Chapter 30 – Oy Rei…

The next day, Toshiro opened his eyes, but instead of seeing the ceiling, he saw all-too-well known eyes.

"And what the hell are you doing floating over me in the morning?"

"Mmmm… Toshiro…" Yoshika mumbled and turned towards him. "Oh… Kye…"

"Hi, you two. I have a proposition you can't refuse."

"Oh can't I… Let's hear it…" Toshiro yawned.

"You see, I want to punish my eldest daughter for not attending to the reunion like she promised she would."

"Rei? Oh bother… What do you want to do with her?"

"Well, compared to the redheads, her sin is of much lesser caliber, so just annoy her a bit now and then."

"Time?"

"Until 2100 today, starting in a few minutes."

"Well okay… I just hope nothing will happen today besides that…"

"Heheh… Yoshika, do you know how to hold a child?" Kye asked.

"Umm… The last time I held an infant was… pfff… ummm… long ago…"

Kye made a cradle with her hands and said, "Like that, try it."

Yoshika did so and said, "But why are you…"

And suddenly, in her hands, was a child, approximately a year old, sleeping.

"Oh…" Yoshika said silently. "Who is this?"

"Rei's daughter, and thus my granddaughter, Kamiko."

"Oh she's so cute…"

"Wait a second, Kye. I hope you ain't leaving Kamiko with us just like that, right?"

"Nah, Rei's coming in a moment. Now look there," Kye pointed out and a small trunk poofed itself into the room. "All the necessities for Kamiko so you won't have to scratch your head."

"So you're sending a young mother and child HERE?"

"Hey, it's not like Rei is defenseless, right?"

"Well not… Even though I got a bit stronger, she could still whoop my ass with her hands tied behind her back…"

Toshiro looked at Yoshika, and saw that she had a blissful face when holding Kamiko.

"It seems Yoshika likes it…" Kye whispered.

"I guess her maternal instincts are going haywire right now… I hope we can get down to business soon…"

"Patience, Toshiro… Soon… Really, I promise."

"Well, thanks for the reassurance…" he sighed. "I guess it's time for Rei to make her grand entrance."

"Then I'm going, bye."

Kye disappeared, and at the same time, a portal appeared above the bed and Rei dropped down in her IFN uniform right between their legs.

"What the…" she mumbled while getting up and looked straight at Toshiro.

He put up his index finger to his lips and pointed out Yoshika to his right. Rei turned her head and gasped slightly.

"What's going on?" she asked quietly.

"Your dear mother decided to punish you by sending you here."

"And here is?"

"Rhein-Main Air Base, near Frankfurt in Karlsland, November 1945."

"Ah wait… Then you're the real Toshiro and this is… your Yoshika?" Rei asked.

"Yup. Isn't she lovely?"

"Mmmmmmm… I guess I can let her hold on to Kamiko for a bit longer…" she mumbled.

"Awfully protective…"

"Toshiro, if you've experienced what I experienced in 2012, you would behave the same…"

"Hey, I'm only an orphan and almost lost Yoshika just almost two months ago, pff… What the hell could I possibly know about losing somebody…"

"Please don't be so cynical… I know you've experienced hardships that shouldn't happen to somebody your age…"

Toshiro shrugged and pointed at the trunk.

"What's that?"

"Necessities, to quote Kye. Didn't open it yet."

Rei gently jumped down from the bed and approached the trunk. She opened it and rummaged through it, and she returned back on the bed, sitting in a proper seiza pose.

"Is your Yoshika always so… absent when something fascinates her?"

"She gets blissful when groping boobs sometimes, but this seriously happened for the first time."

"I think I understand her and…" Rei tilted her head and looked at Yoshika carefully. "Damn… As big as mine… But how is this possible?"

"Beats me…" Toshiro shrugged. "The end result is what counts, heheh…"

"Perv…"

"But my sword also got upgraded, and Yoshika has her own sword too."

"Oh, that I must see."

