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Welcome House on Ōmure-jima, the fourth Sunday of May in 2012, breakfast...

"Ne, ne, Mutsuko-chan?"

"Huh? What is it, nyashii?"

"Doesn't THAT feel so good?"

Hearing that comment from the Weaver of Love Light, the Passionate Moon of the New Year hummed as she gazed inside the rotunda's circular dining hall to see the twelve half-sisters and one twin sister/other-self of their new admiral enjoying a wonderful breakfast whipped up by one Osamu Shirayuki of Nagoya, the "chef princess" of that town known on Yiziba as the Great Chef of the West, Syuosekuo ("Küchenchefin"). As the waves of positive feelings flooded the room from all of them — enhanced by the empathic powers of the oldest and youngest of the group, Sukeyama Sakuya and Saeru Hinako respectively — made the reborn first of her class nod, her cheeks flaming. "Hai, nya!" the adopted native of Sasebo trilled with delight. "It's so good that Shirei-kan has a real family with him now and Tariko-san can get back to recruiting people to be Gifted."

"And we can concentrate on finding our three missing sisters and getting them Gifted, too," Kisaragi Kyōko noted as she gave her older sister a knowing look.

A tired sigh escaped Kisaragi Mutsuko. "Hai! It's a pity we can't do anything about Kikuko-chan since her wreck's still visible above water off the coast of Tulagi. If she disappears because she's Gifted..."

"When the truth of shipgirls is revealed to the public in some way, we go straight for her."

A determined nod answered the adopted native of Maizuru. "Naturally, nyashii...!"

"Eh?! Aren't you girls having something to eat?"

Both reborn destroyers perked as the mauve-haired chef with the headband tied in cat-like "ears" came over. "Ah! Don't mind us, Shirayuki-chan!" Mutsuko stated. "It's just that Kyōko-chan and I are empathic..."

The sixth-oldest of Tariko Katabarbe's and Moroboshi Ataru's half-sisters hummed before she nodded in understanding. "Desu no! Hime understands that! Mutsuko-san and Kyōko-san have to feel good emotions since they felt nothing but bad ones until they got Gifted! Hime wants to make sure you have something good to eat, though!" Here, she patted their stomachs, making Mutsuko and Kyōko yelp in surprise. "Being a trofikinetic, Hime can sense it if Nii-sama's fleet end up not eating right or eat bad food! You make sure your sisters and you come by Nagoya if you fee hungry and need something good to eat, desu no?!"

"Hai!" Mutsuko and Kyōko snapped together, saluting her.

"Now, Hime..."

A telephone on the wall by the kitchen door rang. "...has to answer the phone," the teenage mistress of the kitchen who had won three Iron Chef competitions — two of which happened BEFORE she was Gifted — declared as she walked over to pick up the receiver. "Moshi-moshi. Moroboshi-ke desu no, Hime speaking!"

"Ah, Shirayuki-chan! It's Tsuruya Rumiko."

"Hai, Rumiko-san, what is it?"

"I've got Sakurambō-san now in my apartment begging me to get Ataru-kun to come to town sometime today," the annoyed tones of the Careful Planner of the Circle of Thought echoed over the speaker. "Turns out there's this ghost she needs help exorcising and she thinks Ataru-kun's the right sort of help."

"Why Nii-sama? If it's a ghost, Chikage-chan can handle that! Or even better, Sei-san!"

"Because this girl got a crush on him when she was dying of cystic fibrosis?"

Shirayuki sighed, trying not to shake her head in disgust. Even if she only recently learned of her relationship to the Moroboshi Clan of Mutsu, she knew — as did EVERY Terran-born Yizibajohei on the planet — what had happened to her elder brother-turned-sister in the last year alone. "Rumiko-san, Hime will tell everyone about this silly ghost and they can decide if Nii-sama gets involved in this because Sakura-san's so LAZY...!"

