We celebrated the chickens starting to lay eggs this morning by having them for breakfast. The eggs, not the chickens. We didn't have enough milk for scrambled eggs, since we didn't get a chance to do proper grocery shopping on the last trip, but fried eggs were just as good, and we had plenty of salt to go with it.

The chickens aren't going to lay eggs often enough for us to do this every morning, but it's yet another thing we can start cooking with. And with Laws of the Jungle, we can increase our egg production if we want. I think. I bought it for Kusano today but I still don't know what the process for that is like, or the limits. Something to talk to her about tomorrow.

But that's getting ahead of myself. I didn't buy that until the afternoon, and there's stuff worth mentioning that happened before that.

As early as breakfast even. As all of us sat around the table, tired from our morning workout, which was starting to feel rather crowded with the addition of Mami and Kyouko, Kusano spoke up, looking nervous.

"Onii-chan," she started. "I…" she trailed off, looking for the words. I exchanged glances with Levy, worried, but Levy looked as confused as I did, and a quick glance around the table showed that no one else had any clue as to what was going on.

So I turned my attention back to Kusano, and simply patiently waited.

She swallowed, and then looked up to meet my gaze. "We can choose where the portal goes, right?" she asked. "If it's somewhere we've already been."

A lot of thoughts whirled around in my head at that, theories about what she wanted, but I ignored them. I'd find out in a moment. "For a price, yes," I said.

"How much would it be to go back to my world?" Her tone was hesitant, unsure.

"30 Credits," I said immediately. Sekirei was a DR3 world, and the cost to force the portal to open to a world they've been to was ten times their Danger Rating. Not an especially expensive price, but not a cheap one either. "We can afford it, or will after the Credits come in today and I make the purchases I plan on doing. But why?"

"It's been a month since you winged me," she said, still nervous. "And umm… assuming that things didn't change… and that time is moving at the same rate… Shi-chan should be finishing her adjustments any day now. I know you said she would find a good Ashikabi… but I think she'd be happier with you. With me. I'm sure she's worried. At the very least, I want to tell her I'm okay."

I didn't reply immediately. My brow furrowed as I considered things. There was a lot to consider.

"And, and, Shi-can will be very useful!" Kusano continued. "She's really strong! And she can break down things I grow so we can change stuff without chopping it down! And… and there are probably lots of other things she can do that I just can't think of right now."

I held a hand up, cutting her off. "You don't have to sell her to me," I said. "I know what she's capable of. Just… let me think for a moment."

Kusano nodded, her mouth closing as anxiety wormed its way into her expression. I tried not to pay attention to that as I thought about her request.

The first thing I considered was the Credit cost. I pulled up the Catalog to double check. It was 30 Credits to go there. Assuming we did manage to capture Shi-chan… it would be a net profit of zero, since she was a T6, just the same as Kusano. Granted, it would be zero Credits, but one new powerful retinue member.

But was that enough? A new world, one I didn't have to pay for, could net me more. While I had to spend a lot of it ahead of time, for as dangerous as the world of Puella Magi Madoka Magica had been, I had come out of it with rather serious profits.

But I needed to consider more than just Credits. I didn't want another Madoka Magica. Not yet, while we were still recovering. And worse, as far as DR4 worlds went, Madoka Magica was fairly middle of the road. There were many on the list that would just be too much for us. Or we could roll a safe world that would give us a much needed break, but very little chance for growth.

So it was hard to tell how much we would lose out or gain by forcing it to Sekirei. I had to purchase it before the portal opened, so I couldn't wait until that happened and make the decision then. If I bought it, I'd have no idea. So a net gain of zero Credits and a T6 retinue member wasn't bad, all things considered.

Assuming we could capture her, that is. There were a lot of reasons why we might not. If we visited and MBI was still holding on to her, capturing Shiina would be difficult. If she had already been winged, then we'd have to convince the Ashikabi as well. And despite me reassuring Kusano that I knew who would wing her, that wasn't entirely true. It was impossible to guess what I might have butterflied away during our last visit. She might not end up with Yukari as her canon counterpart had.

And, of course, as Kusano pointed out, all of that assumed that time flowed evenly like that. Would we arrive a month after we had left? Or a week? Or six months? Shiina might be winged. Or terminated.

The latter wasn't likely, but it was possible. Could a stamp fix that? I believe so. After all, 'terminated' isn't 'dead'. But getting our hands on her body would be difficult. Especially with MBI standing in our way.

An image of Karasuba flashed through my mind, and I grimaced.

It was too much to go over all at once. "I'll think about it," I promised her. "Tomorrow morning, I'll let you know. Okay?"

There was a small smile on her lips as she nodded, though it was tempered by her anxiety. "Okay. Thank you, Onii-chan."

None of the others commented, simply watching us, their own thoughts and emotions churning behind their eyes. I made eye contact with Levy again, and while I couldn't interpret everything in her eyes, it was clear she had things she wanted to say, but not in front of everyone. I gave her a small nod of acknowledgement, and we both turned back to our breakfasts.

There wasn't much more conversation after that, the atmosphere a little tense, but we were nearly done with breakfast anyway, so people started getting up and leaving to take care of their duties. Bisky dragged Mami and Kyouko to the training ground, with Uzume following closely behind. Chiho and Kusano headed to the garden, and Matsu slipped off somewhere, giving Levy and I some privacy.

She waited for a bit, making sure we were actually alone, before speaking. "What are you thinking about?"

I paused. "The odds," I said after a moment. "There are too many unknowable things both ways. I've already given up on trying to view it from a Credits point of view."

Levy nodded. "Good. And?"

"I've moved on to contemplating plans," I continued. "If Shiina is still held by MBI, can we bust in? We're stronger now. Probably even strong enough to handle Karasuba. But all of them?"

Levy smiled. "Haven't you already made a decision then?" she asked. "If you're contemplating going so far as to storm MBI's base, just so Kusano can have her friend join us, isn't that as good as deciding to do it?"

I paused, considering her words. "Maybe," I admitted. After all, the idea of telling Kusano no, that we wouldn't even try to recruit the Sekirei she was so close to, was difficult to imagine. The expression I imagined her making, the disappointment that would be all the worse because she would accept and understand the decision, cut deeper than the thought of gambling with thirty Credits.

Levy got up and walked behind me. She draped her arms over my shoulders, hands resting on my chest as she pressed her body against mine. "Don't think about it too hard. You're right, we're stronger now. Even if Karasuba corners us, we can do more than flee. So just do what you want. Do what feels right to you. Isn't that why we're here?"