"You can see, but no spars. I don't want to get humiliated before the girls…"

"Oh right, you're only a bit more powerful than you were when you attended the previous reunion… What a shame, I could use a spar now…"

"Tough luck, kiddo… My, Yoshika is still in seventh heaven…"

"The power of maternal love is serious business, Toshiro… You probably know how that affected Mom, right?"

"Yeah, she told me many stuff… But your family, sheesh… Goddesses, gods, immortals… For fucks sake…" he sighed. "Whoever set this all in motion must have been high, and I don't mean the physical way…"

"Heehee… Yes, it's complicated… But look at it the other way, at least you don't have to overheat your brain while trying to portray your family tree…"

"Well, shit, no… But there sure are many crosses by the names…" he sighed again, deeper than before.

"You can't help it, Toshiro. People died, die, and will be dying. You have the bad luck that Death seems to like you in particular…"

"Fucker probably is waiting behind the door with his scythe right now…" Toshiro smiled shyly.

"Heehee…"

Toshiro suddenly felt as he was embraced, feeling a familiar sensation on his back.

"Oh, Livy is here too?" Rei asked. "And… Rather scantily clad…"

"Master, Mistress, and I now form a relationship," Livy said proudly.

"You mean like… three instead of two?"

"Indeed," Toshiro confirmed.

Rei only smiled and said, "If you need so much love in your life, I guess you can't help it."

"Two women love me so much they would plunge into Hades to save me – isn't that something, huh?"

"Yeah, it is… Livy, I hope you know what you're doing? Toshiro is a mortal after all."

"I perfectly well know what I'm doing," she huffed back. "I'll follow my Master into the afterlife if it will be necessary."

Toshiro could hear a small, silent grunt and he looked at Yoshika. Kamiko moved a bit in her hands but she didn't wake up. Yoshika in turn opened her eyes and said, "I want a baby, Toshiro."

"You can't have this one," Rei said with a smile.

"Oh! I didn't notice… You must be Rei, right?"

"Yes, pleased to meet you… Or something of the sorts…"

"Heh… I bet you want your daughter back?"

"You can hold her a bit more…"

"No, I have to go and make breakfast for the girls."

"Ah, then give me her."

Gently, Yoshika passed on Kamiko to Rei.

"I'll be going, Toshiro, you can talk to Rei in the meantime," Yoshika said.

"Okay, sure."

Yoshika quickly dressed herself using time dilution and went out of the room.

"Time dilution? Since when can Yoshika pull that off?"

"I have to explain you some stuff… So, after I returned…"

Toshiro explained what happened from the beginning of September up to today, including the reunion.

"Ha, you sure had your hands busy! And your girls evolved quite a bit differently than in my world…"

"Different world, different rules…" he said and looked at Rei from top to bottom.

"Hmm? Something wrong?"

He smiled warmly and said, "I somehow get such a positive vibe when looking at the two of you…"

Rei blushed slightly and said, "When you're not a perv, you're sure a nice guy…"

"Speaking of which, the room is soundproof and I'm already down to my undies…"

"Pfff… As if Mom would let you…"

"She let me do the redheads…"

"Eh?" she asked with her eyes wide open.

"Bah, even their dad came in for them post factum. Geez that was the weirdest conversation I had in some time…"

"Remarkable, but still no."

"Sure is amazing you didn't try to kill me for being in my briefs for all this time…"

"You didn't try anything funny, that's all. And you have a chaperon in the form of Livy. But if you'd see me naked for example, right now…"

"Please, why should I…"

And just like that, Rei's clothes disappeared.

"Why should you what?" Rei asked.

"Don't you think it got a bit drafty here?"

"No, why?"

"Well, dunno… But I would look down if I were you…"

"Why should I? There's just the bed, Kamiko and… waaaaaaah…" she reddened on her face immediately. "Swear to all gods that it wasn't you!"

"Ami, was it me?"

Amaterasu appeared amongst them and said, "Yeah, no. Your Mom played you like a boss."

"Damn!"

"Don't shout, you'll wake up Kamiko…" Toshiro said with a sly smile.

"But I'm naked!"

"Tough luck…" Amaterasu shrugged and disappeared.