"I'M NOT LAZY!" the voice of a certain shrine miko/school nurse echoed over the line; hearing that, Shirayuki smirked as she realized that Rumiko had her speakerphone on. "YOU GET MOROBOSHI HERE...!"

"DAME DESU NO!" Shirayuki screamed back before she looked over. "Mutsuko-san, call Sei-san! Tell her about this silly ghost and have her go over to get rid of that ghost with a soulsword...!"

"NO! THAT'S TOO HARSH!" Sakurambō Sakura shrieked.

"Why are you saying that, Sakura-san?"

"This girl LOVED Moroboshi!"

Silence.

More silence.

Still more silence.

Then...

"Nii-sama, did you hear that?!"

"Hai, I did!" Ataru's voice echoed from the dining room; there had been speakers attached to the telephone line by Hatoyama Rinrin to allow the family to overhear conversations that might concern them. Given the current state of affairs in Tomobiki at this time, things like this concerned ALL of them! "This better not be a damned trick like you pulled the first time we met, Sakurambō! If it is, I'll get Sei-san to soulsword your MAGIC out your backside just like she gave the soulsword to that so-called 'guardian angel' of yours!"

As Sakura eeped at that threat, Hinako looked at the shipgirls by the main doors. "Mutsuko-chan! Kyōko-chan! You get your sisters to come here right away! We have to get some shopping done for you girls anyway at Esmerelda's!" Here, the Spirit of Innocence grinned. "You can all meet Ten-chan and beat up on Ten-chan's silly cousin in case she tries to be silly with Onii-tama, then you can dress up nice for your dates tonight!"

Mutsuko and Kyōko blinked, then snapped to attention, saluting. "AYE-AYE, MA'AM!"

Everyone in the dining room laughed as the two reborn destroyers raced off...


The End of the Circus: A Tale of the Yizibajohei
Aoba News Omake: The Sisters Draw the Line
by Fred Herriot

Including characters and situations from Highlander, created by Gregory Widen.


Tomobiki, Senshōbu-jinja, an hour before lunch...

"Shinobu-san?"

"Hai, Ryūnosuke-kun?"

"What the FUCK are you doing here, anyway?"

Recoiling as the tea shop "heir" from Chōshi gave her a knowing look, Miyake Shinobu shuddered. Before she could answer, Fujinami Ryūnosuke sighed. "You want to prove what Kiko-san said to your parents yesterday was RIGHT?!" she demanded, making her friend wince. "Especially now that Moroboshi's got these metahumans watching out for his ass?! You've heard what these girls did to Benten-san and Rei, haven't you?!"

Moroboshi Ataru's former girlfriend shuddered as she recalled the videos she had seen of the metahumans who had volunteered for the Imperial Navy version of the Thunder Company project to fight the metahuman side of the Second World War...only to wind up BETRAYED by the Black Dragon Society, hidden away frozen in time somehow until they were found by none other than Imperial Special Agent #49 herself!

Ignoring her friend's shivering as she remembered what Moroboshi Negako could do to those who annoyed her, Ryūnosuke gazed on the so-called "Franken Twins", who had come with their leader and some other toughs from Butsumetsu High School to the shrine today. "So what brings you guys here?" she asked.

"Want to check out these sisters of Ataru," Unbaba Tetsu explained as he gazed on the poor chick who had a complete misogynist sicko for an old man, forcing her to be what she sure as hell wasn't BORN to be. "Heard what went down with Ogin and her pals at the Dobu Salada yesterday with Chikage-san?"

"Kumiko-san told me," the "heir" of Hamachaya answered. "Fuck! Star Wars is real out there somewhere! And Chikage-san actually trained with Darth Vader of all people?! Even found a way to have him knock off old man Palpatine, reunite him with his kids and even his old apprentice Ashoka Tano-san..."

"Regretfully, Anakin-kun's late wife was well beyond saving, gentlemen."

