Leaving the side room where we were perf our experiments, I was a little surprised to discover that the parents and the older patients, including Shinohara-san, were having an impromptu celebration, some Korean beer and local liquor… Soju, I think it’s called, if I remember? …having turned up. Seeing my expression, Aliyah shrugged.

  “The soldiers shared some with us. Apparently some of them khe guys yht in earlier, and since we’re he big city here, the rder’s well stocked. Besides, both misery and joy love booze as pany.” She sighed, eyeing it regretfully.

  “We’re on the clock, sis.” Trey warned, and she snorted sourly.

  “Shit, I know it. But looks like we’re nearly done. When I get back to Tokyo I’m getting hammered.” she replied, before smirking at us. “You were making some iing moans and groans in there. It scared some of the kids, so be more careful in future, boss.”

  “Sorry.” I apologised. “Testing new abilities be painful at times. Hopefully it hasn’t spoiled the mood.” Haru was eager to head to where the families of the useon students were, so I spoke rapidly, only to find a somewhat red-faced and tipsy man stepping in front of me, his expression sombre. Oh, he’s the father of that brave young girl. “Do you need something? I’m in a hurry.” I asked, and he paused, looking troubled, gng back at his daughter, before swallowing and addressing me.

  “I… wao say something.” He began. “I… when I saw you on TV, I resented you, maybe even hated you.” He admitted. “My poor precious angel, and many like her, suffering unfairly, dying… and you could save her, and those like her, but you didn’t.”

  “That’s hardly fair…” Hinata began, but I raised a hand to stop her, meeting his eyes. He’s got the right to speak. It’s the true paradox of power. How to use it, and what I should be forced into…

  “It’s not so simple.” I said calmly, holy answering the man. “I’m not a monster, of course I don’t want children to suffer… but then, think of all the starving children of Afrid less fortunate parts of Asia, while we have luxuries, they have nothing.”

  “I know.” The man looked terrible, his face ashen, as he took a swig of soju, grimag. “I know. Even you ’t solve the suffering of everyone in the world, you? But when you look around, when you see the happiness here… don’t you want to do more?”

  Of course, but… “I’m not a Kami od. Even they ’t stop all the suffering in the world.” I g Shiro, and I saw her nod. It’s obvious, otherwise the Pantheons wouldn’t be doing any of this… “Even if I dedicated all my time to helping the sid ihere would still be more created in Japan every day than I could fix. And if I did that… what of the joy of those I love? Should I, I ask them to sacrifice their happiness with me? And… it’s selfish, but what of mine? If all I am is a mae to help others, won’t I break down?”

  “It’s rather damn hypocritical to expect salvation just because someone might be able to do it.” Shiro agreed. “I was sid going to die young, before all this. I never had much of a life until I met Aki and my friends, and everyone here. Yes, I’d have leapt at the ce for someoo help me, but… I’m not enough of a bitch to expeeone should.”

  “That’s irely the point. Just as you could make an argument that we should live on bread and water to help feed the hungry, and you could even go further, and say that if a healthy person save several lives by dying and donating their ans, shouldn’t they sacrifid do that…?” Hinata pointed out in her rather mert-like fashion, weighing profit and loss. “…everyone has to value themselves and their own family, friends, loved ones more than others. Else they aren’t a human being, but a fool. However…” she smiled impishly at me, before addressing the man seriously. “…that doesn’t mean we’re heartless. Far from it. Akio is soft-hearted. Didn’t you see the tender care he offered your dear daughter, and hoy he was to see you ughing and g together?” She g the girl who ying with several other kids. “But life isn't so simple, unfortunately. We don’t anic, sover has kept a lot under s, but… danger is ing. And it does no good to use all of Akio’s time helping others, if in a few years that leads to disaster, and the happy times are gone food. Besides… far better to spend time teag others to help, so that more be saved, without great sacrifice of happiness. But rest assured, we’ll be doing more to help the unfortunate, I promise. It’s just we all have limits.”