"Stop staring!"

"As a man, I have the obligation to admire a woman's body."

"You won't get away with false compliments!"

"Who said they're false… You really have a nice bod."

"Still…" Rei mumbled. "It's wrong…"

"Livy, clothe her, or she'll either behead me or melt here…"

And with those words, Rei was yet again clothed.

"Whew…" Toshiro sighed relieved.

"What time it is?" Rei asked.

"Twenty to eight."

"Shit… This day will be long…"

"We'll see…"

Kamiko wiggled in her arms and opened her eyes.

"O… Okashan…"

"Ohayo, Kamiko," Rei said gently.

Kamiko giggled like any infant would do.

"How old is she?"

"Slightly over one and a half year… She's already starting to talk and walk…"

"I guess you're starting with Fusogo right now?"

"Yes, first Fusogo then Britannian. What do you think I should teach her as a third language?"

"Already planning so far ahead? I'd say either Karlsländisch or Orussian. Both are shit easy after you master Fusogo."

"Thanks for the tip," she looked down on Kamiko who was now moving her hands around. "Na?"

Kamiko's eyes suddenly became fixed on Toshiro.

"Ara? Kono utsukushī shōjo wa daredesu ka (Who is this beautiful girl)?" he asked.

"To… Toshiro…" Kamiko said uncertainly.

Both Toshiro's and Rei's mouth opened wide.

"How…" Toshiro mumbled.

"Maybe she retained the memories of the reunion…"

"That would be a possibility… On the other hand, she is Kye's granddaughter… If she'll have a three digit IQ not starting with a 2, I'm a monkey's uncle."

"Ta… Taberu…" Kamiko said.

"Guess she's hungry…" Toshiro said.

"I have a powdered baby formula and a bottle in that trunk, but I do need warm water…"

"Then let's go to the common room and… introduce you properly or something."

"Oh right, you didn't plan to keep me in this room all day…"

"And what made you think that…"

Toshiro clothed himself, and led Rei with Kamiko in her hands into the common room.

"For crying out loud, Toshiro…" Mio sighed as the three arrived. "Will you stop pulling guests out of your ass?"

"Blame you-know-who," he shrugged lazily. "So anywho, this is Rei Miyafuji and daughter, Kamiko. You could see both in Kye's movie."

"Both?" Trude asked. "I didn't see a baby in the movie…"

"That's because Kamiko's age was brought close to Rei's for the time of the battle… Do not ask how… Really…"

The girls rolled their eyes, some sighed.

"So what are you doing here?" Minna asked Rei.

"Punishment…" she mumbled.

Mio cracked her fingers and made a devilish grin.

"She said punishment, not tortures in the depths of Tartarus," Toshiro said, to which Mio made a sour face.

"Let's say Rei is visiting us… Just like that, for the whole day."

"With child?" Shirley asked. "Won't that be bothersome?"

"For who?" Rei asked.

"Dunno, for us maybe… I bet you came prepared though…"

"Well indeed, I am prepared. And stop skulking towards me, Francesca…"

"Snap…" Francesca said and returned to her chair.

Rei took the bottle, which Kamiko was holding, and approached Yoshika.

"Yoshika, I need some hot water,"

"Help yourself, the kettle is running hot."

Rei turned around and looked at Toshiro with puppy eyes.

"What? You want me to carry her?"

Rei nodded.

Toshiro made a cradle with his hands just like Yoshika did.

"Come on…"

Rei placed Kamiko on his hands. Kamiko reacted with a cheer.

"Damn, she must love you… In a platonic sense of course!"

Suddenly an idea came to Toshiro's head. While Rei turned her back to him, he gently placed Kamiko on both his hands and started jogging slowly, making wind noises.

"Aaaaaaaaaaawww…" Sanya and Eila went off.

Kamiko giggled and cheered as she was flying around on Toshiro's hands.

"What's going ar…" Rei turned around and she was speechless.

Toshiro made a few more rounds and returned to Rei.

"Oh I hope you conquer the Neuroi in this world soon… You would be a good father…" she said softly.

