]

Sighing, Kōkatsu gave a snarky look back to Shiro in the midst of her befuddlement.

Kōkatsu: [Listen, Shiro. I’ve already done the whole child namin’ thing before, remember? Ya asked me to name–]

Shiro: [But this time, I wanna hear the answer for your own. If you were able to have children, what would you name them?]

Kōkatsu gave a surprised look back, before turning to the sky again. The clouds that held on to each other tightly were slowly separated by the bright beams of the sun.

Kōkatsu: [If I was havin’ a boy, Kouga.]

Smiling back to Kōkatsu, Shiro leaned in close with a tilted head.

Shiro: [And if you were having a girl?]

Giving a brief exhale from her nose, Kōkatsu smiled, looking down at her gold and red kiseru.

Kōkatsu: [... Hasua.]

Smiling with her teeth, Shiro shared Kōkatsu’s joy.

Shiro: [I think I like that name the most!]

Kōkatsu: [Yeah… Me too.]

Placing the kiseru to her lips, the fox smiled as she let out more smoke and continued to speak her thoughts.

Kōkatsu: [Maybe s’odd to think ‘bout, but I like the idea of me, Ryuusei and our children all livin’ together. Hundreds of kids between us, but the only one we share by blood bein’ little Hasua.]

Looking at the nearby pond, they watched as several koi danced around each other.

Kōkatsu: [Haven’t had many crushes in my life. Ryuusei is probably the only real one to me. At one point, I did look at Nero that way.]

Shiro: [Really?!]

Kōkatsu: [Wasn’t for very long, to be fair. The guy was strong, and had a good heart to him, but he was a little too good with that heart. He seemed a little weak to me whenever he hesitated to fight, so I wasn’t really interested. I only became a bit more interested when I saw him and Yoro bein’ all lovey dovey. It made me jealous of her, bein’ able to love someone like that. The only other person I had any interest in was…]

Kōkatsu had fallen silent, with drops of sweat moving down her head as a sudden nervous feeling struck the core of her veins. Beside her, a loud sound of knuckles being cracked could be heard, placed directly by a woman who now had a cold tone.

Shiro: [No, go on, Kō. Who was the other person?]

Kōkatsu: [W-well… they’re not–I mean, s’not that important, really! They’re important, obviously. Everyone in the world is… but, y’know, s’jus’ a small crush thing so s’whatever… Let’s jus’ move past this, shall we?]

For one final time, Shiro spoke with a razor sharp voice.

Shiro: [Good. That’s what I thought.]

Taking a deep breath, Kōkatsu calmly washed off her worries and spoke again.

Kōkatsu: [... But Ryuusei has been the only one to ever stick with me. I was with him for such a short time, but it felt like days at that moment. If he ever wakes up, I’ll make sure to give him all the love in the world. Every single piece of love that I shared with my children will be slapped right back in his face, alongside those very children! He’ll have two hundred loving kitsune to deal with, all at once!]

Injecting, Kaoru’s gleeful voice struck into the conversation.

Kaoru: [And we’ll greet Father with you, Mother!]

The kiseru in Kōkatsu’s hand… was dropped. Shiro quickly caught it, only to burn her hands as she tried to swiftly put it out. The hand that had held the pipe started to twitch. Kōkatsu’s eyes wavered, slowly moving over to look at the smaller, smiling kitsune beside her. Grasping the girl’s shoulders, Kōkatsu's trembling voice questioned her.

Kōkatsu: [Kaoru… What did you just say…?]

Kaoru: [I repeated what you said, Mother. We’ll gre–]

Kōkatsu: [No, no! Not that part!... I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to shout… but… Kaoru, what… what did you just call me?]

Realizing what Kōkatsu had met, her daughter's joyful look grew much bigger.

Kaoru: [Ah! Well, you’ve found the person you’d like to be with, and I’m certain that if Father wakes up, the two of you will stay together for the rest of time! That’s why, from this point onward, I’d like to refer to my mother as Mother!]

For the past ten years, Kōkatsu had known Kaoru, adopting her into the family after they first met. Due to the circumstance of their meeting, Kōkatsu refrained from telling Kaoru to call her a name such as “Mom” or “Mother”, knowing that the girl’s family was harshly taken from her. With every child she adopted, Kōkatsu kept the same rule in tact. No matter what, they would refer to her as Lady Kōkatsu. Yet, after meeting Ryuusei, Kōkatsu was hit with something she could have never expected.

Kaoru, the girl who Kōkatsu refused to be called “Mother” by when the two first met, had now referred to the goddess as her mother.

Tears started to roll down her face as she looked at the beautiful child, reflecting a similar image back to her like that of a true daughter by blood.

Kōkatsu: [K-Kaoru…]

Kaoru: [It’s not just me, Mother!]

Pulling her mother in for a hug, Kaoru continued to smile.

Kaoru: [We all decided that from today onward, you’re Mother!]

Moving her arms around Kaoru, Kōkatsu clutched her tightly and cried into the girl’s orange and green kimono. Her soft ponytail was gently caressed with every sniffle of Kōkatsu’s nose.

Kōkatsu: [My child… My sweet, sweet child… I love you so much…]

Kaoru: [I love you too, Mother!]

Shiro watched the two hug, wiping a tear away from her eye as she smiled.

Shiro: [It seems like everything will be alright for Kō, after all.]

As the loving embrace between parent and child came to a close, Kōkatsu’s messy face turned to Shiro. Holding Kaoru with one of her arms, she kept the sweet daughter she had spoken of against her body, who lovingly held her mother as she too looked at Shiro.

Kōkatsu: [Shiro, there’s somethin’ me and my lovely daughters wanted ya to see! I think yer really gonna like it, but since it’ll be in the same area as the storage, why not bring Devi’s sword with ya?]

Shiro: [Sure! Lead the way!]

Though she was lost in a sea of sadness, after losing the first man she had loved…

… Kōkatsu’s love was shared back with her, from the daughters who now called her Mother.

△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼

After handing off Devi’s sword to Kōkatsu, allowing her to safely store it in a nearby facility, three kitsune along with the white succubus made their way to a special building in the land of Itazura. To travel to the country would normally take at least a day from the Babylon District with four mythic horses. However, due to the range being that of only a day by carriages, teleporting to this location would be easy, so long as the amount in the party was small. Thus, Shiro, Kōkatsu and Kaoru were easily teleported over by another member of Kōkatsu’s family, Zen.

As the four made their way towards the building, Kōkatsu had told Shiro that the kitsune among the group would enter via a nearby set of stairs, instead of the main entrance in front of them. Accepting this, Shiro was separated from the group, and entered the building. The doors behind her slowly shut on their own once she had arrived.

Her first thought was the temperature of the room around her. Despite being made of stone found in northern regions, which was often cold to the touch, the air around her was much different. It felt hot, like that of a sauna. Next was the smell, which gave off similar scents to spices and wood. As she made her way in, Shiro then noticed that a great deal of smoke was around her. Further and further, there was more smoke, yet not enough to hinder her vision. She could see through it perfectly, as if it was translucent. Arriving at the end of the room, she was met with a large circle beneath her, followed by several larger levels much higher than her position, each patterned with the culprits of it all. Several incense sticks circled the room, forming the smoke, heat and smell she had experienced. Nearby, many levels above her own, in an area without sticks and merely a long platform with a guardrail, was Kōkatsu and two of her children. Talking to Shiro below her, the explanation for the room was given.

Kōkatsu: [Welcome, Shiro, to the Incense Hall!]

Placing her hands to her sides, Shiro looked up with a smug grin.

Shiro: [So? What’s this for? Mourning?]

Kōkatsu: [In a sense, yeah. Tell ya what, let’s get ya started. Go ahead and call out to someone. Only one person at a time though. Ya won’t be able to do more than one no matter how much stuff we got.]

Shiro: [Call out to someone?]

Looking around the room, other than the three kitsune, Shiro found nothing.

Shiro: [There’s no one here, Kō.]

Kōkatsu: [Don’t worry ‘bout that. Jus’ do it.]

Confused, Shiro rubbed her chin and considered what she would do next. Her idea, due to being in a room filled with incense, was to call out to the dead. However, she was unsure of who she would call out to. Even if a response was not given, there were some that caused her to worry. Yoro was a friend she would have loved to call, but given what was happening over the past couple of weeks, would she truly be the correct choice here? Devi had just passed, and thus, Shiro would love to speak with her, but after their last conversation, perhaps it would be wrong to not focus on the present like Devi had said. This all led to one option, one last person Shiro could call. Puffing up her chest, Shiro readied her shout.

Shiro: [Tete! Can you hear me? It’s me, Roro! How have you been?]

Her voice echoed through the hall without a response.

Shiro stood there, confused by Kōkatsu’s idea, as nothing transpired after her shout.

Only to then look back up at Kōkatsu, who gave a smug grin back and pointed to the space in front of Shiro.