  “I know. And I’m grateful. How could I not be?” He looked at his daughter fondly. “Which is why I wao apologise. And thank you. I wanted so desperately for my little ao grow up healthy. And now she , I want others to know that happioo.”

  “I get you.” I cpped him on the shoulder. “And obviously we’ll save who we . But if your daughter wants a safe world to grow in, then we have to fight, and to face such daime and time again… I couldn’t do it without those around me, supp me. Just… I’m prepared to take the curses of those I wasn’t able to help, so long as I protect all within my reach. As I grow stronger, as my allies do, my reach grows, but even in fi, heroes ’t save everyone.”

  The girl suddenly saw her father talking to me and tottered over, still a bit unsteady on her legs as she hadn’t growo beihy again. “Dad, mister, are you all right? Dad’s making a scary face.”

  Smiling suddenly, he scooped her up in his arms and spun her, making her giggle. As he patted her on the back, the man turo me and bowed. “Once more, this is my darling Ami, my ahank you again for saving her, even though you don’t know us. I… just wanted you to know, to uand, that those you don’t or ’t help will resent you, no matter the good you do for others, wishing, believing it should have been them you aided. I was the same. I’d do anything for my angel, right?” He hugged the girl, who giggled happily. “Just… remember that I’ll always be grateful, and… I uand. I ’t deny Ami food or luxuries, even if it was to help others, nor could I sacrifice my life and happiness for a her. So I don’t think your choices are wrong. But… people pray to the Gods for miracles, and you’re a living miracle right now. And when the Gods don’t answer, all we do it cry and wail, but… you’re here. And it’s easy to grow resentful of something we ks, and we reach.”

  “Don’t worry.” Hinata smiled, patting the head of the admittedly adorable little girl, who squirmed happily, a bright, i smile on her face. “We are definitely aware of that. Any potential dangers are being mitigated. But those who cry the loudest that ‘someone should do something’ o take a long, hard look at themselves and what they’ve achieved, pared to the good Akio’s done, and will do iure.”

  “Yes, which is why I’m sorry.” The father of little Ami- said softly. “That’s… all I wao say.”

  “It’s fine.” I said, and Hinata agreed.

  “Yes, it was obviously fate or destiny that your daughter was healed. Otherwise the letter wouldn’t have found its way to me. So just be happy.” She patted Ami-’s head again. “Now you be a good girl, all right?”

  “I will.” She agreed happily. “Goodbye mister, goodbye miss.” she said politely, and with that we headed for the exit, only for Shinohara-san to stop us.

  “I know you’re in a hurry, I tell.” she apologised. “But I just wao say a few words myself, sihe subject is one I’ve thought about a lot. I uand how everyone here was feeling. The majority of people wish no ill on others, and will even help out the unfortunate if it doesn’t inveniehem… but when we suffer ourselves, we cry out for help, bitter aful.” She flexed her arm again. “Just… do as your sce dictates. Nobody should be allowed to do callous harm to others, but versely, nobody should be forced to sacrifice their oiness for others. Do good when you , but above all, be good to yourself.” She paused, smiling ruefully. “Don’t mind the words of an old woman, just… remember these happy smiles and tears.”

  “I will.” I promised. “And there’ll be plenty more iure. Just… everyone I love o be among them, because to me, the world’s only worth saving because they are in it. Now, you’ll have to excuse us.” As she apologised and stepped aside and we ourselves left, heading to the other building, Shiro spoke up.

  “That’s basically the ao your current problem, Aki. Don’t overthink it, and unicate holy, and you’ll find the answers. Shit, it’s been really annoying watg you fil about on it. Eri’s no less in love with you than any of us, and she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to hold onto that. Now…”

  There were some smartly dressed people waiting outside, faces wearing a mixture of relieved and aghast expressions. I expected they were important Koreans, and Hinata seemed to agree, as she greeted them in English. She o us to go on ahead, aered inside. Soon we reached a private room where Kim Eui was sitting on a bed, b pulled up around her shoulders, c her body, and two people who looked like older versions of her, the retty, the man handsome. They were looking sympathetically at her, speaking rapidly in Korean, but as they spoke Kim Eui’s facial expressiloomier. She spoke back sharply, and her mother looked sad, while her father clutched his forehead, exasperated. He said something back, and she barked out a short phrase, before seeing us arriving, and psing into English.