"Nah…"

"Admit it; you did it on impulse, right?"

"Mom used to play with me like that when I was Kamiko's age…" Toshiro said with a sad voice and gave Kamiko back.

"Oh…"

"Don't try to apologize, you couldn't possibly know…"

"Okay… But how do you remember?"

"My goddess friend-slash-mistress gave me a gift of absolute memory for every second I've spent with Mom. I can even remember… Heh… I can even remember coming into this world… The doctor receiving me was bald and had glasses… My mom looked like she just ran an ultra-marathon… But the expression on her face… As if she knew what awaits me in the future, both good and bad… She took me gently and said my name for the first time…" Toshiro sighed and looked around. "I really should stop bringing up such heavy topics…"

He went into the broom closet and returned with a chair. He placed it at the table and said, "Here, Rei, have a seat."

"Thanks…"

"Will you be eating?" Yoshika asked.

"Yes, please, if it's not a problem. It's morning in my own world too."

"I somehow knew that would be the case, heehee…"

After dinner, Mio said, "Okay gals, training time."

"You now have a few choices, Rei," Toshiro said. "You can follow me into the office and watch me do paperwork. You can follow Mio and look how the girls train. Or you can do whatever you damn like, be it in my room or in the guest room."

"Well… I think I'll go for the first option, since Kamiko is now sleeping after her bottle."

"Not choosing the last option since there's a chance you'd be interrupted?"

"Heh… Yeah… Sorry, everyone…"

"Well, you have a point… Besides the occasional small talk, the office is a shrine of serenity…" Trude said.

"Is there a place to sit there though?"

"Oh don't you worry," Minna said. "The Wehrmacht equipped us gracefully."

"Then let's go. Lead the way please, Toshiro."

She's surprisingly well behaving… Is she taking her punishment with a stern face? Or is it because she has the little Kamiko tucked into her bosom? Or maybe she's just polite…

"The office is just around to the left. The base is rather compact, which is a blessing."

"Oh yes… The Folkestone castle in Britannia is a bit big, and the base in Pescara is shot all over the place…"

"Sint-Truiden was actually nice, but it had no windows in the sleeping rooms…"

Toshiro led Rei into the office, with Minna following them.

"Hmmmm… Not bad…" Rei said. "The sofas look comfy…"

"Take your seat, and do whatever you want. If any need arises, just tell us. The toilet is the last door on the left of the corridor by the way."

"Okay, thank you."

Rei sat on the sofa and leaned back.

"Isn't Kamiko getting heavy after carrying her for some time?" Minna asked.

"You saw my strength in combat, Minna. And it's a sweet burden to carry anyway…" Rei smiled and looked at the sleeping Kamiko.

Toshiro sighed so deeply that he could make a clown cry.

"I guess Mom wanted to teach a lesson to you… Or give you an incentive to fight on…"

"Or outright fucking depress me…" Toshiro mumbled with his face pressed against his desk. "I want this to end already…"

Toshiro could hear the clink of glass and a silent thud on the desk.

"Minna, please, I'm on duty. Drowning my sorrows in alcohol is the last thing I should do, and you probably forgot I'm immune to. There is a world in which booze led to VERY unpleasant consequences for all of you…"

"How unpleasant?"

Toshiro whispered something to Minna, making her pale.

"I shouldn't have asked…"

"Let's just get down with the paperwork… Rei, maybe you want some?" Toshiro pointed at the booze.

"No, thanks. I don't want Kamiko to smell alcohol from me."

"Okay… Alcohol is wasted on you anyway…"

Toshiro proceeded with the paperwork, and as it proceeded, he saw that Rei dosed off with Kamiko in her hands.

Awwww…

He continued with the paperwork, but soon, he felt a tug on his pants. He looked down and saw Kamiko pulling the sleeve of his pants.

"Nanda kore wa (What is this)?" he asked, lifted up Kamiko and placed her on his lap, making her giggle.

"Toshiro," Kamiko said.

"Hai, watashi wa Toshirō yo (Yes, I'm Toshiro)."

