Kawaii Onnanoko ni Kouryaku Sareru no Wa Suki desu ka? Volume 4 Chapter 3

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Heaven

The plane lowered its altitude to approach the ground, and safely landed with a soft impact. With a thunderous roar, the inside of the machine shook ever so gently, as the plane decelerated. Finally, silence filled the atmosphere, as the plane came to a stop completely. The seatbelt warning on the ceiling disappeared. The airport was still a bit further into the distance, but the airstair was already opening up. With an order from Mikado, the pilot opened the door.

“We finally arrived…Now we can rest easy.” Rinka let out a relieved sigh.

“Yeah. This seems to be a bigger airport, so we should be fine from now on.” Mikado commented as he gazed outside the window.

In his pocket, he had his smartphone he took back from the hijacker. The pilot said he would be landing the machine at the Adelaide Airport, in South Australia. Since flying on a plane organized by the Nanjou Family would be the same as jumping off a bridge, they first had to change the plane in order to arrive safely.

“Ah! Our bus came!” Mizuki pointed outside the window.

An orange-colored bus came from the terminal. With exotic drawings and patterns on it, it sure didn’t feel like typical Japanese.

“No…wait a second.” Mikado felt like something was off.

Not about the exterior, but more about the interior. It was just for a short second, a fragment of a second rather, when Mikado felt like he something shine inside. Straining his eyes to the maximum of his ability, trained through the training of the Kitamikado Family, he saw it.

A few men inside the bus held guns. And they weren’t wearing police uniforms. Rather, they looked more like soldiers, assassins even. He’d make reason with it if the police came after hearing news about a hijacking. Though they themselves didn’t report it, maybe someone from the passengers did. But, would the army really move? When the hijackers have been rendered useless already?

On top of that, Mikado spotted something that looked like a grenade launcher inside the bus, something a bit over the top to use against hijackers. Making sure that Kisa couldn’t hear him, Mikado spoke up in a quiet voice.

“We can’t ride on that bus.”

“Eh…why is that…?” Rinka’s eyes opened wide.

“Inside there is another armed squad consisting of Kisa’s subordinates. They’re probably here to finish what the hijackers couldn’t.”

“They’re planning on doing something as well?!”

“Quiet. Kisa will realize.”

“Ah…” Rinka closed her mouth, gazing over at Kisa.

This Kisa on her part was reading a magazine, as she yawned in disinterest. At first glance, it looked like she was just trying to pass the time, but Mikado clearly felt she was using every fiber of her being to try and anticipate their movement. Though nobody could tell, Mikado can. This was a necessary skill for the love game.

“…What happened?”

“There’s a high chance the terminal is being occupied. Let’s hide inside the city for a while now. Can you walk?.”

“Of course.”

“Then let’s go!” Mikado grabbed Rinka’s hand, dashing out of the cockpit.

“H-Hey, Mikado?!”

Kisa reflexively jumped up from the chair, but Mikado didn’t give her any chance to follow them. Instead, he just sprinted down the airstair, away from the plane.

“Don’t leave me alone, please!!” Kokage chased after them, down the airstair.

“If Mikado-kun is going, then so am I!” Mizuki on her part literally jumped down the airstair, landing on top of Mikado, clinging to his back.

“Sorry, Mizuki, but you have to stay behind! There’s a chance you’re conspiring with Kisa!”

Mikado hid himself next to a container on the way, aiming for the city he could see in the distance.

“I’m not doing any of that! What even is a conspiracy?”

“That you’re working together with Kisa on this whole hijacking and soldiers in the bus planning!”

“Why would I do that! I was just looking forward to travelling with Mikado-kun! Onee-chan is the only one who profited from the hijacking, right?”

“That…is true…”

“Then, why don’t you take my smartphone, Mikado-kun? Then I won’t be able to contact Onee-chan, right?” Mizuki put her oddly stylish decorated smartphone into Mikado’s shirt.

Because of the sudden cold sensation, Mikado’s shoulders jolted up.

“Don’t just put things in my clothes!”

“You can use my phone however you want, you know? Wanna see some sexy selfies of me in the bath?”

“I don’t need any of that!”

“There’s also some secret pictures I took from Onee-chan~”

“I…I don’t need any of that!” Mikado had to bite his lips in order to withstand the temptation.

Peeking inside the smartphone of a girl was unbefitting of the Kitamikado Family’s successor.

“Ohhhh? But, you just hesitated, didn’t you? You want to take a look, right, Mikado-kun?”

“I don’t!”

“If you just said so honestly, I would show you as many pictures as you want! Even some x-ray pictures at the doctor! She’s got some great bones, I tell ya!”

“I seriously don’t need that!”

At the same time, Mikado felt an odd urge to still see it, which left him slightly disgusted.

“Mikado-sama! The bus!”

Turning towards Rinka, running next to him, he spotted a few men pointing their guns at them outside the window, raising the danger of the situation even further.

“Seems like they want to greet us no matter what!”

Mikado picked up a wrench next to a container, throwing it at the bus as powerful as he could. Said wrench hit the front window, hitting the driver in the nose. Blood came gushing out, as he let go of the steering wheel. The bus lost control, rotating, and collided with the terminal. Screams of agony and explosions came from the bus.

“Woah, Mikado-kun doesn’t hold back at all! But, I like that about you!” Mizuki clung to Mikado’s neck.

“I don’t have the time nor leisure to hold back!”

After all, more buses came to greet them. Like they were about to get taken down to hell. Protecting the girls with him, Mikado rushed down the runway.

Outside the airport, they were greeted by an European-looking city. The brick buildings all had pots with decorative plants on the windowsill. The pavement of the streets showed the times it had gone through, as the soft scent of black tea drifted through the air. Judging from the faces passing them, they could not say this was Europe for sure. People from Asia were mixed in, showing a deeper diversity than you’d think.

Having been able to escape from the chasing buses, Mikado and the others found themselves in a foreign environment.

“Is this really Australia…? I feel like the billboards around don’t even have English words on them…” Kokage asked in a feeble tone, as she looked around.

Even as she was clearly scared and worried, she clung to the camera in her hands. That’s the blood of an information broker for you.

“It seems to be a language akin to German, so it’s not like it’s unreadable…Though, I’m a bit worried if the pilot actually put us down at Adelaide Airport.”

Since they were greeted by buses filled with Kisa’s subordinates, the chances are high that this might not be the airport Mikado had instructed the pilot with.

“You got reception?” Mikado asked, to which Rinka shook her head.

“No, nothing. Though I have a contract that should allow me to use it even overseas…”

“Same here. Is it outside the area…?”

But, existed there really a country where you would get no reception at all, in this day and time? The surroundings looked like they had a certain level of civilization to them. Rather, it felt like they were more advanced than Japan here. Autonomous cars driven by only children, and unmanned convenience stores. No electrical lines to disturb the scenery, and the screens outside the restaurants showed the pictures of the delicious-looking food.

“Mikado-kun, let’s go eat over there!” Mizuki pulled on Mikado’s hand.

“This isn’t the time to be eating something, don’t you think? Now that we can’t use our phones, we have to find the Japanese embassy, and get some help from them. Get the police here to move so that we get a proper plane home.

“No no no! I’m hungry! Because we were chasing after you the entire morning, I didn’t get to eat anything! Take responsibility!”

“It’s my fault now?! We’re having an emergency here. Humans can live two months from just water, so put up with it for a day.”

“I-I’m pretty sure that’s just you, Mikado-kun…” commented Kokage, as her stomach grumbled.

“If you become a master, you can apparently live from just the nutrients in the air…but, I still have a long way to go until I get there.”

“You don’t have to master anything! And what kind of master is that anyway!” Kokage retorted on Mikado’s nonsense, who sighed in defeat.

“What about you, Rinka?”

“W-Well…It’s true that I am a bit hungry, but if Mikado-sama wishes for it, I will gladly starve to death!”

“So you’re starving, huh…”

“I have no words…” Rinka blushed.

If they all were this hungry, Mikado had no other choice but to think of the greater good. He assumed that a female body was just not made to survive for two months without food, like a male body was.

“Alright, then let’s eat something.”

“Yay! What should we eat~?” Mikzuki ran through the automatic door, inside the restaurant, to which Mikado and the others followed. The store interior looked like a refined cafeteria, red tables going along the wide floor. Mikado sat down with Mizuki next to him, facing Rinka and Kokage, as they sat on a set of chairs, as the middle of the table opened with a slide, revealing a menu. Mizuki watched this, as she clapped her hands together.

“Wahhh, amazing! Restaurants really progressed a lot recently! Seeing something mysterious like this, I sure have lived a long life!”

“What are you saying, you middle-schooler.”

“Ahh, Mikado-kun is making fun of me! Also, I think I’ve lived a long life, you know! Could have been buried in concrete a few years ago already!”