  “I don’t want to dad, I told you! I ’t face people right now, but… I don’t want to just hide away either!”

  Her parents seemed a bit puzzled, addressing her, but she igheir words, until her mother finally switched to passable English too.

  “Eui, my pirl, why are we suddenly speaking English…” She suddenly realised we were here and tugged on her husband’s sleeve. They turned, him frowning at us outsiders being here and listening to their private family business, and Kim Eui spoke up.

  “It’s because I want them involved. They… they were the ones who came to save us, who saved me.” Her tone was trembling, and Haru smiled, letting a little soothing light leak from her hands, and Kim Eui shuddered, her expression softening.

  “It’s all right, Eui…” Haru addressed her in the familiar way she had asked us to when we first met, perhaps as she saw a lot of herself in the girl. “We’re here.” She turo the parents and bowed deeply. “I’m Suzuki Haru, I work for the Japanese gover, in charge of the rescue operation from our end, and I’m also… the mental healer? A sort of psychologist, I suppose.” She ughed self-depregly.

  “I see. All this talk of magid impossible things dismays us.” Kim Eui’s father frowned, and his wife nodded. “It’s hard to believe, but unfortunately it seems to be true.” He g us, wary. “I thank you for helping save Eui, but this is a Kim family matter. We will find her suitable help for her ailments, so your help is not needed.”

  Kim Eui’s mother reached for her soothingly, but Kim Eui batted her away. The mother recoiled, hurt, and spoke again in Koreaing no response, before, with a resentful look at us, she switched to English again. “It’s all right, my dear Eui, it’s over now. We’ll get you the care you need, and no matter what you’ve done, what’s been doo you, we’ll get through this together.”

  Good ses. Her parents do care for her. Kim Eui felt the same, even if she was clearly worried what her parents would think of her. She squeezed shut her eyes, only for her mother to tinue speaking. “It’s going to be hard to go to school for a while, and… your reputation would suffer, so it’s best to keep you at home, but… we’re your parents, dear Eui, and we love you. It doesn’t matter if you’re stained or dirty, we’ll always be your parents and…”

  Kim Eui tensed, as did I. That’s exactly the wrong thing to say, but it’s exactly what Kim Eui feared. I opened my mouth to rebut that, but Haru was faster, her eyes fshing with anger. “Eui isn’t dirty!” Haru spat vehemently, though her hands were trembling again. “You’re her parents, you should uand that!”

  “But she… she did things, and killed people, she told us.” Her father said, fused by Haru’s sudden temper. “Society won’t accept that, accept her…”

  “You think so?” I disagreed, pg a hand on Haru’s shoulder. She flinched for a moment, before realising it was my touch, and rexed, looking at me with her brown eyes solem sparkling with a mixture of anger and self-loathing. “I think that what Kim Eui did…”

  “I told you that you call me Eui…” she whispered softly, her own expressiofalle knowing, as if she was satisfied her parents reacted the way she predicted, at some level.

  “What Eui did…” I corrected, giving in. I was getting much better at being informal with people, rather thaificial distance I used to put in with everyone. Maybe I should ge the way I call Hayato-san and the gang too… “…wasn’t dirty, and even if the worst happened…” I squeezed Haru’s shoulder reassuringly. “…anyone who holds that against her is the one who’s wrong, not Eui.”

  “Hey bro.” my sis spoke up suddenly, her expression unusually solemn. “If I was in her shoes, and had to do those things, what would you do?”