Shinobu awked fearfully on hearing that cold voice before she turned to see a certain teen arch-mage/dark lady of the Sith walk up the last of the stairs from the main entrance, she in her normal dark Gothic-like clothing with cross-embossed white cape, the hood away from her head. As Tetsu's friend Nyōke Tsuguru gazed intently at the new arrival's amethyst eyes before nodding to his friend and his twin brother Hitomi, Hirosaki Chikage proceeded to the nearby chōzuya to do the ritual cleansing of her exposed body. While the locals gaped at such a display from someone who's actual religion was hard to determine given her clothing — to say anything of a certain metal tube hanging partially exposed from under her black lady's smoking jacket — footfalls echoed from the inner end of the sandō leading to the haiden where the kami of Tomobiki were worshipped. "Ah, Chi-...!"

Here, Sakurambō Sakura stopped on seeing that the Dark Heart of Pure Chaos was busy performing her personal cleansing, her jaw dropping with both surprise and obvious respect. By then, footfalls heralded the arrival of several other girls of varying age, all of whom shared the same general eye shape as the just-arrived arch-mage. Immediately, they got into a queue to wait for their sister to finish, then moved to carry out their own ablutions one at a time. By then, Chikage had moved to stand beside Sakura, patiently waiting for Saeru Hinako, Sukeyama Sakuya and an unknown girl with a regal bearing, long black hair done in a high ponytail that stretched to her hips — plus sidelocks — and grey-black eyes piercing a well-shaped face, she dressed quite traditionally in a kimono top, hakama trousers and lace-up high heel boots; she also had a long rokushakubō of all things tucked under one armpit. Gaping at the last one, Sakura then hissed, "Tenhiro Haruka?!"

"Surprised us as well," Chikage noted as the native of Niigata finished before she came over to join them. "Still, it makes sense. Haruka's late mother remembered coming to the place where we might have all been conceived and her birthday would make her the Matriarch in Waiting should something happen to me."

"Where's that?"

A pair of deep amethyst eyes focused on her own grey orbs, revealing a soul that was WAY older than what could be accounted for even for the younger woman's Magical Quest. "Why would I tell you THAT?"

"We don't trust you when it comes to Onii-tama, Sakura-san," Hinako then spoke up. "Hina knows what you did to poor Onii-tama when he tried to get away from that silly Lum-san since his dork parents wouldn't make her go away! Hina also knows of all the food you and that silly uncle of yours eat! There's no way Shirayuki-chan's going to cook for you! Ne, Shirayuki-chan?!" she asked as she gazed towards the shrine torii.

"Desu no!" Osamu Shirayuki said, she winking back knowingly.

As Sakuya pulled away from the chōzuya to let Haruka have her turn to prepare herself for entering the shrine, the Healer of Men's Hearts gave the shrine maiden — who was pretty damned beautiful in her own right, but was engaged and a "holy friend" according to the rimrae umale lurking in the shadows throughout this place — a knowing look. "Agreed. Good thing I forced Onii-sama's parents to finally pay from the funds given to them by Oji-sama instead of stealing from Onii-sama's inheritance like they did. The food bills you two ran up...!"

As Sakura wince from that admonishment, Hinako gazed once more at Shirayuki. "Ne, ne, Shirayuki-chan, you made sure you prepared something nasty for that Rei creep in case he tries to hurt Onii-tama?"

"Hai desu no," the Great Chef of the West said, smiling evilly.

Both Shinobu and Ryūnosuke winced on seeing that nasty stare cross the young master chef's face...


Fifteen minutes later...

Everyone from Ōmure-jima had passed through the chōzuya and had made their way to the haiden, relaxing around a table where a crystal ball sat on a pillow. Satisfied they had met up with blood kin of Tomobiki's most "infamous" resident, Unbaba Tetsu and his friends headed off to meet their peers. As both Miyake Shinobu and Fujinami Ryūnosuke found themselves feeling Tenhiro Haruka's even stare fall on them, their host took a deep breath. "I assume you're holding your brother back for a reason?" she asked as she gave them a knowing look.

