Chapter 40 – And to all a good night
Another few days have passed, and now it's the 24th day of December, Christmas Eve. Since yesterday, the girls started brewing, cooking, whatever. Sanya and Eila probably made a damn quintal of pierogi… And Kye delivered the decorations as she promised. The common room looked like from some postcard, heheh… I've cut down a pine appropriate for the room, and Shirley fastened it appropriately. Francesca, Erica, Perrine, and Lynne had fun decorating it, but they gave me the privilege of topping it off with the star. And we have colorful lights, hah! The tree looks almost magical when the lights are killed in the room… But it looked even better when we sat at the fireplace and looked at it…
Of course, no Neuroi attacks were made. Nope, not even a single damn one. That dragon must have been the Neuroi Matriarch toying with us. Maybe that bitch has some kind of weird sense of humor?
And I managed to talk with Mom a bit…
"You sure visit me rarely, Toshiro…" Akiko said with a sour face.
"The world of the living needs a bit more attention on my side… Sorry…" Toshiro said apologetically.
"No, don't apologize. I heard what's happening…"
"Still, I should have come at least once a week… Why don't you pop up when I'm training with Livy?"
"I don't want to be a bother…" Akiko sighed. "No, really, you don't have to come; Ami is keeping me entertained… And the time flow is a bit different anyway."
"Okay…" Toshiro sighed.
"Maybe it will all be over soon… You'll live in a world free of Neuroi…"
"A world void of Neuroi won't fill another void…" Toshiro sighed even deeper.
"Poor thing… Such things shouldn't happen to you until you're forty or older…" Akiko patted him on the head
"So… While I'm here… Merry Christmas, Mom…"
"Merry Christmas, Toshiro…"
Anyway, here I am, lying in my bed… I wonder when…
Out of the thin air, a portal appeared over his bed, and the five guests landed on their bed.
…yeah…
"And hello to you all…" Toshiro said with a sour face.
"I want to play it straight…" Kye pouted. "By the way, how do you like us in civilian clothes?"
Toshiro looked closer, and he saw that all of them wore sweaters in various colors and short skirts.
"Damn, you do look stunning…" he said, but he looked closely at one of them. "Kamiko? Hey, you're sixteen again!"
"Indeed," the girl smiled. "I wanted to participate as somebody who won't be a bother, heheh…"
"You like it?" Kye asked.
"Kinda… Yoshika will be a bit disappointed, but whatever…"
Kaylie proceeded to poke Yoshika, who was still sleeping.
"Haaaaaa… Whaaaaa…" she mumbled as she was gaining consciousness. "Oh…" Her face went as sour as Toshiro's, to which Kye shrugged. "Really now, you should stop doing such shit…"
"That only shows how much she likes you two," Rei said.
Rei… Hmm… Have to keep it to myself for now… The seed of serenity must be sown on fertile ground…
"Oh, Kamiko?" Yoshika tilted her head. "Mmmm… l really preferred you as a child, but… I guess I can talk to you now, ha!"
"Ha, indeed!" Kamiko cheered. "Oh, and thank you for taking care of me all the times I involuntarily or not landed in your hands," she bowed towards Yoshika.
"Ah, no problem, such a cutie will always be excused," Yoshika giggled.
"Anyway… If Kye really liked us, she would let you in through the front door when we're clothed…" Toshiro mumbled. "But I guess if you're almost omnipotent, horseplay among friends is needed not to go insane…"
"Kye going insane? Sounds impossible…" Yoshika mumbled.
"The brightest of lights cast the darkest of shadows," Toshiro said, making Kye smile. "If Kye would succumb to the power she possesses, we would be fucked. Everyone. Neuroi Matriarch? Pfeh. Mavet? Pfeh… But I guess there is one light that doesn't cast a shadow in the whole omniverse…"
Wait… Why did I just assume that there's somebody else that's more powerful than Kye?
Toshiro's vision blinked for a split second.
What was I thinking about right now? Weird…
"Toshiro, not so deep, it's just half past seven in the morning," Layla snickered.
"I can go deep with you all the time, baby," Toshiro said with an alluring voice, and received a prick in the side from Yoshika. "Ouch! Ah, while I'm on topic, we did it with our genders swapped, heh…"
And he got pricked again.
"How was it?" Kaylie asked with a wry smile.
"Not as intense as a female orgasm but… definitely easier to get pleasure…" Yoshika mumbled with a red face.
"On my side, it was probably the best shag in my life," Toshiro said proudly.
"Maaasteeer…" Livy appeared with puffed cheeks. "Don't tell me I'm not adequate for you…"
"Now this is a pickle you're in," Kamiko giggled.
"Oh sorry, Livy…"
"Toshiro…" Yoshika glared fiercely at him. "I'm the best, right?"
"Master…"
Toshiro looked at Kye, who smiled and said, "What about Livy being the best in the immortal-plus category, and Yoshika being the best mortal?"
"Hmmm…" the two pondered in sync.
"Well, that could be it…" Yoshika mumbled. "How about you, Livy?"
"I think you're right, Mistress…"
"See? Everything worked out."
"Thanks…"
"No problem, heh… But you only brought this up on yourself by yourself."
"I know… But should I just flat out reject Livy like that?"
"That was one option, but a rather poor one, I have to agree on that with you. Anyway, keep her close to you, Toshiro, she's a real gem."
"We should get moving," Toshiro said. "Christmas time is upon us."
"Roger!" Yoshika cheered.
The two quickly clothed themselves, and the whole lot, with the exception of Livy, moved out of the room. They were the first to enter the common room this day it seems.
"Wooooow…" Kaylie pondered and wondered.
"You sure didn't dilly-dally…" Layla said
"But where are the presents?" Kamiko asked.
"They will appear when the time comes," Kye winked.
"Ooooooh… Makes sense…"
"Makes perfect sense," Toshiro said. "Do you imagine the hassle with shopping for presents in this middle of nowhere?"
"I guess you don't have a Walmart around here?" Kaylie asked.
"A whatnow?"
"Whoops, heheh, pardon… No Walmarts in your world yet, heehee…"
"And in ours yet for that matter, have some restraint with the knowledge you've gained through time travel…" Kye sighed.
"Sorry…" she mumbled.
"Miscellaneous shit is miscellaneous," Toshiro said. "Now it's time to work. You all sit on your butts and do whatever you like."
"Oh no, I'll help!" Kamiko said firmly. "I want to repay my debt!"
"Very good!" Toshiro clapped his hands. "Rei, you raised a good daughter!"
"With a mother like that, I was bound to raise Kamiko well," Rei snickered.
Toshiro, Yoshika, and Kamiko started preparing the food.
"Toshiro, remember your promise?" Kamiko whispered after a few minutes, when Rei was preoccupied with the redheads.
"From the crevice?" he asked.
"Yes… You think… maybe today… some plan?"
"I'll think of something, don't worry… And if possible, I want to go solo…"
"I'm there for you, Toshiro. This is my mother we're talking after all."