She didn't wait for a reply, and instead kissed the top of my head before walking away. Not to the forge, where she spent most of her time, but to the training area.

I sat there for a moment longer, contemplating her words, and decided to take her advice to heart, and not think about it too much. I told Kusano I'd give her an answer tomorrow, and I'd just let it sit in the back of my head until then.

I needed to head to the training area, to make up for missed Nen training, but there was one more thing I needed to do first. So instead, I headed to the forge.

The banging of Tinks' hammer against the anvil was an inconsistent constant on the Skyblock. Yes, I know what I wrote. It could be heard through most of the day, almost every day, but the timing and even the intensity of it was inconsistent. You could never guess when it would come, unless you were watching her of course.

And in exchange, we had metal products. Dishes, cutlery, hinges, door handles. More and more things that made life a little more convenient, a little more comfortable. Tinks worked tirelessly at it.

I watched her now. Even without Levy here, Tinks was capable of working the forge by herself. Materials that Levy had made were piled up. Wood for burning, and metal for shaping. She used tongs perfectly shaped and sized for her to manipulate the metal, hammering it into shape.

I couldn't tell what she was making, it was too early in the process for that. But she was focused on it, each swing of her hammer, which was as large as herself, hit the heated metal with a clang, and the metal deformed just a little more.

I waited until she placed the metal back onto a bed of coals that had flames licking up from underneath it before approaching her. She looked up at me as I crouched down next to her and put a hand on her head, careful not to squash the ponytail-like appendage. "Hey Tinks," I greeted her.

She made a happy little warble that sounded like the tinkling of bells. I felt a little bad, realizing I hadn't meaningfully interacted with her in a while. As our family grew, so did the pulls on my attention.

It was ironic. Tinks was meant to be my Pokemon, the one that I caught myself, and VV was the one that Levy 'caught', but we spent more time with each other's pokemon than we did our own.

Even further, VV was essentially a neighborhood stray, living a comfy life in the middle of the biggest city being fed by the people who lived there, where Tinks was the Pokemon born in the wild who had competed with others of her kind for metal to build her hammer, and I knew that her final evolution was, according to the Pokedex entry I read, quite the power house. And yet, it was VV that had embraced fighting, and Tinks who had shied away from it.

But there wasn't anything wrong with that, which was why I was here. To make sure she knew that.

"Thanks for always working so hard," I told her. "Every time I eat off of that nice golden plate you and Levy made me, I think of you two and all the hard work you put in."

Tinks made a noise that I interpreted as a mixed between pleased and a denial that it was work. It was an assurance that she was enjoying it.

"Well, good, as long as you're having fun," I said. I paused, not sure how to transition to what I was really here for, but I couldn't find the words, so I just continued. "I also wanted to say… it's okay that you stayed in your ball, back in the Barrier."

Tinks stiffened slightly before looking at me in confusion.

"You were just as aware as VV was, right?" I asked. "You saw that we were in danger, but you chose to stay in your ball. That must have been scary."

Tinks looked confused, and a little ashamed, but she nodded slowly.

I petted her head a bit more and gave her a reassuring smile. "VV has embraced his role, and is willing to fight. That's his choice. Whether or not you fight is your own choice. You don't have to, and not doing so is okay. Yes, it was dangerous, but I was also reassured that you were safe in your ball, and that I wouldn't need to protect you. So, it's okay that you did that."

In truth, my feelings on it were… a lot more complex. I didn't want to force her to fight, but if we had actually died and she hadn't done anything… well, there were a lot of ways it could have gone badly. I couldn't come to an easy conclusion of whether or not it was better for her to fight or not, in a literal life or death situation.

So I just focused on the good, and reassured her that she didn't do anything wrong. More than anything, more than right or wrong, truths or lies, I wanted Tinks to be happy and confident.

But Tinks didn't look convinced. Her eyes drifted down, and she made a noise that spoke of hesitant acceptance. She didn't really believe what I said, but she wanted to, and wanted me to think she did.

I suppressed a grimace. I was hoping for a cleaner resolution than that, but there wasn't really much else I could say. Giving her time to process things was probably the best bet.

"No matter what, I love you, don't forget that," I told her. I stood up. "I have to go train now. You keep up the good work, okay?"

Tinks nodded and turned her attention back to the metal. She started pumping the bellows, fanning the flames beneath the coals to heat it up faster, focusing on her work rather than what we talked about.

I resisted the urge to sigh, and headed for the training yard. I passed Levy on the way, who just gave me an encouraging smile but didn't stop to say anything.

Bisky, Uzume, Mami, and Kyouko were already there. The latter two were doing their Ren training. Mami's aura was noticeably higher, her aura reserves having been increased by the Laws already set in place. Kyouko wasn't technically part of my retinue yet, so those Laws hadn't kicked in for her.

Mami was also in her Magical Girl form, rather than her sports clothes. Which made sense. It was a magical outfit that she didn't need to wash, and she needed to get used to using both powers at once.

Again, Kyouko was not. Her Soul Gem was still pretty dark, and she couldn't afford to carelessly use magic like that.

I still haven't told Mami about the Salvation perk applied to her. It only kicked in if she pushed herself hard enough to fill her gem before giving it time to empty. Training didn't come anywhere close to that, it would only happen in a serious fight.

We should definitely make sure she knows about it before that happens, and let her experience it once. I'll talk to Bisky about it tomorrow.

Bisky and Uzume, however, were waiting for me when I arrived. Uzume was in her normal cloth-battle armor, and Bisky in her work clothes. She was also holding a wooden spear, one similar to the one I used in the Witch's barrier, and she tossed it to me as I approached.

"Spar with Uzume using that," she instructed me. "Use Shu, but don't use Ren."

I wasn't sure where she was going with this, but I nodded. Uzume and I got into our now familiar positions, positioned about ten feet apart, and faced each other.

I had an awkward moment where I realized I had no idea what kind of stance I should have with a spear. When I was in the barrier, there was no time to take a stance, much less think of one. It was all action.

So I took a moment to think about it, letting my body shift into something that felt natural. I put both hands on the shaft the spear, my left one further up towards the head of it, for control, and the right one closer to the bottom, for thrusting power. My right foot slid backward, presenting a smaller target to Uzume as I turned and pointing the spear at her, ready to thrust. I bent my knees, leaning as I readied myself to dash toward her.

The stance felt natural yet unnatural at the same time. I looked over at Bisky, hoping to gauge some feedback from her on if I was doing it correctly, but her expression was blank and gave nothing away.