"Naturally," the Matriarch of the Moroboshi Clan stated, evenly smiling in return. "Even if that thing that was inside you was ripped out of your body by Sei-chan when the girls had their late Hanami celebration the week the school got wrecked — which should have cleared up your magic if what Chikage-chan sensed of both you and your uncle proved right — your history with Onii-sama leaves a lot to be desired in our eyes."

"Never mind the rather unusual way you practice Shintō," the Matriarch in Waiting of said clan added as she gave the older woman a knowing look. "Which certainly upsets several of our honoured guests, not to mention their co-workers based in Tomobiki to contain the aliens. We have no desire to upset them after what they experienced, so keeping both yourself and your uncle clear of Ani-kun is what will happen from now on."

"So where's this silly ghost that wants to see Onii-tama?" the youngest of the twelve half-sisters asked, looking around. "Hina doesn't like the idea of some silly ghost wanting to hurt Onii-tama!"

"My child wouldn't hurt your brother!"

People turned as a shaking woman about the age of Moroboshi Ataru's mother came out of the shadows. "This is Uneme Noriko-san, ladies," Sakurambō Sakura said, waving to the newcomer, who bowed politely to the younger women. "Her late daughter Nozomi was being treated for cystic fibrosis at the Tomobiki Hostel, which was on your brother's direct route to and from school. She was attracted to him because of his carefree nature, then moved to knit him some winter clothing before her illness overcame her just before Christmas Day."

"Our condolences at such a tragic loss, Uneme no Mae," Haruka said as the others gave the older woman sympathetic looks, even Hirosaki Chikage. "I would assume, Sakurambō-san, that Nozomi-san's living kami did not pass on into the next life and is currently haunting the area where she perished."

"As well as our house," Noriko affirmed.

"Where are the clothes in question?"

Eyes locked on the Dark Heart of Pure Chaos, then Sakura reached underneath the table to pull out a large box, opening it. The sisters gazed into it to see an incomplete scarf, turtleneck sweater, tuque and a pair of mittens, all with the scripted Rōmaji letter A stitched into them. "Chikage-chan?" Sukeyama Sakuya asked.

The teen arch-mage's eyes narrowed as she scanned the clothing before she leaned back. "Not affected by all the akuma, yōkai and the other creatures who've been trapped in Tomobiki since before Lum came and things went insane for Ani-kun, Sakuya. There might be hope for your daughter yet, Mrs. Uneme."

As the older woman's eyes went wide at that statement from a woman who clearly was quite expert in spiritual affairs despite her age, the sisters relaxed. "So what should Onii-tama do?" Saeru Hinako asked.

"Hime knows some recipes for special offerings we could use to allow Nozomi-san to pass on, Chikage-chan," Osamu Shirayuki added. "What did you have in mind when it comes to Nozomi-san and Nii-sama, Sakura-san?"

"My daughter always dreamt of going on a date with your brother, girls," Noriko answered for their host.

The sisters hummed. "Well, it is a dying wish," Sakuya mused.

"Hina thinks Margo-san wouldn't mind that," Hinako added.

"Why would Margo-san want to know, Hinako-chan?" Shirayuki wondered.

"She's visiting Ayumu-chan over in Itabashi, Shirayuki-chan."

"Oh, dear..." Haruka breathed out, drawing a gunsen — a real metal war fan, both their host and Ryūnosuke were quick to see — before she waved it over her face.

"Who's Margo?!"

That was Miyake Shinobu. "Right," Chikage breathed out before her hand reached towards her. "OBLIVIATE!"

Sakura cried out as the bolts of memory-altering magic slammed into both local girls' heads...


The Tomobiki Hostel, an hour later...

"Waa! Nozomi-san's so pretty!"

"Kinda sucks that Anii didn't get to her before she died!"

"Aria's sure that Nii-ya will do something nice for Nozomi-san."