"Yeah, I understand this nuance perfectly, Kamiko. Don't worry, I'm treading lightly."
"Thanks in advance…"
"Oh my, so much people…" he heard Lynne's voice suddenly.
"Hi!" the redheads cheered.
"Good morning, everyone," Lynne said.
"Did you sleep well?" Toshiro asked with a sly smile.
"Oh, well… I guess I'm a bit late, heh…"
"Don't worry, just sit down and relax. I already have a replacement for you, heh…"
"Oh? Ah!" Lynne gasped as she saw the teenage Kamiko. "Uhh… How is that possible?"
"Magic," Kamiko giggled. "Hi, Lynne."
"Hi," Lynne smiled and ran down the stairs, with her breasts bouncing around like two wild cats in a sack.
Geez, does she even wear a bra?
"I see that the gang is rounding up already?" Mio asked when she came in.
"We want to help with the preparations, not to be freeloaders," Kye said.
"And I see something changed," Mio smirked mischievously, looking first at Kamiko and then at Kye.
"Nothing will hide from those eyes of yours!" Kye laughed.
"Good morning… uhhh…" Kamiko pondered.
"You can go with the flow and call me Mio, I don't mind."
"Ah, thank you! Konnichiwa, Mio."
"Domo," Mio said and sat at the table. "And you damn redheads are just sitting on your asses, letting your baby sister work?"
"Toshiro didn't want our help…" Layla shrugged.
"You could help him, Mio, since you're so eager," Kye said with a wry smile.
"He's doing fine on his own, plus he has Kamiko. But now that you say it…"
"Woah, wait! You can cook?" Kaylie asked.
"Yeah, sure... That busybody and Yoshika forced me into a housewife course… Now I can cook, clean, do the dishes, dust et cetera…" Mio mumbled with a red face.
"Ha! Our Mio at this time could only slice an egg in half and make square onigiri!"
"Been there, done that…" Mio said. "Now I could probably make a three course meal… Not very fancy, but edible."
"Toshiro, you must have been really bored lately…" Layla looked at him.
"I help where help is needed. Even if the ones that want help don't acknowledge it yet…" he said and looked at Rei, who in turn raised an eyebrow.
"I really do wonder what would happen if you were born with a similar potential in our world…" Rei pondered.
"I would be twenty five and stronger than you, but that's just wishful thinking. Oh, and I guess I would be married for seven years already, heheh…"
"Maybe something could be arranged to make such a timeline…" Kye scratched her chin.
"Give me a break, Kye… A third Toshiro would destabilize the omniverse, hahaha!"
"Yeah, maybe there's no need to go to extremities… But it's not like any of us would be affected, right?"
"Separate universe, separate entities, separate lives… To think that one and a half year ago, the questions I would be asking myself would be, "Does Mom have enough money to buy us rice?" or "I wonder if my shoes will last for another season?" Shit sure happened..."
"And what is this before-breakfast philosophical banter, huh?" Minna asked suddenly. "Hi everyone."
"Hiya!" the twins mused.
"Morning, Minna," Kye said
"Not too early for the festivities?"
"You all are pragmatic, that's sure… We came earlier to get into the mood, and help if there's anything to help with."
Minna pondered a bit and said, "Layla, extend the table a bit, it could get a bit cramped with all of us here."
"Kay!" Layla cheered and ran over to the end of table.
Her body glowed and the table extended itself with a creak.
"Well, now we could take in five more people at least, heh…" Minna said. "Good job, Layla."
"Heheh, thanks…"
"Nice threads, by the way, I like them."
Layla outright blushed and ran away to her twin sister.
Toshiro felt an evil presence, and he looked at the stairs. Francesca was lying there, with make-belief binoculars, looking at the twins. She suddenly jumped on the railing, and towards the two. The redheads smirked, and Kaylie caught Francesca midair, forcefully placing her on her lap.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaw… My glorious plan foiled…" she mumbled. "Hi by the way!"
"Hi…" the two made devilish smiles and both placed one hand each on Francesca's chest.
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!" Francesca yelled and shot out of Kaylie's lap. "Unfair!"
"Hey, you were the one who tried a sneak attack in the first place…" Layla said.
"Heheh… I guess…"
"Operation failed I see, heh…" Shirley said as she was running down the stairs. "Here, have some complimentary boobs."
Francesca immediately latched onto the ample bosom of Shirley.
"Weee! Your boobs are always the main prize!" Francesca cheered, but she looked towards the kitchen and said, "Target sighted."
Two swords appeared on the table before Rei, and she asked, "Did you say something, boobdevil?"
"Wah!" Francesca screamed and scuttled over to Shirley's back.
"Mom, don't be like that," Kamiko said. "You're frightening the poor girl. If she wants a grab, I'll let her."
"Whatever now…" Rei sighed. "It's Francesca after all… Better have it done then have a surprise attack…"
"Oh, when can I cash in?!" Francesca asked eagerly.
"What a mood change…" Rei muttered. "In the bath, if we decide to take one. Not sooner than after breakfast."
"Mom, don't pimp me out. My boobs are my own, and I'll govern them as I please. Come here, Francesca."
The Romagnan zipped past the seated and jumped unto Kamiko, who managed to step away from the kitchen.
"Now… Now…" Francesca said with a serious face, as she was slowly making her moves. "Not bad, Kamiko. Of course Shirley wins, but this is by no means a consolation prize… I would place you as a high B class…"
"What got into her?" Kamiko asked confused.
"Toshiro told me I'm smart," Francesca grinned. "I did a test!"
"Oh, now that's something…" Kamiko pondered.
"You really don't have a decent part in your body…" Trude sighed from the top of the stairs. "If not for the fact that our guests are probably accustomed to such antics, I would burn from shame on your place."
"Gotcha!" Erica, who was sneaking around, yelled and pulled down Trude's panties.
"Eriiiiiiicaaaaaaaaaa!" the crimson faced Karlslander roared with all her might and after pulling up her panties, she ran after the culprit.
The redheads snickered fiercely, and Kaylie said, "Now that's a prank!"
The rest of the girls rolled in, more or less surprised by Kamiko's age, and they ate breakfast.
"I have an idea…" Toshiro said. "Why don't we have a sleigh ride? Just before we start the final preps?"
"Sleigh?" Trude asked. "Where will you get that?"
Toshiro simply pointed out at Layla with a blank expression.
"Yes, me," Layla said proudly. "Hey, don't use me like some damn vending machine! You have your own damn powers!"
"Hey, want entertainment then contribute," Toshiro shrugged.
"That's a good idea," Kye said. "Make yourself useful, Layla."
"Oh okay…" she mumbled.
She glowed and five pairs of winter clothes popped up on her hands.
"The rest of you do the same," Mio said. "Get dressed that is."
"We'll be meeting before the building," Toshiro added.
While the remaining girls were putting on their jackets, Kye asked, "Am I correct in my presumptions that you'll be Blitzen today?"