Shiro looked back to see a tornado of incense forming, leaving her surprised and confused as to how this could happen.

What then followed–

???: [Oiiiii! Roro! It’s me!]

Her crimson eyes shook as a visible image formed in front of her. She couldn’t believe it, not in the slightest. The visage forming in front of her, the spirit formed within the incense was one she recognised. One who she remembered, who originally had a mauve ponytail and a puffy white dress. Now, the same woman started to reappear, with colors of blue and white capturing her entire form. This woman was…

Shiro: [Tete…]

From the cloud of incense came the perfect creation of a sharp eyed archer and competitor for the throne, Tequi Tensetsu. Her joyous smile reminded Shiro of the short time she had known this friend.

Tequi: [It’s good to see you, Shiro! I’ve been great! Ah! Don’t worry! I heard all the nice things you mentioned to me before! I’m happy to hear that you and Xander are together, and you even have children! I knew thanks to the photo, of course, but hearing you talk about them made me way more excited! Devi’s reaction was extra priceless too!]

Shiro’s teary, crimson eyes widened.

Shiro: [You mean… you saw…]

Tequi: [Yep! I’ve been watching over the two of you for a while now! Honestly, you two keep praising me so much, you’re gonna make me upset that I can’t do the same back…]

The ghost of Tequi scratched her incorporeal scalp thoughtfully before the gears clicked in her head. It was almost as if Shiro could see her brain light up behind her eyes.

Tequi: [Oh, wait, I can do that now! Good job, Shiro! You’re super strong now! Way stronger than ever before! Me and Devi are incredibly proud of the progress you’ve made!]

Laughing as she cried, Shiro continued to talk with her friend from the next world over.

Shiro: [Have you been busy lately?]

Tequi: [I sure have! I’ve been keeping track of all sorts of people around the world! The two of you, my daughter, my grandchildren, and even my great grandchildren! I’ve been doing my own security job on each of them, seeing what fun things they’re all up to now! I’ve even been checking in on some of my family friends! Though, I was surprised about those two girls. I feel kinda bad now, since I didn’t know they were part of that family, but I guess it was the same for them.]

Shiro: [Two girls?]

Tequi: [Ah! Don’t worry about it! I’m sure they’ll tell you when they get the chance! Make sure they know I’m proud of them, though! I was also really happy to see you and Devi getting along! I especially liked when you took her out for the day! She deserved some time outside, after everything that’s happened! I said it before, and I’ll say it again, I’m immensely proud of you, Shiro! I now know, no matter what happens, you’ve got this! You can easily beat the jerk!]

The spirit succubus then looked to the smoke around her, which started to increase in size.

Tequi: [Well, I guess I don’t have much time here left. It was nice seeing you though, Roro!]

Nodding back, Shiro smiled.

Shiro: [Yeah! Same to you, Tete! Be nice to Devi on the other side!]

Tequi: [Hehe! Well, we’ll see about that! Take care, Shiro! Oh, and by the way, I’m very happy that our families are getting along!]

The pleasant yet peculiar statement caused Shiro to tilt her head.

Shiro: [Oh, are they? Who exactly are you referring to, Tete?]

Tequi: [No time to talk! Bye, Roro!]

Accepting the archer’s words, Shiro waved off to her friend and received a wave back. Slowly, the spirit faded, leaving only a cloud of smoke like there had been before. Only now, the smoke was far less in quantity than Shiro had previously seen.

Kōkatsu: [Wanna go again, Shiro? We’ve got jus’ enough for one more, and I’m sure there’s someone else ya wanna talk to.]

Her previous hesitation did not matter. If she was able to call out to her friend, then so be it. Looking at the smoke in front of her, Shiro smiled as she puffed up her chest again.

Shiro: [Alright, Vivi! Now it’s your turn! Get out here!]

For a few seconds, the smoke continued to move as normal.

Past that time, the smoke… was still moving, as it would.

Shiro stood from her hunched posture, confused as to why nothing had happened. However, a helpful tip was given by her friend close by.

Kōkatsu: [Sometimes they need a little provocation of sorts. My girls like to use this to speak to their families, but some of them need a few more words than jus’ a call.]

Shiro: [Oh, I understand now. Alright! Here goes nothing!]

Flaunting her hands in the air, Shiro flamboyantly spoke a lie to the spirit she hoped would form.

Shiro: [You know, Devi, I forgot to mention this before, but in actuality, Xander and I had ten children in total! For each child I mentioned, it was actually triplets!... Which you would think would lead to only nine… but in the last batch, we had a surprise fourth! Therefore, ten children in total! What do you think about that, hmmm?]

The smoke continued to move.

Once a few seconds passed…

Nothing changed.

Shiro was once again confused, but it was no longer just her. The kitsune above her were also bewildered as to what was happening.

Kōkatsu: [Kaoru, we have enough incense in here for another visit, right?]

Kaoru: [More than enough. I don’t understand why she isn’t, but Miss Devi should be here.]

Kōkatsu: [The hell is goin’ on? We’ve never had this happen before…]

Looking towards the smoke, Shiro somberly called out to her friend one last time.

Shiro: [Devi…]

Though the Incense Hall was made so that those who were grieving could speak with the dead, a strange disturbance had occurred.

Devi Bloodfire, the woman who had passed on to the next world over, would not show her face in this hall.

△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼

Once Shiro and the kitsune were teleported back to the Babylon District, the group made their way to the nearby hospital, where many who fought in the previous battle were being treated. Shiro had split up from the three, choosing to visit her own troops who were in the same building alongside Ryuka. In regards to the oni girl, she had made a sudden request to Shiro. For unknown reasons, she wanted to search for the two succubi sisters within Shiro’s crew. Accepting her request, Shiro nodded and saw her off, watching as the girl exited the hospital and ran across each building of the town to find them.

Now alone, Shiro made her way to each of the rooms in the hospital. The first that she visited, of course, being that of an angel in a white gi with hair of the same color and orange eyes. Looking back up at Shiro after staring at his own fist, the angel smiled.

Hidari: [I’m glad that you’ve come to visit me, Lady Shiro!]

Shiro: [Of course! What kind of leader would I be without stopping by to see my retainers?]

Moving over to the front of the bed, Shiro looked at Hidari’s healing wounds from his battle against his deathly sharp opponent.

Shiro: [For being in such rough shape, I’m shocked that you walked out of there without a wince of pain.]

Looking back down at himself, Hidari examined the foot that once had a knife firmly lodged into it, now healing back perfectly.

Hidari: [If I was the same Hidari from the past, I’m sure that would be true. The me that studied every single day, waiting for my own answer, and then casting a shadow on that goal. I’m sure he’d never make it out of this alive.]

Shiro: [You’ve never told me about your past very much, Hidari. Why is that?]

The angel’s orange eyes looked back up to the goddess he served.

Hidari: [I figured that you wouldn’t be interested. Rather, you likely would have no need to know about it.]

Shiro: [You’re right. I don’t. The Hidari I know seems much stronger than the one I’ve heard of. If there’s nothing to hold the new Hidari down, then that means whatever happened in the past to stop this breakthrough is gone.]

Kind looks were exchanged between the two, only for Hidari to then look back to his fist once more.

Hidari: [I think much of that comes from you and Mrs. Fuloreen, Lady Shiro.]

Shiro: [Oh? How so?]

Hidari: [The only thing that held me back was that shadow I spoke of. My dojo, the foundation I built yet never continued to build upon. Had I stayed there, I likely would have never reached this point. Sure, I received all kinds of wounds by abandoning it. However, I’ve received far greater strength than ever before because of that choice. Your trust in me, along with Mrs.Fuloreen’s own, the trust to carry out in using the Babylon Way style, I’ll take it with gratitude.]

What Shiro had witnessed in Hidari’s eyes, that looked back up at her like a scorching flame, was a ferocious determination she had never seen out of the man before. Instinctively, her eyes widened in shock by the instant change.

Hidari: [Make no mistake, Lady Shiro, I promise I shall finish my battle and become the instructor you desired! This time, I won’t let it end the same way as before! I’ll bring an end to what I’ve started and prove my worth!]

The white succubus’ lips curved into a smug grin.

Shiro: [I suppose that means you were holding back in your previous battle?]

Hidari: [Well, holding back might be an odd way to put it. In a sense, I was fighting with every ounce of my strength. But when it comes to my tricks…]

The sound of crackling filled the air as Hidari’s clenched fist was wrapped in a thick layer of ice.

Hidari: [... then yes, I was holding back quite a bit!]

Giving a small laugh of an exhale, Shiro slowly made her way to the door, uttering her confident words to her subordinate.

Shiro: [I’m trusting you with that duty, Hidari.]

Hidari: [Of course, Lady Shiro!]

The conversation between the demonic captain and her angelic officer came to a close. Shiro headed down the hall with a new breeze of confidence filling her hair. She knew that Hidari could be trusted with the tasks given to him, thus a pure relief was bestowed upon her soul. With their chat now over, Shiro made her way to the next room she sought after.