"Hai, Aniue-sama will do something good, Aria-chan."

Hearing the compliments from the half-sisters of the man whom she fell hopelessly in love with while staying at the hostel behind her, the incorporeal teenage girl in a simple white sleeping gown blushed madly. Gazing at each of these nice girls — whose love for their recently-discovered sibling literally shone like the noon Sun to Uneme Nozomi's ghostly sight — the recently-deceased child of a normal salaryman working for the Mizunokōji Corporation's main offices near the family estate at the north end of Tomobiki then leaned over to whisper into Susumu Marie's ear, "Ano, Marie-san, are any of your warship kami friends magical?"

Hearing that question, the current incarnation of the Paper Sorceress, R'behim ("Leabharlann"), blinked before she chuckled. "No, but Chikage-chan is, Nozomi-chan," answered the native of Hakodate who was orphaned three years ago after her mother and stepfather died from acute bronchitis and a broken hear respectively, forcing her to reside in a youth hostel well past her Gifting a year later. "Why? Do you need privacy?"

"Pretty much so," the girl with the deep chocolate hair done in two French braids draped down to her breasts answered as she gave the chartikinetic who worked pro bono for the National Diet Library a knowing wink.

Chuckling, the raven-haired, grey-eyed and bespectacled third eldest of Moroboshi Ataru's half-sisters reached into her skirt to tap her PAA, creating a "notice-me-not" field around her. As her siblings' own devices also activated to create as wide of a field as possible around them — fortunately, they were off the street or sidewalk where people who pass by, so there wouldn't be issues — Marie gave the ghostly teen beside her a knowing look. "Something tells me you happen to know of Aneue-sama as well, Nozomi-san," she declared.

"Well, it was so easy to tell how similar Tariko-san and Ataru-kun look, Marie-san," Nozomi admitted. "I was there when Tariko-san met with Rumiko-chan last fall to help her be Gifted as the Sage; she volunteered to tutor me while I was forced to stay here so I could keep up with schooling. Next thing I know, there's Ataru-kun going to school and I totally forgot that Tariko-san existed...well, until..." Here, she blushed.

The sisters all giggled. "Bet the dorks that hurt Anē like that never bet on someone falling in love with her as Anii, then remembering what she had been brainwashed to forget," Itō Mamoru commented as she stretched herself in preparation to chaperone the date. As the others there laughed, the current incarnation of the Star Surfer, Dikebimomlo ("Wipeout"), added, "Pity those jerks were all killed before Anē could find them."

"Oh, we'll get lucky, Mamoru-chan," Yotsuba Dunn noted as she scanned around them with her specially-enhanced magnifying glass, one modified by Hatoyama Rinrin to give the current incarnation of the Master Interrogator, Nyuosyo'o ("Bleachtaire"), the ability to see the hidden listening devices scattered all over Tomobiki by several parties, the least of which being Redet Lum's "most faithful". Making a quick set of hand signs for her siblings to see, she derisively added, "Stupid heels like that always get seriously cocky when they think they've got away with whatever they've done to put themselves over their challenger. Once that happens and we get a whiff of it, we'll come down like an avalanche on their heads for hurting Ane-chama like that!"

"Ah! There're the others! Aniki's with them!"

Hearing the alert from the Technological Sorceress of the East, heads turned over...

...then Nozomi's cheeks turned as red as cherries on seeing the man she had a crush on — the man who was actually one-half of the woman who had come to Tomobiki one day to help a dear friend become truly special — accompanied by a small party of his half-siblings. As she blushed on seeing Hirosaki Chikage gaze her way — she burning with levels of magic that could blind the unprepared, even among those who had long slipped the mortal coil — the recently-deceased victim of cystic fibrosis then focused on the Dark Heart's beloved brother darling, who was now wearing an incomplete red turtleneck sweater (the right arm was only done to the biceps), a cherry red tuque, a pair of gold mittens and a scarf wrapped around his throat. Shuddering as she felt the supportive auras of people like Sukeyama Sakuya, Saeru Hinako and Tenhiro Haruka — the latter was the current incarnation of the Quarterstaff Mistress, Kaeku ("Fauchard"), which gave the native of Düsseldorf considerable empathic abilities atop the two millennia of memories fighting multiple opponents in all forms of terrain — Nozomi tensed as Ataru's own eyes focused on her before he gave her a knowing wink.

