Chapter 28 – Tabula rasa

In the morning of the next day, Toshiro was the first to wake up.

Hmm… I could let her sleep in a few minutes, but Kuji is also her rather persistent alarm clock… So if I want to do some shenanigans, I have to do it now.

Toshiro's right hand started slowly moving from the inside side of her thigh. Once he wandered up to her crotch region, Yoshika swiftly wrapped his arm around her body, so that his hand was placed on her right breast.

"Now, now, Toshiro… No funny stuff from the morning…"

"Fondling your tits isn't considered funny stuff?"

"Nope. But you shouldn't do it too much, or it will lose its novelty."

"You sly little devil…" Toshiro said and kissed Yoshika on the lips. "You know what? I'll go to the office already; I think I have some calling to do."

"Calling the IFN?"

"Yeah, I have to pull some strings and get some girls some promotions. Especially Mami."

"Hmmm…" Yoshika looked at Toshiro meaningfully.

"What, want to call home?"

"Uhum!"

"The phone is always to your disposal, and you wait for my approval…" Toshiro sighed. "Yoshika, please…"

"Hey, I'm only a Lieutenant; I can't overstep my boundaries, heehee…"

"Oh well, you are right on that one… Follow me."

"Yay!"

They dressed up quickly and went to the office.

"Okay, so first work then pleasure," Toshiro said.

"Sure, sure, I don't mind," Yoshika said and made herself busy with the aquarium.

Toshiro connected with the operator.

"Hello, operator? Get me Marshal Admiral Yamamoto."

"Ah, good day, General. I'm connecting you now," he heard the voice from before.

"Heh, you learn fast,"

After no more than half a minute, he heard the gruff voice of the bald Marshal Admiral.

"Yamamoto here."

"Good afternoon, Marshal Admiral."

"Ah, good morning, Toshiro. How are you doing?"

"Fine, thank you."

"And how is your fiancé doing?"

"Also fine, thank you."

"Good, good. Now, down to business. What is it that you want from me?"

"Promotions, dear Marshal Admiral. Some of my former compatriots are a bit under-ranked…"

"I see… Well, let me hear about them, I shall judge."

"Thank you. All of them are from the 31st, so this will be less of a hassle."

"So you want a promotion for Katou, Inagaki, and Kitano?"

"Yes sir."

"Hmmm… May I hear a bit of reasoning? You know - formal issues and such."

"Ah yes. For Keiko it's simple, really… Marseille is getting promoted to Major, and somebody has to be of higher rank to command, right?"

"She is? Well then, consider Katou promoted already. Now, Inagaki."

"Continuous support of her own country while on a mission abroad in a harsh environment, despite being physically of lesser standing than her squad mates, or rather 99 percent of the IFA and IFN."

"That is good reasoning, and I will take it as my own. I don't want you to be accused of nepotism or anything."

"Heh… And as for Furuko, she's simply overdue with a promotion, despite serving her country faithfully."

"If you only stayed a Fusojin… Somebody like you would move the rusty cogs of the IFN..." Yamamoto sighed.

"Heh… Thank you, sir…"

"By the way, how is Hattori doing?"

"Fine I guess, but she's a bit reserved towards me…"

"I see… That was to be expected from her…"

"Pardon?"

"Oh, I won't tell you all about her, since I have received word that you like to solve the personal problems of your personnel… personally."

"Heheh…"

"I will give you a hint… She is a Blank, a special kind though."

"A Blank? Wuzzat?" Toshiro asked confused.

"You could call your future father-in-law about that, since I lack the knowledge to explain it properly."

"Ah, okay, thank you sir. I will do it right away."

"Good day, Toshiro."

"And a good day to you, Marshal Admiral."

Toshiro cancelled the connection.

"I'm calling Ichiro right now, but please, I have to ask some things of him first, and then I'll let you go, okay?"

"Okay, okay!" Yoshika nodded while jumping up and down.

Toshiro dialed to the operator again.

"Operator, give me the Miyafuji clinic in Yokosuka."