So I turned back to Uzume, only to instantly wrench my head to the side to avoid the spiral spear of cloth rushing towards my face, Uzume having taken advantage of my lapse in attention to start the fight.

Thankfully, she only sent the one attack at me, likely just a chastisement for looking away, so there weren't any more waiting for me. That wouldn't last for long though. So I took the chance to rush her, spear pointed forward.

Uzume was always a frustrating sparring partner. Her battle outfit was pretty simple, just a white top that barely supported her sizable breasts, a short white skirt, and white thigh highs. But she didn't use her clothes to fight. Instead she had multiple lengths of cloth, each one about twenty to thirty feet long and a foot wide.

These floated in the air around her, at least one part of them in constant contact with her as her power extended from her touch. The number varied depending on what she had available, and the more she had to use the more it split her concentration and power. Bisky had her using just two at the moment, though we've had training sessions where she used eight, her current limit.

Though, each length of cloth could act as two vectors of attack, as she commonly had the mid points of each length wrapped around a limb and used both ends to attack. But she was more flexible than that, and could change her method on the fly.

I didn't take any solace in the fact that she only had two. The fewer she had, the higher their precision, power, and speed. And now, unlike before, they were covered in a thin film of her aura, empowering them even further.

Time seemed to slow down, or my perception sped up, as I ran at her. Aura poured out of my eyes as I took a closer look at the aura covering her cloth. With the assistance of Gyo, it was easy to see why she was using so few lengths of cloth. The shell of aura was inconsistent and it flowed slowly. It was, after all, a rather large area to cover, and it pushed her control to the extreme.

I spotted three more lengths of cloth, all spiraled into blunted spears, starting to rush toward me as she made a move to step back. The length of cloth that I had dodged was also moving in a way that I knew meant she was pulling it back. I noted the angles of everything, readying myself.

And then time sped up again, the next few seconds were a blur as I stepped to the side and avoided her remaining strikes. Unfortunately, it wasn't important to her if they hit or not, as they were just to slow me down so she could keep a set distance away from me, dancing back even as she lashed out at me.

That was why fighting Uzume was annoying. She was quite good at controlling distance. Even now that I had a spear in hand greatly increasing my range, her effective range was at least double mine, so her strategy was to keep far enough away that she was never within reach of my weapon, but I was always within reach of hers.

Vague strategies and plans flickered through my mind as I chased her, ducking and weaving reflexively through her cloth. Our previous weeks of sparring had trained me well in avoiding her general attacks, but they still slowed me down enough that I couldn't rush her. Just taking the attack didn't work either, as those spears of cloth could quickly unravel to become grabbing hands.

I stepped forward and to the side as she sent another jab of cloth at me, but this time I brought my spear up and attempted to stab into the cloth, trying to pin it down.

Unfortunately, the tip of the spear was far too blunted for that, and it just scraped against the aura-infused cloth. Worse, it left me totally open for another jab that caught me in the ribs. I hissed sharply as pain radiated from where she hit me, but I shoved those feelings to the side and focused on making sure I didn't get hit by her follow up attacks.

I wasn't ready to give up on using my spear though. Bisky had given it to me for a reason, and I appreciated having something to leverage besides my body when facing Uzume's speed and reach.

Another spear of cloth shot for me, aiming at the center of my chest. I spotted another close behind it, but the others were still shifting position. I side stepped the first, and then stepped into the second one.

Right before it hit me, I whipped my spear ahead of myself and caught the bundled dense spearhead of cloth on the haft of it and knocked it to the side. A spike of satisfaction shot through me as I managed to actually pull off what I had imagined, and I felt a smile tug at my lips.

Uzume frowned at the new move, and her attacks increased in speed and pressure. I rushed forward with more confidence, making a bit of progress in catching up with her as I supplemented my dodges with deflections that slowed me down significantly less.

My advantage didn't last for long though, as Uzume adjusted to it. She tightened the spirals of cloth she used to form her spearheads, packing the same amount of cloth into a smaller area, one significantly harder for me to hit. This did shorten her range a bit, but not really enough to make a difference.

I tried to deflect them anyway, not willing to concede the advantage I had built so easily. But more often than not, my swings would hit the loose, unbundled cloth she used to propel the spearhead, and that was flexible enough to absorb the blows while barely changing their trajectory.

Desperate, I swung in a wide arc, wielding my spear more like a stick than the weapon it was, deliberately aiming for the cloth. When it hit, I twisted, bringing the point of my spear downward as I attempted to 'catch' her cloth by twisting it around my spear.

In hindsight, that was a pretty dumb move.

Uzume immediately showed just how little thought I put into the maneuver by leaning into it, allowing me to twist her cloth up before she tightened her grip on my spear and started to pull back, aiming to yank my weapon from my hand.

Realizing my mistake, I desperately shifted my angle and pulled as hard as I could. Somehow I managed to slip the spear free from her cloth. I didn't question it at the time, but if I had to guess now, they just didn't have much friction. The rolls of cloth she uses are pretty high quality, but their smoothness was a weakness in this context. Our conflicting auras might have played a part in that as well.

We reached another stalemate after that, spending several minutes focusing more on exchanging blows than on the chase. I noticed the length of her spearheads was slowly increasing again, and I swiped at one, but she suddenly shortened it, causing my spear to hit the loose cloth behind it.

I spun, reversing the swing of my spear so it wouldn't get caught as the cloth shifted to try to trap it again. An irritation was building up in my chest, and I was tired of our stalemate. So, I gambled.

I crouched down, bunching up my legs, and then launched myself forward, committing to a straight dash at her with no possibility of dodging.

Thankfully, my timing worked out. Uzume had fallen into a pattern of our new 'game' and was totally unprepared for a charge like that. I slipped past all of her cloth spearheads and delved between them, rushing for her.

Time slowed down again. Her aura pulsed and her eyes widened in surprise as she reeled back. But I could tell that she didn't have time to retreat, that I'd reach her before she could increase the distance between us. I let go of my spear with my left hand and twist my upper body as I thrust as far and as fast as I can with my right arm.

And I watched in that moment of slowed time as Uzume twisted, my thrust missing her by millimeters as it passed right by her stomach. Frustration welled up in me.

Then there was no time for thinking. The lengths of cloth all around me rippled, and though I couldn't sense them, I knew they were undoubtedly aimed straight for my back. Retreat wasn't an option.

Uzume was still moving, spinning from her dodge and preparing to make space. I was filled with the urge to not let that happen, to not give up the ground I had gained. In an instant, my mind found the path.