  “You mean after I made sure to send everyone who hurt you down to whatever Hell exists?” I didn’t even want to think about such things. Though my sis knew when she accepted a Divine Favour, no, even before that, that she would end up having to fight and likely kill others. I didn’t want that for her, for anyone, but better she defended herself, fought for herself and others, than ended up harmed or killed herself. Just like Eui did. “Sis, I hate thinking about it, the thought of you, or Eri, or anyone else… or you, Haru… having to suffer. But once I’d enacted a revehat would make even a devil tremble, I’d spend as long as it took, your whole life if need be, helping you get over it. And ahat looked down on you, mocked you, didn’t uand you… would be my enemy. And that goes for any of you.” I looked around at my panions, resolved to prevent such terrible things, but knowing if the worst happened, like with Haru, I would never bme them, only try aheir hearts.

  “Akio-kun…” Haru said, touched, before her eyes narrowed, as she addressed Eui and her family. “Eui, no matter what anyone says, I’m proud of you. You survived. I didn’t…” she snorted, drawing fused looks from Eui’s parents. “Shocked? As it happens, I uand Eui more than you know. I was in a simir position, and unlike your daughter, who fought with all her might, who did whatever she had to do to survive, and also protect others… I was a coward, I didn’t resist, and I suffered terrible abuse and was killed.”

  “Killed?” the man said, puzzled. “I don’t uand.”

  “Akio, if you would?” Haru said to me, and I smiled. My sis grinned, grabbing a nearby chair.

  “Me too!” She took a swing at Haru, and the chair passed through her harmlessly, bringing gasps from Eui’s parents.

  “I’m a ghost.” Haru said. “Because I didn’t fight, and I died. If anyone is soiled, it’s me.”

  “No, I told you this before. It wasn’t your fault. Bad people do bad things. Just like what happened here.” I squeezed her trembling shoulder again reassuringly. “You’re just Haru, just like you’re just Eui. Some things are hard to live with. When I killed a human for the first time it was tough. But they’d just attempted to murder i people ahreatening me and Shaeu, so… sorry, the world isn’t bad white. But what is bd white is that her of you are soiled or dirty. No more than you’d bme someone fetting scarred in an act.”

  “But…” Eui’s father said hesitantly. “Whether someone in an act is at fault, the scars remain, and society sees those…”

  “Society might, but you shouldn’t. Wow, this isn’t hard to uand.” My sis pined, looking at Eui passionately. “But don’t worry, it’ll be fihe worst is over, I promise.”

  “There’s no hiding what happened here. Too many powerful people send their children to useon. It’s anted our Eui to go here and were so proud whe in.” her father tinued. “The things doo her, the things she’s done… no, this will shake Korea to the core. So many promising young lives destroyed… and our Eui at the tre of it all…” His voice caught, ae their clumsiness and bad way of handling the situation, it was just like Eui had predicted. Her parents still loved her and were gd she was alive, but they couldn’t fully accept what she’d been through, and the sequences of that, especially in how society would perceive her now. But there is another way…

  “Eui is a fighter, and that’s to be respected.” I insisted again. “Besides… the situation at useon was immensely plicated. Yes, some desded into evil through their own will, but the majority had little choice. So for those few who held fast and mao survive… again I only have respect.”

  “I uand Eui. I have been hurt in the past.” Haru said. “I am not alone in that. Asha, Hyath…” she smiled. “You might know Hyath as one of the Heroes of Britain, like Akio-kun here. She has been hurt so much she fot who she was entirely, until Akio-kun gave her a fresh start. I don’t minimise your pain, Eui. But I think you should be proud despite how much it hurts. That said… have you sidered my offer?”

  “Offer?” Eui’s mother asked. “Just what do you mean?”

  “You’re right that society might judge her.” Haru agreed sadly. “And worse, Eui will judge herself, just like I do. I don’t eveirely believe it when kind people like Akio-kun and his friends tell me the truth. I’m better than I was, I admit, but deep in my heart, I don’t accept it fully, I don’t feel I ever be who I was before, or be loved again…”

  Shiro made a troubled face at that, while my sis looked sad. I opened my mouth to speak, and Haru stopped me. “I know yoing to say something like ‘I’m a brave girl, and my past doesn’t matter to you, and that I’ll find someone who loves me for who I am, not what I endured, right’?”