"Of course, General, right away."

Few seconds passed, and the old voice of an old woman said, "Yeees?"

"Oh, hello, Grandma, is Ichiro around?"

"Who is this?"

"Toshiro."

"Ah, Sonny is calling! Hey, Ichiro, move your ass!" Yoshiko yelled not quite keeping the receiver from her mouth. "He was scribbling some of his weird plans, but I guess he can spare some time for his son-in-law."

"Future son-in-law."

"Oh you wouldn't dare to weasel out of the relationship with Yoshika, would you?"

"I'm just saying it how it is…"

"The youth these days…" she sighed. "Oh, here he is…"

After a few crackles, Toshiro heard, "Hello, Toshiro!"

"Hi, Ichiro. I hear you're working hard?"

"Ah, that's nothing… So, what's up? Yoshika healthy and… maintained so to speak?"

"You damn perv… Of course she is! But that's not why I'm calling."

"So what do you need?"

"Yamamoto told me that one of my underlings is "a special kind of Blank." What's that all about?"

"A special kind of Blank, ho ho… Is that that Shizuka girl?"

"Yeah."

"You see, a Blank is a kind of witch or wizard which doesn't have any inherent special type of magic. They only have their shields and other basic improvements over a normal human, but nothing like your Super Strength for example."

"Oh… So I have a rather small pea in the pod…"

"Not quite, Toshiro. Yamamoto mentioned that she is a special Blank, and that can only mean one thing."

"Meaning?"

"She's what we call a Tabula Rasa."

"A clean slate? And how is that special?"

"A clean slate is something that can be written on, Toshiro. Something waiting to be written on to be precise."

"Written on…"

"Shizuka can gain a usually inherent magic type, but only if she wishes so with her whole being, while the person she touches wishes for the same."

"That's… unheard of…"

"Tabula Rasa's are only five times more common than wizards, Toshiro. Ah, and one more thing… The magic transfer doesn't affect the giver."

"It's nice to know… Hmm… Well, that would be all that I wanted to know from you today."

"You can call anytime, Toshiro. Oh, and I'm finishing the memoirs for you, so brace yourself."

"Okay, thanks. Yoshika is jumping behind me like a flea, so I'll let her talk to you, okay?"

"By all means! Have a good day!"

"Yeah, good day to you too, Ichiro."

Toshiro gave the receiver to Yoshika and observed as she talked for long minutes with his father, and then her mother.

She's looks as if she could shine with pure light any second now… My, is she happy… Sigh… But now I should delve deeper into the matter of Shizuka… Geez that sounded sketchy…

Yoshika placed the receiver on the hook and almost blinded him with her pearly whites peering from her smile.

"You sure have it nice to have the possibility to talk to your parents… in the flesh so to speak…"

"Heh… Remember that when we marry, you can treat my parents as yours…"

"That would be a bit awkward… You know, with the ability to contact my mother through Amaterasu and stuff…"

"Oh don't overcomplicate it, you dunce…"

"Yeah, I know what you're talking about… But don't you think that I have enough money to buy us a house here in Europe or in Liberion?"

"Um… I didn't think about moving out too much…"

"Well, you'll be continuing your education for the next few good years, so you'll be away from home already."

"True… But Toshiro, promise me that you will renovate the clinic!"

"Yes, yes, I will. The Miyafuji's deserve a decent clinic and home…"

"Heheh… By the way, what were you talking about with Dad?"

"Well…"

Toshiro summarized what he was told.

"Oh, this is interesting… My, look at the time! Toshiro, help me or breakfast will be late!"

"Sure, coming!"

They ran out of the office and saw Lynne exiting the common room.

"Yoshika, where were you? We're going to be late with breakfast!"

"Sorry, Lynne! Toshiro will help us!"

"Okay… But please don't get late like that…" she puffed her cheeks.

"Heh, sorry, I got a bit too immersed with talking with my parents over the phone, heheh…"

"Oh… Well, then I excuse you…" Lynne said with a faux pouty face.