“Sure sounds tough!” Mikado agreed from the bottom of his heart.

“Right right! That’s why, I wouldn’t mind if you proposed to me with a ‘The Nanjou Family sure sounds dangerous…Why don’t you join me in the Kitamikado Family? As my wife, of course’, how about it?!”

“Never!”

“I will be Mikado-sama’s wife!” Rinka protested vehemently.

“Ehh, why can it only be one wife? More wifes, more fun, right, Kokage-chan!”

“W-Why are you pulling me into this mess?!” Kokage panicked, as she blushed furiously.

“Now, I wonder why~? I was just thinking to ask you~ Or this place, to be precise~!” Mizuki Leaned forward over the table, poking at Kokage’s well-endowed chest.

“A-Ah…Mizuki-chan…stop…”

“With what? Poking your breasts? Or rather, poking your breasts?”

“They’re both the same…” Kokage shivered at the pleasure and embarrassment.

“Stop it already, someone will call the police!” Mikado grabbed Mizuki’s hand, pushing her away.

“Sorry, Mikado-kun! I forgot that Kokage-chan’s breasts belong to you after all!”

“Ehhh?! Is that so?!”

“Is that so?! Whilst having a fiance like me…”

“As if! Don’t just get swept along, Rinka! Also, just go and order something already!” Mikado grew flustered, as he tried to switch the topic.

He didn’t want to bother Kokage too much, since she was not part of the love game, nothing more than a victim in all of this. The four of them called an employee to finish ordering. Offering Italian, French, Chinese, and even Japanese cuisine, the menu was quite the sight to behold. Whilst waiting for their food, Mikado remembered something he had meant to ask for a while.

“Say, Kawaraya, why did you even tag along with Kisa?”

“Huh…? W-Why…why would you ask that?” Kokage just returned the question in pure confusion.

“I mean, I was worried that Kisa might have forced you, or even threatened you. If not, there was no need to follow Rinka and me on our trip, right?”

“T-That’s…I wasn’t…threatened or anything…I just came with her out of my own free will…” Kokage pushed her finger tips against each other.

Seeing the universe and alien freak with such a cute gesture was quite the rarity.

“Out of your own free will? Why did you come here then?”

“E-Ehm…that’s…Ah…Well…” Kokage’s eyes were spinning, as she blushed even more furiously.

Maybe because of the sudden change of environment, her body couldn’t come up with it. If so, he had to hurry and bring her to a doctor, but that could prove troublesome enough.

“You okay? Your face is burning up, you got a fever?”

“Hyaaaaa?!”

Mikado just softly put his hand on Kokage’s forehead, to which she just jolted up, pulling her body back deeper into the chair. She waved both her hands, forcing out a voice.

“I-I-I don’t have a fever! This is just an early stage before my head will explode, so nothing to worry about!”

“I’m worrying even more now!”

“It’s normal, perfectly normal! This happens around five times every day!”

“Again, this is more than enough to make me worried!”

At the very least, Mikado had never seen something like this happen in front of him. And if it did, it would certainly haunt him forever.

“I take it back! The aliens were forcing me to chase after you, Mikado-kun! I was manipulated! Because otherwise, I would never do something like this…” Kokage buried her head in her arms on the table, her shoulders shaking.

“That’s right, you couldn’t help it.” Mizuki softly tapped Kokage on the shoulder, with a kind gaze.

“To think that even Kawaraya-san…” Rinka looked perpetuated.

As they were conversing like this, the food was brought to the table. Mizuki had ordered a pizza with a heap of tomatoes, Kokage got Japanese littleneck clam spaghetti carbonara. Rinka on her part had noble-looking soba, and Mikado had originally ordered the ikizukuri¹ menu, but what stood in front of him was a living pirania on a plate. With gritting teeth, it was glaring up at Mikado.

“Um…this looks more like it’s going to eat me than the other way around…?”

“Fight, Mikado-kun! It’s eat or be eaten!”

“Mikado-sama, you can do it! I’ll support you with all my might!”

Mizuki and Rinka were gazing at Mikado with expectation.

“Uuuu…”

Meanwhile, Kokage was still hiding her face inside her arms, but her eyes were visibly red. Mikado found himself wanting to throw this plate out of the window, but the expectant gazes from the girls were torturing him. It was time for a battle of fish against humans. Something he had to stand proud for, as the man he was. Though he didn’t know why.

“Onwards…to the common battle…!”

Mikado readied himself with a fork and knife, declaring war towards the pirania on the plate.

Finishing their energetic lunch, Mikado and the others stood up from their seats. All the plates left on the table were emptied to their fullest. Leaving any food behind in a foreign country would bring the Japanese to shame, yes. Needless to say, the pirania ikizukuri had been eaten as well, and Mikado still had some light wounds inside his mouth from the battle. The king was still too strong for Mikado, it seemed.

Moving to the cash register, Mikado remembered that they didn’t finish adjusting the currency. Normally this was something they would have done at the airport, but with the whole escape from the buses, they didn’t have the time to rest at the terminal. Just to try it out—

“Can we use this?” Mikado showed the employee banknotes from Micronesia, but they were rejected.

They had a rejection of a ‘The heck is this, boy?’ as they just shrugged. Seeing no other option, Mikado took out his credit card, and paid with that. Because they had enjoyed a fulfilling meal, they could thoroughly experience the beautiful scenery of the town. They couldn’t do so before because they had to worry about escaping from the airport.

“Where are we going next~?”

“I’d like to visit the museum of this town.”

“As long as I am with Mikado-sama, anywhere is fine…”

The girls each were getting excited in their own way.

“We’re not here as tourists! We have to make sure that we get our luggage back, change the currency, and get guaranteed lodging in case we need it…Safety first, you know! We don’t even know what country this is.”

Mizuki pouted with her lips.

“Ehhh, who cares about that? This is earth! As long as we understand that, everything will work out, right?”

“That’s way to lax! We’re basically stranded here!”

Kokage jumped in.

“Isn’t this just like an abduction?! Maybe we are on another plant after all?!”

“Don’t look at me with those eyes! We’re not talking about aliens! You are all way too relaxed…” Mikado sighed in disbelief.

It’s a good thing that eating has healed their minds and hearts, and he was glad they weren’t scared in a situation like this, but he wished for a bit more tension from this.

The girls exchanged glances.

“I mean, that’s because…right?” Mizuki snickered.

“Yes!” Kokage nodded along.

“It’s because we have you with us, Mikado-sama. There is nothing we have to be afraid of.” Rinka said with a bright smile.

“Well…I’m happy you feel that way, but…” Mikado scratched his cheeks with mixed feelings.

Of course, he was on constant guard to avoid any danger for them, but being told like this still felt awkward. For now, Mikado decided to look for the embassy, or any other place that might function as such, as they walked through the town. As he did, he heard suspicious machine sounds coming from all directions. That being said, Mikado didn’t have any time to analyze the situation, as several cars appeared out of the blue, surrounding them.

Dust was whirled up into the air, and together with the squeaking sound of the tires followed the smell of them burning. Soldiers jumped out of the cars, pointing the muzzles of their guns at them.

“H-How were we found out…?” Rinka clung to Mikado’s arm.

“I didn’t do anything! I don’t even have my phone with me!” Mizuki pleaded innocence.

“I know that…You didn’t even have the time to secretly contact Kisa…You were way too engrossed with your pizza…maybe the surveillance cams?”

Kokage shook her head.

“There are no surveillance cameras set up around here! Neither Mizuki nor I have some as equipment!! As a pro, I can tell!”

“Kinda scared that you’re this confident!”

“If you told me to, I’d put them inside the president of the US!”

“I don’t need that! What would I do with that anyway!” Mikado tried to calm down Kokage, who got a bit too excited for her own good.

“I didn’t even have any ill-will with it, but because I put a small camera into his tea, he suffered from intestinal obstruction, and everybody thought he was going to get assassinated…”

“For not having any ill-will, that sure was evil!”

“I was just curious as to what the inside of a stomach looked like.”

“Don’t involve some poor politician in that curiosity of yours!”

As they were exchanging words, a small group of soldiers approached them. Putting it into numbers, they were a few hundred, way too large if they just wanted to deal with Mikado’s group. That being said, they grew more and more. Not just from the military cars, not they even rained down from helicopters, and armored cars.

—Did they…find out because I used my credit card?

Arriving at one possible reason for this situation, a cold sweat ran down Mikado’s back. The only ones able to do this would be a public investigation bureau. Does this mean that the Nanjou Family even had influence in a country this far away from Japan? If so, any rebellion would only hurt them more.

“I don’t know where you’re planning on taking us, but don’t you dare lay a finger on my friends here. If you do that, I’ll seriously become the enemy of your boss.”

The person looking like the commander of this operation just snorted at Mikado’s declaration.