"I can't TOTALLY dump training, right? You'll get a nice ride, oh you will… And I thought you didn't believe in Santa…"
"Not if Santa is in fact somebody else…" she winked.
"I see…" Toshiro smirked. "Well, let's go you all."
The six of them went outside, to the snow filled runway and adjacent terrains.
"Hoohooo… You'll sure have a hard time going through that snow, Toshiro…" Kaylie whistled.
"Who said I'm going THROUGH the snow?"
"Snow rackets?" Layla asked.
"Nah, I'll just zip ahead. I need you to clear a bit of runway and make a ramp so I can fluidly ascend on the top of the snow blanket covering this whole landmass. And of course the damn sleigh."
"Well, on it!"
With her creation magic, she made a snow ramp up to spec. She also created an enormous sleigh, fitting the mood of today.
"Not bad, huh?" she asked.
"You couldn't have done it better, I think," he smiled. "Now we wait for the rest. I don't believe it will be long…"
"Might as well get comfortable. Come on girls," Kye said.
The five of them took their places in the sleigh, and they all waited a bit more. The first one to exit was of course Francesca, but she was followed closely by Erica.
"I'll be first!" Francesca shouted.
"No, me!" Erica shouted back.
"ME!"
"ME!"
"Sixth at most!" Toshiro shouted and the two stopped in their tracks.
"Baw shit!" Erica yelled.
"No fun!" Francesca shouted.
Both walked to the sleigh peacefully and sat with pouty faces.
The rest soon arrived, and to obvious question had to be asked by one of them.
"Toshiro, I see no horses or anything…" Yoshika said. "How will you move this?"
"With my own muscles, how else?"
"Well this will be funny… Mush, Toshiro!" Yoshika cheered.
"Do I like Rudolf to you?!"
The girls laughed, and Toshiro put the collar on his neck. He moved a bit forward and made sure the reins are tense.
"Everyone hold tight, this is the first time I'm being a reindeer, heh…"
"Maybe those snow rackets after all?" Layla asked.
"If you insist…" Toshiro sighed and made a handstand.
He saw as a pair of new snow rackets appeared on his feet. After some brief tests, he said, "Good enough, now where were we…"
"You were supposed to give us the ride of our lives or something," Mio said.
"Ah, yes… Brace yourselves!"
Toshiro went ablaze and jumped forward. Quickly, he ascended the normal level of the snow and rushed forward.
"Weeeeeee!" Francesca cheered. "Like a racecar!"
"I can go faster, but I'm pacing myself!"
"Go to the edge of the forest!" Minna said.
"Okay!"
Toshiro made a wide U-turn across the runway and ran parallel to the forest.
"Could you go a bit slower?" Trude asked.
"Nope, I feel like I'm on the borderline between being on the top of the snow and outright burrowing into it."
"Ah, okay."
"Just lean back, Trudy," Erica said.
"Yeah, yeah…"
Toshiro went all the way down the runway and turned around.
"Full speed ahead!" Francesca cheered.
The rest of the girls concurred.
"Okay!" Toshiro roared and spurred himself.
As if given wings, Toshiro kicked off forward with blinding speed, helping himself with his Celestial Aura.
"Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Francesca shrieked
"Too fast!" Perrine yelled.
"You pilot a damn jet Striker, how is this too fast?!" Shirley asked.
"But I have control of the Striker, waaaaaah!"
"I can't hear you bitchin' over Kamiko's laughter!" Toshiro yelled back.
"Wahahaha!" Kamiko laughed like a lunatic. "Faster!
"A rough estimate on how fast are we going?"
"Just a paltry hundred meters per second…"
"Then let's try to go faster!"
Toshiro pumped more magic into his legs, but suddenly a sharp pain in his right knee sent him into the darkness. When he came to, he was surrounded by darkness. He moved his right hand.
Concrete… Cold… Snow?
He felt as he was pulled by the collar of his uniform upwards. Blinded by the light that snow reflected, he shut his eyes rapidly and said, "What the hell happened…"
Toshiro had a feeling that his face was being tampered with.
"Open your eyes now," Layla's voice reached him.
He opened his eyes and saw everything through a dark filter. He looked a bit to the sides, and concluded he was now wearing welding goggles.
"To recap," Kye started. "You most likely pushed yourself too much, tripped and plowed into the over half meter thick snow cover, miraculously not hitting the concrete runway."
"Geez… Nobody hurt?"
"You tripped so violently that the collar you were wearing slipped off and you dunked right under the sled, which in turn simply slid forward thanks to the universal laws of physics."
"And Kaylie didn't help me why?"
"Eheheh…" Kaylie laughed dryly. "I was sort of distracted…"
"Pfff… Well anywho, let's get back inside and proceed with preparations for the feast. Layla, give everyone snow rackets and discombobulate the sled."
"Kay."
The sled disappeared end everyone went to the main building. Since Francesca rushed forward, Toshiro silently said, "Remember everyone, it's not only a Christmas Eve feast today…"
"So these are the famous Toshiro machinations?" Kamiko asked.
"In their whole entirety," Minna smiled. "Have a present handy, Toshiro?"
"A perfect one…" he smirked. "Now, let's focus on cooking. Everyone knows their job."
"Roger!" the girls cheered in unison.
"And us?" Layla asked.
"Sssssshhhh…" Kaylie tried to silence Layla.
"Trying to slack off, Kaylie?"
"Nah, not in the slightest…" she looked in the air and started whistling.
Toshiro popped up the glasses of his welding goggles and looked around.
"You know, the two of you could make due with all the snow around…"
"But Toshiroooooo…" the two moaned.
"Good idea, Toshiro," Kye said with a sly grin. "Let's go, you two, I'll be your foreman."
"Mumble, grumble…" the two muttered and with heads hung low they followed Kye.
"Oh, and take your time!" Toshiro shouted and went inside the building. "I guess I need to do some paperwork… But first!"
He ran to the common room, where some of the girls started preparing stuff already.
"Girls, prepare some treats for Kaylie and Layla, so they won't go sour after what I ordered them to do."
"Okay!" Yoshika and Lynne cheered.
"I'm going to do the usual business; you know where to find me…"
He went to the office, and Minna was in the middle of preparing tea.
"Hah, at least now I was a bit faster than usual!"
"Hahaha!" Mio laughed. "Good!"
"Today we have special tea," Minna winked and started spicing up the tea with her favorite liquor.
"Christmas time indeed," Toshiro said. "But be it the end of the world or the collapse of humanity, the paperwork for the Wehrmacht needs to be done…"
"Well duh!" Trude shouted. "A True Soldier of Karlsland has ordnung in his papieren!"
"Sure haven't heard that shtick in a while…" Mio sighed. "I guess Erica was the governing factor in this case…"
"I know that she has the mental capabilities to know what I'm telling her, so I gave up with that," she shrugged. "I have to thank you, Toshiro."
"For what?"
"For everything that led up to Erica confessing her true intelligence. It really brought me peace of mind. Now if only you taught her how not to make a mess out of her bunk…"
"She's still at it? Why didn't you tell anything...?"