"Come on, Lynne, let's go!" Yoshika cheered and they went inside the room.

Most of the girls were already present inside and waiting.

"Yoshika, I want food!" Francesca demanded loudly.

"Sorry, sorry everyone. I was hooked on the phone too much…"

"Oh, who did you talk to?" Erica asked.

"Err… Mom and Dad."

"Well, I guess it's a good excuse…" Mio shrugged. "Now hop to it, we want food! Or you will collapse during training, hahaha!"

"Yes ma'am!" Yoshika shouted and literally jumped over the kitchen counter.

Heh, my Yoshika…

After preparing and eating the food, Mio and her crew of underlings were to go training, but Toshiro said, "Can I talk with Shizuka for a bit? I promise I'll return her back."

"Well okay, but don't make her do additional laps…" Mio answered.

The training squad went there way and Toshiro said, "Come on, Shizuka, we'll follow them slowly."

"Okay, sir…"

Once they exited the main building, Toshiro asked, "Shizuka, what is your inherent magic type?"

"Err… Sir… I don't have any…"

"You don't have any?"

"Yes sir… I'm a Blank…"

"Well, that would coincide with what Yamamoto told me… When did you get to know that?"

"Oh, it was just after my magic manifested at the age of eleven. I couldn't squeeze out anything beside me beside my shields…"

"And you were thus diagnosed with… blankness, so to speak?"

"Yes… But well… Blanks are rare, that's something I keep comfort in."

"I see... So, while we're at it, will you tell me why you still keep calling me sir?"

"I… I… I…"

"You still seem to have an issue with me…"

"I'm sorry, sir…"

"Well, at least you're talking to me, and that's something…"

"I'm so sorry, sir…"

"Stop prostrating, and go to Mio already. Or do you prefer running bonus laps?"

"No sir! Immediately sir!" she shouted and ran away towards the rest, still visible through the trees.

So she knows she's a Blank, but she probably doesn't know she's a Tabula Rasa… This could be interesting…

Toshiro went into the hangar and took a mag from the NS-45.

Hmmmmmmm... I know how to sew and knit know, thanks to Yoshika's knowledge… Heh… Heheheh… Better try that instead of making something with my magic.

Toshiro scoured the supply room and found some canvas. After thinking a bit, he remembered that Yoshika had a sewing kit, thus, he returned to his room and started his ordeal.

After two hours, he was progressing fairly fast, as he already fashioned a sling and sewed on one of five pockets for the mags.

"My, my, Master…" Livy, who sat with him all the time, said with a condescending voice. "You really know what you're doing."

"Right? I thought of making something using my magic, but I'm not sure if that would be of high enough quality."

"Indeed, Master, that could be the case, but I have faith in you."

"T-Toshiro… Please come…" Mio's voice was heard through the transponder.

"Mio, what is it? You don't sound okay…"

"Y-Yoshika… Accident…"

He reacted so fast that before the needle he was sewing with fell on the floor, he was already in the forest. He saw Yoshika with a blood stained uniform lying on the ground, supported by Shizuka and Lynne from both sides. Erica was going around in circles on the side and Mio was looking around nervously.

A dry branch snapped under his foot, making Mio jump up. Erica immediately ran up to him, trying to slow down his march.

"Bro! Don't get mad! Please don't get mad!"

"What should I get mad ov…"

Toshiro finally saw it. Yoshika's right shoulder blade was pierced right through by Reppumaru, right up to the hand guard. He immediately changed the direction of his march to Mio, who now fell to her knees with a blank face expression.

He grabbed her by the collar and lifted her up. She looked at him as if she lost everything in life.

Then, Toshiro did something which he thought would never happen. With an animal like roar, he backhand slapped Mio on the left cheek. For the first time in his life, he seriously hit a woman. She was hit with such force that Toshiro had parts of her uniform in his hand, and she herself was lying under a tree like a sack of potatoes. He clenched that hand and turned around. The girls around Yoshika shuddered in fear.