“We have received others to catch you all savely. That being said, you are not allowed to run away anymore. It’s a ridiculous order, but we’d rather not get punished as a result, so could you just follow us.”

“…Alright.”

Mikado and the others were put into one escort-type car, brought away from the shopping district they were previously at. With the sirens going off, the residents and cars quickly went out of the way, allowing for smooth travel. They drove down the main street, until they arrived in front of a large building. Several minarets, giant castle walls, and guards on patrol. It was something like a palace. With the car approaching, the front gate was opened, along it to pass.

“Woah…it’s a legit castle…I’ve never seen one in real…”

“I’ve been to several until now, but this really is an old castle, just like out of some movie.”

Kokage already had her camera ready to take pictures, whereas Mikado forced her to take it down. Taking pictures on the way might just agitate the enemy. That being said, he could understand Kokage’s feelings. The garden they passed was filled with beautiful flowers. Nearby a water fountain, with an awfully symmetric statue.

Mikado and the others were taken out of the car, heading inside the palace under the instruction of a soldier.

“So the one who called us…is the royalty?”

Mikado asked, and received a nod from the soldier.

“Apparently, the Queen her Majesty wants to meet you.”

“Why us?”

“How would I know. Neither do I have to. I just fulfilled the order from the Majesty, and that’s all.” The soldier gave an immediate response.

Being called by someone higher-up than they imagined, Mikado and the others looked at each other. And yet, Mizuki’s eyes were sparkling from anticipation.

“The Queen! What kind of person is she?! Maybe the type to slap her subordinates with a whip?”

“I think that’s a different kind of queen!”

“It’s not impossible. In the past, there had been countless queens like these, reigning fiercely of her subordinates, punishing them in various ways…” Mikado argued.

“No…I didn’t mean it that way…”

“What did you mean then?” Mikado tilted his head as he asked.

“Eh, Mikado-kun, you don’t know? They step on men while wearing latex clothes!”

“I ask you to not sully Mikado-sama’s pure heart with any needless knowledge!”

Rinka closed off Mizuki’s mouth with the palm of her hand, which she used to bite on it. She must have gotten hungry again. However, now that she started, Mikado wouldn’t let off.

“If there’s anything I don’t know, then teach me. It might end up useful even in a situation like this. Rinka, what is this Queen you mentioned?”

Rinka started blushing.

“T-That’s…I would rather show you when we share our night together…”

“Tell me right here, if possible.”

“Right here?! It might damage your reputation, Mikado-sama!”

“I don’t mind. It is only short-lived anyway, rather than a lifetime of shame. So please teach me about this different Queen from mine.”

“If you find out, you will definitely live a lifetime of shame, Mikado-sama!”

“……?” Mikado was at a loss yet again.

Rinka on her hand looked like she was about to die from the embarrassment, whereas Mizuki was busy giggling to herself. Only Kokage joined Mikado, as a question mark floated above her head. He’d love to look it up on the internet, but taking out his smartphone could lead the soldiers to grow suspicious of him. Not to mention that he didn’t get any signal ever since they came here, so he gave up and decided to look it up later.

As they walked along the path inside, they eventually arrived in front of a large door. A double-door clad in gold and silver.

—Now, will it be a demon, or a serpent. I hope it’s someone easy to deal with.

Mikado gulped in anxiety. He could not judge as to how far the Queen was under the control of the Nanjou Family. Depending on her influence and interests, she might even enslave Mikado to pull him away from the Kitamikado Family, gaining control over them.

Either way, the guard opened the door, and Mikado set foot forth, the others following him. The small opening acted as a window, allowing Mikado take a peek at the awfully surreal scenery. Four chandeliers hung down from the ceiling on the right and left alike, and following a short path, he found a throne. The one gazing down at her visitors with her chin raised high was—

“I’ve been waiting for you, Mikado. I hope you enjoyed my kingdom.”

“Kisa?!” Mikado doubted his eyes. “Why are you sitting there…? The Queen of this country was supposed to have called us here.”

“Indeed, that I did.” Kisa supported her mouth with the back of her hand, as she flashed a devilish smile.

“Then, bring out the Queen, I want to negotiate with her.”

“You still don’t understand? I am the Queen here, the Queen of the Kingdom of Glorious, Nanjou Kisa.”

“Kingdom of Glorious…?”

Mikado remembered that name. It was a small country to the southeast of Asia. Having been governed by Europe before, the civilization is less asian and more european. Being rather small, they possessed crucial resources which allowed them a certain level of influence in the international community, but the news came that these resources have started to deplete as of recently.

“The king and queen of the Kingdom of Glorious should be in good health. They even participate in public events.”

“They are of good health, yes. The Nanjou Family raised them after all. They are professionals at their work. It would be troublesome if a source of information were to pass away after all.” Kisa shrugged arrogantly.

To that, Mikado felt a shiver. He was reminded of all the incidents happening ever since the plane landed. The soldiers came to greet them in the multiple buses. The second he used the credit card, they were surrounded. He was confused as to how this was possible, but assuming that the Nanjou Family stood at the top of it all, it was surprisingly easy.

“So the royal family are nothing more but puppets.”

Kisa smiled softly at Mikado’s disgusted question.

“Exactly, mere puppets. Because of the King’s bad gambling habit, they gathered a lot of debt, so we erased that. In return for that, they transferred the rights of the throne to the Nanjou Family. The king and his wife seemed happy with that, and now they’re living to their fullest. Basically, the Nanjou Family had become the Messiah of this country.”

“Let me guess, he gathered that debt in one of the Nanjou Family’s casinos.”

“My, how did you figure that out?”

“Because it makes perfect sense. It sounds like something the Nanjou Family would do.”

It said in the old chronicles of the Kitamikado Family that the one creating the tragedy of the Honnouji Temple, Akechi Mitsuhide, had gone into debt with the Nanjou Family in order to raise his military and public funds. The Nanjou Family hated Oda Nobunaga, who didn’t move according to their directions, and instead pushed Toyotomi Hideyoshi as the shogun, so they supported Mitsuhide that he would do the dirty work. Until the Kitamikado Family brought peace to the lands years later with the Tokugawa Family, the resulting wars of these resounded inside the country for a long time.

“And, I have been instructed to live here as the Queen of the Kingdom of Glorious! This is my own province! My rules count here! Nobody can go against my word, nor run away! This is a world entirely built for me!” Kisa raised both her hands into the air.

“How… could this happen…” Rinka’s shoulders shook, and Kokage muttered in fear.

“To think that Kisa-chan, who would normally trample on human rights already, neglecting place and location, had now ended up as an actual queen…Human rights are in a deep pinch!”

“My, I fully understand just how you felt about me. How about I have you build a keyhole-shaped tumulus?”

“Eeeek?! At least make it a round one!”

“They are both too tough for one person…”

There was a girl who ordered her classmate to build a tomb dating back to the kofun period². Her name was Nanjou Kisa. At the same time, Mizuki was getting excited.

“I had no idea we had a country like this! Amazing!”

“Grandmother has explained it to you countless times, didn’t she! You just never listened! Rather, you’re never listening to anybody…You really should act more like a Nanjou and—” Kisa tried explaining, but Mizuki would not listen.

“Onee-chan is so cool! Praise the Queen!” she said, taking pictures even.

You might call it her instinct as a girl, but the second the camera was pointed at her, Kisa sat down on the throne, taking some cool, admirable, and arrogant poses.

“Indeed, I am cool! Praise me more!”

“How nice, being a queen! I also want to be one! Ah I know! If you die, can I become the queen then?!”

“Scary!” Even Kisa had to take a step back from the ambitious Mizuki.

“No no no, it’s not scary at all, is just hypothetical!”

“Even then it’s scary!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine~ Just tell me for reference.”

“What kind of reference?! You plan on assassinating me?! There’s no way someone like you would be able to pull it off, but just come at me and try!” Kisa was at wariness max level.

“I’m joking~ I just like the face when you’re panicking, Onee-chan~”

“Could you not tease me like that…I feel like…my lifespan just got shortened…Ah, I mean, Mizuki’s.” She was trying her hardest to pressure Mizuki.

Kisa softly clapped her hands, as the door behind them opened, some soldiers entering. Automatic handguns, as well as military-type knives. Surrounded by these, Mikado glared up at Kisa.

“Kisa…I have my own ideas if you dared to make me your enemy.”

“No need to worry. I won’t do anything rough. Everyone but Mikado will enjoy a pleasurable vacation in my kingdom.”

“I-Is that so…thank god…” Kokage sighed in relief.

“However, you are to stay away from the palace at all times. If you can fulfill that condition, you can eat whatever you want, go wherever you want, and play around as much as you want.”

“What about…Mikado-sama?” Rinka’s expression didn’t shake as she asked.

“Isn’t that obvious. He will be living together with me in this palace!” Kisa raised her chin high up, as she declared.