However, her face grew more and more puzzled as she traveled through the hall, as she had noticed several nurses standing near a door, worried about someone inside. In front of them was Kiyomi, who tried to be as gentle as she could to not break down the entire wall, but also rough enough to open the door. Despite her immense strength and well defined muscle that decorated her body, the door did not budge a single bit. Moving over to them, Shiro attempted to receive an answer for this confusion.

Shiro: [Hey, Kiyomi! What’s going on here?]

Looking over to the goddess, Kiyomi gave a quick “Ah!” and released a hand from the door to instead point at.

Kiyomi: [It’s Migi! I’m not sure why, he won’t really say much, but he’s locked himself inside his room and now the nurses can’t get in! They’re all worried about him and so am I!]

Shocked by the mention of Migi, Shiro swiftly ran over and knocked on the door.

Shiro: [Migi! What’s happened?! Why are you keeping everyone out?!]

The muffled yet echoed voice of a familiar incubus could be heard inside the room.

Migi: [Sorry, Rockin’ Lady Shiro. As it stands, right now, I’m not good enough to have your trust.]

Shiro: [What are you talking about, Migi?! You’re not making any sense! Open the door and we can have a conversation about why you feel this way!]

Migi: [It’s not something that simple. Unfortunately, I’m still not good enough to beat down some tougher foes. If I’m gonna serve the strongest warrior in the world, then I’ll need to match that skill as best as I can. My weapons are good, but not enough. Therefore, I’m going back to my roots. Because even if my factory was something that only made me worse…]

Unbeknownst to those outside, Migi from within the room had looked down at a toy in his hand. More specifically, a toy robot that he had built when he was young. He then looked up, much higher than the toy, to something greater.

Migi: [... there was still a place in my life that I should have never forgotten.]

Casting her eyes down, Shiro’s hair covered the crimson gems that were once there. Calmly, she spoke to her commander.

Shiro: [Migi, even if you believe that you’re not good enough for my trust, can I trust you with whatever you’re doing?]

Much like Hidari before him, a change Shiro had never experienced before had occurred. Migi’s voice, the often energetic and bombastic personality displayed with his shouting, was calmed into a serious tone. A tone that resembled all the progress he had made and still needed to conquer, in order to serve the one he had pledged his allegiance to.

Migi: [... Of course, Lady Shiro.]

Without the use of his usual “Rockin” catchphrase, the incubus affirmed Shiro’s trust. Backing away from the door, Shiro nodded to the one who could not see her, before signaling the nurses and Kiyomi away. While the nurses hesitantly left, Kiyomi stuck around, looking at Shiro, ready to question why she had accepted what Migi was doing. Without a response, Shiro walked away from the door, leaving Kiyomi by herself. The kitsune looked to the door and clenched her fists, before leaving just like the goddess had done.

△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼

Due to the new member of the household, who was being treated at a constant rate, Kagami Zennami had chosen to stay in the hospital for the remainder of her recovery. It was true that this was not a necessary choice to make, however Kagami did not want to be a burden to Kaoru or any of the others who were currently helping the man many of them had started referring to as Father. Sitting on her hospital bed, with several bandages wrapped around her shoulders and forehead, Kagami kicked her feet in the air and watched as she did so. Her attention was then grabbed by a soft sound of steps being produced from the hallway. Moving her yellow eyes over, the kitsune witnessed an equally yellow cat girl who stared at the ground as she walked, only to then look inside the room and see Kagami, leading to a quick shout of “Ah!” as she ran back to where she came from. That was until–

Kagami: [Bachi!]

The soft running from down the hall stopped, followed by more sounds of fur and paws tapping the floor, leading to the reappearance of Bachi. With her eyes still casted down, Bachi reluctantly entered the room. Every time she looked up, she could see a stern Kagami, whose arms were now crossed.

Bachi: [... S’my fault. I know.]

Kagami: [That’s not why I’m upset, Bachi.]

Bachi: [It should be. That snake lady got hurt ‘cause of me. Plus, I yelled at her a bunch before that. If I wasn’t stupid, she’d be okay.]

Kagami: [But it isn’t why I’m upset.]

The fox’s eyes drifted to a nearby vase of flowers.

Kagami: [It’s certainly true that, if you had not recklessly charged and attacked our opponent, Miss Poi would be alright. However, I’ve forgiven you for that after you saved her. I believe that was more than enough.]

Bachi: [If that’s not why n’yar upset, then what is?]

The bright yellow eyes looked back to the same on the opposite side.

Kagami: [Bachi, have you not visited her at all? You haven’t apologized or anything of the sort? I’m very thankful that you saved her as I had asked, but that does not change what was done. Why have you not spoken with Miss Poi?]

Gripping tightly at the door, Bachi's mouth started to wiggle as she tried to speak. Kagami had noticed that she had upset the girl and wanted to comfort the girl out of instinct, but chose to wait before doing so as she wanted to hear what Bachi might say.

Bachi: [... She probably hates my guts. I would too. I won’t be able to look her in the eye. I’m the reason she got hurt, so I might as well be a murderer standin’ right in front of her. She’d have every reason to kill me on the spot.]

The ears on top of Kagami’s head lowered somberly.

Kagami: [Poor child… I can’t imagine what world you’ve grown used to in order to create such an image of people…]

To her knowledge, Bachi was someone Shiro had picked up in the week Kagami had not seen Shiro. After meeting the cat girl, she seemed to have a rough relationship with Shiro where Bachi did not enjoy taking orders from Shiro in the slightest. Her reason was unknown, but the harsh nature of Bachi reminded Kagami of the occasional kitsune slaves she and Kōkatsu had saved. Some were distraught, some were hollow in appearance, but there were some who displayed a wrathful gaze to the two, as if the whole world around them was at fault. Of course, the children would eventually warm up to the family, but that took a great deal of time and an immense bundle of love. Bachi was likely in the same boat, is what she had thought. A girl presented with so many horrors that the world around her only seemed cruel. A kind soul that should not have received the fate they were given. Shiro had broken that curse, but it was only now starting to take effect.

Using what she knew best from those experiences, Kagami softly spoke to Bachi.

Kagami: [Bachi, it will be alright. I’ll make a deal with you. So long as you speak to her, even if just a word, I will be ready. Should anything harsh occur, I will step in and scold Poi for her rudeness. However, I will only do so as long as you talk to her. Can you do that for me?]

Looking back up at Kagami, Bachi took a deep breath after seeing the calm, gentle eyes of the kitsune.

△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼

Laying on a hospital bed was a member of the Silvia Bloodfire camp, Poi. Though she lived a life that had led to her belief that she was an unwanted child who was born to never have a single friend around her, she continued to stride forward with a smile thanks to the lady that loved this lamia. She had grown acquainted with several other parties and the members of them, but she had never truly built a connection to them. In her mind, she had lived to serve her lady, Silvia. While she laid on the hospital bed, Poi was met by a guest. This guest, despite only ever being visited by one, was not Silvia Bloodfire, but instead–

Poi: [Ah! Bachi!]

Smiling to the cat girl that frowned back, Poi watched as Bachi slowly entered the room, making her way over to the side of the bed and slumped herself onto it.

Bachi: [... Hi.]

Poi: [Hello! How have you been doing, Bachi? You look rather ssssad right now… Issss everything alright?]

Bachi: [... Can I ask a question?]

Poi: [Ssssure! Go ahead!]

Not matching the lamia’s energetic happiness at all, Bachi’s depressed tone continued to ripple through the room.

Bachi: [Do n’ya hate me?]

Surprised by the question, Poi rapidly shook her head, causing her long blue hair to flap in the wind and strike her face.

Poi: [N-no! Not at all, Bachi! Why would you think that I do?]

Bachi: [... I came here to say sorry ‘bout what happened, and that’s what I’m gonna do. I’m sorry ‘bout me bein’ a big, dumb idiot and causin’ n’ya to get hurt along with the whole yellin’ at n’ya. I didn’t mean for any of that to happen. But after bein’ the reason that n’ya got hurt, I thought n’yad hate me for doin’ reckless shit like that…]

A shadow was casted over Bachi’s face, created by Poi who leaned over from her side of the bed. On her face, the same kind smile as before was shown back to Bachi.

Poi: [But you ssssaved me, correct? I believe you’re much better than I had exsssspected before for doing ssssuch a thing!]

Just like Kagami had done when Bachi spoke to her, Bachi’s eyes drifted to a nearby vase.

Bachi: [... I was screamin’ and cryin’. Isn’t that lame?]

Poi: [Not at all! You cared that I wasssss hurt! That touched me greatly!]

Bachi: [... I really don’t understand anyone. Why would n'ya forgive someone that hurt n’ya, and then play it off like it was a cool thing?]