  I nodded, having been about to say somethily like that. Eui looked at me, and I shrugged. “She knows me pretty well. And she’s right. But holy, any guy would be a fool not to take an i in Haru, just because of an i in her past. She’s pretty, smart, a hard-worker, and she’s even got the added bonus of not aging.” At least I assume ghosts don’t age, being dead.

  “No woman ages. We’re forever twenty.” Haru chuckled gently. “But do stop fttering me, or I might get the wrong idea.” She wi Shiro, who shook her head, sn. Haru then addressed Eui again. “Maybe you didn’t gh exactly what I did. I don’t want to pete on who had it worse. That’s just stupid, and I expect Asha or Hyath would have us beaten in short order. But I want you to know it’ll take time to heal, to accept what you did, what was done. But you aren’t just what you’ve suffered, but… I think you have what it takes to be a very effective student.” Haru turo Eui’s parents once more. “You said she’d have to drop out of school, go into isotion. I tried that when I first awakened my powers, when I thought I was mad. Hiding from the world, alohe bad thoughts just fester. But now… now I’m too busy to dwell on things.”

  “Sorry about that, I work you hard.” I admitted apologetically, and Haru snorted loudly, amused.

  “You certainly do. But I like to work. You work everyone hard, yourself as well. But… I think Eui would be from being under my wing. She’s young, but uhe Ministry legistion, ah certain abilities gets many of the privileges of adulthood, such as being able to work. She finish her studies remotely, as well as taking any needed courses for further education.”

  “But Eui, you don’t have any power, do you?” her mother asked, puzzled, and Eui shook her head.

  “If I did, I’d not have suffered so. Or perhaps I would. That bitch Chae Cho-Hee was insane, but also very clever and ruthless…”

  “It just so happens such a matter be resolved.” Haru promised her. “We talked about this.”

  “Yes, but… I doirely believe it. I… find it hard to trust anyone anymore. But I want to believe I put all this behihat this whole nightmare was for a reason. Mom, dad…” she sighed bitterly. “I know you both love me, but it must be hard. I’ll ruin the reputation of your pany, we deal with other Chaebol who had children here. Perhaps… perhaps I even killed some of them with my own hands. And when you protest that it was because they were trying to assault me or worse, their parents will take it as an affront, an atta their honour and memory. Truth be damned. But… I don’t want to hide away, stew in my own suffering. I had enough of that, living in fear here for months, surviving on scraps of stale food, scared of every movement…” As the words poured out of her, her father looked crestfallen, and her mother started g, hugging Eui, whose eyes also reddehough tears didn’t e. “…I want to be sure I never suffer like that again. And I hate them. Those that would get such amazing abilities, and only do evil, satisfy themselves!”

  “Oh my dear Eui…” her mother tio cry. “I’m sorry. I… I know you’re still you! I just felt so bad for you, what you had to endure…”

  “Yes, perhaps…” her father looked at me, chagrined. “…perhaps we have not been supportive. I hate the thought of my precious daughter going through such horrible things, and I grieve, but… I admit, I worried what impact it would have on us, our family, our business. I… I don’t know what to think. Of course I’m relieved my beloved daughter is alive, but…”

  I patted him on the shoulder soothingly. “I get it. It’s not something we’re able to uand. But all you o do is put Eui first. If this i doesn’t show you that family is more precious than mere wealth and status, there’s no hope for you.” I turo Eui then. “I want to fulfil Haru’s wishes. And if helping you helps her deal with her own pain, all the better. Besides, I agree. You survived with only wits, determination and luck. You’d have been far more worthy of a Favour than the Chae siblings, who wasted their gifts oy evil.” Though we’ll never know just how much that fragment of Akoman was involved in their mess.

  “I… you’re plimenting me?” Eui said, surprised, and my sis ughed.