Mikado was taken through the corridors, as he walked next to Kisa. Though he didn’t feel any ill-intent from the soldiers standing on the sides, they didn’t look like they would allow any attempt at escaping. In other words, they were all surveilling Mikado.

Rinka, Mizuki, and Kokage were all brought outside the palace again. Kisa had promised that they would not be in danger as long as they don’t come back, but even if they may be safe now, Mikado couldn’t help but worry about them. This being a country far away from Japan, unable to hold any proper conversations, they could only move as long as Kisa allowed.

“Kisa. I understand that you couldn’t just accept the pre-honeymoon. But, luring us into your own country, isn’t that a bit too much? At least have Rinka and the others live here as well…”

Kisa stopped ler feet. She slowly turned around, and looked up at Mikado.

“Do you hate…being together with me…that much?” Her eyes were slightly dampened, her lips shaking.

Almost as if she was scared. Scared of Mikado’s answer. Just seeing this, Mikado was at a loss for words.

“I don’t…hate it…”

“Then…do you like it?”

“I don’t…like it either…but…”

Instantly, Mikado’s heartbeat accelerated. He wanted to be alone with Kisa, and these words were about to forcefully come out his throat. But, he could not hope to finish these words, because that would be a revelation of affection. Hence, he turned the question around.

“What about you, Kisa? Are you going this far because you want to be alone with me?”

Hiring hijackers, and forcing the plane to land in her own kingdom.

“U-Um, well, yes…but, just for the sake of the game! So that nobody could bother us during it!”

“I see, so no personal feelings involved?”

“N-No way…” Kisa blushed, as she cast her face downward.

Both her hands turned into fists in the process. Yet again, Mikado found himself unable to grasp the girl’s feelings. Was it really just for the sake of the game? Or was it…if only a little bit…because she was jealous about his pre-honeymoon with Rinka? If it was the latter, Mikado would feel happy, but if it was the former, he’d feel sad.

“A-Anyway, no complaints! Whether you want it or not, you’ll be living here with me!” Kisa grabbed hold of Mikado’s wrist, as she started walking again.

—I really want it, though.

These words he couldn’t say out loud, nor could he hold her hand. All he could was gaze at Kisa’s bashful appearance in silence.

“This is the bedroom of the queen.”

Eventually, the two of them appeared in front of a room similar to the audience room before. On the floor, Mikado spotted a carpet with exotic patterns on it. At the wall stood a luxurious bed, surrounded by velvet, thick curtains. Though there existed windows, they were closed off by curtains as well, only soft lights illuminating the room.

The second they entered, Mikado was met with a feeling of regret. He knew right away that this place would be dangerous…because it looked too comfortable. Probably because this room harbored vitality and the breath of Kisa herself.

The door closed behind him, and he even heard the sound of the door being unlocked from the outside. Most likely, the room was even guarded by soldiers, not giving Mikado any chance at escaping. Kisa truly wanted to make this place the location of their game.

—She has to have something set up, right…?

Mikado tried to figure out Kisa’s intentions, closely inspecting her. As always, her slender chin couldn’t be more beautiful. She seemed to be nervous with just Mikado here, because she started fidgeting in a cute manner. Then again, that already gave Mikado quite the amount of damage, before the game had even started.

Kisa cleared her throat, and looked up at Mikado.

“Lick my shoe.”

“…Why?”

“As proof of your submission. I am the Queen of this kingdom, the unobtainable flower, whereas you are an intruder, so of course I would have to punish you some way.”

“What are you on about? I was forced here.”

“You are better off remembering that the queen’s words are absolute. If I said I wanted all the citizens to eat bread for breakfast, they will, and the same for rice. If someone ate noodles, they couldn’t complain even in the face of execution.”

“That’s ridiculous! Are you a dictator?!”

“I am!” Kisa announced without hesitation.

Apparently, she saw herself as a godsend of a ruler. Kisa took a step forward, softly slapping Mikado on the cheek.

“Now, hurry and lick my shoe. If not…”

“If not…?”

Mikado felt a sense of danger. Rinka, Mizuki, and Kokage were all still present in the country. The reason they were not sent out of the country was most likely to use them as hostages against Mikado. With his precious friends in constant danger, he could not go against the word of Kisa.

“If not, I will order every citizen to lick your shoes, Mikado!”

“That sounds disgusting! Also, why?!”

“For the health of the citizens! There are a handful of important minerals gathered on your shoes! It will also lessen the healthcare costs for the royal family!”

“How does that make any sense? What exactly am I?!”

“A treasure house of minerals!”

“My ass! I’m a human!”

Reading Kisa’s thoughts was an impossible task. Leave her alone, and you had no idea what she would do. She might just have all the citizens lick Rinka and the others’ shoes. Either choice was hell, but since Mikado had the choice, the answer was obvious.

“…Alright, I’ll do it. Sit down over there.”

“O-Okay.” Acting nervous even though she ordered him to, Kisa sat down at the side of the bed, slightly stretching out her leg towards Mikado.

Apparently, this was a first experience for her as well, making Mikado wonder why she would even ask for something like this. Then again, an order was an order, and Kisa showed no signs of pulling it back. Hence, Mikado could only prepare himself, as he approached his face to Kisa’s shoe. A radiating enamel high heel, overflowing with eroticsm, fitting Kisa perfectly. Showing no dirt or flaw, it gave Mikado no reason to resist licking it.

Rather, because it belonged to Kisa’s body this very moment, he would not have had any resistance in the first place. That was how much he accepted Kisa’s everything. Her awkward personality, her evil personality, her weak personality, her pure personality, everything. Mikado grabbed her foot, and softly put his tongue on it.

“…There, I did it.”

“Yes, well done! Good boy, good boy!”

Kisa pulled Mikado’s head closer, ruffling through his hair. By doing so, Mikado felt something warm inside of his chest, something like happiness. Like a desire was born for Kisa to continue doing this forever.

—W-What…is this sensation…?

Mikado was perplexed. He had never been patted on the head by his parents until now. There was his father, strictly training his son as the successor of the family, and his mother, who could not go against the word of the head of the family. Though they treated him with scoldings and lectures, but nothing like an embrace or kind sentiments. Hence, this foreign sensation. Wrapped between Kisa’s slender arms, they felt oddly dependable, making Mikado feel at ease.

“…Alright, that’s all for now.”

That’s why, as she let go of Mikado’s head, he felt oddly disappointed, and lonely. Kisa watched this expression of Mikado in a satisfied manner.

“Then, next you will lick me directly.”

“Directly?! D-Do you mean…in the sexual sense?” Mikado asked, which led Kisa to blush.

“O-Of course not! I-I didn’t mean it in a perverted sense, just me giving you an order, and you following that. It’s important for your submission! Come on, do it!”

Kisa stretched out her snow white, slender index finger towards Mikado. But, her knees on the bed were slightly shaking. As of right now, Mikado had no reason to disobey Kisa’s orders. Rather, his instincts were telling him to comply. Neither could he disobey because it was the order of the queen of this country.

—But, just complying is not enough.

Most likely, this was all part of a plot to bring shame to Mikado, turning him into her slave, to gain an advantageous position during the love game. Not to mention that, being in her own home, Kisa already had the psychological high ground. Hence, Mikado had to think of something to break down this advantage, destroying her plans. Even if that action were to be something outrageous.

“Hurry up and lick it.”

“…Yeah.”

Mikado brought his tongue closer to Kisa’s index finger. It was sweet. It made sense that the skin of a human was salty, but he couldn’t tell why it had such a distinct taste. Like her skin was the greatest type of fruit, growing sweeter the more one licked away. Mikado progressed further and further down the finger, until he arrived at the bridge between her other fingers, where Kisa let out a moan.

“Mm…Ahh…I-I-It’s okay now…that’s…enough…” Kisa’s body bent from the pleasure, but Mikado grabbed her hand, continuing.

Her other hand was already trying to push away Mikado on his shoulder, her slender legs flapping up and down. Wrinkles gathered on the sheets, and the squeaking sound of the bed rang out. Once Mikado separated from her finger, Kisa pulled back her damp finger, hiding it inside her chest, as if she didn’t want to get stolen again. From the looks of it, Mikado’s counterattack was fairly successful.

“J-Just a bit would have been fine…”

“It was so delicious, I kinda lost myself.”

“Delicious?! Did you awaken to cannibalism?! I made you awaken to that?!” Kisa escaped to the deeper parts of the bed.

However, she quickly cleared her throat, and came back towards Mikado.

“W-Well, it’s fine. You were just obeying my orders after all.”

“Kisa is being kind…? What are you plotting?” Mikado grew even more wary.

Normally she would praise herself as the Goddess of the Underworld, only allowing the extinction of all human life on earth, so this could only be the premonition of a catastrophe.