The sisters were quick to see that. "Oh, my! Aniue-sama is preparing a prank," Marie noted.

Nozomi gazed on the Hokkaidō-jin. "How can you tell, Marie-san?"

"He is of the blood of Tuyuki herself, Nozomi-san. Besides, given how much this place has become like Dejima of old when it concerns our immediate galactic neighbours, a lot of riffraff has accumulated in this place. Your date with Aniue-sama is guaranteed to cause a lot of pain to a lot of people who deserve it."

Nozomi's eyes went wide. "No! Not the Avalonians...!"

All the sisters gazed at her, including the group that just arrived on the Hostel grounds. "Nozomi-san knows about the Avalonians?" Hinako asked as everyone moved to form a circle around the disembodied teen.

That made the older girl blush. "Um, yes! Two of my nurses were Avalonians. They're still enslaved to those creepy Niphentaxians who think Lum-san is a real arahitokami, though."

The sisters considered that for a moment before they gazed knowingly on Ataru. "I believe that should be the first place you go on your date, Ani-kun," Chikage proposed.

"I think that's an excellent idea, Chikage-chan," the male-half of the Trickster of the Show affirmed as he winked at her before he gazed on Nozomi. "Forgive us, Ojō-sama, for our deep tardiness," he intoned with a bow.

Nozomi awked as he took her hand — which he could touch thanks to the small amounts of reality warping he had inherited through the blood-link with his twin sister/other-self — then courtly kissed it, making her madly blush as the sisters all cheered. "Where to first, Anigimi-sama?" Haruka then inquired.

"A walk around town so Nozomi-san can meet all my REAL friends," Ataru stated.

"A-ri-ri?! Where's Karen-chan?!"

People looked at the Spirit of Innocence, who was now glancing about. "Karen-chan's doing a special project for me, Hinako-chan," Ataru assured the youngest of his sisters. "We'll see her soon enough."

"Hai...!"


Itabashi, the Kasuga residence, that moment...

"Margo-san?"

Hearing that polite voice, the current incarnation of the Archangel of Mortality, Litronie Erba ("Doctor Death"), perked before she looked over her shoulder. "Karen? Rumiko? What is it?"

Standing at the threshold of Kasuga Ayumu's bedroom, the two women there exchanged looks before Tsuruya Rumiko cleared her throat. "I would like to enter into negotiations with you concerning the fate of a former student of mine who succumbed to cystic fibrosis just before Christmas," the Careful Planner of the Circle of Thought then stated, making Margo Black's grey eyes flare with outrage while Kasuga Ayumu blinked, her normal oblivious look on her face. "But whose living spirit is still trapped in this existence."

"You know I don't care for any form of death cheating, Rumiko," the Vermont-born special assassin to the President of the United States then evenly declared.

"It concerns someone who got a crush on Onii-chan before her death, learning of his relationship with Onē-chan after she was effectively freed of that brainwashing in Tomobiki, Margo-san."

Focusing now on Tanenobu Karen, a diplomat's stepdaughter who was now the Herald of Fight Scenes, Gar'be ("Embassy"), the elder of twin daughters of a First Persian Gulf War veteran who was expelled from her home by a cruel stepmother because she was too "crazy" even as a baby blinked. "I doubt Ataru would have much in the way of feelings for anyone in that town who isn't Gifted, a Shōzoki or an Avalonian, Karen."