  “e’ve been plimenting you this whole time. But I get why you aren’t listening. You’re down on yourself right now, I uand it. We uand it. But if you let this ce go you’ll regret it, trust me, I know.”

  “Think of it like b school.” Haru said to her parents. “Though with the resources at our disposal, uting bad forth from South Korea once a week isn’t that hard te. And there aren’t any fees, like I bet the Academy charged.”

  “Our Eui was always smart. We got a partial schorship.” Her father said proudly, causio look at him in shock. Smiling ruefully, he apologised. “I’m sorry Eui. I wasn’t uanding. I… I’m just happy you’re alive. That’s all that matters. Eui, our miracle!”

  “That’s the way!” my sis approved. “She crawled her way back to you through something that would have broken most people, let alone a girl my age. So there’s something you both should say to her.”

  Eui’s parents exged gnces, before they both ed their arms around her. “Eui, our precious daughter. Wele home.”

  “I… I’m gd to be home.” she managed, before her reddened eyes erupted in tears, and for a while they held each other, sobbing, finally true emotions on dispy, not the wary danisuanding and self-loathing. We should give them a minute…

  ********

  “I’m sorry you had to witness something so undignified.” Eui’s father said solemnly after they calmed down.

  “No, it’s fine. If anything, I’m happy that you worked it out. The ohing I ’t stand is those idiots who think that their daughter, sister, lover is ruined, just because of some misfortune or evil.” I said firmly.

  “I uand. I’ll never say such again.” He said, and his wife nodded, while Eui looked on, more posed, as if she had made up her mind on something. “But…” he tinued. “We weren’t lying or mistaken when we said this will cause a massive problem within the upper echelons of Korea. Eui is going to be attacked, hated, and the bme will spread…”

  “Let them talk. But I don’t want to be a burden to you, mom, dad.” Eui took a deep breath, before looking at Haru and me. “If I was to work for you, you wouldn’t let people talk badly about me, would you?”

  “Whether you work for us or not, I’ll be more than happy to tell the truth and praise your survival.” I promised, and Haru agreed.

  “It’s not a matter of that, it’s a matter of what’s right. But… it certainly would be easier to brush aside criticism if you were under our prote. And besides, I’m not lying when I say I need help. Akio-kun is a svedriver!” She looked at me sideways, though her smile was amused. “It seems we’ll be setting up a presen Korea anyway, so it’s not like you’d have to emigrate. It’s a job with great prospects.”

  “I’ll do it.” Eui agreed. “I’ll damn well do it!” At her parents’ shocked looks, she giggled, and looked her age for a moment. “Sorry, my nguage got filthier as I survived. Swearing and cursing made me feel better briefly. It’s hard to go back to the elegant way I spoke before.”

  “So, just what does this entail?” her mother asked. “I don’t want my Eui to suffer anymore!”

  “Mostly administrative work. You’ll o learn Japahough we do a lot of our unications in English, which you’re rather fluent in, so while you learn we make it work. In addition… basic training in how to use aether and elements. Magic, basically.” Haru said, and Eui looked ied.

  “Wait, it be learned?” her mother asked, and I took over.

  “In theory yes, anyone learn, though it’s far from easy.” If an ordinary person ran through the sort of aether-raising exercises I did at the start, it might work even without the sort of aid Shaeu gave my sis and Eri. Though I suspect it’d take a long time and the resulting Chakra work would be trash. Although as the overall ether density of the Material increases, I wouldn’t be surprised if it bees much easier, and the results more impressive. “But then, we’re not an ordinary group. Rest assured, we could make it happen for Eui. I’m not saying she’ll be able to match the Chae twins, or us, but… enhas to overall strength, speed, intelligend rea times, as well as a little something for self-defence… yeah, no problem for us.”

  “It’s not an opportunity mere money buy.” Shiro joined in. “Aki’s pretty much got a monopoly on it. Only his friends and family and those who work with us have access. It’s a great deal. But in exge, you’ll have to work hard.” She told Eui, who nodded.

