.

.

"Yato told me you draw manga?" Kazuma flipped through the pages of his brother's comic book, frowning slightly. "Isn't that something you'd say was just for nerds?"

"Oi, I'm not a fucking nerd, okay, have some respect, I draw titties for a living and people pay me good money for my work."

Kazuma's frowned deepened. "So in this manga...the protagonist is sleeping with nine different women, and they all live with each other, but they just want to be monogamous with him?"

"Yeah! But they can't pin him down 'cuz he's a fucking stallion."

Kazuma rubbed his head. "Is it bad I hope the story ends with them breaking up and leaving him?"

"Dude, I thought you were smart, you just don't get it." His brother waved the manga in his face. "It's all about polyamory and poly relationships and shit."

"But this is a terrible representation of poly relationships, not to mention all of these women are monogamous, none of them consented to this."

"Uh, they sure fuckin' did since they're staying with him."

Kazuma rubbed his head. "And is it really so realistic that they all live in the same mansion?"

"He's a fuckin' rich playboy, okay, that's like his castle. He takes care of them. Look, you're overthinking this," his brother said, and he showed him a two-page spread. "It's just a thin framework to show him boning different naked chicks and havin' lots of sex."

"But they're all crying in this," Kazuma said.

"Dude, it's for the drama, all right? All guys want chicks to fight over them."

"Not me," Kazuma said. He tossed the book onto the bed.

There was a tentative peace, mostly because one day someone left a round three-layer cake decorated to look like the top of a wedding cake in the middle of Veena's shrine, with intricately carved fodant and gold candied beads and frosted roses, the words, CONGRATS YOU'RE NOT A VIRGIN written on top in elegant cursive. "What the hell is this?!" Kazuma said, finding his brother at his apartment. His brother jumped up, holding up his hands.

"Wait wait wait wait, that chick's your life partner, right? So I thought I'd get you a wedding cake-"

"'Congrats you're not a virgin' in the middle of our shrine, endangering the other shinkis, for a wedding cake?!"

"Yo you liked it right?" his brother said. "I even told the baker to half the sugar in the frosting and put in that raspberry filling you like."

Kazuma sighed and rubbed his head.

Now he was looking at his brother's collection of manga, somewhat impressed at all the volumes he had published. "Whoa," his brother said. He was holding a plate. "This cake is pretty good. How come you haven't tried it yet?"

"I'm not hungry," Kazuma said. His brother waved a plate under his face.

"C'mon, it's a super good bakery, it's like Michelin-starred or some shit, just taste it."

"I thought Michelin stars only apply to restaurants."

"Well whatever. Try it."

He stared at the piece. "Well since you took a bite, I can surmise it's not poisoned."

"Dude, poisoning is too complicated. If I wanted to kill ya, I'd just strangle ya again."

Kazuma glared.

"Too soon?" his brother said.

xXx

.

"Yo! Thanks for comin' out with me! Let's get this party started! First round of drinks on me!"

Bishamon and Yato stared at Kiyotsugu's brother stonily.

They only came because Kazuma asked them. "He wants to make amends," Kazuma said. He fidgeted nervously. "I'm inclined to believe him, but I also know I might not be the best judge of him. It would really be helpful if you came with me since you both know my past and you both know him."

Now they were at the bar, everyone showing their IDs - his brother's real, everybody else's forged - when Kiyotsugu's brother lunged forward and plucked Kazuma's ID out from his hand.

"Dude you made yourself twenty-five?! You were friggin' nineteen!"

"I've been told by many westerners that Asians look young for their age." Kazuma slipped the ID back into his wallet. "Besides, twenty-five is the perfect age; you're still young, but not so young you don't have adequate work experience."

"Yo, you used your real name." His brother grabbed Kazuma's wallet again. "Isn't that kind of fuckin' dangerous for all the other shinki?"

"They all have forged IDs with various different aliases. No one has bothered to question it."