“I’m not plotting anything. Good job on properly listening to me, good boy.”

“………?!”

Kisa embraced Mikado’s head, gently patting him on the head again. Yet again, he felt this mysterious sense of happiness. Kisa’s slender fingers ran through his hair, just carefully caressing his head.

Indeed, this caressing felt too good for him. Maybe…Mikado felt his consciousness drift towards one possibility. Maybe Kisa wasn’t aiming to have Mikado taste humiliation. Maybe this was all just a dummy to have Mikado lower his guard. The real attack was the whole patting. She might have found out that Mikado had never received this treatment, neither from parents or anybody else, and is using this against him now. A kind way of slaver, so to speak.

—No way, right.

Having observed Kisa all this time, Mikado denied that possibility.

“Haaa…so cute…Mikado, you’re like a small toddler…there, there…I’ll pat you even more…fufu…fufufufu…” Kisa buried Mikado’s head in her own chest, her soft palm moving over his head.

Surrounded by Kisa’s soft two bulges, his nostrils were assaulted by her sweet fragrance.

—No, if it’s Kisa, it definitely is possible.

Kisa is a genius at plotting, and with her influence, it would have been no difficult feat to find out his family circumstances either. After all, she immediately found out the location of their pre-honeymoon, even inviting them into her own world. The game master of this day was Kisa. Everything was under her control, be it rules or field. Not to mention that she could use this all to attack at her own desire.

If Mikado didn’t fire back, he would be done in. Even as he was buried inside Kisa’s chest, he tried his hardest to think of a means to escape this. Inside this sweet hell, he finally found a saving grace. Back when he was younger, he had taken Kisa as a comrade of sorts. Even if they were separated by light and dark, they had an odd sympathy for the other.

—Maybe I can use this.

Mikado steeled his resolve, and tried to escape from inside Kisa’s chest. His instincts told him to stay in there for a bit longer, until the world would come to an end to be precise, and yet, he tried his everything to escape from this black hole pulling him in.

“What happened, Mikado? Do you want me to pat you some more? Come here…?” Kisa just flashed a kind smile, opening her arms towards Mikado.

That sight alone was awfully charming, full of seductive force. However, Mikado killed off his emotions, and instead reached out for Kisa’s head.

“Eh…”

Taken by surprise, Kisa was unable to escape. Aiming for this opening, Mikado started patting Kisa on the head instead.

“Fuwah…H-Hey, Mikado…what are you…fuwaaah…” Kisa’s expression just melted away.

Her cheeks turned red from the pleasure, raising sweet moans in the face of this sudden turn of events. No strength she could put into her body.

—I thought so, Kisa also…!

They both had no experience of being patted on the head! By not having received a treatment like this before, Kisa arrived at Mikado’s weakness. Because it was untested ground even for her. But at the same time, it also revealed her own weakness, and how sarcastic it was. With this, they were equal again—No, Mikado had the upper hand. In terms of arm length, Mikado was winning over Kisa, so she wouldn’t be able reach his own head, and their arm strength was different as well. He had a definite hold on her head, continuing his brain crusher patting move.

“How is it…Kisa…? Does it feel good? It does, right? You’re about to go crazy, right?”

“T-That’s not…this ishn’t the cashe…!”

Or so she said, but everytime he ran his fingers through her hair, her shoulders jolted up ever so slightly. Coming this far, she had no strength to resist anymore.

—With this, I can bring her down.

Mikado was sure of this win, Kisa managed to escape from his hold, as she escaped over the bed like a cat hating to be carried.

“So you can still move!”

“Haa…Huff…D-Did you really think you had me defeated with something like that?!”

Mikado grit his teeth in defeat, whereas Kisa embraced her own body, blushing furiously. It was an absolute turn-around from the previous situation. That being said, the field was evened, and all rules were reset besides a single one. That was [The one who pats first, controls the heart of the one being pat]. If their weaknesses overlined, then so did their methods. In other words, the winner will be decided by endurance, guts, and sheer force of will.

“Kisa, just give up and come over here. I’ll spoil you so much you’ll forget about everything.”

“Same to you, Mikado, just give in to my body. I’ll give you pure bliss.”

Sparks flew between the two, as they glared at each other. A bedroom should be filled with a blissful, sweet atmosphere, but that was nowhere to be found right now.

Kisa jumped onto the bed, crawling towards Mikado, as her arms closed in on him. Mikado dodged that, as he jumped into the air. With that, a heavy metallic sound rang out, as Mikado felt a shock at this right leg. Looking down, a barb bit into his right leg.

“Got you now!”

“A trap?!”

A bear trap. Normally they were used to catch bears or wolves, but because of the brutality, it was banned from Japan. That being said, the Nanjou Family never gave much mind to the laws of Japan, and this wasn’t Japan to begin with either. It was Kisa’s kingdom. Mikado hurried in escaping from this trap, but Kisa waited for that exact moment, as she brought down her left hand onto Mikado.

“As if I’d let you!”

Mikado twisted his body to escape, as Kisa’s hand slapped down onto the carpet, creating a rather impactful sound, clearly not the strength you’d use to pat someone on the head. If his reaction had been delayed for a fragment of a second, his head might have been split like an egg.

That being said, he didn’t have the time to dwell on that. Because Kisa’s other hand cut through the air as it approached Mikado. It looked like a bird of prey, diving deeper with aim for a poor animal. Because of the bear trap, Mikado wasn’t given much time to escape, leaving him no other choice but to intercept Kisa’s right hand with his own. The same he did with Kisa’s free hand, which came attacking again. Because of that, they ended up in a dead-lock, glaring at each other.

“Fu…fufufu…prepare yourself, you won’t be able to escape from me anymore…”

“Until I make you mine, I can’t give in yet…”

Having fallen to the ground, Mikado tried his hardest to push away Kisa on top of him. Her waist was glued to his, as he directly felt her thighs on his body. There was the possibility of just throwing her away without restraint, but that could end up in an injury for Kisa. He could not allow Kisa’s beautiful body to be hurt in any way. Mikado himself more than anybody else.

—So she calculated things this much.

If so, then Kisa really was a dangerous opponent. Because of the biological difference in man and woman, she had to come up with another way to make the chances 50/50. No, this wasn’t even 50/50. Mikado was pressed against the ground, leaving him no chances to escape, whereas Kisa could always jump off of him. In the long term, Mikado was at a huge disadvantage.

—Then, all I can do is win as quickly as possible!

Kisa tightly held onto Mikado’s hands, pushing him down. Using the energy she had left, as well as the vector she was pushing down, she was trying to finish Mikado off. However, although humans might be able to intercept attacks from the outside, they could not work against the laws of nature. Hence, Mikado quickly let go of Kisa’s hands, throwing away defence and attack.

“Kya?!”

As a result, Kisa came flying down. Because she had used Mikado’s hands as a pillar, now that they were gone, she could not stop herself in time. Their chests bumped together, as their cheeks barely passed each other. With her face, able to categorize as a work of art, approaching him at close distance like that, Mikado felt his heartbeat accelerate rapidly. Her eyes were like gemstones, her eyelashes like pitch-black wings.

Even though he knew he should be on a counterattack after creating an opening for himself, with the girl’s head right in an arm’s reach, he couldn’t move. She had fully charmed Mikado, to the brim of him staring at her in a daze. But then, her cherry-red lips started shaking, and she opened her mouth.

“”W-What…”

“What……?”

“What do you think you’re doing?! What if we accidentally kissed each other—?!” Kisa screamed as her shoulders shook.

“………………Huh?” Mikado gazed at her with opened eyes and mouth.

He didn’t expect such a complaint in this battle between life and death. Kisa almost jumped up from Mikado, sitting in between his legs.

“That just now was awfully close! Because you suddenly put away your hand, our lips almost touched! What are you thinking?! Were you even thinking anything?! You can’t kiss someone if it’s just an accident! You have to do this when both parties consent, and are mentally prepared, as we spend a romantic evening at the beach, the sound of the waves hitting the shore! It has to be the first and best kiss ever! Not something that should be wasted with an accident!”

“Sorry…”

The successor of the Empress of Darkness was awfully maiden-like, and romantic.

—What kind of lecture is this supposed to be…?

Mikado was at a loss. That being said.

“Well…I get where you’re coming from. Your first kiss has to be something important.”

“Right?! You also feel that way, don’t you?!”

As Mikado showed consent, Kisa pulled her body forward. In reality, their lips were still close enough that they could touch with any hasty movement, but she was probably too occupied with other things to realize that.

“Talking about my ideal first kiss…let’s see. Together in outer space, as Gustav Holst’s suite [Planets] plays, we gaze at earth, and share our kiss.”

“Your first kiss is in outer space?!”

“Dramatic, right?”

“Way too dramatic! What are you?! The type to daydream during class?! What would you do about the air supply?! Can we keep it a bit more realistic?!”

