Gal Game

by Sagarel's Devil

Itsuka Shidou and Itsuka Kotori, siblings who have been cursed with powers for five years. Every year, Shidou would have to kiss his sister to momentarily cure her of her curse. But as Shidou is pulled into a string of events; he discovers that his powers not only work on his sister, but on others like her. Spirits, they are called, and only Shidou can save them.

3. Nichijou

『Chapter 3: Nichijou』

Part 1

"K-Kotori…" Shidou mentally slapped himself for sounding so weak in front of his little sister. The younger sister in question was standing over him with her white and pink striped panties in his clear view.

"What is it? Onii-chan?" Kotori drawled, a lollipop in her mouth. Shidou recognized the pair of black ribbons tied in her hair. This was the black-ribboned Kotori he was talking to, a rebellious young teenager who thought that playing around as the commander of a ship was cool… except that she was indeed a commander of a ship with several dozen adults under her beck and call.

"I can see everything!" he retorted as he grabbed her by the waist. He easily hefted her up over his shoulder in a fireman carry before spinning around.

"Onii-chan?!" Kotori cried.

"KORA!" Shidou shouted as he performed a wrestling move on his little sister.

"Guha!"

"And so, Itsuka Shidou wins against his little sister two and zero," Shidou let go of his sister and praised the Sun. He expected the kick to the behind of his knee, and he got it. Kotori kicked him in the knee, and he, as the older brother, relented. Shidou made a show of getting unbalanced and let her wrap her ankles around his neck. He leapt backwards along with her pull.

"Fu~" Kotori cackled as she stood and placed her foot on Shidou's back. "That makes it three zero in the little sister's favor."

"How did that happen?!"

"What do you mean? It's only natural." Kotori twirled the lollipop in her mouth. "So, Onii-chan, I've been meaning to ask," she drawled. "What is this about Tobiichi Origami from the AST coming to live here?""

"I thought she was joking."

"But she wasn't?"

"Yeah…"

Kotori sighed at her brother's weak response. She took her foot off his back and let him stand. "Onii-chan, I can understand letting Yatogami-san live here for the moment as we construct the Spirit Apartments," Kotori gestured to the window where a large building was being constructed several meters away from the Itsuka house. It was slowly being built by the Realizer team of Ratatoskr during the night so as not to capture the attention of the local AST team while a team of "engineers" manned it during the day to not arouse any suspicion. A large mansion appearing out of nowhere was just weird.

I'm looking at you DxD…

"That reminds me… How many Spirits are there that you would need a whole apartment complex?"

"We do not know. The AST have named at least ten, me and Yatogami-san included, there may be more than that."

"And I have to kiss and seal all of them?"

"Yeah? Why?" Kotori looked at Shidou as if he had just asked a dumb question. Her lips curled up in a teasing grin. "Don't tell me you enjoy it!"

"Well… I would be lying if I said I didn't," she caught him glancing at her sugar-coated lips.

Kotori turned red. "P-Pervert Onii-chan!"

Shidou felt the damage of the psychological attack but struck back. "I can't help it! Kissing you makes me feel excited!"

"You do realize you're kissing your little sister right?"

"I know!" That's why I feel a little guilty about it. Shidou held his tongue from going farther, it will only make their playful banter a little awkward.

"Pervert! Hentai! Hentai-nii-chan!"

"Would you prefer I say 'I didn't like it?' "

"When you put it like that…" Kotori lapsed into contemplative silence.

"Kotori, I would rather be a pervert than a liar."

"Please don't say that with such a convicted face, it creeps me out!"

Shidou shoved his face closer to Kotori's own, nearly breaking his "convicted face" and bursting into laughter as his little sister shoved him away by the nose.

"Have my stinky socks attack!" Kotori yelled as she grabbed one of her discarded socks and threw it at Shidou.

"Guha! The Convicted Face is defeated, ughhhh," Shidou collapsed on top of Kotori.

"Hentai-nii! Get off! You're heavy!"

"I'm not hentai-nii, I'm shi-nii…"

"Nii-san!"

"Vrmmm, vrmmm," Shidou made car noises but didn't get off his sister.

"Nissans don't make that kind of noise. They are more like 'Rrrrn, rrrrn,' " Kotori corrected as she squirmed under Shidou, trying to get a good position to push her older brother away from her. She finally brought her legs to her chest and planted her feet firmly against Shidou's chest. "Ha!" with a cute battle cry, Kotori successfully shoved him away. "Hmph, looks like this Nissan was made in China, judging by the quality of its steel."

"Hey! I tell you that this Nissan is made of pure Japanese pride!"

"Yeah, yeah, a product of Japan, made in China," Kotori shrugged offhandedly. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a sticker and stuck it onto Shidou's forehead. "There you go, it's now official, you are now made in China."

Shidou flicked Kotori on the forehead and enjoyed her high pitched "Ittai!" He reached up and painfully but swiftly tore off the sticker. He read it over, "Hey, this says 'Made in America.' "

"America? China? Who cares at this point… They look all the same to me."

"They are so very different!" Shidou made vague gestures with his hands. "Americans are tall and have blonde hair, wear eyeglasses and speak English. Chinese have slitted eyes, black hair, and speak Taiwanese."

"Onii-chan, I was talking about their products."

"..." Shidou had no comeback for that.

"Speaking of products," Kotori pulled something out of her bag, a white mask that for some reason had a tape over the mouthpiece. She tossed it towards Shidou who caught it mid air. As Shidou looked it over, she gave an explanation. "Seeing that you have now stepped into the battle over the Spirits, you will need to protect your identity from the AST. That thing should be on your person at all times so they won't be able to scan the Reiryoku that is inside you."

