Chapter 6 – Last stop
"You look a bit sad, Toshiro." Amaterasu said to Toshiro, sitting under an eternally blooming cherry tree in her realm.
"Oh come on, you're a goddess… You know what I'm thinking about…"
"Hey, I wanted to keep this conversation level… Still want to?"
"You know I want…"
"So, what is it?"
"Yoshika… I'm concerned about her… She's sailing across half a world, and then she's going to study in some mountainous country in the middle of Europe… And things were going just fine… Well, maybe besides the fact that she's now devoid of magic… We have to snuggle less, or she'll wear down too soon…"
"The latter really amuses me, Toshiro, but your libido will be okay… And not that sex is everything for the both of you, right? It's just a pastime to relieve the stress… As for the former… Hmm… I can tell you that everything will be okay."
"You mean it?"
"Did I ever lie to you, Toshiro?"
"Well, you only withheld the truth."
"Hohoho, mister wise-guy back-talking to a goddess! If I wouldn't like you, like really REALLY like you, I would smack you so hard you'd witness the creation of the Universe…"
"Aw, but I like you too, Amaterasu… You're almost like a mother to me… Well, mom is technically dead, but… you know…"
"Yes, yes…" She sighed. "Hey, why don't I summon her here?"
"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…"
"I already see it written on your face – what will I tell her when she asks why she doesn't have grandchildren yet?"
"Heh… Defendant found guilty… I would like to avoid particular topic…"
"But come on, Toshiro… You always miss your mom…"
"Oh okay… Bring…"
Before he could even finished, a ray of light appeared before Toshiro, and when it disappeared, Akiko was standing before them.
"Ah! Son!" Akiko shouted and hugged Toshiro tightly. "What's with that hairdo? Where are my grandchildren?"
"How about – how have you been, my dearest firstborn?" Toshiro asked with a sly smile.
"Hey, hey, don't you backtalk to your mother like that!" She waved her finger with a serious face but she smiled and said, "How have you been, Toshiro?"
"How much do you know?"
"Well, you know… Amaterasu sometimes shows me stuff…"
"How much…" Toshiro murmured with red cheeks.
"Oh, not that much…" Akiko's cheeks also went red. "But I saw the fight with the Super Hive…"
"It called itself the 'Alpha Hive'." Toshiro interrupted.
"Alpha, Super – I don't care… It's sad what happened to Yoshika… And that Mio woman… But how you organized your proposal, oh gods!" Akiko shouted in glee. "I'm proud of you, Toshiro! You were so romantic!"
"Heheh… Thanks, Mom…"
"And you're a real dear for helping Yoshika and her small family around the house. I wonder why you're waiting with the last step, huh? I want a wedding!"
"You'll get a wedding… Hey, Amaterasu, you won't be mad if it will be a Christian ceremony?"
"Fine by me… I'll just ask the old fart in his Heaven if he'll be okay…"
"A Christian ceremony! A church! Mendelssohn's March! A white wedding dress!" Akiko enumerated with sparkling eyes. "I forbid you to do a Buddhist or Shinto wedding!"
"Hahahahaha!" Toshiro laughed heartily. "My life is being decided by my dead mother and a goddess, hahahaha! A shrink would have a field day!"
Toshiro suddenly silenced and hugged Akiko.
"Oh mom… You would make such a good mother-in-law for Yoshika… And a good friend for Sayaka… I would buy you an apartment, no, a house…!"
"Toshiro… Toshiro…" Akiko sighed and slowly patted Toshiro's back. "If it weren't for me sacrificing myself, we wouldn't probably have this conversation, or eventually it would be the other way around… What you did was truly valorous. I don't know what you had in mind, but in turn, your actions brought happiness to at least one whole nation… And you can be with Yoshika, and vice versa. So stop moping for Amaterasu's sake!"
"Yeah, heheh… It's the first time someone is calling my name in vain while standing directly beside me… Weird feeling…"
"Haha, you're so funny, Ami…" Akiko giggled.
"Hey, Aki, I told you not to call me Ami!"
"Aki?" Toshiro snorted restraining himself. "What are you two, a couple now?"
"No!" Both yelled at him at the same time.
"We're just spending some time together, you perv…" Amaterasu pouted. "I don't want her to get lonely…"
"Yes, Ami is a really nice conversation partner, Toshiro. You should retreat to this realm more often." Akiko said.
"Maybe later…" Toshiro murmured. "I guess the other gods and supernatural entities in Takama-ga-hara aren't exactly the most social, huh?"