Mikado just returned a kind smile.

“Even in outer space, humans can survive for about ten seconds. Or so Kawaraya told me.”

“Don’t bet your life on the line for a kiss! Also, don’t bring up another girl right now! Do you want to kiss Kawaraya-san or something?! Is this a setting for that?!”

“Of course not!”

“Then, who is it?” Kisa glared at Mikado.

Her fists were shaking on top of Mikado, ready to rain down depending on the answer. To that, Mikado felt a shiver run down his spine. But not because of Kisa’s fists. Rather, because of the question itself. The answer to her question was as obvious as day. But, revealing that right in front of her was not possible for him.

“How could I tell you? …What about you, Kisa?”

“I-I can’t tell you either!” Kisa went beet red, as she pouted.

She got up from the ground, and sat on the bed to cool down her burning hot cheeks.

“That sure spoiled the atmosphere. Let’s leave it at that today. But, as long as you stay inside my country, you will not be able to run away from me, Mikado. I will definitely win you over.”

Rather than that, she looked like she was heating up even further, almost frantically trying to cool down her head.

Meanwhile, Mizuki, who was thrown out of the palace. She stood on stage in the middle of a wide, open place, with a microphone in hand. Naturally, being chased out of the palace by her older sister…Didn’t make her sad in the slightest! She was not plagued with loneliness after being separated from her loved one. Rather, she was brimming with energy. She did feel a bit lonely without her older sister, and bored without Mikado around, but that was that. She would not be depressed about anything for too long anyway.

Getting Mikado all on her own with her older sister around would prove difficult either way. On top of that, she was a good-for-nothing, and the weakest contender out of all the girls participating in the love game. Assuming that there was some sort of development happening between Kisa and Mikado, she could still try to steal him in the end, and that sounded much more interesting to Mizuki anyway.

“Everyone, thanks for gathering here just for me!” Mizuki’s voice filled the big space.

She wasn’t an idol or anything. The people gathered in front of her weren’t her fans either, but rather just normal citizens. Using the special right as the little sister of the current Queen—without revealing any shady details to the public of course—she gathered people from various parties in this kingdom, to bring them here.

“Since I can’t play with Onee-chan, you all will have to play with me then! Today, we’ll play hide-and-seek! The seeker will be the 7th special platoon, and the others all have to hide! The ones who manage to hide until the sun sets will be free from taxes for the rest of the year, or receive special prizes, so try your best!” Mizuki shot the pistol (loaded with an actual bullet), as the people gathered in the open space desperately scattered, all as if they were running for their lives.

“One, two three…” Mizuki turned around and started counting.

Around her were the soldiers from the special platoon, wearing battle uniforms, as they stood stand-by with submachine guns in hand. Though they were just filled with paint balls, the citizens didn’t know about that. Mizuki decided on this to give the game more thrill.

“…97, 98, 99, 100!”

Once Mizuki counted to the end, the man with the guns jumped down from the stage. Running around the streets of the capital, they were hunting a participant wearing a red shirt.

“Found one!”

Together with Mizuki’s announcement, the men shot the paintball gun without mercy. Next victims were some punks as they hid next to the trash bags. Jumping over the fences, the men shot housewives wearing aprons, as they hid inside the houses. Having been shot with the paintball gun, which they assumed to be actual bullets, they let out screams of agony, fell unconscious, or begged to god.

“So much fun!”

MIzuki could do whatever she wanted. She would do that on a daily basis already, but with the special rights she earned, nobody could go against her word.

“Now, where’s the next one?”

Mizuki walked down a backstreet, looking for her prey. Finally, she found something suspicious in her field of view. From the exit of a large pipe going inside a wall, a human butt stuck out. Because it wore a skirt, it most likely belonged to a girl. Possessing quite the volume, the thighs following it were not missing any meat.

“…A butt?” Mikado tilted his head, poking at the living being.

“Mugh! Mgggh!”

Some sort of voice came from the butt, as it shook left and right.

“Mugh? Some sort of monster? Or is that your name?” Mizuki poked at the butt even further.

“P-Please, help me out of here!”

She heard a voice coming from inside the pipe.

“Okay!” Mizuki granted the voice’s wish, flipping up the skirt.

“Kyaa?! It suddenly got really chilly?!”

“Oh? Didn’t you want your butt to get out from the skirt?”

“Not my butt! I want to get out of here as a person! At this rate, I’ll die! Are you really fine with that?!”

Mizuki crossed her arms as she started thinking.

“Hmm…it’d be a shame if Mguh-chan just died like that. If you did, everybody would forget your glorious name after all!”

“How does that make any sense! Could you just save me now?! This is your last chance, you know, otherwise I’ll seriously suffocate in here!”

She was asking for help, but it sounded awfully arrogant. But, the words ‘Last chance’ always had a deep impact on girls especially. The fear of not being able to buy clothes anymore, the sense of waste not being able to walk around with the cute clothes one bought, they were truly stimulative for their instincts. Especially for someone like Mizuki, living a stylish life.

“Don’t die yet, Mguh-chan! I’ll try my best to save you!” Mizuki said so, pulling off the shoes and socks of the poor girl.

Her bare legs looked as smooth as a toddler’s.

“Why are you taking off that?!”

“Eh…I was wrong again? I thought you’d survive with this…cutaneus respiration…thing?”

“I can’t do that! Well, I can do a little bit, but my main source is my mouth!”

“I see…Sorry about that, but it seems as if I can’t be of any help here.” Mizuki shrugged her shoulders, about to walk away.

“You totally can! Don’t give up on me! Just pull on my legs like a normal person would!”

“…Are you a genius?!”

“There is only one possible method here in the first place!”

“Alrighty then, heave-ho!”

Putting the bare legs under her arms, Mizuki put one leg on the wall, pulling as strong as she could. Inside the pipe were sounds of something squeaking, something pulling, together with a shriek, when the girl was finally saved.

“Haa…Huff…I thought I was going to die…”

Though the head of the girl was a sweaty mess, with dirt here and there, the facial features looked familiar to Mizuki.

“Wait, you aren’t Mguh-chan! It’s Kokage-chan! You liar!”

“I wasn’t lying about anything! I never said my name was Mguh-chan!”

“You betrayed me! I can’t bear to see you anymore!”

“I didn’t betray you, and stop making everything sound more dramatic than it is!”

“Okay~!” Mizuki put both her hands behind her head, smiling.

Unlike her older sister, Mizuki was mentally fairly strong. Even if the world were to end, she would just shrug her shoulders with a ‘Can’t help it’, moving on to the next world. Said Mizuki took out a handkerchief from her pocket, wiping away the dirt on Kokage’s face.

“And, what were you doing inside that pipe, Kokage-chan? You stopped being a human to become a plug?”

“I have no plans to stop being a human! I was trying to sneak inside the government office, but since the upfront didn’t work out, I wanted to try the duct.”

“You want to get inside the government office? So you wanna be a public servant! Good girl!”

“Not in that sense! Sneaking inside the government office doesn’t make you a public servant either!”

“They might employ you for the enthusiasm you have”

“The enthusiasm of a burglar is nothing but a bother for the institution!”

Apparently, she had a certain sense of what she did was not exactly legal. For Mizuki, who had assumed she only had aliens in her head, that was a pleasant surprise. Brushing off the dirt on her clothes and skin, Kokage stood up.

“I wanted information on this mysterious small country here. Even though the country is being reigned by the Nanjou Family, there are absolutely no sources of information inside the international society, which could mean that the control of information is very strict. Hence, I will use my time to unravel their secrets! There even is a high chance that there is a UMA hidden somewhere here…!” With her eyes sparkling, Kokage put one hand into the air.

“I see~ Then, I’ll help you! Looking around in this country!”

“Really?!”

“Yup! It sounds like it’ll be fun!”

“Having the support of someone from the Nanjou Family would be a huge help! It would allow me to enter many more places!” Kokage pushed her body forward to Mizuki, her camera in hand.

“And also…it would help a lot to know more about this country…once I take it from Onee-chan, right?”

“That sounded awfully scary, but please do!”

“Alright, then let’s go! Hearing out the people in the town is a basic RPG event!” Mizuki took Kokage’s hand, as she walked.

Though she felt like she was forgetting something, she hadn’t the foggiest as to what that could be, so Mizuki didn’t pay it much mind.

「Mizuki-sama, Kawaraya, nor the young Shizukawa lady show no suspicious movement. Since they have no chances of contacting the outside, the risk should currently be around 0%」 Sigma’s voice arrived from the phone.

“…Is that so. Good work. But, knowing how they might try something stupid, always keep them under supervision.” Sitting on the bed inside the queen’s bedroom, Kisa had her phone in hand.

The time Mikado went to take a bath, she gave the commander of her private unit a call to see how things were outside the palace.