He approached Yoshika and took her from the two.

"Yoshika… How…"

"I proposed a spar with Mio…" Yoshika said with a weak voice. "It was going nicely, but I pushed her too hard… I should have known that she had the same temper as the Mio from that world…"

"And… And what now? If I pull the sword out, you'll most likely bleed to death… And your own powers don't work on you…"

"You can take me to the hospital or…" Yoshika looked at Shizuka for longer a period of time.

Toshiro also looked at her and understood what Yoshika meant.

"Wh… Why are you looking at me?" Shizuka asked.

"Shizuka, it is time to decide on one of the most important issues in your life…" Yoshika said with a weak voice.

"But… What is it?"

"Shizuka… You like me… You almost worship me… You told me many times that you have the same goal as me, to protect many people…" Yoshika said. "You could start with protecting me. Again."

"But I can't… I'm just a Blank… I have no powers whatsoever…"

"You're not a normal Blank… Take my hand, Shizuka…"

"Yes…"

Shizuka kneeled at Yoshika's side and took her right hand.

"Do you want to protect people, Shizuka?"

"Yes, Miss Yoshika!"

"Then think about it… Think about it intensively… Make it your only thought… Close your eyes…"

Both of them closed her eyes. For a few seconds, nothing happened, but soon, both of their animal feature appeared and a green aura clothed their bodies. Toshiro enabled his Hebigan for one eye, and he saw the magic coursing from Yoshika's body like a raging torrent. Suddenly, their magic exploded in a soundless and forceless ball of magic.

"What… What happened…?" Shizuka asked.

"You're not a regular Blank, Shizuka," Toshiro said. "You're a Tabula Rasa, the rarest of Blanks. And now, you are a fully-fledged witch."

"Fully… Does that mean…"

"Try it, Shizuka," Yoshika said.

Shizuka spread her hands in the air and focused. A small blue ball appeared between her hands.

"Oh! Oh my… Oh my gods… I have Miss Yoshika's power! But does that mean…"

"No, mine is still intact… But we should proceed with the healing, or else they'll enter "D.O.A." in the hospital admission form…"

"Yes! Immediately!"

"Toshiro… When I say it, pull the sword out. Don't hesitate, and to it with a swift movement. I will endure the pain, don't worry…"

Toshiro nodded.

"Shizuka, when Toshiro pulls the sword out, you start healing me immediately."

"Yes!"

"Okay… Toshiro… Now!" Yoshika yelled and bit her lower lip.

Toshiro took the sword by the hilt and yanked it out of Yoshika's body. Before she would scream, he heard and felt the bones grinding against the metal.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaa!" Yoshika screamed loudly as blood spurted out of her wound.

Toshiro threw the sword to the still unconscious Mio with disgust.

Shizuka didn't hesitate and started healing Yoshika immediately. After only a few seconds, she started breathing heavily and sweat droplets started forming on her forehead.

"You can do it, Shizuka," Toshiro cheered her on.

"Yes… I can…" she said with a heavy voice.

After another few seconds, Shizuka keeled over, landing in Yoshika's hands.

"I feel like she did it… Toshiro, could you take a look?"

"Yeah, sure…"

Toshiro put his thumb and index finger in the ripped fabric of Yoshika's uniform and peeled it apart.

"Besides the blood on the sides, it looks fairly okay…"

"Heh… She did well then… Now she will be my protégé…"

"To think she was so special… Damn it…"

"Is everything okay!?" Minna shouted from the side.

Toshiro looked there and saw Minna and Trude running over in their direction.

"Stop!" he commanded.

The two stopped in their tracks immediately.

"Minna, you take Shizuka. Trude, you take Yoshika, in a bridal manner if possible, since she's bloodstained. Erica and Lynne, you go already."

"But what about Mio..." Minna said quietly.

"I will take care of her personally…" he said with a cold voice.

"Toshiro…" Minna furled her brows.

"Don't worry, Yoshika. I won't cause her any more harm. At least I think so…"

"Promise?"