Shidou nodded. "One question though…" he held up the mask and pointed to the mouth part covered in duct tape. "Why?"

"That was Kannazuki's idea since you are named [Sealer] and you seal Spirits with your lips," Kotori grinned smugly. "Like the Hentai-nii you are."

"Tell me, Kotori, do you not enjoy our kisses?"

"W-Well, I d-don't! Why would you think I do?! I'm not a pervert like Hentai-nii!"

"Kotori, look me in the eyes as you say that."

Kotori's face flushed even redder as she forced herself to look at Shidou. "I do— NOT like kissing Onii-chan!" she flinched away.

"Aha! You are lying!"

"I am not!"

"If you are not indeed lying, then why did you look away! So! Not only is my little sister a pervert who likes getting kissed by her Onii-chan, but she is also a liar. For shame," Shidou shook his head. "I thought I raised you to be better than this."

"MMmm!" Kotori had no comeback for that and decided to kick her brother in the shin. Shidou took the blow and acted dramatically for effect.

"Ow! Ow! Kotori!"

"That's what you get! Hmph!"

Shidou merely grinned and was about to tease her some more, but Tohka came down from Shidou's room, dressed in a cute pair of lavender colored pajamas that suited her quite well. They were newly-bought and had a comfy teddy bear design all over. The girl looked delighted the first time she wore them. Judging by the twinkle in her eyes and the skip in her step as she descended the stairs, she looked pretty glad still.

"Shidou~" she sang cheerfully. "I'm hungry~"

Shidou cracked a smile. She may have lost her funny way of saying his name, but she still pronounced it in a cute way. The girl's demeanor had changed throughout the day, and Shidou couldn't help but notice that Tohka grew chirpier from the withdrawn Princess that he first met. It was like a puppy that was freed from its cage and allowed to roam free in the park.

"Yatogami-san, what should you say when asking something from somebody?" Kotori said.

"Ah," Tohka clapped her hands, not at all disturbed by Kotori scolding her. "Please Shidou~ I'm hungry~"

"Good enough I guess…"

Shidou cracked an amused smile at their interaction and checked the clock, which read exactly seven in the evening. "Alright, give me thirty minutes, I'll cook dinner."

"Yay~"

As Shidou prepared the meal, something simple, he heard Kotori whisper to Tohka.

"Psst, Yatogami-san, don't tell Onii-chan…" there was a rustling of clothes and the signature tearing of a plastic wrapper that Shidou knew all too well. Shidou rolled his eyes as he knew exactly what was going on. "I'm going to give this to you… and you will tell nobody."

"Mu–! You have my word!"

Shidou had half the mind to scold them. Only the fact that Tohka was enjoying herself made him stop. He will turn a blind eye to them for now, but he will have to nip it in the bud sooner rather than later. Having another Kotori running around the house with sweets in her mouth like a chipmunk was not something he wanted. And he was sure he couldn't tackle this particular chipmunk…

Shidou cast an eye to the two snacking girls, licking the illegally obtained lollipops in quiet bliss.

Yeah, he absolutely wouldn't be able to pin down the second lollipop chipmunk with a straight face. Even thinking about it made him blush. Her pajamas didn't hide her lithe figure…

Aaaaand now he remembered what occurred just a few days ago.

Shush, Shidou Junior! Stop saluting!

"Onii-chan? Is there a problem? You stopped cutting the onions."

"Did you cut yourself, Shidou?"

"N-Nah, I'm good."

Down Shidou-chin, down!

Shidou took a deep breath and continued his cutting of onions.

Chopped onions, vegetables, meat, and a dash of salt and pepper made for a simple dinner. Shidou simply stir-fried them all together and the meal was ready.

Tohka stood beside him as he cooked, a curious sparkle in her eyes. She watched his every movement, taking it all in with childlike wonder. Her nose twitched as she eagerly sucked in the delicious smell of food.

"shidou."

"Yes?"

"Can you teach me how to cook?"

Shidou glanced over to her and saw how determined she was to learn. "Sure," he said without a second thought. "Would you like to learn every night?"

"Yes!"

Shidou gave a small laugh at Tohka's eagerness. It made him want to reach out and pat her head…

The world turned layers of gray, with some of it being darker and some of it being of lighter shade.

『Pat her once.』

『Pat her twice.』

『Pat her thrice.』

『Pat her ? number of times.』

The power was surprisingly innocent now, and Shidou didn't know whether to be scared or calm about it.

He picked the second option. The world turned back to normal, and Shidou reached out to pat Tohka's head twice.

"Hwah?!"

Shidou smiled, taking in Tohka's surprised and pleased expression. Shidou patted her twice on the head and decided to ruffle her hair a little like he would Kotori. He rubbed her silky smooth hair quickly before going back to stirring the pan's contents.

"Me too, Onii-chan!" Shidou was surprised to find his little sister clamoring for his attention. He smiled wryly when he found that she had swapped her black hair ties with her white ones. Was this like a split personality thing?

Being the gracious Onii-chan that he was, Shidou reached out and patted Kotori's head too, giving it a playful squeeze as he released.

"Again! Again!" Tohka bowed her head to Shidou, wanting another pleasant headpat. Shidou sweat-dropped but relented.

"Me too! Onii-chan~"

Shidou gave his little sister another headpat.

"Again! Again!"
"Me too Onii-chan~"

Shidou had enough and flicked both of them on the foreheads.

"Mou~ shidou~"
"Onii-chan!?"

Both girls rubbed their foreheads where Shidou flicked them. "You girls do know I'm cooking, right? It's never a good idea to play around in the kitchen while somebody is cooking. There are so many things that could go wrong. I may be holding a knife and might accidentally cut someone, or the food might burn because we were busy talking, or something might be hit and fall," Shidou scolded, switching off the fire as he did so.