"I wasn't bothering you, since it's limited to her bunk."
"Ah, that is an improvement…"
"Duh… But you now, if she stopped messing as a whole…"
"Let her do it," Minna said. "I guess that's her last safety line."
"Aaaaaaaah… Makes sense… Well, we have a week until the end of the world, so I won't bother with it…"
"Or the end of the Neuroi," Toshiro said.
"A week…" Mio said with a distant voice.
"A week and a few good hours, if the Matriarch will keep up to her word."
"Say, Toshiro…" Minna pondered. "Maybe that's why the Neuroi ain't attacking?"
"You think she's getting cocky and she's not sending her minions, because she's absolutely sure she will crush humanity in her final assault?"
"Yup."
"Quite a plausible reason…" Mio said. "But the fact that the Neuroi are intelligent… Gods…"
"Not all," Toshiro said. "Only Alpha Hives, the Queen and her envoys. If the Neuroi were truly intelligent, we would be fucked up before Christ was born…"
"Fuck this, let's drop the topic…" Trude mumbled angrily. "Minna, tea! We need to do the paperwork and archive it properly!"
"Oh shut up already…" Minna sighed.
Halfway into the job, a knock on the door was heard.
"Come in," Toshiro said.
Kye waltzed in and sat on the couch.
"How was it?" Toshiro asked.
"The girls did their job, not too fast, not too slow," she waved her hand horizontally.
"Good. They are being rewarded as we speak. Probably."
"You and your methods…"
"Say, want to help me with paperwork?" Toshiro asked with a devilish smile.
"I see you haven't been smacked really hard recently…" Kye frowned.
"Ha! At least one thing I'm better at, hahaha!"
"You really have a will of steel to do all of this…" Kye muttered.
"It came in the bundle…" he shrugged. "If I would be the last son of a bitch, I would just dump it all on Minna."
"But you aren't," Minna said. "For which I'm eternally grateful, heehee…"
"You've written enough in your life, Minna," Toshiro smiled. "Time for me to do the job. Maybe I'll get promoted for perseverance, bahahaha!"
"Who knows, maybe you'll wind up with five stars, heh…"
"That would be outright absurd…" Trude said. "Unless Toshiro would singlehandedly save the world."
"Which may be the case," Kye smiled.
"Whatever works," Trude said. "If Toshiro is the savior of the world… Then… I would be the cousin of the savior of the world! Holy shit!"
"Inhale, exhale…" Toshiro mumbled. "Imagine how fucking proud would Uncle be… Karlsland would basically have a clean slate and permission to do anything for the next century. Maybe Fuso would get some reflected glory…"
"Kye, some tea maybe?" Minna asked.
"If it's not a problem, yes please."
"Okay, on it," Minna said and fired up her electric water heater.
"Uuuugh… Looking at you, Kye, I'd eat a currywurst…" Toshiro moaned.
"Why the hell did looking at me remind you of a sausage with hot sauce…?" Kye muttered.
"Random thought… Wonder when it will be invented here…"
"What's that?" Trude asked.
"Can't tell, could ruin some shit…"
"Whatever…" Trude sighed.
After Toshiro did his errand, he walked out of the office with a sizeable entourage. He saw that the common room was now bustling with life, with the kitchen annex almost overflowing with girls, and those who didn't fit were running between a new table with pierogi and all other stuff that was being cooked. Kamiko was helping the girls as earnestly as she could, at least according to Toshiro's judgement.
"What a pandemonium…" Trude mumbled. "But it's so familiar…"
"Yeah…" Minna sighed. "Who knows, maybe next year I'll be witnessing a similar scene in my home…"
Toshiro approached Yoshika, who was now cutting up beets.
"Hey, is our side op doing well?" he whispered.
"She didn't notice anything, heehee… The object is in the cooler."
"Today will be epic…"
"Oh I hope… So much food is being processed into nice dishes…"
"Have you thought about a small dinner, so the girls won't keel over from starvation before the feast begins?" Toshiro asked.
"Heehee… Don't worry, Lynne made a cake for everyone, just for that purpose."
"Good, good… It seems that I don't have to sweat about anything…" Toshiro said relieved.
"Anything besides the Apocalypse I can manage."
"Hah, that's my Yoshika!"
"You sure like your meddling…" Kye chimed in.
"Everything for my girls," he smiled.
"I hope you won't be too meddlesome with… you know who…" Kye briefly looked at Rei.
"That is a delicate matter, I'm taking utmost care with that…"
"Good, because Toshiro Deuce had a setback in that matter…"
"Really?" Toshiro raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, he tried too hard."
"Ouch…"
"Exactly what he said after she smacked him," Kye said.
"What did he say or do?" Toshiro asked.
"I won't exactly tell, since you have to learn on your own mistakes."
"Well okay… It's not that two coin flips have to be two heads…"
"Your best bet would be a rim in this case," Kye winked.
"I'm not from Helvetia to sit on the fence, and you should know it by now…" Toshiro pouted.
"Suit yourself, Toshiro, but remember that I can be VERY angry when my loved ones are hurt…"
"That won't be the case. At least I hope so."
"Hope is the last thing you can latch onto in this world… Okay, Yoshika, what can I help you with?"
"I guess every possible position is occupied by now…"
"Toshiro, do you think you've regenerated already?"
"Don't tell me you want to train with me now…"
"Actually no, but I would gladly have Rei do it…"
"Well okay, but only because I would normally be bored to death… Don't think Livy will be jealous?"
"No, she won't be, I promise," Kye answered with a smile.
"Don't make me go after you when dinners ready!" Yoshika pointed at them with her finger.
"Unless Rei beats me to a pulp and I'll die, which is perfectly possible, we'll be back in two hours at most."
"Roughly one and a half, Toshiro," Yoshika said.
"Okay."
"Rei, Sweetie!" Kye shouted.
"Yeah?" Rei asked from the sofa before the fireplace.
"Toshiro wants a piece of you, how about you smack some sense into him?"
"A spar? Hey, why not! Are you up to it, Toshiro?"
"Bah!"
"Let's go then!"
One and a half hours later, the two were lying in the snow, breathing heavily.
"Fuck you, Toshiro…"
"No, fuck you, Rei…"
"That ship sailed long ago…"
"Ditto…"
"But seriously, you're advancing fast, and you're only training with Livy alone. But the weird thing is that your clone has a proportionally lower rate of progress..."
"Maybe that soul convergence shit tampered with my potential…"
"Maybe…" Rei smiled barely visibly. "Good job anyway, Toshiro. I'm kind of feeling bad that you couldn't smuggle your powers from my world here…"
"The war would probably be over in September…"
"Well, that's also a possibility. Come on, Toshiro; let's not make Yoshika wait for us."
She slowly stood up and hoisted up Toshiro. The both went to the common room, and stuffed themselves with cake and washed it down with hot cocoa.
"Now we have another timeslot to fill, and the snow around would melt earlier than I'll train again… I'll just go take a nap."