"Promise. Come on you two."

Toshiro let the two take Yoshika and Shizuka and he approached Mio. He pulled out Reppumaru out of the ground and cleaned the blade with his finger.

He kneeled before the still unconscious Mio and placed her against a tree.

"Mmm… Wwww…" Mio started mumbling something. "Yoshika…"

She slowly opened her eyes and looked up. Instantaneously she opened her eyes wide and tried to scuttle backwards. Toshiro grabbed her jaw swiftly with his left hand and moved Reppumaru into her sight.

"N-No… Please… Forgive me… Toshiro… Please…"

The blade started slowly moving forward.

"Pleasepleasepleaseplease…" Mio whimpered with her eyes closed and tears flowing.

Toshiro placed the cold blade against her left cheek, which was greatly swollen, took her hand, and placed it against the blade.

She opened her eyes quickly.

"What… What…"

"Yoshika will heal that after she regenerates. I'm sorry," he said with a voice void of emotions and after regenerating her torn clothes, he started walking away.

"I really had the feeling you would skewer Mio… Or worse…"

"I would become a murderer… A simple murderer… Not even Yoshika in her whole love and benevolence towards me would forgive me… And Kye would simply damn smite me… I'll leave Mio for her conscience to slowly eat her away…"

"But you did hit her…"

"She deserved it, and that's that…"

"But you did hit a woman outside of combat…"

"For the first and the last time."

Toshiro returned to the main building. Minna was waiting for him before the office.

"I hope Mio is still amongst the living…"

"Only with a broken cheekbone at most, but that is fixable."

"Erica already told me what happened. For the first time in the whole time Mio was serving under me, she deserves a punishment."

"Really? The first time?"

"Yes. Mio was always disciplined, hardworking, earnest… She was brought up in a way so she knew what was right and what was wrong…"

"Kind of like me… Mother always lectured me for long hours for the slightest offence I committed…"

"I kind of approve and disapprove of the fact you smacked Mio… On one hand, she totally deserved it for hurting Yoshika. On the other hand, how could you…"

"I see a clear distinction between Minna the Professional and Minna the Woman here… I got carried away…"

"Your anger management issues suck big time…" she sighed. "So, are you punishing Mio, or should I take it over?"

"I'm the commander here, I own her ass."

"As you wish. Just don't go literal on that one, heehee…"

"Hehe… I'll wait for her in my room, sewing a holster for Trudy."

"Okay, sure. My, what a day…" she sighed. "And you sewing? I find it hard to imagine…"

"I'm also at a loss..." Toshiro smirked.

Toshiro went to the common room and saw nobody, but upon entering the infirmary, he saw everyone there, except for Heidi who was sleeping off her night shift. The multitude of emotions that Toshiro has read from their faces told him everything he could probably ask for.

But nobody uttered a word. Toshiro just approached Yoshika lying on her bed, only to her striped bra and panties, who incidentally was the neighbor of the unconscious Shizuka.

"I told them that I'm just tired, but noooo…" Yoshika mumbled.

"Well, after being stabbed, it's normal for someone to rest, heheh."

"Shizuka deserves rest, not me…"

"That's true… She performed a true feat today… You could even call her a hero…"

"Toshiro!" Perrine shouted suddenly.

"Wha?"

"If you're going to punish the Ma… Lieutenant Colonel, please punish me instead!"

"Oh can it, Perrine. That was a single outburst from me, for which I apologized to her."

"So… No more brutalizing her?"

"Nope. Unless she deserves it again, and I believe she has enough brains under that scalp of hers to avoid such a situation… Well anyway, stop crowding the room unnecessarily, let Yoshika go through already."

The girls made some space and Yoshika could walk to the door.

"Oh, Yoshika, watch out, I dropped a needle on the floor, and you're barefoot now."

"Ah, okay, thanks for telling me," she smiled and exited the room.

"A needle?" Trude asked.

"Yeah. I'm sewing a holster for you, dear cousin."