Poi: [Becaussse I think that wassss cool of you to do, Bachi! I wasssss very impresssssed by your sssskillssss in battle, but you alsssso ssssshowed me that you have a kind heart assss well!]

Moving her eyes back to Poi, Bachi shook her head.

Bachi: [I really don’t get it.]

Poi: [Sssspeaking of you, Bachi, I heard the Missss Sssshiro sssswore you into her team! Congratulationsssss!]

Bachi: [Thanks… Woah!]

Without warning, Poi had grabbed Bachi’s hands and raised her into a seated position. Clasping them together, she continued to speak to Bachi with a pleasant look.

Poi: [Now that you’ve been ssssworn in, do you have an ansssswer to what I had assssked before? Would you like to be friendssss? The two we ssssserve are friendsssss, which would make it fitting for the two of usssss to be the ssssame!]

Circling her eyes around the room, Bachi tried to concoct a response.

Bachi: [I… well… I…]

Poi: [Issss that… a no?]

Snapping her eyes back to Poi’s sad face, Bachi frantically spoke as quickly as she could.

Bachi: [N-no, no! I mean, no, I’m not sayin’ we can’t be friends, I jus’...]

It was only then that the cat girl had started to calm down.

Bachi: [I’ve never had friends before, so I don’t really know what that’s like or what I’m supposed to do. That’s why I’m not sure. S’not a no, but at the same time, I don’t know that I can say yes either.]

What she had expected to see when she looked back up was the same face she had seen before Poi was injured. A crying, soppy mess of a lamia sitting in front of her. Instead, she saw the same smiling woman as before, who nodded and understood what Bachi was saying.

Poi: [I ssssee! In that casssse, I sssshall call you my friend for now, and it will be your own choisssse if you would like me to be the sssssame for you! I’ll wait to hear your ansssswer, no matter how long it takessss!]

Confused, yet happy that Poi understood, Bachi stuttered as she tried to nod back.

Bachi: [O-oh! Alright, I guess I can do that… Yeah…]

Standing by the door, watching the two speak, was a smiling kitsune with white hair and yellow eyes.

Above her stood a familiar succubus with the same color in her hair and red eyes..

Together, the two watched the scene that unfolded. Muttering so that only the kitsune alone could hear her, the demonic goddess spoke.

Shiro: [I’m proud of you, Bachi.]

At one point in time, Bachi did not enjoy Shiro’s presence in the slightest and often acted brash towards others. Her method of referring to Shiro being that of “White Lady.”

After a week with her, Bachi grew more open and even enjoyed speaking with Shiro from time to time, but still had a harsh temper to her. Shiro’s name had also changed in her mind to that of “Schmiro.”

It was only now that Bachi had changed into her truest self. Finding peace in the woman who took care of her, who she lovingly referred to as “Lady Shiro.”

The race between them… It no longer mattered. The ability to protect the one she cared about most, something she could not do when she was held captive long ago, was now her new goal.

The shirt she wore being the symbol of her pride, the Shiro Fuloreen demonic birthmark.

△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼

As Shiro made her way back home from the hospital, her ears caught the sounds of arguing by her front door. Mainly that of one individual shouting, while the other tried to speak to the other as calmly as they could yet always sounding out of breath. Turning the corner to arrive at the entrance, Shiro witnessed the two sisters she was familiar with speaking to each other.

Sena: [I’m not lying, Tari! I felt a small hand touching my hand before, and when I went to look, there was a tiny person right beside me! I went to look for them after I called you, but they vanished while I wasn’t looking!]

Tari: [How does that make any sense?! People don’t vanish, Sena! You must have imagined them or something because no one was here when I ran over!]

Sena: [But it was real! I know it was real!]

Halting their conversation for a moment, the two looked to the side and saw Shiro, who they then rushed over to speak with.

Tari and Sena: [Lady Shiro! Listen to this!]

Raising a finger up, Shiro pointed to Tari.

Shiro: [One at a time. Tari, please continue.]

Tari: [Sena, allegedly, felt someone touching her hand.]

Sena: [Mhm! Mhm!]

Tari: [When she went to look over, presumably, she saw a kid. I ran over to check since she was shouting for me to come see them, but as soon as I came by, no one was there.]

Sena: [They vanished into the air, Lady Shiro!]

Tari: [They did not vanish, Sena! People don’t do that!]

Moving her curious eyes over to Sena, Shiro raised an eyebrow.

Shiro: [How quickly did they disappear since you saw them, Sena?]

Sena: [At least a second… I think! After I called Tari, as soon as I turned back, they were gone.]

Nodding and rubbing her chin, Shiro came to her decision.

Shiro: [I see. In that case, I believe Sena is telling the truth.]

Tari: [Wha–]

Sena: [Yay! They vanished!... Oh no! They vanished! Lady Shiro, what are we going to do?!]

Ignoring Tari, who was also surprised, Shiro calmly rubbed Sena’s shoulders to reassure her.

Shiro: [You don’t need to worry, Sena. They haven’t vanished. They’ll be back whenever they feel like, or they might be back now, hiding away somewhere.]

Tari: [But I don’t get it, Lady Shiro. How the hell does someone disappear out of thin air?!]

Shiro: [You’ll understand in due time, Tari. Spend enough time around me and I’m sure that won’t be the only occasion where you’ll see that trick.]

At that moment, a new thought snapped into Shiro’s head.

Shiro: [Oh, that reminds me, have either of you spoken with Ryuka yet? She had asked me earlier if she could leave the hospital to talk to you two but I saw her running around town shortly after.]

Tari: [Yeah, she would be doing that. As for seeing her, no, we haven’t yet. If she wants to talk, she better have a good reason to. I’m not gonna forget about our previous few encounters.]

Sena: [On the topic of speaking, however, Tari and I wanted to speak with you privately, Lady Shiro!]

Smiling to the two, Shiro gave a combined hug to the both of them. Both their faces quickly lit up, causing their arms to shoot forwards as they tried their hardest to give a hug back.

Shiro: [Sure! I’ll make some tea for us and we can chat as much as you’d like to!]

Tari and Sena: [Y-yes, Lady Shiro! We’re honored by this privilege!]

Though Shiro had known that the two cared about her greatly, she found their reactions perplexing, completely unaware of how strong that care was.

△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼

Sitting by the dining room table, the three succubi enjoyed some tea as they spoke.

Tari: [I guess there’s a lot to speak about, but I think we both wanna start off by saying that we’re sorry for the trouble we’ve caused.]

Shiro: [It’s alright. The two of you were forced to fight with your lives on the line. I don’t blame your actions in the slightest.]

Sena: [It’s not just that though, Lady Shiro…]

From Sena’s ominous statement, Shiro’s curiosity rose.

Tari: [I’m sure you noticed that for the past week now we’ve been… stalking you.]

Shiro: [Indeed. I could tell there were some familiar presences nearby very often, but I never bothered to check. It was only during my dinner with Devi that I remembered the two of you, as well as yesterday.]

Sena: [Are you upset at us for that, Lady Shiro?]

Calmly, Shiro smiled at the two and held their hands.

Shiro: [I swore you into my team, did I not?]

Tari: [Y-yes, Lady Shiro. You did. However, I think that–]

Shiro: [Then that is more than enough proof that I’m not upset. The two of you, despite what you may have done, are very pure. I can see it in your faces. Even if trained to kill, your eyes have a great deal of compassion behind them.]

Struggling to hold herself together, Tari clasped onto Shiro’s hand with both of her own. Her face roughly quivered, fighting back the urge to cry, which led to Sena shifting her chair over and holding her sister.

Sena: [It’s alright, Tari. It’s alright.]

Tari: [Dummy… I’m not gonna cry…]

Biting down on her lip, Tari forced herself to continue without showing any tears.

Tari: [We’re also sorry about Miss Tequi. We’re not responsible for what happened, we know that already. But she’s a friend of our family.]

Tari’s statement had caused a sudden rise in intrigue from Shiro.

Shiro: [Your family is close with Tequi?]

Sena: [Miss Tequi helped our family many times, and our family did the same for her. But unfortunately, neither of us ever met Miss Tequi.]

Tari: [We weren’t aware that we were fighting her until after the fact. We knew what you looked like thanks to the broadcast, but we never met Miss Tequi in person. I feel horrible whenever I think about it. I called her an old hag and made Sena show her something terrible.]

Sipping her tea, Shiro gently placed her cup back onto the plate and spoke to Tari.

Shiro: [If it makes you feel better, she can hear you from the other side just fine. I’m sure she’s forgiven you by now and is proud of your skills. You’ve likely lived up to your family’s name in her mind.]

Shifting her hand, Shiro started to touch Tari’s palms with her fingers.

Shiro: [Regardless of whatever it may be, I want you to focus on where you are now, Tari. I will help you, however I can–Tari?]

The pink haired girl had jolted up from her seat, planting her arms onto the table and bowing as she slammed her head against it. Sena rapidly waved her hands, nervous over her sister’s condition and wondering if she needed any healing.