I dove forward, body horizontal to the ground as I escaped the closing net of her cloth by squeezing between two lengths. And best of all, due to the way she was turning, she was facing away from me, so she didn't see me escape her grasp. I had the briefest of windows to act before she noticed me, and I took it.

I recovered from my dive by rolling when I hit the ground. I didn't take the time to stand up, instead I was crouched, on foot on the ground while my other leg had its knee. It was a stable enough position for me to grip my spear firmly and whip it towards Uzume.

Her rotation continued, and there was a brief moment where she had turned enough to see me and the spear coming for her. But it was too late for her to dodge, and I felt an immense amount of satisfaction when it smacked into her, the smooth shaft just below the point of the spear hitting her bare midriff with a meaty smack.

She made a strangled noise of surprise and pain, but she didn't let that stop her. She jumped back, and as I was down on one knee, I wasn't able to pursue. Still, I was satisfied with what I had managed, which was the best hit I had ever gotten on her, and the only one I had landed at all while she was using her cloth.

I quickly got to my feet as Uzume put some distance between us once again and pointed my spear at her, mind whirring as I tried to figure out how to get a second hit.

"That's enough," Bisky called out.

Both of us froze, eyes meeting briefly, the fire of fighting spirit still burning. But then we relaxed, the fire snuffed out, and our weapons returned to a resting position. I placed the butt of my spear against the ground, the point aimed straight up, and Uzume's cloth drew in closer to her, some parts wrapping around her arms and others gently floating in the air around her.

"That was pretty good," Uzume praised with a genuine smile. "Have you gotten faster? I was struggling to pin you down."

"He hasn't," Bisky cut in before I could answer. "Not significantly at least." Her eyes turned to me. "What you improved is instead how quickly you analyze a situation and make decisions based on what you observe. You're not reacting on instinct anymore. You've gotten used enough to the speed of battle to use your head instead."

I mulled over her words. It wasn't something I had been cognizant of during the quick fight, but now that she had pointed it out, I could see what she meant. Before, when I fought, I did so with vague plans, more like goals, and had no spare time or energy for thinking.

But today I had planned out each swing, I spotted and followed paths, and I was much more aware of Uzume's cloth than I had been before.

It was a big change, and the source of it was obvious. Kyubey's ambush.

Talents work best when you have a teacher, and the more powerful the teacher, the faster you learn. But a 'teacher' doesn't have to be someone who calls themselves one. It can be an enemy you are facing.

And it looked like fighting for my life against the Witch and her familiars had done quite a bit to progress my fighting skills, thanks to Martial Talent.

I met Bisky's eyes, and I could tell she was thinking the same. But where I was conflicted about that, Bisky just wore a small little smile, like she just figured out the perfect villainous scheme.

Once again, a shiver ran down my spine.

And then Bisky suddenly turned away, looking at Uzume. "Uzume, practice your Shu. Focus on evenly spreading it along your entire cloth. Your distribution is a little messy and inconsistent at the moment. And keep thinking about your Hatsu. Figure out what properties you wish to give to your aura."

Uzume nodded and walked to a nearby wall, where she sat down with her back against it and started meditating. Her rolls of cloth expanded outward, like feelers or tentacles hovering in the air, and her aura started spreading along it, just as it had in our spar.

I turned my attention back to Bisky, who was once again looking at me, her eyes running up and down my body. It wasn't a sexual look, nor the look of a predator. In fact, she only seemed half focused on what she was actually seeing.

She suddenly lifted a hand, one finger extended. I reflexively channeled my aura through my eyes, revealing the shape she had created with her own hidden aura. "Four." I declared as soon as I recognized it.

She hummed. "Your eyes are still good, and you are fast with Gyo." She dropped her hand, the aura disappearing. "Enter Zetsu, recover your energy a bit."

I nodded and immediately closed my aura nodes, cutting off the flow. I settled into a comfortable position, one hand still holding the makeshift training spear as its butt rested against the ground. My other hand hung loosely at my side, and my feet were spread enough that I was stable.

Bisky started walking circles around me, observing me. "Do you remember my Wish?" she asked suddenly.

"To become a better trainer, right?" I replied.

"The best trainer," she corrected. "Specifically, to know the best way to grow someone's abilities. The way this has manifested is a sort of sixth sense. An instinctual knowledge of the best way to push someone, how to polish them. But 'best' isn't objective. That knowledge shifts as my idea of what that 'best' is changes."

She stopped in front of me and looked me in the eyes. "I can train you to be the best Nen user or the best spear user. I can push you to become a great leader and strategian. I can guide you towards the heights of charisma, where you can start or stop wars with just your words. If you really want, I could even train you in the ways of sex, pushing you beyond the skills that even Sticky Fingers can give you."

"I do like the sound of that," I admitted in a joking tone.

"I don't think any of us would be upset if you went down that route," Bisky admitted. "But the point is, I can train you, but I can only lead you down a singular path at a time, even if that path consists of multiple skills. I need an endpoint to aim for, an idea of the man you want to become. Only then can I guide you. So, Roland. What do you want?"

I frowned as I considered it. "I assume you don't just mean my broad goals."

"I know those already," Bisky confirmed. "Let me rephrase. How do you want to accomplish those goals? Do you want to be a fighter, someone at the front line, leading our charge and protecting us? Or would you prefer to be in the back, guiding us with a bird's eye view of the battle? Do you want to focus on Nen, or extend your capabilities? Magic? Crafting? Charisma? One of a hundred other abilities that I have no concept of?"

I didn't answer her question immediately. In truth… I had no idea. My mind flashed back to a conversation I had with Levy ages ago, where she forbade me from casually purchasing a Template Stack for myself, because I didn't know what I really wanted.

Now, approximately a month later, I was being faced with the same question. What did I want to do?

Bisky spoke up again before I could come up with an answer. "Not easy, right? I've spent the past couple days talking to the others, asking them the same thing. Only a few could give me a clear answer. So, let's try this. Do you want to lead from the front? Or the back? Disregard everything you may have read or heard about either. There are pros and cons to both. Don't feel like you have to lead from the front out of some stubborn pride or machismo. It doesn't matter where you are, so long as you lead us, that is all we need."

I frowned. "Are those the only two options?"

"Literally speaking, no," she admitted. "You could be in our center, or above us, or even below us probably. Or you could be fluid, shifting your position as the situation demands it. But I'm not speaking literally, I'm speaking metaphorically. Being in front means leading by example, charging ahead and trusting us to support you. Being in back means being our eyes, our ears. We'll become extensions of you, enacting your will as you watch and guide us. To put it in another way, do you want to be our Heart or our Mind?"