Tohka nodded, taking the things that Shidou said to heart. Kotori on the other hand started sniffling.

"I'm sorry…"

Perhaps, Shidou may have been a little harsh with his words.

The boy acting as the man of the house sighed and gave his little sister a gentle smile as he approached her. He put his hands on her frail shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "I'm not saying these things to hurt you… I'm saying them because I love you and I want you to be protected and safe. You know that, right?"

"I know…" Kotori wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I love you, Kotori."

"I love you too, Onii-chan," Kotori sniffed one last time as Shidou gave her a quick but comforting hug.

Shidou turned to Tohka to see her arms open wide. Shidou chuckled and relented. He drew his arms around Tohka also, and the girl sighed pleasantly in the hug. "Alright, that's enough drama. Kotori, please set the table and get Tohka to help you out."

"On it!" Kotori saluted.

Tohka copied Kotori's gesture and marched out along with the younger girl.

Man… The stark contrast between the mild-mannered and emotional white-ribbon Kotori and the harsh black version of Kotori surprised Shidou there. He had gotten used to the black-ribbon Kotori the past few days and unwittingly used a harsher tone of voice with her. He would have to do better next time.

On a more amusing thought, it was troublesome calling her white-ribbon Kotori and the other black-ribbon Kotori… Maybe the one with black ribbons could be named Commander Kotori and the other Kotori Alter? Shidou wanted the black-ribbon one to be Kotori Alter but he had no cool nickname for white-ribboned Kotori if he did so.

Thoughts for a different time.

Shidou watched as Kotori handed Tohka the ceramic platters while she took out the cutlery. Kotori guided Tohka, showing the older girl to set the platters on top of the placemats and arranging the spoon and fork accordingly. Shidou nodded to himself, glad that despite wearing white ribbons, Kotori was still his younger sister.

The split personality thing though was quite uncanny for Shidou though…

Shidou scooped out the stir-fried meal and put it in a large serving bowl before setting it on the table. He did the same with the white rice. And with that, dinner was served.

Shidou sat himself at the head of the table with Kotori on his right and Tohka on his left. "Let's eat."

"Itadakimasu!" Tohka clapped her hands excitedly, then dug into her meal.

Part 2

Shidou yawned as he got off the couch. He stretched upwards and felt all the bones in his back crack. He walked to the kitchen and turned on the faucet. The tendrils of sleep left his face when he felt the cool water of the early morning touch his cheeks. After washing the sleep out of his eyes, Shidou reached for the kitchen towel to dry his face and the tips of his bangs. With well-placed aim, he shot the used towel from the kitchen all the way to the other side of the house, where a basket lay.

Shidou opened a cupboard and pulled out a clean towel to replace it by the sink. First things first, he had to prepare breakfast and lunch for three people. Measuring six cups of fine jasmine rice, he poured them into a pot and washed it. He submerged it in water again. With his pinkie, he made sure it was at the perfect height before setting it into the rice cooker and turning it on.

Shidou pulled out two pans and filled one with water, putting them both over the stove and lighting the fires under them. He put sausages into the one with water. Letting both heat up, he pulled out a tray of eggs from the fridge. Pulling out eight eggs, he cracked all of them open and mixed them in a bowl. Salt, cheese, and a handful of ground beef were eventually mixed with it as well.

Once the other pan was hot enough, he added oil into it. As he waited for the sausages to boil and the oil to heat up, he walked up to the second floor of the house. Shidou knocked on his door, which Tohka was borrowing, and said: "Wake up! Breakfast will be ready soon." He did the same with Kotori's room. He heard Tohka's answer, which was a hearty "I'm up!" and Kotori's waking groan.

Shidou went back down to the kitchen and to the food that he was preparing. Content with how hot the oil was, he poured the omelette mix into the pan before mixing the boiling sausages.

Tohka was the first to come down. Her face was not washed, evident by the white trail of dried saliva down the side of one cheek. Despite that, the girl looked to be a morning person and wore a chipper grin with a contagious brightness in her eyes. "Good morning Shidou!" The princess looked cute in all of her morning glory, clad in mere pajamas with childish bear print. Her violet hair was left unbound, cascading like a waterfall down her back.

"Good morning Tohka," Shidou gave the girl a smile.

"What's for breakfast?"

"Omelette and sausages."

"Mmmm~" the girl hummed, looking over Shidou's shoulder. She reached for one of the sausages, but Shidou quickly slapped her thieving hand before it could cause any mischief.

"Wait until it's served."

"Mu."

"In the meantime, please go wash your face."

Tohka saluted the same way Kotori did last night as she disappeared into the washroom.

"G'morning…"

"Good morning sleepyhead," Shidou greeted his sister.

"Mm…"

"I did not wake up to my little sister dancing on top of me today huh?"

"Shut up…" Kotori said as she made a route to the bathroom.

"Tohka is still using that bathroom."

"I'll use the one upstairs then…" Kotori disappeared back up the stairs.

Shidou finished cooking breakfast as he waited for both girls to come back to the dining room.

Tohka came back first with a skip in her step. "I'll set the table!" She was eager to put into practice what she learned from Kotori. That and… Shido might give her head pats again…

"Sure," with Shidou's approval, Tohka skipped to the cabinet and pulled out three plates. Carefully balancing the stack of plates in her hand, she took out three pairs of cutlery. She neatly set them on the table. "Well done," Shidou praised the girl.

"Mu! Headpats please!" the girl bowed her head to Shidou who gave a low chuckle. He reached out his hand and ruffled her hair. "Mmmm…" the girl purred in content.