Tari: [Please, Lady Shiro! I don’t care what it is, let me do something to repay you! Both of us! Being in your presence is something we don’t deserve, but you’ve let us stay with you despite that! Sena and I need to repay the woman who has given us this opportunity, however we can!]

Slowly raising herself out of her chair, Shiro tried to calm Tari down.

Shiro: [I don’t necessarily need anything from you, Tari–]

Tari: [PLEASE!]

That was until Tari raised her head and hands again, slamming them back into the table. The cups were lifted into the air, but luckily, were not broken as they landed back onto the plates. Lowering her eyes, Shiro tried to think of what she could ask from them. They did not need to pay her back, but they would not accept no for an answer. It was thanks to that conundrum that Shiro could create the perfect solution for both parties.

Shiro: [Tari, you now serve me, correct?]

Tari: [Yes, Lady Shiro! Whatever you request, I shall do so immediately!]

Shiro: [In that case, I’d like to ask you, where would you like to be positioned within my group?]

Raising her head, Tari’s wide eyes shone back at Shiro with a pink glamor. One that was rarely seen from a girl so serious. A trail of blood from where she had hit her head started to move down her face, which was removed by Sena as she both wiped the blood off and healed the wound.

Tari: [Where I’d like to be positioned, Lady Shiro? It’s a bit selfish… but if I could be by your side like the others…]

Shiro: [You already are, Tari. I shall keep you and your sister by my side at all times. However, what I am asking is what you would like to do.]

Tari: [What I would like to do?]

Shiro: [Mhm. For example, Hidari plans on teaching those in our army how to use the Babylon Way style. Then there’s Migi, who shall handle construction and artillery, along with vehicles we may need. Bachi plans on assisting with recruiting those who would like to join us, since she doesn’t want others to end up in a similar situation that she was stuck in once. But now I’m curious, what would you like to do?]

Understanding Shiro’s question, Tari tried to come up with an answer, but noticed the cloak around her along with the sai she hid inside.

Tari: [... You’ll need someone to grab intel or check the positions of enemies, right? I’ll be the head of the scouting division. I’ll train anyone new who wants to focus on that field, while also searching for whatever info we need myself.]

Confirming it, Shiro gave a slow nod and smiled back at the girl.

Shiro: [That’s a good choice for someone with your skill. Sena? How about you?]

Trying to find her answer, Sena came to nothing.

Sena: [Hmmm… I’m not really sure, Lady Shiro… There’s not very much that I’m good at…]

Tari: [Science!]

Noticing her sister’s distress, Tari interjected with a quick shout.

Shiro: [Hm?]

Tari: [Science, studies, all that type of stuff! Sena is great at that! She might not seem like it sometimes, but Sena is incredibly smart! If you make her the head of studying records or the head of a science division, she’ll work miracles! On top of that, she’s great with scouting as well! You could make her the vice scouting captain, right behind me!]

Looking over at Sena, Shiro watched as the purple haired woman nodded with what Tari was saying, despite the fact that she could not come to a conclusion of her own before. The crimson eyes then moved back to Tari, and the mouth below them formed into a smile like many times before.

Shiro: [Tari, I’d like to ask you something, and I want only the truth when you answer.]

Tari: [Yes, Lady Shiro. Please, tell me what it is you’d like to ask.]

Shiro: [You love your sister dearly, don’t you?]

The short succubus’ pinkish-red eyes moved over to the purple succubus beside her, before moving back to the white one.

Tari: [... Yes, Lady Shiro. My sister shows me a great deal of love, and while I often complain at her, I love her a great deal as well.]

Overjoyed by the shared love between sisters, Shiro clasped her hands together and collected the teacups.

Shiro: [Right then. The head of my scouting division, and the head of the science division along with the vice head of scouting. From now on, that shall be the roles you two will fill. For the time being, I’m going to quickly wash these and head out to find Ryuka. I wanted to speak to her as well. As for you two, go enjoy the nice weather. That’s an order.]

Tari and Sena: [Yes, Lady Shiro!]

With her demand given, the two rushed out of the house after Shiro finished speaking. Of course, not before bowing, both after the talk as well as before they opened the door.

Looking back at them, Shiro smiled.

Shiro: [In some ways, I’ve started to think of all of them as my children. However, I think those two might be the most child-like.]

△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼

Exiting Shiro’s house, the succubi sisters performed a double high five and turned to leave, setting their sights on the nearby shops. Before they could make their way to the market, however, the two had bumped into an oni girl with jet black hair and a katana by her side. The face of the oni sparked as soon as she saw the two, causing an annoyed reaction from the shorter pink succubus and a look of surprise from the purple succubus standing at the same height as the oni.

Ryuka: [Tari! Sena! I was looking for you two!]

Tari: [Great. We were hoping you wouldn’t show up.]

Ignoring the verbal jab, Ryuka looked towards Sena and moved to speak with her. Stopping her before she could was Tari, who pulled out a single sai and placed it between them.

Tari: [Hey, watch it. Don’t get near my sister because you feel like it, jackass.]

Accepting this distance, Ryuka shifted her body down and gave a full bow to Sena, with her head placed onto the ground beside her hands.

Ryuka: [Please, I’d like for you to use your ability on me, Sena.]

Tari: [Hold on, there’s two problems with your request. First off, we don’t like you.]

Sena: [Well, if I’m being honest, Tari–]

Tari: [Second, why the hell do you want my sister using her ability on you?]

Ryuka: [I understand your disdain for me, and I understand your confusion. I simply just want to know what lies ahead for me. I don’t care what it is or what I’ll see, I want to know if my brother will be alright or anything else that may help me to keep moving forward!]

Sena: [Ah! Well that’s easy! All I have to–Tari?]

Once again, Tari held out her hand to stop any movement between them.

Tari: [That still doesn’t change the first problem. What exactly do you expect to gain from us? We won’t let scum like you use us, even if you’re on the same side as Lady Shiro.]

Ryuka: [Then I’ll apologize for all of it! I’m sorry for all that I’ve done! Threatening the two of you, attempting to kill you, everything! If I must atone, then I will do whatever is necessary! Just please give me the opportunity to see what lies ahead for me!]

Looking down at Ryuka, Tari walked over and placed a shoe in front of her, causing the oni to raise her head in confusion.

Tari: [Lick it. Do that and I’ll allow it.]

Turning her eyes back to the shoe, Ryuka’s voice did not waver but asked a simple question.

Ryuka: [If I clean your shoe with my tongue, that will be all?]

Taken aback by her unchanging resolve, Tari gained a newfound surprise coursing through her veins.

Tari: [H-huh?! Oh, uh, yeah. That’s what I–Woah!]

Ryuka: [Then I shall do what I must!]

Grabbing the foot and pushing her tongue past her lips, Ryuka made her way to the shoe with the cleaning tool of Tari’s choice. Before she could continue, Tari frantically tried to call out to her while waving her arms.

Tari: [Woah! Woah! Woah! Stop! Stop! I wasn’t being serious! I didn’t think you were gonna actually do that! Chill!]

The succubus moved her foot back to its original spot as the oni sat in front of her, confused as to what she should do. While Tari let out a quick “Phew!”, a voice angrily called out to her from behind.

Sena: [Tari!]

Looking over her shoulder, Tari looked at her sister, who puffed her cheeks out to her.

Tari: [What? She was saying she’d do anything so–]

Sena: [That was very mean, Tari! Besides, she apologized already! Apologize to her or else!]

Tari: [Hah! Or else what?]

Sena: [Or else I’ll tell Lady Shiro about this! Do you think she would support this idea?!]

Clenching her teeth, Tari looked back down at Ryuka and helped her off the ground. Dusting off the sides of her over the shoulders coat, Tari gave a small bow back to her.

Tari: [I’m sorry, Ryuka. I know my tone might make that sound forced, and I’m still not a big fan of you… but I don’t want to upset Sena or Lady Shiro. Besides, we’re a team. Even if I have my own personal opinions, it would probably be best not to have the same relationship as we had on Nero’s team. Therefore–Woah!]

Ryuka: [Thank you! I’m grateful for your kindness!]

Receiving a hug from Ryuka, Tari was quickly overwhelmed once again. Slowly, to remove the awkwardness of the situation, she wrapped her arms around Ryuka as well, performing a forgiving hug between them.

Tari: [Yeah. Sure. Thanks, I guess.]

As their hug ended, Tari moved to the side and waved for Sena to come closer.

Tari: [Alright, Sena. Do your stuff.]

Sena: [Right!]

Eviscerating her upset look from before, Sena swiftly ran over with a smile. Her palm made its way to Ryuka’s chest, before stopping halfway.

Sena: [I should probably say this ahead of time, but I’m unable to control what the memory will be of. If I tap certain places, that might affect things, but I’ve never really known one hundred percent. Are you sure you still want to, Miss Ryuka?]