「Understood. Still, all of this sure reeks of you, Kisa-sama. Pushing out all the other players out of the stage so that only you say behind」

“What do you mean by that? It’s true that I was a bit pushy with my plan this time around, but it’s their fault for being deceived like that. Not to mention that they all gladly left.”

Mizuki was given an entire country as a playground, Kokage was looking into the mysteries of this country, and Rinka was given another luxurious palace. All of the girls were given appropriate compensation so that they wouldn’t try to rebel.

“In other words, my feelings are much stronger than theirs.”

「Well said. I guess you really were the one to love that shitty Kitamikado brat the most」Sigma said with a teasing voice, to which Kisa started blushing furiously.

“Y-You’re wrong. It’s just, I would not give up on Mikado at any means, and if need be, I’d burn down the royal palace!”

「My, love sure is a wonderful thing. Even I feel all warm and fuzzy inside」

“Again, you’re wrong—!!!” Completely forgetting that this was supposed to be a talk in secret, she screamed at her smartphone.

The embarrassment got too much to her head. And because of this, she didn’t even pick up on footsteps approaching her.

“Wrong about what?”

“Hyaaa?!”

Being called out from the entrance of the bedroom, Kisa’s heart almost leaped out of her chest. Having just finished his bath, Mikado stood in the door frame, clad in a bathrobe. He always had a clean and proper look to him, but now he looked even more refreshed, making Kisa’s heart skip a beat. Said Kisa also reflexively cut the phone call.

“Eh? N-Not wrong about anything! Nothing is wrong!”

“Again, what are you on about…?”

“How could I tell you?! Respect my privacy! Why do I have to tell you every little thing?! I’d rather have all the cells inside my body explode!”

“It’s that big of a deal?!” Mizuki grew pale.

“Yes, yes it is! If you get it, then stop with this awful prying! …I don’t mind telling you all about it after the game is over, though.” Kisa averted her gaze, crossing her arms.

Indeed, as of right now, she couldn’t tell him. About her passionate feelings, burning deep inside her chest. First, she had to finish this game, and come out on top. Both against Mikado, and her own family. If Kisa were to give up in the game, converting to the Kitamikado Family just like that, Mikado would undoubtedly be killed by the Nanjou Family. Even if the family head were to allow it, the retainers certainly would not.

“It sounded like you were talking with Mizuki, so I was wondering. You said you were letting them roam free, but inside a foreign country, you know…” Mikado had a worrisome gaze as he looked towards the window.

“…Are you that worried about them? You like them or something?”

“Yeah, of course I do.”

“Eh…”

Towards Mikado’s loose response, Kisa felt like a sharp nail was driven right inside her chest. That apparently showed on her face, as MIkado panicked.

“N-No, not in a weird way or anything!? Just, as normal friends! Rinka, Kawaraya, and MIzuki all are good girls, right.”

“Y-Yeah! You’re fighting against me right now, so you wouldn’t go cheat on me!”

“I won’t cheat. No matter what.”

“…Okay.”

Receiving a straightforward gaze from Mikado, Kisa softly nodded. Naturally, out of happiness. Just knowing that he wasn’t going off flirting with another girl whilst they fought their love game made her chest feel ticklish. Although the reason might be different from what she is hoping for, he was only looking at her. And unlike the Nanjou Family, Mikado was not the type to lie. The words he spoke he would protect at any costs.

“Um…if you’re that worried, do you want to check on them with the surveillance cameras?”

“Can we do that?”

“Yes. Sigma is always tailing their movement to make sure they don’t do anything stupid, or get hurt in any way.”

In other words, so that they don’t bother Kisa during the love game, but she kept these words to herself.

“I see. You really are a good person, Kisa.” Mikado flashed a relieved smile.

“Y-Yeah.” Kisa nodded along awkwardly.

In reality, she wasn’t acting kind in any way, and being referred to as a ‘good person’ was the exact opposite of a normal Nanjou Family member, but for some reason, she didn’t hate it when Mikado called her like that. Instead of dwelling on it, Kisa just used her smartphone to call Sigma.

“Show the security camera footage on my smartphone, I want to show Mikado.”

「My, are you two going to peek? Isn’t that a bit horrible for a date plan?」

“We’re not peeking at all, it’s just that Mikado is worried about them.”

「I see. Kisa-sama really is too kind to that shitty Kitamikado brat」

“Zip it up already and show me.”

Before Sigma could say anything unnecessary, Kisa cut the call. It’d be bad if Mikado could hear some of Sigma’s words through the phone. Though Sigma was proficient at her job, her attitude towards her employee of all people was awfully annoying at times.

Not even a few minutes passed, when the security cameras were projecting their view on Kisa’s smartphone. First, they spotted Rinka, drinking some tea on a luxurious terrace, with a maid next to her.

Following that was Kokage, who was climbing up the wall of a building, dressed like a ninja.

“…What is she doing…?”

“Seems like she’s trying to sneak inside the archives of the government.”

“Is it fine not stopping her?! What are you even watching then?!”

“No problem. Since she’s not bothering us here, it’s fine to give her a bit of information.”

“Well, she’s bothering you in a different way…” Mikado watched the Kokage on the screen.

Arriving at the roof of the building she just climbed up, she ran into a guard, escaping with a scream. It seemed as if Kisa was fine with letting Kokage roam free as long as she wasn’t bothered in the love game.

Finally, Mizuki was shown on the screen. Rolling around on what looked to be the carpet of her private room, she crunched on some cookies, as she played her usual mobile game. It was the usual daily life she spent back in Japan. But suddenly, she rolled upwards, lifting up her body ever so slightly, as her innocent Nanjou eyes looked over directly at the camera.

“Did she…catch on to it?”

“This time, we tried really hard to hide the surveillance cameras, but…”

As the two of them were slightly confused, Mizuki just stuck out her tongue. Flashing a teasing grin after, she slowly took off the camisole strings from her shoulders, revealing her bra beneath. With her white skin becoming apparent to the camera, so did her cleavage.

“She’s clearly caught on to it?!”

“You can’t look!!!” Kisa threw away her smartphone.

Colliding with the window, it created a pattern of cracks, but it was a hundred times better than having Mikado see Mizuki in her underwear, and she had already created a back-up drive for all the pictures of the boy, so she wasn’t losing any with this. That being said, her little sister was as reckless as ever. Not only knowing about Kisa’s surveillance, but even catching on to Mikado’s presence. Even as she was kicked out of the palace, she was causing headache after headache for Kisa.

“S-See, everyone is doing just fine.”

“Y-Yeah. Just like you said.”

As expected, Mikado’s ears turned faintly red. Who could blame him, Mizuki was cute after all. So were Rinka and Kokage. Around Mikado were too many dangerously charming girls. That’s why Kisa had to go this far as to monopolize him in her own country.

“The preparations for the dinner are done. As the kind-hearted queen, I will feed the miserable Mikado.”

“I’m not miserable, and I can eat by myself.”

“Not happening. After all, both your hands will suffer from a complicated bone fracture with mysterious reason.”

“For some reason I can tell who the perpetrator of that will be though?!”

“No need to worry…fufufu…”

“That ominous laughter isn’t exactly reassuring, you know?!”

Pulling on the wary Mikado’s arm, Kisa took him to the table in the room next to them. The palace had a wide open dining room of sorts, but she prefered an atmosphere with just the two of them, rather than having the maids around.

—The one to strike first wins.

Slightly in a rush, Kisa clung to Mikado’s arm.

Inside a forest, quite a bit of distance away from the center of the capital. At a dead angle from surveillance cameras and soldiers, Rinka had called Kokage there. She had realized that someone had been watching her for a long time now. To Kisa, a fiance like Rinka was the biggest enemy, so she was obviously trying to tear them apart.

That is why Rinka acted calm and played the part of the obedient citizen. Using the openings the soldiers and Kisa showed, she arranged a meeting like this. The reason she chose Kokage was because she had previously been a helpful force. Additionally, Mizuki was too much of an unstable force, too random to truly trust, because she could always join Kisa’s side.

“I don’t think…we can keep going like this.” Rinka said with a hanged head.

“Right! At this rate, global warming will kill us all!”

Correction. Not only Mizuki, but Kokage both were an unstable force. How did she even come up with global warming of all the things right now? However, having no other person to rely on, Rinka had to take what she could get.

“Um, I wasn’t going to talk about that today…” Rinka tried to change the topic back to what she wanted, but Kokage was already unstoppable.

“That makes sense. Rather than talking about global warming, we have to participate in the summit concerning environmental destruction! From my speculations, the reason for it is not because of us, but rather the people living underground! The wales and eels going down in number is because the underground dwellers like food with them the most! But what do you think?!”

“I don’t know what to think about that!”

“Just give me your honest impression! If you think the underground dwellers are at fault, press button A, and if you think the underwater dwellers did it, press button B!”