"You're sewing?!" she shouted surprised.

"Heheh… One day I'll tell you something nice about me and Yoshika, but for now, let's all evacuate this room. Of course you're permitted to stay with Shizuka if you want, but don't bother her."

"We'll all stay, right?" Shirley asked.

The girls nodded.

"How nice…" Toshiro said quietly and exited the room, quickly glancing at the sleeping Fusojin.

He went to his room and saw Yoshika dressing herself into a spare uniform.

"Good that I didn't train in my miko outfit, or I would probably cry…"

"Did you find the needle?"

"Yeah, I stuck it into the thread spool. Nice stitches, Toshiro. I didn't even remember that I knew such a technique, heheh…"

"Heh… So, what will you be doing now?"

"I'll lie down beside my beloved and learn some Orussian."

"Good idea. I have to finish this damn thing," she said as she looked at the book.

After a few minutes, Yoshika asked, "Toshiro, would you hit me?"

"Why are you asking such an idiotic question, Yoshika? I wouldn't hit you no matter how you would insult me, or how hard you would hit me. Restraining you would be enough in such an event."

"Oh… I kind of knew that, but I just wanted to reassure myself… You think I should find Mio and heal her? Is she hurt badly?"

"I think she has a broken cheekbone, but she'll live until you set it straight."

"I bet you're waiting for her right now, right?"

"Yup. I'm waiting for her to come here and fall flat on the floor, begging for forgiveness. Otherwise I'll lock her in the damn broom closet with bread and water till Christmas."

"You really have a weird method of teaching people lessons… I somehow approve, heehee…"

Toshiro sewed on, and Yoshika studied for another hour, when a shy knock on the door put them out of their trance.

"Enter," Toshiro said.

The door opened slowly and Mio entered. The left side of her face was purple and swollen, and had taken the sorest expression Toshiro ever saw.

"What do you want, Lieutenant Colonel Sakamoto?"

"Permission to prostrate!"

"Granted."

Mio immediately fell flat on the floor and yelled, "Forgive me, Yoshika!"

In the few seconds of awkward silence, Yoshika looked at Mio and kneeled before her. She grabbed her chin gently and said, "Come on, get up a bit."

Mio immediately took a proper seiza position. Yoshika's animal features popped up and a green aura enveloped her hands while she was tampering with Mio's cheekbones. The latter hissed slightly, but soon both the bruise and the swelling disappeared.

"Don't worry, Mio, it was an accident. It was my fault to provoke you into going all out, and my fault that I didn't parry your blow properly," Yoshika said with a soft voice. "Toshiro, we're forgiving Mio, right?"

"Forgiving, but not forgetting."

"Of course," Yoshika winked. "Now answer me one question… Did you know that Shizuka was a Blank?"

"Yes… Wait, was? Is she…"

"Dead? No… But she ain't a Blank anymore," Toshiro said with a smile.

"But how is that possible? She couldn't have just gained an inherent magic type unless… Oh shit… Hahahahaha! I discovered such a gem, hahahaha!"

"Yeah, you did," Toshiro said. "Now she has Yoshika's healing powers, so that give us two healers."

"How convenient, hahaha!"

"Okay, now let me finish my damn sewing… Dismissed, Mio. I won't write a report about this, so you owe me one."

"Yeah, sure…. Wait, you're sewing?"

"I guess we can tell you, right, Toshiro?"

"But only her for now. So, you see, at the same moment Yoshika gained back her magic a few months ago, our souls converged. Our memories and knowledge transferred between us, so we both have more or less the same knowledge base. Moreover, Yoshika's brain and body got stimulated somehow, results of which you could see all the time."

"Hmmm… You two are always full of surprises… So you're also a genius now, Yoshika?"

"More or less, heehee…"

"Damn… No wonder I felt that you've changed all this time… And the changes to your body… Uhm, I always wondered how the flying fuck did you grow so much in such a short time."