Ryuka: [Ryuka. Just Ryuka, Sena. We’re allies, after all. And yes, I’d still like to try it.]

Sena: [Alrighty! I’m glad we’re friends now too! Today keeps getting more exciting! Here comes my hand!]

Once Sena’s palm touched Ryuka’s chest, the world around her was no longer the same. Instead, the space around her was now dark and flipped upside down. The only light provided was from the entrance behind her, and the exit far below the set of stairs laid out in front. However, she also had no control where she was moving to begin with. Those who interacted with Sena’s base matōki ability could not engage in any actions within it, however, this was different than what she was experiencing. Ryuka herself was forcibly being carried by someone. Someone much taller, stronger, and frightening than her. Yet their presence was warm in her heart. She felt oddly light in their arms, but perhaps it was due to how strong they were. Through this future memory, Ryuka looked back up at them, to see a crying face that occasionally stared back at her as they descended the stairs. For some reason, her eye contact with this person felt off. There was someone else she was being carried with, but she did not recognise them at all. While blaring war cries boomed through the exit below her, two voices were far louder, located by the entrance behind her.

And with that out of the way, it’s time for the main course! I hope you don’t mind me roughing up your clothes again! You seemed to be pretty annoyed about it last time.

The last encounter was comparable to that of sliced cheese. This time, you’ll be treated in the Swiss style!

Hah! Look at you! You’re getting better at the whole quip thing! Give it some time and you might nail it!

Opening her eyes back up, tears started to stream down Ryuka’s face as she smiled. However, it was not just her, as Sena and Tari directly beside her had also begun to cry. Tari feverishly tried to wipe them away, while Sena gleefully collected them into the palm of her hands.

Sena: [Ah! Tari, look! It’s just like last time!]

Tari: [Once again, I’m trying to stop smiling… but my cheeks! Won’t! Budge!]

Slapping herself in the face repeatedly, Tari looked at Ryuka with an annoyed smile, providing a creepy face for the oni to see, and pointed towards the front door to Shiro’s house.

Tari: [Anyways, you! Lady Shiro wanted to talk to you, so go speak to her now that you’re done with your shit!]

Wiping off her tears, Ryuka allowed her smile to prosper and gave a nod to the sisters.

Ryuka: [Right! I’ll do so immediately! Thank you both for the help!]

Sena: [It’s no problem at all, Ryuka! Thank you for making me happy with your future!]

Tari: [I’m not thanking you for this. You’re paying me back at some point.]

Ryuka: [I’ll buy you an ice cream or something!]

Tari: [Alright, that works. You’re welcome, by the way.]

Witnessing an unknown future, Ryuka’s courage was lit aflame.

Though she could not ascertain what it meant or when it would happen, she believed this was a sign of good things to come.

△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼

Stepping into the house, the oni walked through and took in the scenery around her. It was nice. Incredibly nice. The furniture, the paints on the walls, the way it had been built, all of it made the house she and her siblings lived in look like a joke by comparison. The night prior, the group had slept at Kōkatsu the Almighty’s house, in the countless extra guest beds that the kitsune had rarely ever used. But now, seeing the house of the woman she served up close, Ryuka was blown away. From behind her, a calming voice made its way over.

???: [Do you like how the house looks?]

Checking to see who this voice belonged to, Ryuka was met with the woman she had expected. A goddess dressed from head to toe in white, with minor differences occasionally seen in the outfit. Whilst responding, Ryuka continued her sightseeing tour.

Ryuka: [Yeah. I wasn’t expecting anything cheap, but at the same time, this is a whole lot more than I thought your house would look like. I assumed everything would be in white, with only a singular floor and a few rooms to it.]

Shiro: [Haha! Well, if I had the opportunity to, I think I’d possibly take that color option. As for the rest, it’s rather hard to accommodate for children with only a few rooms.]

Ryuka: [Oh right! I forgot you had kids!]

Shiro: [Yep. Three lovely children. All of which are still very young.]

Snapping her fingers, Ryuka recalled what she wanted to do next.

Ryuka: [Ah! Right! That reminds me! My–]

Shiro: [Your sister, correct?]

Ryuka: [Yeah! If we’re able to, can we get her out of the Onigashima District and–]

Shiro: [You don’t need to worry, Ryuka. As soon as the carriages are ready to move, you and I will head there immediately and rescue her.]

Ryuka: [Cool! Thanks for the help, Lady Shiro!]

Shiro: [Hmhm… Hmhmhmhm.]

Placing a hand over her lips, Shiro gave a small chuckle.

Ryuka: [Is something wrong, Lady Shiro?]

Shiro: [No, it’s just odd to hear my name come out of your mouth in that way. I wasn’t opposed to it, but it’s certainly strange to hear you refer to me as your lady.]

Ryuka’s right arm was lifted back, scratching her hair as she nervously looked away from Shiro.

Ryuka: [Y-yeah. I guess I haven’t been the nicest for a while now, huh. S-speaking of which, I’m sorry about our previous encounter, Lady Shiro. All I’ve done is be a pain in your ass for the last two weeks.]

Shiro: [Nonsense, Ryuka.]

Flailing her hands in the air, Ryuka tried to deny Shiro’s own denial.

Ryuka: [But it’s true! The first time we met I acted like a big jerk and nearly killed Tari and Sena, then there was our next encounter where I smashed your face up a lot, and there was also yesterday, where I tried to stop you from going to fight Nero so that you could let me onto your team. All around, I’ve been a complete asshole! It’s only thanks to Mrs. Hemobi that I learned I was a little bit more stupid than I thought!]

Puzzled by the name given, Shiro rubbed her chin before the lightbulb in her head flicked on.

Shiro: [Mrs. Hemobi?... Ah, I see. Silvia had a good talk with you, then.]

Ryuka: [Yeah! She sure did! It’s thanks to her that I feel way stronger! But…]

The katana by Ryuka’s side was gripped, grabbing the full attention of her dark gray eyes.

Ryuka: [I’m still not strong enough… Ryuusei got hurt, all because I was too weak… I learned what to do thanks to Mrs. Hemobi, but I’m not nearly good enough to fight Nero… I’m not even sure if I’m good enough to match the others on the team at this point…]

The metal of her sword rattled from within its sheath.

Ryuka: [I’m far too weak, Lady Shiro…]

Feeling the need to comfort the girl, Shiro moved towards her and rubbed her shoulders, slowly curling her into a hug. As she rubbed Ryuka’s back, Shiro calmly spoke to her commander.

Shiro: [Ryuka, you’re far stronger than you could ever believe. You’re one of very few to push me to my limits in battle, which is why I have so much faith in what you’re capable of. But most of all, you’re family now. Regardless of how you may see yourself, regardless of if you believe you are weak or stupid, I believe that you’re far better than any of those rude titles, simply because you’re now a part of my family. It’s not my place to say, but I’m sure your brother would be proud of how far you’ve come. He had his own praise to say during your attack on Nero, remember? Even if you drown yourself in doubt, we will carry you above the surface.]

Releasing the hug, Shiro held Ryuka by the shoulders and looked back at her. For the first time, Ryuka seemed ready to cry if Shiro spoke any further. It was likely not due to her words being perceived as harsh, but rather the encouragement behind them left Ryuka devastated. The goddess contemplated what she could do in order to change Ryuka one final time. Silvia had done most of the groundwork for her, which she was incredibly grateful for, but there was still one piece of the puzzle she needed to put together. Her answer slowly but surely came to her as she looked at Ryuka’s hair. She had never paid attention to it before, but oddly, it was incredibly smooth and well kept. Despite the wild nature of Ryuka, her hair did not display that image in the slightest. Seeing it in such a nice state, Shiro crafted an idea to break Ryuka’s chains. Shoving her hand into the middle of Ryuka’s hair, Shiro constantly shuffled the black hair around, causing a mess.

Ryuka: [Ah! Lady Shiro! What are you doing?!]

Shiro: [Hold on… Almost…. Done! Now, let’s head upstairs to fix this, shall we?]

Ryuka: [But you just ruined my hair! What the hell do you mean fix it?!]

Shiro: [Relax, Ryuka. Let’s not worry about that and go upstairs to fix it.]

Annoyed and reluctant to follow, Ryuka ultimately gave in and accompanied Shiro up the stairs. As the two entered the hall, Shiro pointed to the washroom for Ryuka to fix herself. Still irritated by what was done, Ryuka shot her a frown and stomped her way through, only to then be halted by Shiro.

Ryuka: [You ruined my hair, wanted me to fix it, and now you don’t want me to?! What gives?!]

Shiro: [I’ve realized what’s wrong, Ryuka.]

Ryuka: [Huh?]

Her irritation disappeared. Instead, she wondered what Shiro had seen within her. Gently, Shiro placed her hand along the spots of Ryuka’s hair that she had ruined, gently caressing and flattening it.