Kamiko grinned, laid down on his lap, and fell asleep.

"Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw…" Minna went off.

"She's just too sweet…"

Toshiro turned his chair slightly to the side and continued his paperwork with one hand.

After 1200, Toshiro finished the paperwork, and at the same time, Rei woke up.

"Huummmm…" she mumbled with a sleepy voice. "Where… Oh right…"

"Good afternoon, Rei," he smirked.

"I haven't slept yesterday… Kamiko is moody as hell sometimes…"

"Dunno, she seems to like sleeping a lot."

"She is a baby after a… Where's Kamiko?!" she shot up from the sofa.

Toshiro pointed down under his desk. Since the desk didn't have a front wall, Rei dove down with her head and saw Kamiko sleeping soundly on his lap.

"How…"

"She liberated herself from you and went up to me."

"Incredible…"

"Tell me, Rei… How is it with your husband?"

Rei hung her head low and went silent.

"Damn… What is it with the men in you world…" Toshiro clenched his fist angrily.

"Yoshika and I all have strong personalities and bodies… We're famous… We're just too good…"

"So now you channel all your love into your children…" Minna sighed. "Maybe we'll have some more luck?"

"I think you will. Toshiro will probably garner all the attention, leaving you all slightly in the shadows. If you won't be fussy, you'll probably get good husbands…"

"I would chase the sons of bitches down to the end of time if I had the power…" Toshiro said angrily.

"In case of Kamiko's father it would be difficult… He died before I could marry him and before Kamiko was born…"

"Oh…" both Minna and Toshiro said.

"You two aren't the only ones touched by the death of your loved ones…" Rei sighed. "But that's the past now. So, what now? Kamiko is sleeping and it seems you've finished paperwork…"

"I'd like to brush up my Orussian with Sanya so…"

"Okay, wait a second."

Rei approached Toshiro and carefully peeled Kamiko off his lap.

"There you go."

"Thanks."

Toshiro went to his room and saw Yoshika and Sanya pounding the books hard.

"Where's Rei?" Yoshika asked.

"With Kamiko and Minna in the office."

"Oh, that's nice."

"The two looked so peaceful…" Sanya sighed.

"A contradiction chewing away your heart, Sanya?" Toshiro asked.

"Yes… I want to be with Eila, but how will I have a child then?"

"Well, you could always do what the two in that world did."

"And that is?"

"Get drunk like fuck and let loose for one night."

Sanya shuddered and said, "No thanks… I can't bear the thought that some hairy, drunk…" she shuddered again.

"You sure are negative about this, but it's your body, so I won't be pimping you out. How's progress with Yoshika?"

"Ochen' khorosho," Sanya said.

The three studied on until Yoshika had to go and prepare dinner. Toshiro thus studied further until dinner with Sanya. They were slightly interrupted by Rei getting a bottle for Kamiko, but they continued nonetheless.

Once Yoshika called everyone in, Sanya said, "Well, that's that for today I guess."

"Yeah, let's go eat."

After dinner, during which Francesca was playing with Kamiko, Rei asked, "Toshiro, why don't we go on a walk? Kamiko should get some fresh air."

"Ain't it a bit cold?"

"There are warm clothes for her in the trunk, and a nice backpack baby carrier. Also warm."

"Well then, come on to my room, I need to get my coat anyway."

"Oh, I'm going too!" Yoshika cheered.

"Then you get your jacket, missy."

After getting clothed, they went on outside. An hour passing by, Rei asked, "You two, could you show me your swords?"

They shrugged and summoned their swords.

"Beautiful…" she said.

"Yoshika, how about we double the beauty?"

"Heehee…"

They grabbed the grips of their swords with both hands and pulled them apart. Rei whistled in admiration.

"I think I'm getting wet…"

Toshiro smiled and said, "Now look at this. Yoshika, you can dispel Aimaru already."

"Kay."

Toshiro dispelled his second sword and made a rift before him.

"Hey, Kaylie, peek out a bit."

Rei tilted her head, but she almost jumped up as Kaylie leaned out from the rift as if she was looking from a window.