Shidou went back to preparing their breakfast. He pulled out a large platter, filled it up with rice, set that on the table, then did the same with the sausages and omelette. Since Kotori was still absent, he started preparing the bentos too. He brought out beef chunks from the fridge and put it in a large pot, filled it up with water, then started boiling it.

Kotori finally came down from upstairs, dressed in her school uniform and drying her coral pink hair with her towel.

"Thank you Onii-chan for the breakfast~" she sang as she took her seat on the table, Tohka following after.

Once Shidou seated himself, they all spoke in unison: "Itadakimasu!"

It was a quick breakfast with little to no rush. Shidou left the table to take care of their breakfast from time to time, but they finished with no hassle at all. Kotori turned on the morning news, but there wasn't much to report. Soon enough, Shidou had poured the soup into the thermos and wrapped up three bento boxes.

"Bye bye Onii-cha~n " Kotori sang as she headed out the door, her white ribbons bouncing as she put on her shoes.

"Did you get everything?"

"Yep!"

"Bento, water, candies?"

"Yep, yep!" Kotori turned and gave Shidou a hug before she left the door to school.

Shidou shook his head. That little sister of his was troublesome; not that he would change her for the whole world. One moment, she was in her strict commander mode, and the next, she was the same bubbly, thirteen-year-old kid he watched grow up. He will have to pay special attention to the ribbons she wore, lest he have a repeat of what happened last night.

Wait… What if she wore no ribbons? What was her personality then?

"Shidou~ I'm ready~" Tohka sang as she danced down the stairs. Her violet hair was still unkempt and flowed with the wind.

"Come here for a bit," Shidou called out to the girl.

"Mu?"

"Where's your red ribbon?"

"Ah," the girl pulled out the long red ribbon from her blazer pocket and handed it over to Shidou.

"Sit over there for a minute," Shidou indicated the stool beside the kitchen counter. Tohka quickly sat on it obediently and turned around, so Shidou could have full access to her hair.

Shidou felt the amount of trust that Tohka gave him. A few days back, she was but a stone-cold princess, who wouldn't let anybody touch her. Now, she fully showed Shidou her back.

Shidou smiled and hummed a merry tune as he took Tohka's dark hair in one hand. It was much too thick to be pulled into a ponytail and much too long to be pinned into a bun. Shidou made do though and gathered Tohka's hair neatly at the top in a half-bun, meticulously tying up the red sash in a neat ribbon. This made it so Tohka's hair did not flow all over the place but was still long enough to be considered elegant, princess-like.

"Done," Shidou took a step back to admire his handiwork.

"Thank you Shidou!" Tohka gave him a brief hug before bouncing away to gather her bag.

After making sure he had everything in his bag, Shidou put on his blazer and swiped his phone and house keys from the table. Tohka stood waiting by the door.

"Got everything?"

"Mm!" Tohka nodded.

"Bento, water, and snacks?"

"Mmhmm!" Tohka nodded twice more, and Shidou cracked a smile at the girl's cuteness.

"Let's go then."

---

It was a rather quiet walk to the school, quite unlike the first few times that Shidou and Tohka walked to school. Tohka was quite excited, pointing at all the new things that caught her eye. Today, though, Tohka contentedly walked beside Shidou, matching his every step and humming a merry tune along. Shidou recognized the song to be the opening of one of the mahou shoujou anime that Kotori watched, Date a Live was the song's name.

The melody continued, with Shidou whistling along to the parts that he knew. This led to Tohka asking him how to whistle. Shidou showed how to do it and offered advice here and there, with Tohka showing stellar results. And by stellar, the author meant mirthful. She would at times forget that she was practicing whistling and not blowing bubbles.

Shidou had to hold back his laughter several times over on the way to school. A few chuckles came out, much to Tohka's embarrassment, but the girl did not let Shidou's amusement stop her from practicing. Before they arrived at the building, Tohka let out a shrill whistle and squealed with joy, hugging Shidou as she did so.

"Okay, now try to do it again," Shidou instructed her.

The girl nodded and replicated her actions, getting the same result as earlier. Content with that, she started changing the way her lips were shaped to alter the tune. In such a manner they reached the classroom.

The door to the classroom opened before Shidou could even grasp the handle.

"Shidou."

"Wha— Origami! You scared me!" Shidou jolted back in shock.

"Should I punch her, Shidou?" Tohka asked.

"Punch me, and I will break your arm."

Shidou quickly intervened and got in between the two girls. He sighed to himself. There clearly was a lot of bad blood between the Anti-Spirit Team member and the former Spirit, and Shidou was at the crux of it all.

Shidou just wanted both to get along. That may take a long time though, considering their history and what just happened last week.

"You could squeeze harder, Shidou."

"Ahn~ What are you doing Shidou? "

"Ah—" Shidou froze when he realized where his hands went when he got in between both girls. In his rush to stop them from fighting, he put his hands on their chests. Their soft chests.

His fingers automatically gave their soft chests an experimental squeeze. The sensation was carved into his hands and brain. How firm Origami's boob felt in his right hand and how soft Tohka's felt in his left hand. Shidou noticed that Origami was wearing a bra by the slight stiffness at the edges of his fingers while Tohka was braless, going by how his hand sank into her chest.

Shidou's face turned red, and he retracted his hands. Or… Tried to retract his hands. The one holding Tohka's soft breasts was able to retreat, but the hand holding Origami's chest was pinned in place.

"You don't have to be hasty, Shidou, you can grope me for as long as you like," Origami whispered. If the girl was capable of more emotion, her voice would have been raspy and needy. Yet, Shidou felt the hair on his arm rise despite her deadpan voice.