Put like that, the question was much easier for me to answer. "Heart," I said instantly. It didn't sit right with me, to sit back while I sent them into danger. I didn't like it when I sent Bisky and Mami into the conjoined Barrier alone. I did it anyway, because it was the smart move, but that was only because I was too weak. In an ideal world, I would have gone in and saved them myself.

"Then, do you wish to fight? Knowing that you will face death, just as you did the other day?" Bisky asked. "Once again, answer how you truly feel, don't let pride get in the way. You do not judge Kusano, Chiho, or Tinks for not wishing to fight, and none of us would judge you if you didn't want to either. It is not a matter of being good enough, or strong enough. It is just a matter of desire, and compatibility."

I gave her question serious consideration, but the first answer that sprung to mind did not change. "I want to talk, to use words and negotiate when I can afford to. But I want to fight when I can't. What happened in the last world was scary but…" I trailed off and then shook my head. "I didn't react like the others. I didn't hesitate, and I don't flinch at the memory of what happened. I can fight. I can handle it."

I felt confident in that assessment of myself. I won't say that the incident had no effect on me, but it wasn't something like fear or PTSD. I could see those effects on the others. Chiho, most of all, who had woken up a few times in the middle of the night before being coaxed back to sleep by Uzume. I didn't need to ask to know that she was having nightmares.

Stress Defense helped with that, I'm sure. But at just a single purchase of it, it was only enough to blunt the edge of the effects, to reduce them enough to stop us from getting overwhelmed.

But even then, it was clear that the effects on me weren't nearly as pronounced. The first time I had been exposed to danger and violence on that level, with Karasuba, I had frozen. But it hadn't left scars, and the next time I encountered it, I was able to move. Whether it was my mindset, my personality, some quirk or trait that I never discovered living my normal peaceful life before the catalog, I hadn't had any problems adjusting to the violence, to the danger.

Though, I still prefer to talk things over first, when applicable.

Bisky hummed again, maintaining a perfect poker face, giving me no indication of what she thought about my answer. She started walking in a circle around me again. "That spear you're holding so comfortably now, that weapon, what does it mean to you? What does it signify" she asked.

"A spear advances," I replied immediately, surprising even myself.

There was a moment of silence. "That… was a rather fast answer. Is this something you've thought about?"

"It's from a story I read," I replied. "It was a while ago, and I don't remember it well. But it became the mantra of a man who was thrust into a world of danger, one lacking in direction, with nothing but a spear in his hands. It spurred him on, prevented him from slowing down, and became the reason he survived." I shook my head. "I've seen a lot of spear users in the things I've watched and read, but for some reason, that phrase always remained stuck in my head."

"I see," she said, coming back into view. Her face was still blank. "I know you picked up that spear in the Barrier just because it was available. But you used it well, back then and just now against Uzume. So, is that what you want? Do you want to keep using it? Do you want to be a spear who advances?"

I fell quiet again as I mulled that over. I thought of the character that inspired those words. I thought about what it meant to 'advance', to keep going. Was that what I wanted?

I looked at the spear in my hands, a simple length of wood. It felt comfortable in my grip, even more than it had earlier, in my fight. Spears are simple but versatile weapons. It had reach, it had a sharp point, it had a blunt base, and with the right kind of head it could slash as well. Spears are flexible and powerful.

I didn't want to be a spear, with my entire identity focused on the idea and concept of advancing forward. But… I did want to wield that concept as a weapon, as a tool to be used in the right circumstances.

"Yes," I replied, more confident than I was before. "You're right, I picked it up by chance. But I'll gladly stick with the spear."

Bisky nodded and stopped walking. "Good. Now, while we don't know what your Specialization focus is, your general use of Nen should work just fine with a Spear. Most Hunters eschew weapons that are not conjured, but it's by no means uncommon to use one. However, unlike those Hunters, you have options. You can have any power you want."

"Too many options, really," I grumbled. "I'll probably pick up other things, and Chiho's potions will be a useful edge up, but I do think I want Nen to be the core, the foundation, of my abilities. It's… a fascinating power, one with infinite potential. I want to focus on that, at least for now."

Fairy Tail magic was also something I could pick up cheaply with Added Potential and having Levy teach me, but I would have little control over what I would get. But just using my Nen and a spear wasn't enough. While a spear can be thrown, it's not a good long range option unless I have many spears, or can recall it back to me. Something for ranged opponents would be useful.

But more glaringly, I need a way to fly. It's too common of an ability in fiction, especially at higher levels, and I'd be a sitting duck against any opponent that could fly. I have a few ideas on methods, but they'll take time.

Thankfully, I had time until it was needed. Time I could spend building my foundation and discovering my Nen abilities, and maybe find an answer in one of the worlds we visited. And I honestly didn't want to split my focus too much, especially right now. I need to polish my basic combat abilities to an acceptable level before I start branching out.

Bisky smiled then. "I admit, I would be upset if you purchased me only to focus on some other field. Understanding, if it was what you chose after careful thought, but upset."

I gave her a reassuring smile. "There's no worries about that. Even if it's annoying not knowing what my Specialization is, I won't give up on it that easily."

"You'll figure it out soon enough," Bisky reassured me. "Your pace is already staggeringly fast. You just need the right circumstances, I think. Still, keep working on Water Divination at least once a day. There's a clue to be had there, I know it."

"Yes Sensei," I replied dutifully, the once joking and teasing response now feeling authentic and earnest.

"One last question," Bisky continued, coming to a stop in front of me. She looked at me with a serious expression. "How far do you want to go? How far do you want to be pushed? We can take the longer, easier route. With your Talents you will still progress faster than any Nen user from my world, Gon and Killua included. Or I could push you, push the limits of your body and mind, and your growth will be explosive."

I thought of Karasuba. The feeling of helplessness that encompassed me when she arrived. The feeling of Levy's blood splashing against my cheek. The rage and anger I felt at her threats directed to Levy.

I thought of the Witch and her Familiars. The overwhelming gap between me and the Witch. The overwhelming numbers of the Familiars that seemingly had no end. The way their teeth dug into my flesh and the way they buried me in their numbers.

I thought of all the worlds out there that we could face. The worlds that the portal could lead to now, and the ones it could lead to in the coming months. I pondered the dangers that we would face there.

"Did you ever see Chairman Netero's Hatsu?" I asked.

She shook her head. "I've seen him fight a couple times, but I've never seen him pushed to the point of needing to use his techniques."