"Sup y'all. Oh hi, Rei!"

"Hi, redhead sis. What's going on?"

"Their swords are so sharp they can literally cut through time and space."

"Now THAT'S sharpness…"

"I bet if I smacked Aganaimaru hard enough into the ground, it would come out the other side of the planet."

"That would be overkill…" Rei mumbled.

"So, how is it going on your banishment here?"

"Nice. It's the middle of nowhere, so it's peaceful, dull even."

"But you're also thinking about something else, huuuuh?" Kaylie asked with a sly smile.

"Oh hush you… Shoo!"

"Okay, okay. Bye everyone."

"Bye!" Yoshika cheered.

"Yeah, bye…" Toshiro said.

Kaylie disappeared along with the rift.

"Want to continue the walk? The weather is good, and there's still some light left."

"Yes, please."

After walking until dusk, Toshiro went to the office.

"Min…"

"Toshiro, come on!" Minna, clinging to the receiver, shouted at him.

Toshiro, a bit surprised, ran to her.

"Yes, he's here," Minna said and gave him the receiver.

"Von Edelweiss."

"Hello, Toshiro," Keitel's voice sounded.

"Ah, hello, boss."

"Had a nice walk?"

"Well… Yes…"

"Don't worry, you made it just in time. Now, sit on the chair and listen carefully. Get some paper and a pencil even."

Toshiro did that, and after half an hour he said, "I understood everything."

"Good. Operation Bohemia begins tomorrow, noon dead."

"Jawohl!"

"Dismissed and good luck."

"Thank you sir."

Toshiro hooked off the receiver and looked at Minna eying his notes.

"Any conclusions?"

"Well, the Neuroi will sure make a run for our money… But the tactics are almost identical as before…"

"Because the end objective is the same – to destroy the Hive Core. But this time it will be a big more difficult…"

"So, briefing when?"

"Tomorrow after breakfast. You think we should tell them about the op today?"

"Yes, we should."

"Okay then. I'll tell them after supper," Toshiro said.

"You think our unit is up for this?"

"We got stronger, Minna. Compared to Venezia, this should have a mediocre difficulty, despite not having a Neuroi powered Yamato."

"I suppose you're right…"

"I'm going to my room."

"Hey, why don't we have a shot of Jägermeister? I feel a bit anxious…"

"If you insist… But don't get overboard…"

Minna pulled out the characteristic green bottle and two whiskey glasses. He poured each one to the half.

"Well, nice shot…" Toshiro mumbled.

"One, but a good one, heehee…"

Their clanked their glasses and cheered, "Prost!"

The herbal liquor went down his throat in one go, making a pleasant heat radiate through his body.

"Like a siphon…" Minna sighed.

"Siphon, meet fire hose," Toshiro said while looking at her empty glass.

"I didn't drink for a week…"

"Hmmm? What is this I hear?"

"I only drink recreationally and sparsely, don't worry."

"You're not lying?"

"Absolutely not, Toshiro. After what you've told me, I would even give you my anal virginity to prove it," Minna said with a straight face.

"Hahahaha! No need to go so far!"

"You know… Maybe one day…" she said with an alluring voice.

"Yeah, yeah. Now I gotta go. Leave the bottle alone, kay?"

"Sure, Toshiro."

When Toshiro went into the common room, he saw some of the girls before the fireplace. After he came closer, he saw Rei, Francesca, Lynne, Yoshika, Erica and Perrine playing with Kamiko on the rug.

"Daaaaaaaaaaaawww… Girls will be girls, huh?"

"Kamiko is so damn sweet…" Erica said.

"And I bet you'd want your own?"

"Maybe…" Erica mumbled.

"Okay, I'll leave you all to your exploits with Kamiko, I'll go and lie down a bit."

"Sure, Toshiro," Yoshika said.

He went to his room and took a nap.

Poking woke him up, and he opened his eyes to see Yoshika at the side of the bed.

"Come on, sleepy face, time for supper."

"Yeah…" he yawned. "Had some good time with Rei and Kamiko?"