"Mou~" Shidou felt his left hand being grabbed forcefully and brought back to where it rightfully belonged, atop her nicely sized breast.

"Tohka?!"

Origami's eyes narrowed when she saw the other girl's reaction.

"Ne, Shidou, whose breasts feel better?"

"Mu-!" Tohka managed to make a sound despite her face burning red. "It's mine, of course!"

"I was asking Shidou, not a chipmunk."

"What was that?!" Tohka's face flushed red but no longer from embarrassment but from anger. "I'm not a chipmunk. You— You…" the girl's cheeks puffed in frustration, having no experience in the war called trash talking.

Origami's blue, emotionless eyes managed to radiate a sense of superiority as Tohka stamped her foot on the floor in a rage. Tohka saw the smugness in the white-haired girl's eyes, and it irked her!

"Then please explain how you are able to stuff five large pieces of bread in your mouth during break, chipmunk-girl."

"I am not a chipmunk!"

Both girls somehow managed to keep Shidou's hands on their chests, even as the boy tried to get away and they argued.

"Uh… Itsuka-san?"

Shidou turned around to see a pack of girls that he knew well enough. He felt his social life die a bit.

"Groping both Yatogami-san and Tobiichi-san is a bit much…"
"Pervert."
"Majihikuwa…"

"And here I thought you were a nice guy, Itsuka-san."

"I promise you girls, there's a rather reasonable reason for this, right Tohka? Origami?" Shidou turned to the two girls holding his hands.

"Of course! Shidou did not want to touch Tobiichi-san's chest," Tohka nodded jovially and Shidou sighed in relief. "Shidou wanted to touch my breasts," she puffed her chest up with a smug smile despite her flushed face.

TOHKAAAAAAAA

"That's a lie," Origami intervened, and Shidou promptly went to thank her. However, just like Tohka, she continued, "He wanted to touch mine until this skank came along."

"You chipmunk!" Tohka glared.

"That does not even apply to me, Yatoskank-san."

Could these girls at least release Shidou's hands from their chests first before they started arguing again? Shidou once again tried pulling away, but their combined grips didn't give him a chance.

"Girls, Shin," a quiet voice interrupted them before it could escalate. Murasame Reine of Ratatotskr came up to them, wearing a white coat commonly seen among scientists and a tablet in one hand. The stitched up bear that trademarked her was cutely hanging onto her blouse under the lab coat, and the sleep-deprived eyes that was basically her logo wasn't even covered up by makeup. "What's going on here?"

Tohka and Origami still didn't let Shidou use his arms.

"Murasame-san," Shidou greeted.

"Shin."

"Itsuka-kun, you know her?"

"Yeah, we met… on a ship," Shidou said.

"Indeed. I have met Shin here before as well as Yatogami-san," Reine gave the girl a nod. "I am Murasame Reine, a new teacher here, pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Yamabuki Ai," the tall gal bowed respectfully.

"Hazakura Mai."

"Fujibakama Mii," the other two girls followed Ai's lead and bowed respectfully to their teacher.

"What will you be teaching, Murasame-sensei?"

"Physics."

Everyone but Tohka paled at that.

"Don't worry, I'll be merciful with your grades."

"Y-Yes please."

"That said, Shin, Yatogami-san, Tobiichi-san, come with me to my office."

"Oh ohs…" the girls said as the trio was escorted to Reine's new office.

"Close the door behind you," Reine said to the trio, and Origami did so. Shidou would have done it, but both girls still had a firm grasp on his arms, much to his embarrassed chagrin. "Now that all three of you are here, I would like to have some words."

Reine took a deep sigh as she slowly pulled her desk chair back and sat upon it. Shidou gulped the nervousness down his throat, not at all comforted by the soft, warmness that calloused his fingertips. Shidou felt like he knew what was coming. A scolding from Reine to keep the Spirits, Sealing, and the AST stuff under wraps. "I know you guys have a rather rough history together."

Here it comes.

"But please, keep it under wraps."

Shidou nodded.

"If you guys ever want to have sex, don't do it in the hallways."

Shidou's eyes widened as he processed what Reine was talking about. Origami nodded while Tohka looked around, confused.

"If you want, you can do it in the infirmary if nobody is there. I'll even lend you three copies of my office's key, just clean up afterward, and open the windows. Just don't do it in the hallways or anywhere public."

"Yes, sensei," Origami nodded.

"Wait! Murasame-san! This is not…" Shidou looked to where both his arms were attached. "I assure you, this is not what it looks like."

Reine glanced at Shidou then to his left, then to his right. Shidou's face turned even more red as Reine's deadpan gaze scrutinized him. "Uhuh…"

Shidou died a little inside.

"I get what you're trying to say, Shin, but I know how you feel. Even I had someone I loved quite dearly," Reine spoke slowly. "Private time with the people you love is important. Sex included."

"It's not what it looks like, I promise!" Shidou wept in vain. To his surprise, both Origami and Tohka reached out to pat his head in a comforting manner; still not letting go of his hands. It gave him little comfort in this situation.

"Reine-sensei!" Tohka spoke up as she comforted the crying Shidou. "What is sex?"

"It is something you eat," Origami said before Reine could answer.

Tohka's eyes grew stars in them, eager to try a new meal. "Can I try it?"

"Not with Shidou, no."

"Hah?! What do you mean 'not with Shidou'?!" Tohka yelled. "I have tried many foods with Shidou: fried chicken, hamburger, pizza, sushi, kinako bread, soba noodles!" she recounted the food that she ate over the past few days. "What do you mean I can't have sex with Shidou?"

"You just can't."