"Actually, Kuji was stimulating my growth since early Romagna, heheh… But yes, this last growth spurt is almost miraculous…"

"Okay then, I'll be going. Training is of course canceled for today," she said with a smile.

Once Mio exited the room, Yoshika said, "Toshiro, I think I should start preparing dinner already, could you look up Shizuka?"

"Sure thing. I only have to do a few stitches and finito."

"Just don't dawdle; I think Shizuka could open up to you. Don't waste the occasion."

"Yeah, okay. Would be nice…"

Yoshika went her way and after a few minutes, Toshiro went to the infirmary. The only ones left inside were of course Shizuka, and beside her Lynne. Shizuka looked at Toshiro and blushed slightly.

"Lynne, Yoshika has gone to the kitchen to make dinner. Why don't you go and help her?"

"Oh, yes, right away."

Toshiro sat on a stool beside Shizuka after Lynne left.

"How are you feeling, Shizuka?"

"Still a bit tired, sir."

"Still with the sir…" Toshiro sighed.

She looked at him with determination, took a deep breath, and said, "Okay, I will tell you…"

"I'm all ears."

"Um… It's about my father… Err… He has given me a very strict upbringing and… Now I naturally respect male soldiers... I can't bring myself not to call a soldier per "sir"…"

"Hmm… I see… Your father sure kept you on a short leash, huh?"

"Yes sir… My mother was the one spoiling me, and father was the one with the iron rod…"

"Literal or allegorical?"

"No, gods, no… He wouldn't bring himself to hit me, never…"

"Good… So, Shizuka…"

"Ummm… What, sir?"

"Why don't you try calling me by my first name?"

"Ummmmm…"

"Come on… I had a higher rank than Yoshika when we first met, and she didn't have any qualms calling me by my given name."

"Oh… Well that changes everything… T-T-To… Toshiro…"

"Progress! Again!"

"Toshiro!"

"Woah, good!"

"Heehee… Oh… About my new magic… I should probably train to use it…"

"Yes, you should. Bother Yoshika with that though, since she's the expert."

"Yes sir!"

Toshiro threw Shizuka a disconcerted look.

"What… That was legit…"

"Yeah, it was. Can you stand up, or should I carry you?"

Shizuka's face reddened immediately and she shook her head fiercely.

"Nu-uh I can walk, or nu-uh I don't want to be carried?"

Shizuka only lowered her head. Toshiro used the occasion and patted her.

"Oh Shizuka, you're such a nice girl… Come on, I'll at least support you."

"Thank you…" she mumbled.

Shizuka dropped her feet on the floor and stood up, a tad on the wobbly side.

"I think I can walk but… I would appreciate if you'd walk by my side…"

"Sure, sure…"

They slowly went to the stairs, and while clutching his arm, Shizuka descended them, accompanied by the smiles of the few that were already waiting for dinner.

"Hey, I see you wooed another girl, huh?" Shirley asked while twitching her eyebrows meaningfully.

"Go bro!" Erica cheered.

"Oh please, Yoshika would rip me a new one if I even touched Shizuka the wrong way."

"Sure I would…" Yoshika said with a cold voice and summoned her sword above her head.

Toshiro looked at it stupefied and said, "Uh, Yoshika… You sure you summoned the right sword?"

"Huh?" she said and looked above her head. "Wah! It changed!"

The standard length black katana was now a standard length pink and translucent katana, with monochromatic sparks inside it.

"When…" Mio mumbled.

"Ask me as long as you want, I don't know!" Yoshika responded and dispelled the sword. "Dinner in five, no time to wonder!"

"Toshiro, what happened when I was sleeping?" Heidi asked.

"Long story short... Shit got real. But if you want the long version..." Toshiro filled in Heidi just before dinner was served.

"Oh… Stuff never gets boring around you, heehee…" Heidi giggled and dug into her salad.

After dinner, Toshiro said, "Trudy, I have that holster for you, come and get it with me if you want."

"Do I ever!"

They went to Toshiro's room and he fitted the holster on her shoulder.