"Gimme the keys to the guest room, I'll also catch some quick z's," Kye said.
"Why not sleep with me in one bed?"
The girls looked at the two of them.
"Why are you looking at us as if we were an item?" Kye asked.
"We're… anticipating…" Minna said with a sly smile.
"What? Me? And Toshiro? Hah! Nope!"
"Okay… I'll go sleep alone then…" Toshiro stood up and slowly walked towards the stairs.
"Sheesh, okay, I can sleep with you… But touch me, and you'll be eating your fruitcake through an IV."
"Heeey!" Yoshika protested. "Don't you threaten my Toshiro!"
"Yeah Mom, we're guests here," Rei said calmly.
Kye shrugs at Rei's remark. "It's your Daddy that would get pissed, and we don't want that to happen."
"It seems that I have some sort of credit of trust from everyone, heheh… Come on, Kye, I promise I won't even breathe the same air you are."
"I hope."
They went to Toshiro's room, and once the door was closed, he asked, "Did you have to make such a damn scene out of it? You know perfectly well that if I got horny, you could rip me apart with just a single thought…"
Kye sighed and said, "Well, I haven't been with my hubby for quite a while…"
"And what, you have the same qualms as me concerning relieving yourself."
"Oh please, Toshiro, I can black out the whole universe if I wanted to beat the beaver in private. And yet again, sex talk happens. You sly devil."
"Hahahaha! I seem to have a rare gift of derailing every conversation towards sex, ahahaha!"
"Son of a… I guess everyone has his or hers perks… Well then, I'll take the right side, you take the left side. If you as much as graze me…"
"I'll contemplate the stars from up close, gotcha…"
"Did somebody say sex?" an unwelcomed guest asked from the ceiling.
The two from below looked up, and saw Kye's sister.
"Yami? What the hell?" Kye asked.
"Joey brought me here to play a prank," Yami smiled. "Hi, Toshiro."
"Yo, different flavor of Kye. So what do you want to do?"
A mistletoe branch suddenly popped up in the Yami's hands.
"No fucking way!" Kye yelled.
"Booo…" Toshiro pouted and curled away on the bed, his back facing Kye.
The bed rustled behind him, and he felt a pair of hands on his arm. Then, Kye gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"If you tell anyone about this…"
"Tell who about what?" a familiar voice sounded.
Both of them turned around immediately, and they saw Doran standing in the corner of the room.
"Wagh!" they both shouted in panic.
"I'll be going. Merry Christmas, Toshiro!" Yami cheered and disappeared.
"Now now, what do I see here…? My lovely Kye is seducing my friend just like that? Shaaaaame!"
"Yami forced me!"
"You could have ignored the mistletoe, a tradition is not law," Doran grinned. "And Kiddo, first you hump my daughters, and now you're trying to move on my woman? Control yourself, sheesh!"
"Kye made the move, I just played coy," Toshiro shrugged.
"Say, Kiddo… Why don't I demonstrate how to make a move on a woman?"
"Implying I need demonstrations…" Toshiro smirked.
"I'm millennia ahead of you… Heh…"
"Yuki, get me Yoshika in here on the quintuple!"
"And what, will you simply make out with Kye before me?"
"Sure, why not? We're all friends here…" he shrugged.
"Doran!" Kye protested. "Stop or I'll banish you into oblivion!"
The door opened, and Yoshika walked in. "Oh? It seems we have a guest… Doran was it?" she asked.
"Nice to meet ya, Yoshika," Doran said and made a demonic smile. "Saaaaaay… Why don't we make a contest who can please his woman better?"
"Deal!" Toshiro shouted. "What's the wager?"
"Since it's Christmas Eve, it's just a matter of the universally recognized honor."
"Kay," Toshiro agreed. "Just one condition – you're doing it as mortals. I don't want any immortal or godly cheater right now, understood?"
"Sure thing, boss," Doran said.
"Um, Toshiro… Did I hear correctly? You want to hump me before the two?"
"Yeah."
"Whatever now… This should be a new experience…" she shrugged.
"Et tu, Yoshika?!" Kye yelled. "Geez, I'm outnumbered it seems… But on the other hand…" She looked with a warm smile at Doran. "We haven't done it in a fair bit of time, huh?"
"So, Kiddo, ready, set, fuck!"
A bit later, both Doran and Toshiro were lying on the bed, with their women on top of them.
"Kiddo, I haven't heard a girl scream from ecstasy like that in some time…" Doran said out of breath.
"Stop fucking calling me Kiddo already, sheesh… We're physically the same age…" Toshiro wheezed out.
"If you want… So, let's call it a draw, for the sake of argument?"
"Doesn't matter, had sex," Toshiro shrugged with a smile.
"Hahahaha!"
"And must I say, although it sounds off, you sure are well-equipped…"
"Heheh… Well-equipped or not, I gotta go," he said.
"Alreaaaady…" Kye mumbled. "Stay a bit more…"
"Nah, I really gotta go, have stuff to do elsewhere. But I'll make it up to you later."
"Heheh… Okay, go you klutz…" Kye said in a coy way.
Doran gently placed Kye on the bed and jumped through a portal.
"Yoshika, you should be going, or the girls will raid the room…"
"Ah, yes… Ummm… Kye, can you…?"
Their clothes popped on all of them suddenly.
"Heehee… Thanks."
Yoshika rushed out of the room, and Toshiro said, "Now I really got to take a nap…"
"Me too…" Kye mumbled with a dreamy voice.
"Now I can add, "watch Kye being shafted" to my list of achievements, hahaha!"
"Oh shut up and sleep already…"
"Yeah, night… Or day… Or whatever…" he said and turned around.
When the time finally came, he was woken up by Yoshika.
"It's time, Toshiro, rise and shine."
"Okaaaaaaaaaaaaay…" he yawned and turned to his right. "Where's Kye?"
"She left a few minutes ago."
"Kay, let's go. This will be the best event I've yet organized…"
As Toshiro entered, he saw everyone at the table, and the presents under the tree, with an exception of a two-meter high crate standing beside it.
Just as agreed… Heheheh…
"Well now, Trude, why don't you unpack your present before we eat?"
"My present?" Trude wondered. "Why?"
"Why not?" Kye chimed in. "It's the big crate, from what I know…"
"Hmmm… Okay…" Trude stood up and approached the crate, with Kye following her. "And one!" She swung her fist and dismantled the crate. When the sawdust fell down, everyone saw an alabaster statue of Trude au naturel.
"W-W-What the fuck is this shit?!" she roared and swung her fist at the statue.
A crushing blow landed on it, but it didn't even rattle it, nor Kye who leaned over it.
"The hell…"
"Try another time," Kye smiled and went away.
"Waaaaaaaarrrrgh!" Trude yelled and swung another punch, this time obliterating the statue.
But when the dust fell, they saw a brown hair girl in a pink dress standing amidst the rubble.
"Hiya, sis!" the girl cheered.