Shiro: [The Ryuka Ryoma I see before me is powerful, yet she cannot see that might herself. The oni that put her faith in both me, and her own brother is standing before me, puzzled as to what she should do. So now, I ask you this, Ryuka. If you intend to protect your sister, and grow evermore stronger under my command, who will it be that you look up to? Your brother, or myself?]

Caught in a crossroads, Ryuka tried to utter a name, but failed to choose. The first syllable of “brother” could be heard, which was then replaced “you” only for the cycle to repeat. Without warning, Shiro pulled out Storm from thin air and reflected Ryuka’s image into the green sheen of the sword. On it, Ryuka could see herself, along with Shiro’s arm caressing her hair.

Shiro: [If you take pride in both, then let me ask, why not choose both?]

Ryuka’s distressed look shifted in shape, forming a confident, cocky smile on her face that Shiro had seen so many times before. Before Shiro could put Storm away, Ryuka rushed past her, running directly into the washroom and slamming the door behind her. Inside, Ryuka shouted to the one she served on the other side.

Ryuka: [Lady Shiro! The hair gel! Where is it?!]

Smiling, Shiro spoke in a serious voice back to her.

Shiro: [Third shelf, to the right.]

Ryuka: [What about hair bands?!]

Shiro: [Fourth, to the left.]

Though Shiro could not see anything, the sounds of spraying, spurting, and ruffling could be heard from inside. Occasional echoes of things being knocked over could be heard, which then led to the exclamation of “Shit!” or “Fuck!” to follow suit. After countless minutes of these sounds, the sink was turned on, then off, and the towels being moved around could be heard. From that point, the door quickly slammed open, revealing the Ryoma once again.

Smiling to her just as she did before, Shiro gazed upon the mighty warrior.

Shiro: [You look perfect.]

With her spiky hair that descended down her body, which was then tied into a ponytail, a grand rebirth was made.

The oni girl who idolized her tenacious brother, Ryuusei Ryoma, and the goddess of white whom she served, Shiro Fuloreen, crafted a new version of herself to represent both with pride in her heart.

The true Ryuka Ryoma had finally arrived.

Ryuka: [I’m sorry to keep you waiting, Lady Shiro! I’m ready now!]

△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼

In the mailbox of Shiro Fuloreen and Xander Bloodfire’s house, a single letter was left. On it, the name Night was written across it.

To Shiro Fuloreen and/or Sir Xander Bloodfire,

Hello. I’m certain that I will not need to speak of these things, nor would it matter to whomever it may concern, however I’d like to address my current status so that you may know. I held a great deal of respect for Lady Devi, and thus, I hold that same respect towards those in her family, especially those she was fond of. Maybe it’s a lack of free will, but I’m not so sure about that. Regardless, I wanted to at least let the two of you know where I was now. After speaking with Lady Devi the day prior, I’ve begun my own journey as she had proposed for me to do. In some ways, I would have enjoyed the idea of staying by her side, but that option is no longer available. From here, my only choice is to seek out my old friends and speak with them again. Perhaps, much like Lady Devi wanted to do with her own family, I’ll catch up with all that I’ve missed between them. For now, that’s a future that I’ve yet to discover. However, I will trust in both of you, but mainly that of Shiro Fuloreen, to carry on in Lady Devi’s place. If she believes in such a hope, then I do as well. Best of luck in your travels and endeavors. May you be fruitful in the end.

From, Night.

△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼

Once the sun had set, those who were in the hospital had returned home, fully healed from their previous battle. With everyone in Shiro’s army now circling around a table together, the plans for the next battle were discussed. Among the group, the reborn oni, Ryuka Ryoma, laid out the ranks among Nero’s army to add on to the intel. A large scroll of paper was rolled out, which each had a level placed one after another. As she spoke, Ryuka pointed to each of the ranks.

Ryuka: [To start off, Nero’s group is divided into a ton of sections. Calling us the lowest of them all would be odd, since there’s a few others that also fit into that category, but our group was one of those few that were at the bottom. From there, there’s a rank above us. For simplicity, let’s just call it Rank Two. The guys in Rank Two are a lot stronger than Nero’s basic soldiers, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re better than us. For one thing, my brother and I had overheard talks of our own ranks possibly being raised. More specifically, Ryuusei would have ascended to about Rank Three, while I’d be placed in Rank Two. If that bastard was willing to keep Tari and Sena around, I’m sure they’d also be put into Rank Two.]

Tari: [You’d bet we were.]

Once Tari had interjected, Shiro took the opportunity to step into the discussion as well.

Shiro: [I would like to ask then, Ryuka. If that were the case, why were neither of you raised prior to those talks you had heard?]

Ryuka: [I can understand your confusion, Lady Shiro. My brother and I were still new to the team. Our first demonstration in battle was when he had fought Devi Bloodfire and I fought you. It was thanks to that demonstration that the talks of our raises were held. As for Tari and Sena, it’s merely speculation, but I believe the two of them would have risen from the first rank easily.]

Sena: [Aw! You’re too kind, Ryuka!]

Giving a polite bow to the smiling Sena, Ryuka continued to speak.

Ryuka: [Next, we have the rank that Ryuusei would have been in, Rank Three. The people there are far more skilled than the rest. I hate to say it, but a large majority of them haven’t been used. The two battles prior were ones in which they were withheld.]

Hidari: [Meaning this next fight, we’ll likely encounter them, correct?]

Ryuka: [Exactly. I’m not saying our odds are against us, a victory is still possible. However, it only means that our battle against them will be far tougher than anything you’ve experienced before.]

Migi: [That just means we’ve gotta crush them in a flashy way!]

Bachi: [Flashy bits aside, there’s more, right?]

Halting Migi’s intense personality, Bachi redirected the conversation back to the matter at hand.

Ryuka: [There are two left. I’ll say this now, I have no idea what the highest rank is like. The only thing I’m aware of is that a man named Shimba is placed in that rank with a few others. Who and where they are, along with Shimba’s own whereabouts, are completely unknown. If we encounter any of them in battle, that’s when I’d say our odds aren’t in our favor. More importantly, there’s the rank between that highest level and Rank Three. Obviously, we’ll call it Rank Four. The people in Rank Four are the strongest we could possibly find in our next battle, assuming nobody from the highest are there. Unfortunately, the soldiers in Rank Four basically serve as candidates for the highest. Backups in case something goes wrong and someone on the higher end winds up dead.]

Though their situation was now perhaps dire, Shiro smiled at her team upon hearing of Rank Four.

Shiro: [If this Rank Four should be the highest we find in that battle, then would all of you say you could still defeat them?]

In unison, they all looked back. Their smiles displayed an emotion similar to naivety, but at the same time, it could also be seen as a tremendous flame of bravery. Clenching their fists, they gave their affirmation to their lady.

Shiro’s Army: [Of course we could!]

Adding onto this, the oni girl continued her talk with a smile.

Ryuka: [Rank Four soldiers will be strong, but that doesn’t change how strong we are! As long as we’re protecting you, Lady Shiro, we’re almost invincible!]

A shared sense of warmth filled the space around them. Between master and students, a bond like no other was formed. Regardless of where they came from, how they had lived their lives, what race they were or how they fought in battle, Shiro and her army were all one in the same.

The chat involving the ranks had started to die down, leading into a separate chat entirely from a cat girl who raised her hand.

Bachi: [I got a question, actually. It doesn’t really relate to the whole fightin’ thing, but since n’ya were in that guy’s army, I wanna know. What’s the deal with the whole pollen thing earlier in the week?]

Surprised, Ryuka tilted her head.

Ryuka: [Pollen?]

Migi: [Oh yeah! There were a bunch of weird orange clumps of pollen falling from the air! Mrs.Fuloreen and Miss Devi were really worried about it!]

Placing a hand over her chin, Ryuka tried to recall details she remembered from within Nero’s castle.

Ryuka: [Hmmm. I do remember something like that being discussed, but I don’t know the full details. I’ve never looked into it, so I apologize if my words aren’t enough, but I can tell you what I know. Shortly after our first battle, Nero brought us over to a building where a meeting he arranged had occurred. The meeting was a trade, essentially. The person involved would give him what he needed for something to be made, and in turn, they would be granted temporary survival. It was only when we got back that I overheard some details about it, something about a Decaying Flower Disease.]

Sena: [Do we know where this pollen fell?!]

The group jumped back, surprised by Sena’s loud interruption. Tari, however, quickly picked up on why her sister had changed and looked to Shiro. Nodding her head, Shiro made her way to the door and tried to recall where it fell, with Sena following close behind. The purple succubus then ran back inside to grab a glass from Shiro’s cabinet and scooped the dirt outside, bringing it back into the kitchen. Several other glasses were grabbed, along with products around the house for her to use for makeshift testing. Unhappy by Sena’s use of Shiro’s glasses, Tari tried to stop her.

Tari: [Hey, Sena! At least buy some test tubes before you do that! Don’t ruin Lady Shiro’s stuff! You’re using way too many glasses!]