("This fuckin' guy," Yato said to Bishamon. Bishamon's eyes narrowed, watching them.

"Indeed.")

They sat at the bar, Kazuma fidgeting while his brother was sitting next to him.

"So uh, I notice the two of ya keep staring daggers at me-"

"Because you murdered my Kazuma and you don't even have the decency to feel the least bit guilty." Bishamon said.

"Hey, that was an accident, okay, Kiyotsugu's totally okay with it."

"I'm not, not entirely," Kazuma said. His brother clapped him on the back.

"You liked the cake though, right?" he said. Kazuma's face turned red.

"Cake?" Bishamon said. Yato glared.

"Yeah, a cake that said 'Congratulations you're not a virgin.' Because the asshole was clearly mocking him," Yato said.

"No no, I totally wasn't mocking him! Kiyotsugu finally got laid! I mean, it took a couple centuries, but that's totally cause for celebrating!"

"Um, can we not talk about that cake?" Kazuma said.

"Look, the last time I saw Kiyotsugu, he was still hung up on this stuck-up bitch servant chick. I even tried paying prostitutes to sleep with him but he wouldn't have it."

Bishamon raised her eyebrows. "You also thought she was a 'bitch'?"

"Well clearly she wasn't good enough for him!"

Bishamon and Yato glanced at each other.

xXx

.

"Yo, I know you two have all his memories, right, but check it. Once he totally followed her to the baths, and he's standing there like some sort of creepy stalker-"

"Oh I remember this," Bishamon said. "When I saw what happened it made me cringe."

"Cringe?!" Yato said. "I felt bad for him! Poor Kazuma just wanted to talk to her so bad he didn't even realize she was takin' a bath!"

"That's my little brother for you!" his brother said, clapping Kazuma on the back. "He spent all his time reading those stupid books he never figured out how to interact with women!"

"Nii-san, can you stop?" Kazuma said, but his brother cut in.

"Yo get this, once he followed her to the river while she was doin' laundry, and he stole a sash to her kimono. Except it wasn't even her sash!" his brother said. "That was one of my girlfriends' that got mixed up in the laundry."

"Really? I did not know this," Bishamon said. Yato shook his head.

His brother laughed. "See? I know tons of stuff that's not in Kiyotsugu's memories!" His brother tossed back a drink. "That apprentice bitch, by the way, never liked him. She was just usin' him to learn how to read."

"Wait, she was using me?" Kazuma said. His brother nodded. "I thought at least she regarded me as a friend?"

"Little Brother, are you stupid or something? She was a servant. You were nothing special to her, she never was your friend."

Kazuma blinked. Bishamon rubbed his back, soothingly.

"You know, I suspected as much, as well," Bishamon said. She clasped Kazuma's hand. "She always seemed vaguely irritated with him, and always avoided contact with him."

"I don't remember that," Kazuma said.

"No you're right, that stupid bitch totally was ignoring him," Yato said.

"See? They have your memories, they totally agree!"

"I think deep down, I knew that." Kazuma blinked faster. "It's just a bit disconcerting, having it spelled out like that."

"You were love with Bishamon for centuries, even after you confessed about the Ma clan, I'd always wondered why ya never said anything," Yato said. "But after I saw your memories I get it. Deep down you didn't want to end up like that servant girl again."

"Surfing the wave of ambiguity," his brother said sagely. He nodded wisely. "Typical for Little Brother Kiyotsugu."

"Okay, look," Yato said. "This was really fun and all, but I'm not here to make fun of Kazuma. If I wanted to do that I'd just go drinking with chijou."

"Indeed," Bishamon said.

"Wait, you two make fun of me?" Kazuma said. Yato leaned toward Kiyotsugu's brother and pointed.

"You still haven't apologized to him, but Kazuma's too nice. He's already forgiven you even though you're a piece of shit and don't deserve it."

"That's fair," Kiyotsugu's brother said.

"Furthermore, I do not appreciate how you're always mocking him," Bishamon said. "My Kazuma was a tender soul, but all you did was bully him."