"Ch-Ch-Ch-Chr…" Trude stuttered so badly she couldn't say anything, so the girl simply hugged her. "Chris…"
And then, came the waterworks.
"Hey, Toshiro, who's that?" Shizuka asked.
"Christiane Barkhorn, Trudy's younger sister, and her raison d'etre," he explained.
"Oooooh… So that's the famous Chris… But how…?"
"Oh, a nice lady teleported me here!" Chris cheered. "Hi Toshiro, Hi Frau!"
Suddenly, everyone's eyes ventured onto Toshiro.
"Yeah, yeah… I used my connections... But on this day, it's just all so excused. Anywho, there's the second thing to do before the feast commences. Layla, were you introduced into the plan?"
"Yup! On it!"
Layla ran to the pantry, and she returned with a cake. The cake was donned with a Romagnan flag and fourteen burning candles. Francesca's eyes widened to the point her skull would crack soon.
"You remembered!" Francesca cheered.
"Of course he remembered, you boob loving snot…" Shirley said with a smile. "Everyone, sing!"
Everyone sung Happy Birthday, and Francesca blew the candles.
"Presents!" she cheered.
"Your Christmas present you wished for is also your birthday present but… Now, I can give you…" Toshiro's body soon started changing, and he stood there as a woman in black panties, topless. "…the gift of boobs!"
Most of the girls were simply baffled at what they saw, but Francesca didn't need a signed invitation, and she grabbed Toshiko's breasts lightning fast.
"Woooooo! Shirley, you've got a competitor! Big… Plump… Firm… Totally not saggy… Shirley, if not for the fact your boobs have an eternal first place in my ranking, these are a win!"
"You basically said I lost!" Shirley yelled.
"Eheheh…" Francesca laughed dryly while still fondling Toshiko's pairs.
"Uhm, Toshiro, when did gender-bending became a thing for you?" Mio asked.
"That is also something related to the higher ups so to speak. And right now my name is Toshiko, heheh… And before you ask, yes, I've already had sex in this body, in all configurations."
"Jesus, you sure don't pull your punches…" Eila mumbled.
"Heh, nope. Okay, Frannie, stop your fondling, we have to proceed with the eating part."
"Oh, okay!" Francesca cheered and returned to her place, while Toshiko reverted back to Toshiro.
"Layla, Bible, if you please."
Layla's hands glowed and a big fat Bible appeared on them. Toshiro picked the book off her hands and went to Chris.
"Now, Chris, will you read something to us?" he asked.
"Luke 2:1-20?" she asked.
"How damn knowledgeable! Of course!"
Chris took the chair which was meant for the lonely wanderer, and stood on it.
"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed…"
Chris read the passage, with her older sister almost melting down in her chair, and the rest of them listening with smiles.
"And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them," Chris finished and closed the bible.
"Now, we can eat," Toshiro said. "Dig in!"
Therefore, it began. The immense variety of dishes was ravaged by the attendees. The borsch with úški was a starter, and then came the fried salmon, weisswurst, roasted goose, Christmas ham and many, many more. While everyone was brimming with happiness, Toshiro saw some uneasiness in Rei's expression.
Sigh…
Once the food started to thin out, Toshiro said, "Presents time! Francesca, you'll be Santa's little helper and deliver us the gifts!"
"Okay!" she cheered.
"And you can pick out yours first."
"Weeeeeee!" she ran off and dove under the tree.
After a few seconds, she emerged triumphantly with a small package over her head. She ripped it apart, made big eyes, and pulled out a pair of goggles.
"Yay, just like Shirley's!" she cheered and put them on.
"You could have just said you want them…" Shirley sighed.
"Really?" Francesca asked amazed.
"Yeah, really… I would gladly gave them for your birthday."
"Daaaaaaw…" the girls mused.
"Okay, next!" Francesca shouted and pulled another package. "For… Sanya! Ugh, it's heavy…"
"Heavy? Oh… Could it really be…"
Francesca gave the package to Sanya, and the latter pulled out a metal vase with a faucet from it.
"Wuzzat?" Francesca tilted her head.
"Heehee… It's a samovar."
"A whatchaagain?" Francesca tilted her head even more.
"A samovar," Sanya said and pulled off the lid of the vase. She tilted it towards everyone and said, "Look, you put some coal or wood into this pipe, pour water inside around the pipe and in a few minutes you have some nice boiling water or tea."
"Convenient…" Perrine said. "And it looks chic…"
"I can make some tea later; I guarantee it will be nice, heehee…"
"No doubt about that," Toshiro said. "Francesca, go!"
"Right!"
She rushed under the tree and nabbed another package.
"Kaylie and Layla… Hummm…" Francesca weighed the package in her hand. "Catch!"
She threw the gift and the redheads both grabbed it with one hand each. They opened it and pulled out two matching golden bracelets with single, tear shaped rubies affixed to them.
"Well, somebody sure wasn't humble…" Kye mumbled.
The two giggled, and Kaylie said, "We really couldn't think of anything else…"
"Well, okay, but no more gifts in our world."
"Aaaaaaaaaw…" the two moaned.
"Franny!" Toshiro shouted.
"On it!" she took a package and said, "Erica! Catch!"
The blonde Karlslander caught the rather big package and showed the content to everyone.
"A new pillow?" Trude asked.
"My old one got shitty already…"
"Seems you're a heavy sleeper…" Chris said with a smile.
"Heheh…"
Francesca took another, very small package and threw it towards Shirley.
"Woah, I wonder what this is…" she said and opened it. "Hah!"
A keychain with a bunny dangled from Shirley's hands.
"Rather small gift for someone with your ego…" Trudy said.
"My ego is okay, heheh…" she shook her breasts.
"Uuuuugh…" Trude moaned and slapped her forehead.
"Perrine, catch!" Francesca cheered and threw a package at the Gallian.
"Waah…" her scream was muffled by the package hitting her face.
"Heehee… Oopsies…"
"Why you… Oh…" Perrine squeezed the package and opened it like a wild beast. "Yay!"
"What did you get, Perrine?" Yoshika asked.
"The finest black satin bed covers… Ooooooh!"
"Heheh, surely fits you."
"Of course it does! I am a refined lady after all!" Perrine used her "lady" tone.
Lynne got a small package thrown towards her, which she slowly unpacked.
"Oh, just what I wanted, heh…"
"What did you get?" Eila asked.
"A set of new hairbands, since my old ones are already giving up."
"Modest up to the brim…" Eila sighed.
"Next one for you!" Francesca yelled and swiftly threw Eila a small rectangular package.
Eila caught it swiftly and opened it.
"Ho ho, that Santa sure is something! I got new tarot cards!"
"And the old ones were worn out or what?" Trude asked.
"If you've read fortunes every day for seven years straight…."
"I get you…"
"Hmm… Maybe I won't throw this one…" Francesca pondered over a slim and long package, and she ran up to Mio. "Here!"
"For me, huh? Now I wonder how accurate that Santa was…" she said and carefully opened the package. "Well, shit. Dead on."
"What did you get?" Toshiro asked.