Shiro: [It’s fine, Tari. I’ll use them to hold candles instead.]

Shutting down the complaint, Shiro looked over to Sena beside her, who was thoroughly examining the glasses as she placed things inside and used products from around the house as she saw fit.

Shiro: [Do you see anything, Sena?]

Straightening her posture, the purple succubus turned so that both Shiro and the rest of the group could see her. She seemed lost in her work, prodding the dirt in one of the glasses with a fork.

Sena: [This is merely a theory, so please do not take it as fact, but this Decaying Flower Disease is rather odd. The specimens in the dirt affected by the pollen seem to do exactly what the name describes, rot and decay. However, there are only some examples where that happens at a fast pace. Others seem to only have minor differences, possibly taking much more time to do so than the rest. Many of these affected samples are simply too far gone to be saved. Once it has started, it’s likely it cannot be stopped.]

Hidari: [Does that mean everyone has been affected by this?! That bastard used something that would kill every last person in the world?!]

Sena: [Scientifically, in the likely short amount of time he could have made such a thing, that would not be possible in the slightest. Luckily, our glasses help show this. It might be hard to see normally, but some of the dirt samples have not been affected at all. In fact, most of them are completely safe. As of now, there are only a rare few that were changed by this disease, with varying results between them.]

Ryuka: [Come to think of it, the person we spoke to mentioned something about one in every hundredth person.]

Pointing to Ryuka, Sena nodded back and looked towards the glasses of dirt behind her.

Sena: [That explains why they’re affected this way. Only a select few are changed by this disease, otherwise, the rest will continue to live as normal. As for symptoms for us, it could range from a severe illness until that rot occurs, to a mere cough with some blood before then. The time, just like the dirt, will range from person to person. That much is clear. What I really don’t know… is if a cure is possible.]

Falling silent, the group no longer knew what to say. An attack they had not expected, one where at least hundreds, possibly thousands across the world would be affected and die from this terrible disease was a far too tragic tale. Unable to do anything about it, they stood in place without a word exchanged. That was until a loud voice spoke out, past Shiro’s front door.

???: [Well, that disease might not be curable, but givin’ people some mercy by takin’ out that bastard will at least put some relief in their hearts!]

Bursting through the door without breaking it was a kitsune with large orange hair, carrying a sack of her back like it was Christmas day. Making her way into the same room as the others, she dropped the bag onto the floor with a smug grin and opened it up.

Kōkatsu: [All of ya can thank yer kind lady for makin’ this request! I’ve gotten a lot better at doin’ this stuff since I was a teen, so this was no sweat off my back! Besides, it gives me somethin’ to do while I talk to my man! ‘Course, Bachi didn’t need any help with this stuff, and Migi was fine on his own, so I decided to only help the rest of ya!]

Due to Kōkatsu’s mysterious entrance, Ryuka had instinctively placed her hand to the side to repel the intruder. However, it was only because she placed her hand to the side that she had noticed something was missing.

Ryuka: [Ah! My katana! Where did it go?!]

Acknowledging what Ryuka said, Hidari stepped forward and noticed exactly that. Ryuka’s powerful katana, with a black hilt that could always be seen poking past her over the shoulders coat, was now gone. It was due to the fact that he stepped forward that Hidari had noticed a slightly lighter feeling to his body. Looking down into his gi, he noticed a similar phenomenon.

Hidari: [My nunchaku are missing as well!]

Seeing the similarity between her allies, Sena looked down to the fur boots attached to her feet and opened them by the sides. Once she did, she experienced the exact same sequence.

Sena: [My pistols are missing!]

The only one who wielded weapons of their own, who did not bother to check, was Tari. Instead, she looked towards Shiro and gave a smug grin, receiving the same grin back from the goddess in white.

Shiro: [Thank you very much, Tari.]

Tari: [What can I say, Lady Shiro. My hands are way faster than anyone can see.]

And it was only after Tari had spoken that Kōkatsu pulled two weapons out.

Kōkatsu: [Ryuka!]

Ryuka: [Huh–Woah!]

The girl’s name was the only thing said by the kitsune before she tossed the two items to her. In Ryuka’s hands was the same katana as before, except with a brand new guard, shaped like Shiro’s birthmark and colored in black to match the hilt. In her other hand she held a small wakizashi with the same colors on it, minus, of course, the guard.

Kōkatsu: [I went ahead and sharpened yer katana up a bit. Seemed like it had some good quality to it, so I didn’t really want to make anythin’ new. That said, I felt like ya might want Shiro’s mark as yer guard, so I decided to put it in there! As for the wakizashi, I jus’ figured ya might need it for the occasional close up match. Don’t go usin’ it for s’other purpose, though! I don’t need yer brother yellin’ at me ‘cause his sister tried to pull some stupid shit! Right, next up, we got Hidari!]

Throwing a brand new nunchaku to Hidari, the angel caught it in his hands and looked upon the design. A slick light blue color filling the handles, while the tops and bottoms were decorated in a way that almost resembled ice.

Kōkatsu: [Yer ‘chaku wasn’t bad before, but I figured it could be better. Which is why I made that! A lot more light, with more power behind it than before. Try not to hit yerself with it when practicin’. Ya might break somethin’ if ya do. Next up, Tari!]

Two sai were tossed to the girl, who swiftly caught them in mid air. Landing back on the ground, she gazed upon her weapons, now colored in pink and purple respectively with real, small flowers of the same colors placed near the hilt. They were soft to the touch and did not whittle away under any pressure she applied with her fingers.

Kōkatsu: [Thanks for gettin’ me these weapons! As a gift, I decided to add those flowers on! They took a bit to do, since havin’ flowers on sai isn’t exactly normal, but I made sure to get it done! Of course, I also sharpened them up, changed the color of the sheen, and did my best to extend their reach jus’ a little bit farther! And now, my last gift, which for safety reasons I will personally hand over, Sena!]

Making her way over to the purple haired woman, Kōkatsu placed the pistols into her hands. Her flintlock pistols, which now looked much more refined and adjusted in places, also had different colors to them. One pistol was pink, with a purple flower carved into the side, while the other was purple, with a pink flower carved in to match.

Kōkatsu: [Their range should be better, the grip shouldn’t be too rough, and they shouldn’t get stuck or break at all! Not much I can do for guns like these, but I think this should be sufficient enough!]

The four looked at their weapons, each with amazed smiles on their faces. Perfectly in sync, they all bowed to the kitsune before them.

Ryuka, Hidari, Tari and Sena: [Thank you, Miss Kōkatsu!]

Kōkatsu: [S’no biggie. Jus’ helpin’ a friend out is all.]

Looking over to Shiro, the kitsune smiled and raised an eyebrow.

Kōkatsu: [On the topic of all these upgrades, ya had somethin’ ya wanted to do, right?]

Shiro: [Yeah. Mind holding down the fort while I go outside? I think it’s about time that I talked to them.]

Puzzled by Shiro’s comment, Kōkatsu turned to face her completely.

Kōkatsu: [Them? What do ya mean th–... Oh. Ooooh, I see. Heh. I guess now would be a good time for that, huh? Alright, I’ll take care of the brats. Go on and get what ya need!]

Despite how vague the statement was, Kōkatsu had quickly deduced what her friend had meant. Shiro nodded back to her, making her way to the door and exited her house. A smile rose on her face, happy about the excited mood her crew was experiencing as they prepared for the great battle ahead. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath.

As she opened them again, her smile faded, and she spoke sternly to the sky.

Shiro: [I’m ready to speak with the three of you now! Bring me to your domain!]

No time had passed at all. Not a second nor anything less than that. Instantly, the world around her was dark, leaving only a stone circle that appeared beneath her. Then, a bright light started to push past the space in front of her, growing and growing until it eclipsed the darkness, leaving behind a kingdom of clouds and the sky.

There, three mythical voices spoke in unison.

???: [Welcome, Shiro Fuloreen!]

Around her sat three beasts. A tall, blue dragon, a beautiful red phoenix, and finally, a powerful green kirin.

Dragon: [If you are here to speak with us…]

Phoenix: [Then that means you are ready to receive your gift…]

Kirin: [First, tell us the title you wish to proclaim, and we shall grant that power onto y–]

Shiro: [Before any of that, I’d like to make a request. There’s something I want… No, something I’m going to do. None of you can stop me, but I might as well tell you beforehand.]

Though she stood in front of beings beyond her comprehension, she rudely interrupted them. Though there was not any reason for her to hate them, nor did she truly hate them, she looked back up at the beasts with resentment. Though she was a mere mortal in comparison to them, despite her divinity, she attempted to stand much taller, looking back down at those above her.

With her cold, crimson eyes and a stern, serious voice, Shiro exclaimed her goal.

Shiro: [This system of the gods that you’ve set up. The system that has caused a great downfall in our world. I plan on abolishing it.]

△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼△▼△△▼△▼