"Yeah. Kazuma was a sweet kid and you just fuckin' picked on him," Yato said. He and Bishamon fistbumped.

"Little Brother, what do you think?" his brother said. All eyes turned to Kazuma.

Kazuma fiddled with his drink. "You were my brother. You were looking out for me."

"Ha! See?"

"Yo maybe we should call Kofuku," Yato said to Bishamon.

"Wait a second, that pink-haired chick?! She totally set me on fire the other day! You wouldn't-"

"I just texted her, she said she'll be comin' soon," Yato said.

"Shit," Kiyotsugu's brother said. He stood up quickly and left the bar.

xXx

.

"Hey, lady."

Bishamon turned. It was nighttime and Kazuma's brother was standing in the middle of the street, just beneath a pool of streetlight. "I just wanted to say thank you," his brother said.

Bishamon's mouth thinned. "Thank you?"

"For taking care of my little brother. He told me some things," he said, and he hesitated. "He told me you took him in even though he was a worthless nail."

"He was never worthless," Bishamon said. His brother gestured helplessly.

"You know what I mean." He kicked a rock, staring at the ground. "I can see why he loves you so much. You make him really happy.

"Look, I just wanna say this once, and I'll get out of your guys' hair. I'm glad he has people who care about him," he said. He gestured again. "Kiyotsugu never really had that many friends."

Bishamon lowered her eyes, then nodded.

She ascended up to Takamagahara. The manor was quiet. She walked into the office and was surprised to find that Kazuma was not there.

"Kazuma?" She found him in their quarters, using the desk she had put across from the bed. He looked up and beamed at her.

"Oh, Veena," he said, and he hugged her. "I was wondering when you'd come back."

"I just was talking to your brother."

Kazuma's smile slipped a notch. His eyes lowered. "What did he say?"

"He wanted to thank me for being kind to you."

"Well you are kind, Veena. Which is often surprising since you are a war god."

Bishamon smiled. She ran her fingers into Kazuma's hair.

He let her be the big spoon this time, curling on his side without a hint of complaint. She scooted against his back and rested her arm around him, nestling beneath the covers and holding him to keep him warm.

xXx

.

His little brother was amazing.

"Dude, you didn't tell me what a big deal it is for being a hafuri! I thought that just meant you got to bone your boss or something."

Kazuma rolled his eyes and walked away from him. His brother followed.

"I mean, holy shit, you're like some sort of wizard or something, you freaking evolved from a stupid nail into a fuckin' Iron Man display, and according to that thunder guy, in all the pantheon of gods, you're the strongest shinki."

"I'm hardly the strongest," Kazuma said. "Her Majesty's Three Treasures are all stronger than me."

"Dude, I don't even know what that is, but there's like 8 million gods and like, twice as many shinki! I mean, wow, you couldn't even swing a sword, but here you're bullshitting spells and cutting down lightning dragons as a stupid earring!"

"Do you need something? Because I'm this close to erasing your memories and hiding myself. The only reason I haven't is because despite everything you've done, you're my brother, and you don't deserve to live a carefree life not knowing you're a murderer."

"Aw just admit it," his brother said. "You're letting me keep my memories 'cuz you missed me." Kazuma made an exasperated sound and turned away from him. "Wait wait wait, Little Brother, is there something else I can do so you won't be all pissy at me? Should I get you another cake?"

Kazuma kept walking, ignoring him. His brother started getting angry.

"The fuck is wrong with you?" his brother said. He followed his little brother angrily. "I'm really trying here and you still fuckin' hate me!"

"Nii-san. You're my brother, I will always do my best to help you and be civil to you. But quite frankly I have no desire to keep talking to you."

His brother scoffed. "Really? So that's it? You won't even accept my apology?" Kazuma turned away from him. "Damn it Kiyotsugu, you're such a petty little bitch!"

"Go away," Kazuma said, and he reached the shrine and ascended to Takamagahara.