"A shogun stand for my Reppumaru, heheh…"
"Ah, so a vertical one. Spiffy."
"Right? No more nightstand for Reppumaru, hahaha!"
Francesca rattled the next package next to her ears and said approached Minna with it.
"For me?"
"Yup!"
"Well let's see…" she said and opened the package. "What the… Shoulder massager… Magic operated… Oooooooooooooh… I've heard that the Liberians made something like this recently, but I never bothered to check…"
"A massager? Hell, one word, and I would massage you from top to bottom!" Toshiro said aloud.
"I can't bother you every time, right?"
"You have a point."
Francesca threw a small box up and down and said, "Feels empty…"
"Whose it for?" Toshiro asked.
"Heidi!"
"Oh?" she wondered and approached Francesca. "I wonder what's it all about…"
Once she lifted the lid, a rainbow stream hit her dead in the eyes.
"Heidi!" almost everyone shouted concerned.
"Wait, wait…" she said. "It feels funny… I…" she took off her glasses. "Oh damn… I can see perfectly…"
Kye… You just scored big…
"Layla, get an optometrist chart and stand away at the door," Toshiro said.
"Roger!"
Layla ran away and created a chart in her hands.
" 0…" Heidi read the bottom most line, which looked like a single, fine line from this distance. "Heh, funny…" she said with tears streaming down her cheeks.
"No shit..." Layla said. "That's correct!"
"How could that happen…?" Minna pondered and looked at Kye. "Right…" she said quietly, earning a wink from the latter.
"So we gots ourselves a Christmas wonder…" Toshiro said. "Okay, Franny, would you kindly…"
"Ah, yes!"
"Oh? Last present? Weird… Anyway… Shizuka, it's for you!"
"For me? Oh… No! It's embarrassing!"
"So you know what this will be? Tell us!"
"No!"
"Then I'll open it myself…" Francesca made a devilish smile
"Okay, I'll do it myself!" Shizuka shouted and liberated Francesca from the package.
With trembling hands she ripped the paper and unveiled a familiar wooden box. She slid open the front panel and pulled out a 1:4 scale Fuso doll of Yoshika, equipped with a Type 99 and Ki-201.
"Daaaaaaaw…" Yoshika gave Shizuka a heartfelt hug. "Now we both have dolls of famous witches, hahaha!"
"Oh! Oh oh oh! Yoshika is hugging me!" Shizuka cheered with a red face.
"Toshiroooo, no more presents!" Francesca moaned.
"That's weird… Kye?"
"I just wanted for my girls to have a fun time…" She said warmly.
"Rei?"
"I… I didn't bother… I didn't want to impose…" she said and quickly averted her gaze.
"Okay… Yoshika?"
"It's a secret, heehee…"
"Whatever…" he sighed. "Kamiko?"
"You probably know what I want," she winked.
"And why isn't there a present for you?" Minna asked.
"I just wanted for us all to have a good time. This may be the last Christmas Eve will be spending together, so let's make the most out of it."
"Oh, Toshiro, but you should look closer under the Christmas tree," Kye winked.
Everyone, not only Toshiro, looked under the tree, where a small inconspicuous package appeared out of nowhere. Francesca grabbed it and read off the label.
"Hey, Toshiro, it's for you!"
"Me?" Toshiro asked surprised. "Gimme."
Francesca threw the gift and Toshiro ripped apart the wrapping paper midair using his magic. On his hands landed a cooking apron with a big bold "BIG DADDY" written on the front. He looked at Kye.
"Date et dabitur vobis, Toshiro. You have given all the people around you so much that you have to receive at least something in your recognition."
"Give and it shall be given unto you…" Toshiro sighed. "Thanks Kye… But I think now comes the time to sing!"
Toshiro cleared his throat and started.
"Siiiileeent Niiiight… Hooooolyyy Niiiight…"
The rest chimed in, and they sang all the six verses of the carol. Toshiro looked at Rei in the meantime, and he decided.
"Whew… Well, girls, I think I ate too much… I'll go and get some air, and the rest of you can sing some more!"
"Okay!" the girls cheered.
When Toshiro passed by Kaylie, he slowed down time and tapped her on the shoulder.
"What is it?" the redhead asked.
"Get Rei to follow me out. Use Kamiko if needed."
"What are you trying to do?"
"At least trying soothe my conscience. Go."
"Okay, okay. I think I know now…"
He resumed the flow of time and went outside, lighting the small light under the small roof beforehand.
Now I have to wait… And shit, I really ate too much… The air is super cold right now, the night is dark… I can see the first star…
Toshiro only waited five minutes, and the door to his side opened. Rei came out and leaned on the wall beside him.
"I see that something is bugging you, Rei…"
"I'm sorry… But you probably deduced what's going on?"
"Is Christmas a touchy subject?"
"We only spent one Christmas together… But it counts… I was pregnant back then already…"
"Shit… I somehow had a feeling that this would be a bother if I'd invite you… Rei, tell me the details. How, when, why?"
"He was stabbed by some drunkards in an alley. They wanted to bum off some smokes off him, but he didn't have any with him. And then…" Rei's face took the form of an emotionless mask. "… he was stabbed… Just once, straight in the heart, with a switchblade… A drunkard that witnessed it said that my love just collapsed and never moved again…"
"Killed over cigarettes…" Toshiro clenched his fist so hard some crackles could be heard. "It seems my experience with death is a bit better…"
"Could… Could you tell me the details? If it's not a problem…" she asked quietly.
"Father died while shielding Yoshika's father from an explosion during an experiment on Neuroi Tech. Mother sacrificed herself to Amaterasu, so I could live on after I've used a suicide technique against the Warlock… And my grandma died in the aftermath of a stroke…" he sighed. "I guess your loss is the most painful… The most meaningless death…"
"You suck at cheering me up, Toshiro…" she tried to crack a smile.
"I could heal you in a snap, but I risk my teeth…"
"Hmmm?"
"Well, and there's another method, but… It won't help if you don't come to terms on your own…"
"I have a feeling the first method involves a lot of yelling…"
"Maybe you need to be yelled at? Maybe the only thing you've received from your loved once are mushy words of comfort?"
"Let's try then… I promise I won't do anything to you, and that I won't bear any grudges."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Okay then…." Toshiro said and he suddenly grabbed her by the collar and pinned her to the wall. "Listen, Rei! Your man is gone! He's dead, six feet under, and he will never come back! You have a full blown family and a plethora of friends, and you mope about some weakass that couldn't even stand up to a drunk! Get your shit in a knot, Rei! Kamiko needs a proper family, and that means she needs a father, while it's still not too late for uncomfortable questions! You either go on, or mope till you die yourself!"
Toshiro could see that Rei slowly cracked and let go of her feeling, flooding her cheeks with a steady stream of tears, and pushing a wail out of her lungs. He let go of her, and she landed on her knees in the snow. He embraced her, and she embraced him back.