"Ugh, son… They're still in the Edo period at most… We have literary no common topics…"
"Heh… Thanks for keeping company to mother, Amaterasu."
"You're welcome… T-man…" Amaterasu giggled.
"OH NOT YOU TOO…"
"Hahaha, I couldn't resist… Sorry, Toshiro, I know you hate that nickname…"
Toshiro looked with a fierce gaze at Amaterasu.
"Oh no, Toshiro, don't you DARE to call me that!"
"My mother can, so I can too… Ami…"
"Stop, Toshiro… or… or… or…" Amaterasu repeated with an increasing blush on her cheeks.
"Or what, Ami… Wait a second… Wait, why are you blushing? A goddess blushing? Wait, let me review the mythology… Hmmm…"
"Yes…" Amaterasu replied with a distant voice.
"Really? In all these millennia, not even once? But I thought Tsukuyomi…"
"He was my brother! I don't know why these damn Fusojin tied me with him in some incestuous relationship, for fucks sake…"
Toshiro sighed and said, "Okay, Amaterasu… I won't call you by that diminutive, since it's a bit troublesome for you…"
"And you won't tell anyone about what you've learned now?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"Well maybe you could tell Yoshika… No, not even Yoshika. Same embargo as the rest of the universe-vital info."
"Aw crap… So much knowledge, such limited audience… It's not like I can call the Pope for a chat, right?"
"Well, not… But I can always erase your memories, but it could be a bit… painful…"
"No thanks, I don't want to be more messed up than I am... I'll just shoulder the weight of the information… Not that I think about it all the damn time, no… Ignorance is bliss… Works like a charm…"
"You should go back to sleep, Toshiro." Akiko said. "This is probably the last sleep occasion before Buenos Aires, and you probably want to meet your grandma fully conscious, right?"
"Yeah… I suppose I should let my soul rest along with the rest of me… Bye mom, see you sometime later!"
"Bye, Toshiro!"
"Bye, Amaterasu."
"Sleep tight, Toshiro." Amaterasu said with a smile but quickly added, "Hey, want a conversation topic with your boss?"
"With Adi? Sure!"
"Ask her about Hijikata."
"Whozat?"
"Just ask her." Amaterasu made a sly smile and the proverbial lights went out.
Toshiro opened his eyes several hours later. He saw light seeping through the small window in the doors on the sides of the plane. He looked around and saw Adolfine sleeping on a blanket. She was all over the place, still sleeping off yesterday's drinking adventures.
Should I wake her up… Or no… It's bright outside already… But she looks so cute and feminine at the same time when she's sleeping, damn it… And who the fuck is Hijikata?
Toshiro kneeled beside the sleeping Adolfine and wanted to poke her in the ribs, but his hand got swiftly caught. He twitched, not expecting this, but Adolfine didn't show any other reaction. He tried to pull his hand back, but she held it in an iron grip. After the fifth tug, she pulled herself, making him fall right beside her.
"Uh... Adolfine?"
She released his hand, but in turn she embraced him while mumbling some unintelligible stuff. She reeled him in tightly, so tight that her breasts almost drilled a hole in his chest.
She wants to use me as a pillow or what? Hmmm…
Toshiro freed his left arm and slid it under her head. She started wiggling her head immediately, and after a few seconds she sighed in glee and continued to sleep soundly.
Great… Adolfine wants to cuddle subconsciously… I don't have anything against but… it's weird…
After an hour, Adolfine opened her eyes slowly.
"Mhhhhhhhhmmmmm… Toshiro… What are you doing…" She mumbled.
"Submitting to your subconscious cuddling urges."
"WhaaaAAAAA!" She shouted and jumped up. "Were you trying to… to… to…"
"I only tried to poke you in the ribs, but then you snatched and subdued me to be your body pillow."
"I… I really did that?" Adolfine asked with a perplexed expression.
"Yuhum…"
"S-S-Sorry…'
"I found it pleasant, heh…"
"I suppose… You didn't sleep with Yoshika for two days, I guess you have a hug deficiency or something…"
"Nah, it's not that bad… I endured a lot in Africa… Although I should say that our relationship wasn't so full-fledged like right now…"
"My womanly intuition was right, hah!"
"Maybe… But what does your womanly intuition say about somebody called 'Hijikata'?"
"Huh? Why bring him up now?"
"Who is he?"
"You don't know?"
"No."
"But how did you learn his name even?"