"Wow, this is nice… Handcrafted is best after all…"

Toshiro put a mag into one of the slots and said, "Okay, you can go now. I'm going to the office to do the usual paperwork."

"So, will you write a report about what happened?"

"What happened?" Toshiro asked with an innocent smile, making Trude chuckle.

Trude went her way, and Toshiro ended up in the office, where he saw Mio and Minna drinking tea together.

"Toshiro, have some tea and you should get down with the paperwork," Minna said.

"That's the purpose of my visit here. Well, I didn't know there will be tea, but… Whatever."

"Mio told me you were rather… generous with your punishment…"

"She got smacked and now she owes me a favor… Say, Mio… What would you say to sucking me off?"

Mio's jaw dropped and an intrigued look popped up on Minna's face.

"S-Suck you off? Y-you mean…"

"Uhum."

"B-But that's filthy! Unhygenical!"

"You didn't bother digging into my lower parts with your tongue…" Minna pouted.

"That's different!"

"From an anatomical standpoint, not that much," Minna said.

"Okay… I'll do it… But then the favor's redeemed, right?!"

"Yeah, yeah… But you're the one to go to Yoshika and request a threesome."

"And that…" Mio mumbled.

"Hey, I can always smear a ten page report on what happened, portraying you as some homicidal maniac and gods know what…"

"Terrorist…"

"Toshiro's right… He could, but he won't. Because you're his friend, you dunce. And friends don't do such things to each other."

"Even if I refuse to… you know?"

"Even then," Toshiro said. "But then I'll find ten other ways to make you miserable, heheh…"

"Ugh… To think I'm the oldest one here…" Mio shook her head.

Toshiro proceeded with the paperwork and after a few hours, he returned to his room to see Yoshika going through her material with Sanya.

"Oh, Toshiro," the ephemeral beauty from Orussia said. "Care to join us?"

"Yeah, why not…"

They had their study session until supper, after which Yoshika and him took a bath.

"Not a pretty look…" Toshiro said while looking at Yoshika's bloodstained body before she entered the shower.

"At least nobody got hurt. Permanently that is, heehee…"

After showering, they entered the water.

"Say, Kye, care to answer a question?"

She appeared in the water, exposing her godly figure just like that.

"Ahhhhhh… Sure, with such an incentive…"

"Yoshika's sword?"

"Yes, yes… Your new sword, Yoshika, is named Aimaru."

"Perfect Love?" Yoshika tilted her head.

"Yes. That's the manifestation of the most powerful feelings you harbor in that small body of yours," Yoshika explained with a smile. "Both the feeling and… heheh… the physical love…"

Yoshika's face reddened suddenly.

"Yoshika… Did you think about doing indecent things to Shizuka?" Toshiro asked.

"Well… During the writing of my magic on Shizuka, I did have some good thoughts about Shizuka… But none indecent!"

"But you had some afterwards, huh?"

"Yeah…"

"Too early, damn you!"

"Heh, I suppose…"

"I'm glad you understand. So, Kye, how does Aimaru compare to Aganaimaru in absolute numbers?" Toshiro asked.

"It's the same basically, except for the length."

"Hmmm… I also saw some of my magic inside of it… Care to explain?"

"Yoshika, sword please," Kye commanded.

Yoshika summoned her sword and Toshiro looked closer at it.

"That has to do with the fact that during your soul convergence, you released all the pent up magic from your fit of rage," Kye explained. "That in turn also affected Aimaru, which was then affected by Yoshika's state of mind, and thus, it got coated with a carbon-like coating."

"I see…" Yoshika and Toshiro pondered in sync.

"I'll leave you guys now, you have a guest," Kye said and poofed herself away.

Mio twitched slightly seeing the two, but she powered on forward, sat beside Yoshika and whispered something to her. Yoshika's face showed a plethora of emotions, mostly the good kind.

"Well okay, if you want…" Yoshika said. "Toshiro, we'll be busy tonight…"

"MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" he laughed like a cookie cutter villain.

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