"Heh, yes…"

After supper, Toshiro made the important announcement.

"Tomorrow, everyone will finally see some action. Tomorrow, Operation Bohemia will commence at noon. More details after tomorrows briefing. Sleep well, everybody."

"Roger!" the girls responded and started going to their rooms.

Yoshika, Rei and Kamiko were the only ones left in the room after a minute.

"So, Rei, I guess it's time for you?" he asked.

"I suppose so."

Kye appeared in her usual way and asked, "Hey, didn't you want to take a bath?"

"Moooooom!"

"Hey, you're from a culture that has mixed bathing embedded into it."

"Yeah… Fine then… But only if Yoshika comes along!"

"Toshiro, put your hands forward," Kye said.

"Ugh…"

On his hands, bath supplies for four and a small inflatable tube appeared.

"No shit, Mom…" Rei muttered.

"Now."

"Okay… But you'll take me back right after the bath, okay?"

"Yes, Sweetie," Kye said and disappeared.

"Let's go then…" Rei sighed.

The three plus Kamiko went into the bath.

"At least turn around when I'm stripping!" Rei yelled.

"Yeah, yeah…"

Toshiro turned around and waited.

"Okay…" Rei mumbled.

Toshiro grinned to himself and undressed using time dilution and turned around.

Rei's face reddened immediately.

"Unbearable perv…" her eyes wandered down. "Kuso ̄ (Damn)!

"Hey, no ogling Toshiro's manhood. That's my piece of meat!"

"Oh I'll leave it to you, don't worry…" Rei turned around and showered with Kamiko.

Yoshika and Toshiro did the same and they entered the water. Kamiko got into the tube and carefully floated on the surface.

"Don't babies actually swim normally?" Yoshika asked.

"They do, but this water is too hot for her to submerse entirely."

"Oh, kay."

"Toshiro, maybe this will be an insensitive question but… What did you feel when Yoshika died in your hands back then?"

"Well… For a few seconds I felt a void, as if my soul was being sucked by a black hole. But after that, I only felt anger comparable to the eternal fire of the Sun. If anybody approached me with a particle of ill will, I'd probably rip him in half…"

"I see…"

"As I was dying in Toshiro's hands, I felt sorrow… That this is the end, and that I won't get to witness the end of the war, and live my life with Toshiro…" Yoshika said suddenly. "But at the same time, I felt somehow at ease… I don't know why…"

"They say that people dying relinquish their fears…" Rei said with a distant voice.

"I wanted for Yoshika to be happy without me when I was dying after being pierced by a rock fragment…" Toshiro said.

They sat in the water in total silence for a few minutes.

"What's with the morbid atmosphere?" the suddenly appearing Kye asked.

"We're both mortal, Kye…" Toshiro said. "Rei has the failsafe of having the certainty to ascend to godhood after perishing in battle or simply dying of old age… And don't try to comfort me with the afterlife… Being dead, means you can only interact with the dead or very powerful shamans…"

"Yeah, right… So, Rei, coming with me?"

"Kay, Mom," she said and stood up. "Bye, Toshiro. Bye, Yoshika. It was a nice day."

"Bye, Rei," the both said and the three disappeared.

"We going too, Yoshika?"

"With them?"

"No, silly…"

"Heehee…"

They dried off and went to their room. After undressing, they lied down on the bed.

"So, Toshiro… Can you tell me something about tomorrow?"

"I can…"

"Please, do."

"The objective – the Hive over Prague. Tactics – same shit as before."

"Meh…" Yoshika shrugged and yawned.

"But there's something that makes it a tad different…"

"What?"

"The number of enemies and…"

"And what?"

"And the fact it's an Alpha Hive."

The title is obviously a pun on "oy vey".

If you feel like it, please leave a review. However, I have only one request – if you want to leave something the size of a short story, please consider discussing your points over PM. If you want to leave an anonymous review, I respect your decision to do so, but if you sign in, I can actually discuss anything with you, dear reader. Thanks for reading, and I hope the next chapter will also garner your attention.