"Well, have you had sex with Shidou?"

"No. Not yet at least. I plan to," Origami said offhandedly.

"If you can, why can't I?"

"It's a process. A process you have no clue about, Bakagami. You see, you have to serve and to be served in sex, I doubt you even know how to handle sausages."

Tohka pouted. It was true, she had no clue as to how to cook. That said, Shidou was going to teach her soon! Then she could have sex with Shidou when she learned how to cook. Mu! It was a plan.

Origami furrowed her brows, finally breaking her cold expression. "Why do you look pleased with yourself?"

"That is a," Tohka winked. "Se~cret~ "

"You…" Origami growled before the two started another verbal fight.

"This is getting out of hand…" Reine stared at the scene in front of her, wondering how they got here. Two arguing girls and a boy who was crying in between them, his hands still on both of the girls' breasts.

---

Part 3

"Sandalphon!" Shidou yelled, and his body was covered in light. It was like the henshin of those mahou shoujo anime that Kotori was so fond of. His school uniform disappeared and was replaced by elegant armor fit for a king. A breastplate covered his chest and tall. Steel pauldrons reinforced his shoulders. Steel boots complete with greaves rose to his knees, and a pair of gauntlets on his arms complimented him. Royal violet garments trimmed with gold decorated the armor. What finished it all off was the helmet on his head. The mask that Kotori had given him had warped with the Astral Dress and turned into a helmet with a golden crown.

In Shidou's hands was the sword, the Angel, Sandalphon. The entirety of the sword was longer than he was tall. The steel of its blade was a pure, unblemished white, so beautiful that Shidou would often forget how terrifying it was. A pair of hornlike edges sprouted near the base of the blade, a parierhaken. And finally, the hilt was as well-decorated as the rest of Shidou's armor. The grip was embellished with gold, and the guard was wide, while the pommel was pure gold and was like a king's scepter.

Shidou was broken from his amazement when the robots that he was expecting to fight started moving.

『Training Level: C-』

『Chances of death: 0%』

『Chances of losing: 25%』

Shidou would take that.

He hefted the sword onto his shoulder with both hands, waiting for the robots to strike. The metal machines approached him like one would expect of computers, calculatingly. The robots numbered three in total but were of low military grade, enough to take down a group of a dozen armed men. Shidou was expected… no, he needed to defeat them all.

The robots struck as one. One pulled out a machine gun, while the other two jumped into melee with their fists. Shidou swung at one, cringing as steel screeched against steel when the robot blocked his sword. Shidou's inexperience in combat showed when he immediately didn't move away, receiving a fist to the gut from the other robot in response. Only the magical steel of his Astral Dress saved him from having his ribs crushed and his innards rearranged. It still hurt as hell though as Shidou flew several feet away.

"That hurt…"

The robot with a machine gun aimed. It started blasting.

Bullets riddled through the armor, and Shidou was Swiss cheeze, sending him tumbling down even in all his armor. The robots deactivated.

『Training failed』

『Git gud scrub』

Fuck you too, Galge power.

Shidou grunted even as the armor disappeared in fractals of light. He was left on the ground in his bloodied school uniform. The comforting heat of Camael's fire burned within him and cauterized his wounds, no matter how deep they were. Shidou threw his mask to the side and spat out a wad of blood to the side, not minding that the steel floor of the Fraxinus got dirtied. That was the job of a training area, to get bloodied and dirty so that Shidou would get better at fighting.

He honestly did not want to fight… But his experience with Origami and Tohka the other day taught him that he may have to fight so that nobody will die. It was kind of ironic to Shidou… He has to fight so that no one will die.

"Shin," Reine's voice echoed throughout the loudspeakers in the training room. And despite the volume, she sounded as soft as ever. "I think that's enough for the day."

"Okay," Shidou somehow managed to grunt. It was a weak response and he doubted if Reine even heard him. His response was given when the robots started moving back into their chambers in the steel walls that closed after them.

"Onii-chan," Kotori's voice was next. "I suggest slowing down a bit. Go back to fighting two robots until you could perfectly defeat them."

"Roger," it was another weak grunt, but Shidou was sure they heard him that time.

Once Camael finished healing him, Shidou picked himself up from the ground. The doors to the room opened, and Tohka stepped in. The girl had a wide grin as she skipped towards Shidou. "That was awesome Shidou!" she exclaimed.

"It was?" Shidou felt like he had done a pathetic job, honestly.

"Mu! Of course! Especially your first battle against the two robots earlier!"

"That was a fluke."

"It was awesome!" Tohka ignored Shidou. "The robot got split in half after Sandalphon cut through it cleanly!" Tohka clasped her hands with sparkles in her eyes. "Sandalphon!" the girl held out her hand. No sword appeared, and Shidou felt her mood drop a bit. There was a hint of bittersweetness in her expression. "Hey, uhmm," she turned to Shidou, and he was caught off guard by how cute she was acting. The girl blushed and turned her eyes away as she held her hands behind her. "Can you call Sandalphon for me?"

Shidou smiled warmly and summoned Sandalphon. He grasped it with his hands, the cool white steel humming. It continued as he handed the blade hilt first to Tohka. Tohka eagerly yet gingerly took hold of the sword, watching in wonder as it shifted from the slim yet long zweihander that Shidou held, then back into the giant sword of light that Shidou saw embedded in the throne.

Tohka gave it a few practice swings before handing it back to Shidou. It turned back into its slimmer form once Tohka let go of it. "Thank you," she bowed and hurriedly left.

Shidou took a step to go after her but was stopped by Reine rounding the corner with a clipboard in hand. Her eternally sleepy eyes honed in on Shidou. "Shin. You better take care of yourself, it's not a good idea to be reckless."