"A good looking goddess told me…"
"Aaaaaahhh… Well, Sergeant Keisuke Hijikata of the Imperial Fuso Navy is, or actually WAS Mio's assistant."
"What? Her assistant? She never told me a word, nor never had I've seen him to be honest…"
"Well, during the first half of 1944, he was with Mio in Britannia, but due to Minna's… condition with men, he had to work remotely from Folkestone. After they both got back to Fuso, he helped Mio in scouting Yoshika. However, before departure to Britannia, Mio decided to leave Hijikata behind."
"Oh I can guess why… Two men would make Minna blow her lid straight away…"
"Almost the words Mio used, hah!"
"But why didn't he join us in Romagna then?"
"I'm at fault, Toshiro…"
"Huh?"
"You know, Mio wanted to take him to Romagna, and she almost succeeded. But, my informants were working clockwork, and I hindered it."
"But why, Adolfine?"
"Because two men in the base would be a disaster… You alone are already a ticking time bomb, but what would happen if you two teamed up in mischief?"
"I don't know what you're talking about…" Toshiro said feigning ignorance.
"Haha, yeah, yeah…"
"But how did you stop him actually? Judging by what you've said it was a photo finish moment!"
"And it was! The second my informant called me, they were preparing to depart for Romagna. I immediately called your good friend, the base commander, and forced him into writing a transfer order to the Ryukyu Islands Forward Outpost with yesterday's date. He handed him the transfer order, still wet from ink, just as Hijikata was leaving for the docks."
"And Mio, did she say something?"
"She was furious, but she told me on our little phone chat we had three weeks ago that she knew it was somebodies meddling. But right back then, she accepted it with a stone face. Hijikata supposedly whined a bit, but he just went along the orders…"
"I should meet the poor sap one day…"
"Why bother… Beside, Mio really didn't need an assistant to be honest. I mean, seriously – in Britannia, Minna and Trude were taking care of the paperwork, and Mio was doing her gauntlet trainings. In Romagna, you entered the fray, and Mio was too busy burning down her magic with that sword of hers to need an assistant. And you were always a helping hand, right?"
"Right."
"See? Hijikata was unnecessary, QED."
"I applaud your argumentation skills… So… We'll be probably nearing Lima sometime s…"
"We'll be landing in a minute, Frau Generalmajor." Udo interrupted him through the intercom.
"…oon." Toshiro finished with a disconcerted look.
"Heehee…" Adolfine giggled. "Okay, we're only doing a refuel, so we'll have like fifteen minutes of free time for us. We don't even need to change."
"Then I'll just do a quick jog to straighten out my limbs." Toshiro said and started took off the top of his uniform.
"And why are you doing it half-naked?" Adolfine asked curiously.
"For better transpiration, heh…"
"Whatever…" Adolfine sighed.
They waited for the plane to land, and Toshiro ran out into the unknown docks, passing a tanker truck on the way. He ran into a cross-shaped passageway between four big hangars. Once he was nearing the junction, three men approached him from the front. Their faces would suffice for them to get ten years in a maximum security jail.
"Ola, gringo! Where are you going, ah?" The one from the center asked.
"Forward." Toshiro answered.
"This is our turf, gringo. You have to pay." The one on the left said.
"And if I don't?"
"Then we use these…" The one on the right said with a cold voice.
The three of them pulled out big machetes from behind their backs and started waving them around.
"Oh loooook at you, so scaaaary…" Toshiro said like a professional drag queen. "I bet those blades are ten times longer than your dicks, am I right, boys?"
They rushed at him, flailing their machetes over their heads and roaring wildly. Toshiro didn't have time to play around with them, so he disabled them with swift strikes to their vital points. They limped down on the hard concrete like sacks of potatoes.
"You I will kill for trying to backstab me!" Toshiro shouted.
He heard metal clanging against the floor and a scared cry for help slowly leaving his location.
"As I thought…" He murmured and jogged on.
When he returned to the airboat, he missed the tanker again. Once he stopped before the airboat, Adolfine crawled out of the inside.
"You look cheerful, Toshiro. Did something good happen?" Adolfine asked.
"Oh, I met some of the local fauna."
"Local fauna… Is that a euphemism?"
"Pretty much… Anyway, three of them are lying unconscious on the ground and one is trying to beat my marathon record, albeit with shit in his briefs."
Adolfine sighed and said, "Scum… Scum everywhere… Come on, Toshiro. Last straight, and we'll be in Buenos Aires. Udo will step on."
"Coming!"
Toshiro ran inside and closed the door behind him, not even conscious of what would happen later today.
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