  “I always did what I had to do at useon. My grades weren’t the top of my css, but I was always he top. And…” she swallowed. “…I’m not the na?ve and i girl I was before all this. I know the dark side of life. I won’t shy away from it.”

  “In that case…” Haru and I both agreed. “Wele aboard, Kim Eui!”

  As Eui looked down shyly, a small, weak smile on her face, her father looked at me, troubled. “Are you sure? I mean… we’re grateful you are thinking of our daughter.” His wife nodded beside him. “But… she’s still just a girl in school…”

  “Just like me. Hinata-’s even younger.” My sis chimed in. “If you’ve got the drive, you’re old enough to seize your owiny. Besides… anyone who goes through something like Eui-…” my sis gave her a Japanese honorific. “…isn’t someone ordinary.”

  “It’ll look very good on her resume, having worked with Akio-kun here.” Haru persisted with a bright smile. “And I think both of us help each other… recover.”

  Eui nodded slowly. “I… don’t want t up your bad memories, but… if I could talk to you about it? And maybe those others you mentioned? Asha and Hyath?”

  “Just Asha. Hyath… she doesn’t want to remember. And I respect that.” I insisted, and Eui nodded. Seeing that, her parents exged a look, befreeing.

  “If it’s what you want, Eui… we support you. But we realise our mistake. You nearly died away from home, out of our reach. We don’t want you separated from us again.” Her father said, and her mother followed up.

  “Yes, please, stay with us. We promise we’ll try and uand what you went through, and we won’t judge, and we won’t let anyone else, either!”

  “Mom, dad!” Eui said, touched.

  “Is there… anything we do to support her?” her father asked us. “We’re grateful, for everything. For the life of our precious daughter. But we’d feel so wretched if we ’t be of help to her now…”

  “In that case, I suggest speaking to Hinata-.” Haru expined. “She’ll be extrag as much political gain and support from the families of those we rescued as we get away with. If you want to make your daughter’s future a brilliant one, I’m sure we e to some arra, but…” she looked at me, waiting for me to speak.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll be sure to look after her, and as Haru says, if you work with us, you’re our precious ally, and we never abandon them or let them e to harm. It’s not just a job, but… a way of life?” I said a bit uainly, and Shiro ughed loudly.

  “Sure, Aki. He makes it sound so dramatic. But he’s n…” she snorted, and as we exged ughter talk turo the specifics…

  ********

  The door opened, and Yu-mi came in, followed by Hinata. Seeing us all talking, the atmosphere far calmer, Hinata spoke. “Everything’s taken care of then?”

  “I would speak to yarding making provision for our Eui’s living expenses and other matters…” Eui’s father said, and Hinata nodded, suddenly all business.

  “That’s excellent. But before that…” She gestured, and anirl ehe room. On seeing us, Eri gave a bright smile, the long and heavy-looking wooden box in her arms being carried with the sort of ease her frame shouldn’t have allowed, barring her enhanced abilities. “Delivered as promised.”

  “I’m here.” Eri agreed. “I’m gd to see everyone isn’t hurt. Not that I doubted our preparations.” She addressed my sis then, cheg she hadn’t caused any trouble, and as they bickered happily, Yu-mi came over to me, exging a nod with Eui politely.

  “So, as promised, we’ve brought over yirlfriend… no, your fiancée, right?” At my nod, she tinued. “So, just leave everything to me. I’ve got it all pnned out. Besides, I think you could do with having some fun. This couldn’t have been easy.”

  It wasn’t, it most certainly wasn’t. Seeing the remains of young men and women, the age of my sister and the others, having to fight an insane girl… but… I looked over at Eri, whose smile broadened, her bck eyes looking into mine, and I nodded. Everyone’s right. I have ged, everyone’s ged. But at my core I still ’t stop w about Eri, just like when we were kids. But she’s not a child any longer, aher am I. It’s time to face reality head on, food or for ill…

  ShipTeaser