"I'm… I'm trying my best."

"You don't have to try your best. Just… Don't get hurt, alright?" Reine said as she also left. "You're not invincible…" she muttered, but Shidou was able to pick it up. Shidou nodded sullenly at that.

Kotori was the last to meet up with him. Her black ribbons bounced daintily as the lollipop stick in her mouth flew to the nearest trash can. A smug grin was on her lips. "Good job Onii-chan, you were able to last five seconds longer than your average time."

"That does not seem to be a compliment," Shidou said with a pained smile.

"But it is! Being outnumbered in a battle is a huge disadvantage. Being able to repeatedly stay above your average time and time again, raising your average time in the process, is not an easy feat. You are improving in spite of repeated defeat," Kotori patted her older brother on the shoulder. "In fact, have a lollipop," she reached into her commander's outfit and pulled out the wrapped sweet. Shidou accepted the offered candy and stuck it into his mouth after taking off the wrapper. Kotori unwrapped another one for herself.

"You know, Kotori, I should ban you from eating sweets in the house if you keep snacking on these while in the Fraxinus," Shidou commented.

"...please don't," the Commander pleaded. There was a look of dread in her eyes at the thought of her favorite sweet being taken away. And for a moment, she was his younger sister he knew and loved.

Part 4

Shidou collapsed on the floor, just barely missing the couch. His body slammed into the floor with a loud thud. Tohka and Kotori followed into the house after him. The latter turned on the lights with practiced ease despite the darkness. The Fraxinus was kind enough to deposit them in front of the Itsuka house when a sudden storm hit. The trio barely got wet.

"Onii-chan, please go take a bath before you go to sleep."

"Riiiight," Shidou groaned. Every fiber of his being protested.

"I'm going to order pizza."

"Nah, I got this. I can still cook dinner.."

"Are you sure?"

"I insist."

"Remember, we could always order," Kotori nudged, but Shidou just ignored her as he walked up the stairs.

"Tohka, I'm entering the room for a bit."

"Okay!" There was the sound of Shidou's room closing, and Tohka immediately approached Kotori, who lounged on the couch. "Kotori-chan."

"Yes?"

"Could you please teach me how to talk trash?" the older girl bowed her head and clasped her hands in a praying position.

Kotori was taken aback by the sudden request but recovered quickly. "Okay! Okay!" she said, flustered. "But don't bow! Hurry up and straighten yourself out before Onii-chan comes down." She calmed down when Tohka stood straight up. "Why are you asking for this though?" she asked in a hushed whisper.

Tohka puffed her cheeks, her ears growing a tinge of red. "There's this annoying girl in school who keeps insulting me and I just can't—" the girl ruffled her hair in frustration and Kotori understood a bit.

"I see… Well, the quickest way for you to learn how to trash talk properly is…" Kotori leaned in and gestured to Tohka to do the same. Tohka put her ear close to Kotori's lips, eager to receive the secret to trash talking. "To play MOBAs."

The distant sound of thunder struck.

Tohka drew back and stifled a laugh. Kotori's breath tickled her ears. Once the risible moment passed, Tohka donned a serious face. "What are… MOBAs?"

Lightning cackled outside the Itsuka household.

Kotori leaned into the chair and draped one hand over the countertop. Her other hand took the lollipop from her lips and rested on the chair's handrest. "MOBAs…"

There was a sound of the moaning of the outside world.

"Are video games that teach you how to trash talk," she pointed the lollipop at Tohka. "Especially if you go into the SEA server."

Amidst the spring storm, there was the sound of laughter. It was as if the word "SEA server" summoned all the seventy two pillars of the Ars Goetia and the legions of legions of demons rejoiced at another soul being taken into the fiery pit.

The flames of determination in Tohka's eyes burned as she stared at the steps to hell. "What do I have to do?"

"First, we will have to get you a desktop."

"Humu," Tohka nodded her head at Kotori's sagely advice.

"Then you will have to pick your poison," Kotori pulled out two lollipops from the jar of sweets. One had the color red and the other was colored blue. She offered both wrapped lollipops to Tohka. "If you pick the blue one, then I will teach you how to play the League of Losers. If you pick the right one, then I will teach you how to play Puta '2. Choose wisely, Yatogami-san."

Tohka was about to make the most important decision of her life here. This decision would decide on how she would trash talk for the rest of her life. She reached out to the red but drew her hand back immediately. She rested her head on her chin as she thought, ignoring the pitter patter of the rain on the windows. Tohka reached out once again to grab the blue but drew back for the second time. Her eyes glimmered in resolve as she reached out for—

"What did I tell you two about sweets before dinnertime?" Shidou sighed as he grabbed the candies from Kotori's hand and shut them back into the candy jar.

"Onii-cha-a-a-an~" Kotori beat her brother's back. "Me and Tohka were having an important discussion!"

"About what?"

"Girl stuff!"

"Uhuh…"

"Trust me Onii-chan. Tell me, do you know anything about tampons?"

"I do, yes."

"W-What?"

"Remember that we had to go out to get some for you last year?"

"O-Oh, right," Kotori conceded defeat. "That said! This is still girl talk!"

"Fine, fine," Shidou shrugged and went to the fridge. "What would you girls like for dinner?"

"Kinako bread!"

"I don't think that is for dinner, Tohka…"

"Fried chicken then, Onii-chan!"

"That could work," Shidou pulled out the chicken breasts. "You said you wanted to learn how to cook, right, Tohka?"

"Mm!" Tohka got off the chair and was immediately at Shidou's side.

"Alright, first rule, always wash your hands before you cook," Shidou said as he washed his hands. Tohka washed her hands diligently right after him.