A few minutes later, Rei said, "Th-Thank you… Nobody said that to me… Ever…"
"Because everyone cared about you too much, and they sheltered you from the ugly truth…"
Toshiro put his hand slightly forward and a small box appeared in his hand. He showed it to Rei.
"What… What's that?"
"Some bootsies for the little Kamiko. She didn't know she could wish a gift," he winked.
"I… I wished to forget…"
"I thought so much…"
"So, maybe method two will work now?"
"What's that?"
"My Sacred Flame has a purifying property, a kind of calming pseudo-hypnosis. In this world, I healed Marseille from her trauma of losing her familiar. Maybe it would work on you too?"
"We won't know if we won't try…"
Toshiro flared up with the Sacred Flame, and then the Flame of Kōjin. He placed his hand on her forehead. Tears started flowing from her eyes almost immediately.
"You can tell me to stop any time…"
She grabbed his hand and pressed it against her head.
"I guess that's a no…"
After a minute, Toshiro felt it's time to stop. The flames around him disappeared.
"And how is it, Rei?"
"There's no way for a woman to forget about the love of her life… But she can leave it behind, and never look back. And that is what I will do, Toshiro. I will take Kamiko, and use her as a beacon the pierce the darkness…"
"Deep… So, let's wait a few seconds so you won't enter the room with red eyes, or Kye will rip me apart… Wait a second… Why don't you just wish for him to be resurrected?"
"No… No, Toshiro, that isn't how this works…" Rei sighed. "Returning people from the dead is wrong, even if the intentions are the purest. If somebody had to die, then this is fate being at work…"
"Kye, this is fucking heartrending! Can't you do something about this?"
"I know where you're coming from, Toshiro… But what Rei said is true. However, that applies to the mortal world, heheh…"
"You're up to something?"
"You have given me an idea. You know, Rei and me will have to cease our mortal lives sooner or later, so I think Rei will experience a pleasant surprise when she returns to the Light Kingdom, heh…"
"Wow… Is that how you will handle the deaths of the Strike Witches by the way? And their descendants?"
"Of course, Toshiro. They will all be given lives as immortals in the Light Kingdom, just as you have various afterlife's here. Well, except for Yoshika."
"What about her?"
"Since she has the gift of True Zen, I might elevate her to the rank of goddess, but only if she so chooses."
"And what about my dear Clone Bro?"
"Already envious, huh? Maybe I'll find him some divinity, heheh…"
"Heh…"
"Yeah… But you could warm me up a bit, it's damn cold…"
"Kay," he said and grabbed her hand, enveloping them both in and orange blow.
They squatted before the wall and just as they did it, the door creaked, and Kamiko peeked outside, with tears flowing down her cheeks.
"Oh my…" Rei said. "Come, my dear…"
Kamiko squeezed herself between the two, and they embraced her from both sides.
"I'm so glad, Mommy…" she said. "Will you be really okay from now?"
"I have a feeling that yes…" Rei said softly as she patted her daughters head. "I should spank you for eavesdropping, you know?"
"Believe it or not, Kamiko was the one to forward the idea to make you better," Toshiro smiled.
"Yeah, back then at the canyon, heh…" Kamiko laughed, but then she tensed up. "Umm… Heh…"
"Hmm?" Rei tilted her head slightly. "Is something wrong?"
Kamiko looked pleadingly at Toshiro and asked, "Should I?"
"It's not us who will get a beating," Toshiro smirked.
"Um, Mom… You know… When the two redhead got too serious with their fight, and just after you were hit unconscious, the same happened to me…" Kamiko slowly said, watching as Rei's face got paler. "And… Toshiro jumped after me, despite the risk… He saved me…"
"Is… Is that true?" Rei asked, looking as if she saw Death in the face.
"Yeah…" Toshiro sighed.
Rei embraced the two tightly, and he felt something warm on his cheek.
"Was that what I think it was?" Toshiro asked.
"Thank you. Toshiro…" she whispered.
"It's okay…" he patted her on the back.
After a moment, they went on inside to the last verse of O Tannenbaum.
"Thy candles shine out brightly!"
"Ah, you're back!" Yoshika cheered.
"Hey, yeah. I guess I had to take a longer pause.
"I think we should get going slowly, what say you, girls?" Kye asked.
"Not yet," Rei said. "Layla, Kaylie, I have learned about something, but it's not the time or place for you to be punished."
The redheads looked baffled at her, then at Toshiro, lastly at Kamiko.
"Don't bother now you two," Toshiro smirked. "And now, I'll recite a poem, and I guess you can go back home. I wonder if I still remember it wholly…"
Toshiro went before the fireplace, cleared his throat, and started, "A Visit from St. Nicholas… 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house..."
The girls looked at him fascinated as he recited the poem. Soon, he finished with the famous last line, "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night."
The girls gave him a standing ovation, making him a blush.
"As I said, we'll be leaving," Kye reminded. "We had a jolly time here, and I really appreciate the invitation and all the shenanigans around the event. I wish you all good luck and a positive outcome of the war!"
"Thanks!" the girls responded.
After a series of hugs, handshakes and goodbyes, the five of them left into the corridor.
"Oh, I have to go too!" Chris shouted. "Bye, Sis!"
Trude gave her little sister a big hug, and let her run off after the rest.
"Bye everyone!" she cheered.
"Bye!" the rest responded.
"What now, girls?" Toshiro asked. "I swear I won't force a single bite into me…"
"Then maybe I'll make some mint tea?" Sanya asked.
"From the samovar?"
"Yes," she smiled.
"Fire away!"
"But can you slice up a few pieces of firewood into small cubes?"
"How small?"
"5x5x5."
"Can do," Toshiro said and spawned a small pyramid of wooden cubes. "Pine, if that's okay."
"Thank you," Sanya smiled. "It's perfect.
After a few minutes of adding cubes, Sanya finally poured a cup of tea for Toshiro from the faucet.
"Mmmmm… Good!"
"Thank you again, heehee…"
After a round of tea, everyone decided to eat a bit before sleep. Afterwards, they cleaned up the leftovers and everyone dispersed to their rooms.
"So, Yoshika… What was that secret wish?"
"Woooon't tell!"
"O really? Does it have to do with… babies?"
Yoshiro ruffled her eyebrows silently.
"Heh, nailed it… There's still a few days until your ovulation… Maybe I'll think it through till then…"
"Really?!"
"Yeaaaah… If we don't die in our last battle, we'll have it over with, hahahaha!"
"That's sure some dark humor…"
"I can't help but to joke about it… It's a natural defense mechanism after all…"
Livy appeared on Toshiro's left side and said, "Master, Mistress, Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, Livy," Yoshika smiled.
"Yeah, Merry Christmas!" Toshiro cheered. "So, what did you wish for, Livy?"
"I just want to be at my Master side…" she said and tucked herself at said spot. "Both physically and metaphorically."
"Both are easy to accomplish," Yoshika giggled and did the same as Livy. "How about we just lie down?"
"Without anything afterwards?" Toshiro asked. "Well, it is a holy night… Sleep tight, my ladies."
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