"Borrow Matsu's laptop tonight," I said. "I'll figure out what episodes he fights in, but… He's probably the strongest Nen user in the setting." Gin was potentially a rival, but there was far too little known about Gin's true limits to say for certain, at least up until the point I remembered reading. "That's the power I want to surpass, at minimum. And I want to do it as soon as I can."

Bisky grinned, baring her teeth. "The fast and hard way it is, just how I like it."

The next several hours Bisky showed just what she meant by fast and hard, and sadly it wasn't sexual at all, despite all the sweating and grunting. Normally when I spar with Uzume it's largely about me dodging her attacks while trying to find an opening.

Today, Bisky flipped the script. She had me practice with my spear by having me attack her with it, only attacking back when I over-extended or left an opening.

With Uzume, I felt the gap between us was closing to the point where I was almost her equal. In fact, I suspect that if I had a spear with a sharp edge and point I might be able to beat her outright, cutting up her cloth bit by bit until her strongest weapon was neutralized.

But with Bisky… I couldn't tell if she was just holding back less and less, or if the gap between us was widening. There's no doubt that got another large boost in power upon becoming a Magical Girl, but she didn't even transform in our sparring.

The grace with which she dodged my thrusts and sweeps was nearly belittling with how casual it seemed for her, and it was definitely infuriating. But I kept my head cool, not willing to throw aside this newfound ability to actually think while fighting.

Also, Bisky's counter attacks seemed especially potent whenever I made a mistake due to lashing out in frustration.

By the time she finally let me stop, hours later, I was exhausted. Nearly every muscle in my body burned from the exertion, sweat poured off of me, and my chest heaved as I sucked in breath. And for all that effort, I hadn't even gotten close to touching her, with my spear or any of the other attacks I threw out.

But Bisky smiled proudly. "Good, you improved a lot. We'll pick this up in the afternoon. For now… I think there's something else you need to take care of."

I looked behind me to spot Kusano, Matsu, Chiho, and Uzume standing near the entrance to the training area. When they see that I'm done and looking at them, they wave me over.

I take my time walking to them, catching my breath. "What's up?" I asked.

Chiho handed me my phone. "The last Stamp is about to finish."

I took the phone and saw the timer there, already open to the Capture app. Kyouko's Stamp was less than 30 seconds from finishing.

I turned to look at her. She and Mami were still sitting in the corner of the training area, but they weren't training anymore. Kyouko had her shirt pulled up and was looking at the Stamp, which was no doubt filling in the final details. I couldn't make out what it looked like from where I was though, only spotting that it was red in color.

I felt the phone vibrate in my hand, and I didn't need to look to know that it signified that Kyouko was finally mine.

Kyouko seemed to realize it herself. She looked up at me, her expression muddled, and then averted her eyes as soon as she saw that I was looking. Mami said something to her, but I couldn't catch it.

"Here," Kusano said. I turned back to her and took the glass of water she was offering, chugging it down. It was cold and soothing, and I realized just how badly I needed it.

But the glass wasn't bottomless, sadly, and all too soon it was gone. It wasn't really enough, but it took the edge off, and I felt more able to focus on what was going on.

"Right," I said. "Stamps are done, which means I have Credits to spend."

I immediately paid off the loans, then I went through my available rebates from the new captures, which were mostly Paradox and Destiny from Homura. But all of the Magical Girls also gave Information Defense rebates, which was enough for me to finally eliminate the costs of that Defense entirely, and Madoka and Homura both offered Stress Defense rebates. Combined with Bisky's, Kobayashi's, and Levy's rebates, I was finally able to afford both levels of Stress Defense.

I really hope it'll be enough to help everyone sleep a little easier.

I played a bit more with the Rebate values, but the only other Defense cost I could get to zero was the first level of Addiction, which I went ahead and got. There wasn't a pressing need for it, but a free Defense was a free Defense.

Finally, with the boring stuff out of the way, I could finally make the real purchases.

I looked up at Chiho, who had been watching me nervously as I fiddled with things. "Have you thought about it? Have you made sure that becoming a potion brewer is what you want?"

"Yes," she said solemnly, but there was a hint of excitement underneath her words.

"I've already started making her a sexy witch outfit," Uzume added helpfully.

"Well, I guess that means there's no way we can back out now," I joked. But seeing that she was actually ready, I navigated the menus, and bought Template Stack(Brewer) for her.

I wasn't really sure what I expected to happen, but there was no real indication of anything changing with Chiho. No flash of light, no shift in her appearance. All that happened is that Chiho's brow furrowed, as if she was thinking hard about something.

"Did… did it work?" Uzume asked.

"I think so, yeah!" Chiho said a little excitedly. "I've got all this information being poured into my head about ingredients and how to mix them… it's a lot. I'm going to need a bit to sift through it all."

"No rush," I reassured her. I turned to Matsu. "Now, for what I promised you." I purchased Psychic Talent and tweaked the Laws so that it would be shared. "It will take a bit of time to ramp up, but I'm sure it will help your project a lot."

Matsu grinned confidently and pushed up her glasses. "With this, Matsu will be unstoppable. The Jinki's secrets will be hers!" She walked away cackling.

I rolled my eyes at her theatrics even as a smile tugged at my lips. But I had one final purchase to make. I turned to Kusano as I tapped away at my phone and purchased Laws of the Jungle.

"And there. Now you can start modifying the plant life. You'll need to use Laws to do so, and honestly I have no idea how it works, but I'm sure you can figure it out." I tweaked the permissions so Kusano had the authority to make certain kinds of Laws and then handed her my phone.

She took it with a look of excitement on her face. "I have so many ideas I want to try!" she said.

"Feel free to try them all," I say. "Well… unless it's poisonous, or dangerous in some other way. Hold off on anything like that until you have a better idea how the process works and we can set up safety measures, okay?"

Kusano nodded. "Okay Onii-chan!" She threw her arms around me, gave me a kiss on the cheek, and then grabbed Chiho's hand. "Come on, let's get started!" she said as she dragged the still thinking girl to the garden.

Uzume chuckled. "You've just given them all more work to do, but they're so excited about it."

"Well, in Matsu's case I made the job she already had easier," I pointed out. "But for the other two, you know what they say. If it's something you enjoy doing, it doesn't feel like work."

"I suppose that's true," Uzume allowed. "Despite the strict training schedule Bisky sets, I don't really feel like I'm being worked hard. It's satisfying to get stronger like this, so I can protect Chiho."

I nodded and opened my mouth to say something, I don't remember what, when I was distracted by a burst of light. I looked over to where Kyouko and Mami were at to find both of them standing up, talking to Bisky, and Kyouko had just transformed.