"Hai, true," the brown-haired, caramel-eyed fifth-eldest of the sisters of the Trickster of the Show and her other-self declared as she moved to take a seat by the work desk used by the Goddess Who Walks Among Men near her bed. "And under normal circumstances, we wouldn't dream of doing that sort of thing for anyone, even if said person who passed on did love Onii-chan as much as she cared for Rumiko-chan here." Here, the native of Odawara waved to the third of Yiziba's famous triumvirate of hyper-genius polymaths.

"Then why do this?"

Karen gave her a knowing look. "Would you like to know the name of the Immortal that prompted Blanche to marry your father and drive you out of the house...all to seize your father's fortune?" As Margo instantly tensed while Rumiko glanced to her bare left wrist — which didn't have a certain ring-with-inverted "W" tattoo that marked her late father Daniel as a member of an ancient organization who looked over foundlings blessed (or cursed depending on opinion) to become virtually undying after a violent "first death" — the Herald of Fight Scenes added, "Being what I am, I have made contact with some elements of your late father's private club, including one who happens to maintain a good working relationship with the Highlander the younger."

"Uncle Joe," the current resident of Savannah trilled. "Alright, Karen. Colour me curious."

As Karen began to explain, Ayumu's lips turned into a knowing smile...

To Be Continued...


WRITER'S NOTES

The only three members of the Mutsuki-class destroyers not salvaged to this point:

Kisaragi Nanako-chūsa DNTK (Tennō Heika Gunkan Nagatsuki [KK-151])
Kisaragi Kikuko-chūsa DNTK (Tennō Heika Gunkan Kikuzuki [KK-152])
Kisaragi Yū-chūsa DNTK (Tennō Heika Gunkan Yūzuki [KK-155])

Both Kisaragi Nanako (THG Nagatsuki) and Kisaragi Kikuko (THG Kikuzuki) will take after their Kantai Collection selves once they're salvaged/Gifted. Unless a KanColle version is introduced soon, Kisaragi Yū (THG Yūzuki) will take after ran art of her done by Inaba Shiki as seen on Pixiv, ID #79877420.

Translation list from Japanese: (Name)-ke — House of (name), a way of saying "(Name) Residence"; Chōzuya — Ablution pavilion located at a Shintō shrine for self-cleansing; Sandō — Literally "visiting path", the main walkway through the centre of the grounds of a shrine; Haiden — The oratory hall where parishioners come to worship the kami honoured in a shrine; Rokushakubō — Literally "six shaku bō", a quarterstaff-like weapon that is six shaku (1.82 metres) long; Arahitokami — Literally "kami in the form of a human".

Takahashi-sensei is well known for debunking various Japanese customs and traditions in her manga. With the character of Sakurambō Sakura, she uses her both as a Shintō shrine maiden AND a nurse at Tomobiki High School. This is NOT done in proper Shintō, especially for miko. True adherents of Shintō do their best to avoid instances where they would be seen as subject to kegare ("impurity"). Blood is seen as an impure substance, so dealing with it in situations like what befall students at Tomobiki High of all places...!

Uneme Nozomi and her mother Uneme Noriko (the family name and the mother's given name are my creation) first appeared in the Yatsura manga story "The Final Date" (manga chapter #247).

Margo Black (Doctor Death) is a character from Sweet Valley High. She first appeared in book #95, The Morning After. As described in Part Sixteen of Book One in the main story, Margo's whole destiny took a massive turn thanks to one Tariko Katabarbe (Tuyuki). Blanche Chapelle is Margo's stepmother, who first appeared in the magna volume Return of the Evil Twin, released around the same time as book #113 of the main series, The Pom-Pom Wars. The history of Margo's father Daniel Chapelle is my creation.

In Highlander continuity, this omake occurs before the main events of the fourth film Endgame, which follows the continuity of the television series. The "death" of Connor Macleod's adopted daughter Rachel Ellenstein as shown in the first scenes of the movie would occur in this universe in 2002. Note the quotes here...!