"I'm done!" Tohka said triumphantly.

"Okay now close your eyes for a bit, I have a present for you," Tohka closed her eyes.

She felt a slight brush of cloth over her head and felt puzzled. A string tugged at her nape, and she felt something tighten around her waist. The small touches made her shiver slightly and her heart beat just a tad louder in her chest.

And just as the purple-haired girl's curosity was getting the best of her, Shido said, "You can open your eyes now."

Tohka opened them and looked down. She squealed in delight at the cute apron that adorned her. It was a frilly, white apron with the name, "Tohka," written in violet, cursive letters. She twirled around, loving how the apron flew in the air.

『Gained 20 points with Tohka』

"It has pockets!" she stuffed her hands into the large apron pockets and did a cute little shake.

Kotori handed Tohka a handheld mirror with an amused smile on her face. Tohka gleefully took it, so she could get a better look at herself. "Onii-chan bought the apron but stitched the 'Tohka' on there."

"Kotori!" Shidou groaned much to Kotori's amusement.

Tohka couldn't contain her joy as she gomped Shidou. If she still had her spirit powers, she would have spun the boy around, much to his embarrassment. Luckily for Shidou, her spirit powers were now sealed, and the girl could only hug him tight. "Thank you, shidou! Thank you! I love it! I love you!"

Shidou patted the girl's head. "I'm glad you do. Now, if you don't mind, we got dinner to cook. Follow my instructions, all right?"

"Yes sir!" Tohka saluted.

Kotori had to stifle an amused laugh as she watched Shidou teach Tohka how to navigate the kitchen. How to handle knives, the stove, and the sink. He showed her how to cut the breasts into bite sized pieces, and let Tohka practice cutting the cleaned and washed chicken too.

Kotori continued to watch the two. It was adorable.

And Kotori found herself feeling envious…

She knew she shouldn't be jealous! She and Shidou may not be blood related, but she was still his sister… And he was still her brother. Watching Tohka and Shidou enjoy their time together may have made her a little envious of the other girl, but Kotori wanted to bury these emotions. Tohka deserved to feel a part of what Kotori had after spending so much time in the… other world. And, it was better for Shidou to fall in love with somebody not his sister…

"I'm going to the bathroom," Kotori made a weak excuse.

"Don't take long, dinner is almost ready."

"Yeah, yeah," Kotori softly shut the door behind her. Her eyes went to the mirror, and she recoiled in disgust at the sight of her anguished expression. Tears… tears were forming in her eyes. It made her mad. Did she not promise herself she wouldn't cry any longer? Did she not wear these black ribbons to become the "stronger Kotori?" So why… Why was she crying?

"Kotori~~" Tohka's voice sang from the other end of the door. "It's time for dinner!"

The younger girl quickly wiped her tears and washed her face. "I'm coming!" Once again donning the mask of confidence close to mockery, she opened the door and greeted Tohka with a smile. She will have to be the "stronger Kotori…" if not for her sake, then for Shidou's.

---

Part 5

It was the next day. Shidou was running back home. He had forgot his physics homework and WAS NOT going to be the first to be suffering from Reine's wrath this school year—

Not that he thought that the perpetually sleepy teacher was going to be angry with him… But he didn't want to be the one to potentially trigger her disappointment first.

He skidded to a stop as he rounded a corner.

Normally, bodies weren't seen on roads or on sidewalks unless it was a carcass. Yet there, Shidou stood with a body at his feet. A living and breathing body that was unconscious. If it weren't for the rising and falling of her small chest, Shidou would have been convinced that she was a corpse.

『Name: Honjou Nia 【Sister】』

『Heroine Summary: A forty-year-old virgin mangaka.』

Shidou took a deep breath…

HE DID NOT NEED TO KNOW THAT, THANK YOU! Her virginity did not matter to him, and he did not want to know about that particular status about her!

『Heroine Summary: A forty-year-old virgin mangaka under the pen name of Honjou Souji, author of the manga, [Silver Bullet], and an otaku. This girl has no life outside of gaming, manga, and all things otaku. She spends half her day scrolling social media and whaling on gacha banners and the other half drawing her manga.』

『Relationship Level: 0 【The Faithless Nun】』

Shidou could only give himself a wry grin and curse his luck.

Alright. So, he was supposed to get their relationship level to level one before he could seal her powers? Easy enough… What Shidou was uneasy about was that she was a woman easily twice his age and assumed she wouldn't see him in a romantic way, no matter what he did.

The woman groaned in her sleep, and Shidou made up his mind. He slung his bag properly over his shoulder and looked at how he could get the woman off the streets. He spotted her spilled purse and groceries. Her ID was one of the spilled contents of her purse, and he had the opportunity to look it over.

"Now… Where do you live, Honjou-san?" Shidou muttered to himself as spun the card over in his hand. He punched the address into his phone and quickly memorized the path.

It was close by. Shidou pocketed his phone, then looked left and right. There were no signs of life on the streets. He didn't want to be seen picking up an unconscious woman and was thankful that everybody was working at this time of day. He quickly stuffed the contents of her purse back into her bag and picked it up with her groceries. Carefully, he put his hands under the woman's limbs and carried her princess style. "It's this way, isn't it?" he muttered to himself as he started walking.

『Incoming Transmission』

『Author's Note』

『Message

Yo, shorter chapter but longer wait- hope you guys liked how the story is progressing. This is the chapter where we kick canon to the curb and say "Fuck it! We ball!" I am honestly having fun writing this. It's a shame that I have to live in the real life too ;-;. Please leave a review, those give me motivation.』

『discord. gg/5TaUq3brxa』