But something about her body language put me on edge, so I trotted over.

"Gem finally clear up?" I asked as I approached.

Kyouko looked up at me, briefly meeting my eyes before looking away. "Yeah, it did. I can finally stop holding back." She looked relieved but also worried.

"Good," Bisky cut in. "You can train with Roland then. Your spearwork isn't bad, and Roland could use a sparring partner who uses the same weapon as him, and you need practice using Ten while moving around. You and him will-"

"Nah, that sounds like a pain in the ass," Kyouko interrupted. Her tone was… weird. Like she was trying to be casual, but clearly was anxious about something. I studied her expression, but she was keeping it carefully blank and avoiding my gaze.

"...excuse me?" Bisky said, and there was an edge to her tone that I hadn't ever heard from her before. Something approaching anger that I never would have expected from the normally unflappable Bisky.

"Kyouko!" Mami chastised her. "Don't be like that!"

"Don't be like what?" Kyouko replied harshly. "My normal fucking self? I agreed to fight your enemies in other worlds, and I agreed to this stupid Nen training or whatever, but that's all I agreed to do. No one ever said about me training someone else."

"No, you agreed to training in general, not just receiving training," Bisky insisted. "And this is training for you as well."

"But it's mostly for him, right?" Kyouko asked. She shook her head. "I don't want to. I don't like how he's copying me, is that enough of a justification? You have me, there's no reason for you to learn how to use a spear."

"You cannot be serious," Bisky replied, eyes narrowing.

But Kyouko seemed more confident, or at least more stubborn. "I mean, shouldn't he be picking up a sword? If he's gonna go around being a white knight-"

"Kyouko!" Mami shouted, cutting her off. "Why are you being like this? Your grief seed has cleared up, isn't that proof that he kept his word?"

Bisky and Uzume also looked pretty angry and annoyed.

"And he should continue to keep it by not forcing me to do something I don't want to do," Kyouko replied, uncaring. "I remember pretty clearly being told that."

"That's not what-" Bisky started, but I put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'd really appreciate it if you helped me out with my spear work," I told her. Unlike the others, I wasn't really angry or annoyed. "But you're right. So long as you continue to train your own skills, and you help us fight dangerous enemies during our trips, then that's enough. That's the bare minimum. I won't force you to do anything more than that."

"Roland!" Bisky protested, but I ignored her as Kyouko finally met my gaze.

She was trying to hide it, but I could see it then. Her anxiety, her wariness. Communication Talent gave me the edge I needed to decipher what she was feeling, plus how well I knew her 'character'. While I hadn't expected something like this, it wasn't surprising.

And then the moment passed and her mask slipped back into place. "Good," she said with a nod of satisfaction. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go take a break. I'm fucking tired."

She pushed past us and walked out of the training area. None of us said anything, but Bisky was glaring at her back and Mami looked concerned. Uzume's expression was more neutral, but her arms were crossed and she looked… unimpressed.

"I thought the Stamp was supposed to make them loyal?" Uzume asked.

"The Stamp is exactly why she's acting like this," I said with a sigh. "She's worried about how much control it has over her, and this is her way of finding out."

"That's no excuse," Bisky said. "You're being far too lenient with her. She's twisting the letter of what she agreed to and ignoring the spirit."

"She just needs time to adjust," I replied with a shrug. "Give her tonight, at least. Let it settle in that she hasn't been turned into a mindless slave."

Bisky frowned. "I'd be more okay with that if it wasn't your training she's slowing down with this little rebellious phase," she said. "She can slow down her own training as much as she wants. But you'll learn way more about using the spear from sparring with her than you will doing so with anyone else." Bisky sighed. "But fine. I'll trust your judgment when it comes to stuff like this. One night. Tomorrow, she's helping you train, no matter what."

I wasn't really sure one night would actually be enough, but I nodded in agreement. Bisky was right after all, my training was important, since I was still the weakest combatant.

"There go my training plans for the rest of the day," Bisky grumbled. "But whatever. Mami, if I ask you to spar with Uzume, you will, correct?"

"Yes!" Mami said, standing straight. "I'm really sorry about Kyouko."

"Not your fault," Bisky said with a wave of your hand. "Stick to just your ribbons when sparring with Uzume, we'll need to strengthen the walls before you can use your guns." Mami nodded. "Uzume, use your cloth of course. Roland and I will be off to the side."

"Sure thing Bisky," Uzume agreed, and the two of them headed to the center of the training area to spar.

Bisky looked at me, and I got the feeling that she wanted to say something, most likely about Kyouko, but she just sighed and shook her head. "We'll work on your use of Gyo in conjunction with your spear," she said. "Get in a stance and use Shu."

From then until dinner Bisky had me practice basic spear thrusts. First just while using Shu, then using Gyo to empower the spear as I thrust it, switching back to a more even spread of aura as I pulled back. Over and over and over again. I lost count of how many times I thrust the spear.

It was tricky at first to manage my aura like that, but I was starting to get the hang of it by the end. Even with Talents, I couldn't avoid rote training like that, to practice moves until they became reflexes that didn't require thought. I didn't quite reach that point, but I made decent progress toward it.

Dinner was relatively simple, because Kusano was distracted with messing with her plants and nearly forgot to make dinner at all, but that was fine. It was pasta, and you can't go wrong with that.

But Kyouko didn't join us. She holed herself up in the guest bedroom. Kusano assured me that she saw her grab a blapple before going in, but she didn't respond to us knocking on the door. I told the others to leave her be.

It did make the atmosphere a little tense during and after dinner, as the others were all aware, and disapproved, of Kyouko's rebellion. But no one brought it up, despite their frequent glances down the hallway that lead to the bedrooms.

After my bath I headed out to the garden to start writing my journal. But when I got here, I didn't start writing immediately. I had a lot of thoughts I wanted to sort out, so I just laid down on the bench and looked at the stars.

I mostly thought about Kyouko, and the best way to handle her. I knew that she'd get over it eventually, but I wasn't sure how long 'eventually' was. The Stamp would work its magic, and her increased 'tsun'-ness was just a result of… well, a lot, actually. The affection she most likely felt for me now, her nervousness about the mind control effects, the lack of control she had over her life after going for so long living on her own. This was all a massive change for her, so I didn't blame her for lashing out a little.

I did briefly consider getting Tsundere Service, the Lure that makes it so the more Tsun a girl is for you, she'll swing back around to being equally Dere, if not more so. It would help a lot but… well, she was already captured. Getting a lure for a girl bearing a complete Stamp just didn't make sense. It would probably help her adjust quicker, but that wasn't worth the cost, not with the perks I needed and wanted.

