Vol. 1: Chapter 3 - Part 5

Volume 1: Chapter 3 - Part 5Author: Geraint

As we walked home together, Shiina clung tightly to my arm, inching closer with every step. On my other side, Yuuka noticed this and, not to be outdone, latched onto my opposite arm. Behind us, Kaho-san and Riko stared, clearly not thrilled with the closeness I shared with the two girls. Lilith followed silently at the rear.

"I thought Shiina-san was scared of guys, but she's totally fine with Seir-kun," Riko said, raising an eyebrow.

"Nah, she just has social anxiety," I replied.

"Really? But she was fine when I introduced myself and talked to her. A lot of guys try to approach her, but she always panics and hides behind Yuuka-tan. Guess she's just bad at talking to guys."

I glanced at Shiina and called out to her.

"Hey, Shiina."

"Huh? What is it, Seir-kun?"

She looked up at me attentively.

"Why not say something interesting?"

"Eh? But... I don't have anything interesting to talk about. I'm just a boring girl. I can't even talk to anyone outside the house..." she trailed off, voice timid and full of self-doubt.

"I don't think you're boring at all. I know about your past—what you went through. It makes sense that you'd turn out this way. But no matter what happens, I'll always accept you. We're childhood friends, after all."

"Seir-kun..." Her cheeks flushed as she lowered her gaze.

"Pffft—Haha! You really are Himiko-san's daughter. She never talked to the neighbors either. It was always Mom and Dad doing the talking."

"Wait—what?! Mom was like that?!" Shiina's eyes widened in shock.

Yuuka turned toward Kaho-san.

"Mizuno-senpai, I heard about you from Mom and Dad. You're supposed to be Onii-sama's fiancée, right? But you haven't accepted it yet."

"Well, since you're Seir's little sister, I don't mind if you call me by my first name."

"Just a reminder: Onii-sama isn't my real brother. He's my step-brother."

"Really? Isn't it kind of awkward suddenly living with an unrelated guy?" Riko asked, surprised.

"Not really. Mom and I are happy to have him join our family. Shiina too—she lives with us along with her mother, who works as our maid," Yuuka replied casually.

"Seir-kun lives with two girls who aren't related to him?"

Kaho-san and Riko both looked baffled by the revelation.

"Kaho-san, about your engagement with Onii-sama..." Yuuka brought the topic back.

"Ah, right... I just don't like that it was arranged by our parents. I don't think Seir-kun is a bad guy. In fact, he's helped me a lot. I'm very grateful to him."

Kaho-san fidgeted as she said that.

"Just asking—do you like him?"

"What?!" Her face turned bright red at Yuuka's blunt question.

"Answer me straight."

"I don't see him that way! He's more like a little brother to me! That's right—he's also my student at the dojo."

Yuuka turned to me, silently asking for confirmation.

"She's not lying," I told her.

"Oh, really? It's just… kind of obvious."

"Hey! What do you mean by that?!" Kaho-san snapped.

"Nothing~" Yuuka let go of my arm and looked away.

Kaho-san and Riko eventually split off from us. When we arrived home, Himiko-san took Fuyumi and gently placed her in her crib. I headed to the kitchen, pulling out the groceries from my dimensional storage and sorting them onto the table.

Using magic, I prepped the ingredients while stirring a pot of soup. A quick taste with the ladle—perfect.

By the time it got dark, Mom and Dad had arrived home by car, and we all sat down for dinner as a family. Dad asked the girls how school was going. They said everything was fine, except Shiina, who struggled with talking to other students. It made it hard for her to make friends.

Dad reassured her that once my suspension ended and I returned to school, things would get easier.

After dinner, Mom and Dad went back to their rooms to continue working on reports. Himiko-san assisted Mom while I stayed behind to wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen. Then, I made tea and coffee for my parents, and Himiko-san brought the drinks to their rooms.

Once everything was tidied, I sat on the couch in the living room, waiting for the next report from my homeworld to appear in the crystal ball on the side table.

"Umm… Onii-sama?"

"Seir-kun..."

Yuuka and Shiina descended the stairs, now dressed in sleepwear—sleeveless tops and shorts that matched their hair colors. Their outfits hugged their figures, accentuating their curves in a way that was… kind of dangerous.

"Mom told us to wear these. What do you think, Onii-sama?" Yuuka asked, flustered. Shiina looked like she was dying from embarrassment.

"You both look great," I said with a smile.

They lit up at the compliment, then each sat down on either side of me, leaning in close. Yuuka busied herself with her phone, while Shiina quietly rested her head on my shoulder, dozing off.

Just another normal evening at the Akitsuki residence.

Suddenly, the crystal ball lit up, and Naamah appeared, kneeling with her head bowed.

"Seir-sama." Lilith also appeared beside me in her usual pajamas, bowing in sync.

"Naamah, what's the update?"

Her expression was grave.

"I have bad news. The Empire in Human Territory has launched an assault on the Elven Kingdom, which borders my domain. They sent an overwhelming force that's already engulfed the forest. The Elven King sent a letter, begging me to allow his people to take refuge in my lands during the battle."

"Can you accommodate them all?"

"That's the problem, Seir-sama. Our resources are limited—we won't be able to feed them all. Worse, the Empire's goal is to capture elves and sell them into slavery, especially the females. They fetch a high price with nobles in other kingdoms. There's a high chance they'll come for us next, especially since the new Demon King has no reason to stop them."

"Accept them for now. We'll deal with the logistics later—once they're safe. Gather the remaining Disaster Witches. I'll speak with them personally."

"As you command, Seir-sama." Naamah bowed her head once more.

(To be continued.)