As I was ruminating on what to do with Kyouko, I noticed Mami's approach. It was a little surprising, because generally my girls left me alone while I was writing my journal. That wasn't ever something I had told them to do, but there was a vague understanding that my writing time was private, something I did to decompress and process the day.

Not that I minded being occasionally bothered, especially since I hadn't even actually started to write yet. So I just turned my head and smiled at her as she approached.

"What's up?" I asked when she was close enough. My eyes roamed up and down her body, glistening and slightly flushed, and I surmised that she had just finished her own bath. Mami had embraced our nudist lifestyle, so there wasn't a single inch of her I couldn't see.

All of my girls are so sexy. I'm truly blessed.

Mami blushed a bit as she noticed my gaze, but she seemed pleased as well. But the mood passed, and she grew more somber. "It's about Kyouko."

I stopped looking at her so lecherously and started to sit up. Mami sat down where my head was, but then surprised me by grabbing my shoulders and pulling me back down so my head was resting on her lap.

I certainly didn't fight it, I'd never pass up a chance at a lap pillow like that. But it did make it hard not to think lecherous thoughts when her boobs were hanging right above me, inches from my face. Still, I did my best.

"I'm sorry for Kyouko," she said after a moment, which helped me focus on her instead of her boobs.

"You don't have to keep apologizing for her," I said. "Bisky was right, earlier. It's not your fault. And I'll go even further and say that I honestly should have expected this. In hindsight, I would have been surprised if she didn't rebel a bit."

"I know," Mami admitted with a sigh. "I just… I feel a little responsible, I guess. She was my kouhai for a while. She was already capable before I met her, but I taught her a lot, and we were very close. We've drifted apart since then but… I've never stopped thinking about her as my student."

"She's grown and changed since then, though," I pointed out.

"Yeah…" Mami agreed. "Not all for the better though. She can't use her illusions anymore."

"Her what?" I asked. I remembered reading something about that in the journal entry that Matsu had written, but the detail had slipped my mind among everything else that was in there, so I had forgotten to ask about it.

"Her illusions," Mami repeated. "That was her magic before she started focusing on those chains. She could weave illusions, usually of herself to confuse Witches in combat. She was very good at it."

I hadn't ever heard of that, but I hadn't ever watched more than the main series. I knew there were several side materials though, so it might have popped up in one of them. Still, I understood the world well enough to put the pieces together.

"Because of her Wish," I said. "Her Wish was to control minds, so she had an affinity for mind manipulating magic. And when she regretted that wish… she lost that magic."

"Yes," Mami confirmed. "That was also when she pulled away from me. That… was hard. But we're back together now, and not only that, we're safe from the terrible fate we didn't even know was threatening us, and we found you." Mami put her hand on my chest, the warmth of it nice against my cool skin.

We both were quiet for a few moments. There wasn't much else to say. The issue with Kyouko was still up in the air, and only time would tell how it went.

"I'm sorry I haven't gotten to spend much time with you, one on one," I say. "I feel a little bad, convincing you to join all of us and then ignoring you."

"It's fine," she reassured me. "I've seen how busy you have been. Bisky has kept me busy as well. Nen is very interesting, and I can see why she's so strong. Besides… you give me plenty of attention at night."

I could tell from the way she said it that she was blushing, which made me chuckle. "No one is left wanting then."

"Except Kyouko," Mami pointed out.

I sighed. "True. But that's only because of her stubbornness. But… I think I have to just let her be stubborn. She'll come around, eventually. Trying to force, or even lightly push her, will just have the opposite effect."

"I suppose so…" Mami allowed. "I just feel bad for her."

"I know." I reached up to place my hand on the one she had on my chest. "But there isn't anything else we can do."

Once again we fell into silence. After several minutes, when Mami didn't reply and I couldn't think of anything else to add, I sat up with a grunt. "Alright. I need to get writing, and if I lay in your lap any longer I'm not going to be able to keep my hands off of you."

Mami giggled, more pleased this time than embarrassed. "I suppose I'll leave you to it then. But I'm looking forward to what your hands will do tonight." She gave me a quick kiss, stood up, and then headed back for the house.

And wouldn't you know it? Mami's got a nice ass too. It brought to mind a certain saying. "I hate to see you go, but I love watching you leave." I think my grandpa used to say that one. Still, I had a journal to write before I could indulge.

But that's me caught up, and it's getting late. So I'm going to wrap this up so I can indulge myself. I'll worry about Kyouko and whether or not we'll go back to Sekirei tomorrow. For now, my girls are waiting for me.

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AN: Sorry for the delay on this. I was feeling a little burnt out(I wrote over 60k words between this and my story in the month of June) and I got pretty hard distracted planning out the logistics of how Chiho's new potion making and Kusano's plant modification are going to work. Though you guys won't see much of the process. I'll probably roughly describe it in a few chapters, but mostly you guys will just see the results.

As for our problem child… Kyouko was basically forced to join, not by Roland and the others, but by her circumstances that she can really only blame on Kyubey. And herself, but she won't admit to that. Joining them was preferable to staying, but not by much. She has a complicated history and feelings about mind control, and she has spent three days quietly observing the group. How everyone is focused and centered on Roland. The way they interact with each other. The nightly orgies happening just a few feet and a thin wall away from her.

She didn't show it, she's too prideful for that, but she's scared as hell of her free will being taken away. She's had to live with this stamp growing on her, one that moved from the back of her hand to over her womb, with the obvious implications of that. She knew that once it was done, she was done for. But she doesn't protest, because she doesn't have grief seeds, so she can't use magic, not until it's done. She's helpless.

So, when it does finish and her fate is consigned, she immediately starts testing her limits. How much control does he actually have over her? Did they tell the truth that she can still disobey him? She needs to know, and she needs to retain as much control over the situation as possible.

The Stamp Binding only applies the basic effects, which means that yes, she can indeed get away with this, especially with Roland not pushing things. But the basic Binding is a scarily subtle thing, and her rebellion won't last forever.

Other quick notes: I tried a new method of writing fight scenes, lemme know what you guys think. The talk with Tinks was awkward and inconclusive on purpose. Roland was my mouthpiece here in that I genuinely feel bad for doing all that to seduce Mami yet there's been no room for scenes with her. I think we've officially hit the Too Many Waifus point and not all of them are going to be able to get consistent attention. You'd think I'd learn my lesson and avoid this, but nope.