“What buttons are you even talking about?!”

Even though she was the one who brought up the options, Kokage looked around the surroundings, slightly flustered.

“So you can’t see them, Rinka-chan…the buttons floating in the air here…”

“……?!”

For the first time, Rinka felt terrified of Kokage. She started wondering what she was even seeing, and if she should be taken to a hospital right now, or if Rinka herself was the weird one.

Clearing her throat, Rinka brought a cut to the current conversation.

“What I want to talk about on this day is Mikado-sama…Are you fine with Mikado-sama being alone with Kisa-san the entire time?”

“I mean…I feel a bit lonely, but…”

“Lonely…?”

For some reason, Kokage didn’t express an objective reason, but rather brought in her personal feelings, which led Rinka to feel a bit uncomfortable.

Kokage started blushing, as she waved her hands.

“Ah, no, it’s nothing! It’s true that having Mikado-kun locked away is bad, but I’m scared of talking back to the Nanjou Family, in case they get angry at me, and I’m sure the two of them will eventually get bored just being in that palace the entire time!”

“Bored…I wonder about that. I feel like they could keep living there for the rest of their lives. At the very least, I wouldn’t mind spending the rest of my days in the same room, as long as I have Mikado-sama with me! No matter what kind of method I would have to use.”

“Eeek?! You’re just as scary, Rinka-chan!”

—said the person who could see imaginary buttons floating in the air.

“Also, even if Kisa-san were to release Mikado-sama after a while, it might be too late already.”

“Too late…?” Kokage tilted her head in confusion.

“Mikado-sama’s children might be growing inside of Kisa-san.”

“B-Baby?! No…No way that would happen! The two of them are still in high school, and they aren’t married either, so how could they!”

“Age and situation don’t matter at all! If I was Kisa-san, I would do it. Have Mikado-sama end up in a coma, and forcefully sleep with him to give him a reason to not leave me again!”

“RInka-chan is getting even scarier than Kisa-chan?!” Kokage shuddered in fear at Rinka’s declaration.

In Rinka’s head, the rule of who carried his child would be the winner accounted for everything.

“That is why I want to save Mikado-sama at all costs. That being said, with my own strength, I will not be able to get closer to the palace…that is why I wanted to ask for your assistance.”

“Fueh?! You’re going to rebel against Kisa-chan?!”

“She has started this all with her awful plotting. And I thought that you might be skilled at sneaking around, and getting inside certain institutions. And I have heard that your skill is on top-notch level, even in your family.”

“W-Well, thank you for that, but that’s not really that case~ I always fail after all, I’m such a good for nothing, ehehe~” Kokage grew flustered after being praised like that.

Rinka saw her chance, grabbing Kokage’s hand as she attacked further.

“Please, help me! I can only ask you!”

“O-Only me?! If you say that…Uuu…”

“Kawaraya-san…!”

“…I-I understand. I will try my best, so leave it to me!”

Having been defeated, Kokage tapped on her chest, as she proudly declared.

The queen’s bedroom was filled with a light scent of smoke. With no clock anywhere, and the curtains blocking off the windows, after staying in here through noon and night, Mikado didn’t even know how much time, how many days had passed since he started staying in the palace.

“Mikado…let us play a game today again.”

Sitting on the bed, Kisa reached out for her hand towards Mikado, gently inviting him. The only things happening in this room were games. Games over and over. If one loses, you will lose your heart and soul. Each and every game could decide on the future of these two, using every ounce of their brain capacity.

“What kind of game?”

“Today, I was thinking of playing the question game.”

Kisa pointed at a container standing on the satin sheets, decorated with glittering old. On top of it was something that looked like a silver grape, giving off a suspicious radiance.

“It’s not a normal fruit, right…?”

“Of course not. This is the specifically cultivated Nectar Fruit, only found in the Kingdom of Glorious. Put together with various ingredients during the cultivation, it has an intoxicating effect.”

“We are minors though…”

“Don’t worry, it’s different from normal alcohol. Well, in the Kingdom of Glorious, drinking alcohol is allowed even for minors, and the same rules as Japan’s persecution don’t count here.” Kisa delivered a short explanation.

She must have prepared an explanation like this because she knew how diligent and serious Mikado could be.

“The rules of the game are simple. The two of us will ask the other questions. The container here has a vocal analyzing system built into it, so it will be able to see through lies immediately, and turn on the buzzer. Mikado, can you try lying?”

“Lie? Hmm…”

Being a member of the Kitamikado Family, he had been raised to never lie. Though it was allowed in a political warfare or for one’s safety, but not to gain benefit in any way as a normal person.

“Anything is fine.”

“Then…I’m good at lying.”

Immediately, a buzzing sound came from the fruit-shaped container.

“Like this.”

“That sure worked well. I’d love to widen its use in Japanese society.”

Mikado showed admiration, but Kisa just faintly shivered.

“Do you want to build up a dystopia? In a world where no lies are allowed, everybody would just be fighting against the other. It’d be hell to live in, or so I think at least.”

“Really? Wouldn’t it be more of an utopia where everyone can live proudly and honestly?”

“Well, in this one case, I doubt that our opinions will ever reach consent. And that’s fine. The winner can use the loser to shape Japan after their own desires.”

“Exactly. So, teach me the rest of the rules.”

Mikado knew that their opinions would differ from the very beginning. Before the Kitamikado Family and the Nanjou Family would agree on something, hell would freeze over. And yet, Mikado couldn’t help but feel a bit lonely at that fact.

“We can both decide if we want to answer the questions of the other person. However, in the event that either of us pass, we have to eat a piece of the Nectar as a penalty. Repeating that, the one who goes down first is the loser. Simple, right?”

“It is simple, but…”

Since this was Kisa he had to deal with, there had to be a trap set up somewhere.

“There is one thing I would like to check. Is the effect of the fruit always the same no matter which part you eat, and do you have any antidote with you that could dispel the effects?”

“None of that. Our chances are mostly even, so it’s fair-play. I’ve played this game with Mizuki before, so I might have the advantage in that, but your body is built so that it can take more of the fruit itself, which should balance things out.”

The buzzer didn’t make a sound, meaning that Kisa was speaking the truth. In this game, you could win with pure strategy, so Kisa probably didn’t see any need to put in unnecessary traps that could backfire. Truly enough, he didn’t spot anything that could act as such, unlike back with the aphrodisiac, or the entire cruiser that one time. In other words, Kisa had confidence in winning here. The risks might be high, but so are the possible returns. If he used his questions correctly, he might be able to pull out any hints of affection towards him.

“…Alright, I’ll accept the battle.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear. Let’s decide on the order with a coin toss.” Kisa put her fingers into the cleavage of her babydoll.

Her body was slender, but her cleavage was not something to be joking around, as she took out a sparkling gold coin. That gesture alone gave Mikado an insane amount of damage before the game even started. Either way, Kisa threw the coin into the air, slapping it on the palm of her hand.

“I’ll be tails.”

“Then I’ll be heads.”

Taking away her hand, Kisa revealed the coin to show tails.

“That means I’ll go first.”

“Yeah.”

Or so he said, but he cursed himself for not thinking this through. Kisa had decided on her side of the coin after it was basically already decided. Not to mention that she just decided she would be going first without having established anything. That being said, trying to redo it was too late, because Kisa already fired the first question at Mikado.

“Mikado…do you have any pictures of me on your phone?”

“Wha…?!”

Right off the bat, Mikado suffered from a critical question. Needless to say, he had them. Though he did receive some as ‘service’ from Mizuki, he had snuck in some of his own. Though the phone was locked, he would sometimes gaze at them in his private room. When he didn’t feel any motivation to study, this would give him a great boost of motivation. The Kitamikado Family was always preaching the distracting feature of love, but for Mikado, it had the opposite effect.

“Not pictures during a gathering or trip, just pictures of me alone. Do you have some?”

“………”

Mikado worked his brain at maximum capacity. If he answered that they existed, it would count as an obvious show of affection towards Kisa. You wouldn’t have any pictures of someone you don’t even like on your phone. However, if he said no, the vocal analyzer would immediately buzz to announce his lie. Wanting to hide it would show his affection even more blatantly. If he decided to pass, it would be about the same as saying he had some, but not an obvious statement of affection, meaning that he could avoid meeting defeat.

Being cornered like this in just one question, that was the successor of the Nanjou Family for you. This girl really was a monster.

“……Pass.” Mikado announced, albeit unwillingly.

“O-Ohhh~ I see…” Kisa’s cheeks started to blush ever so slightly, her body fidgeting awkwardly.

She was trying to hide her face with her smartphone, as she looked up at Mikado, yet another cute gesture of hers. Like she felt embarrassed about knowing Mikado probably had pictures of her.

“U-Um…you know? I’d hate it if you took any bad pictures of me, so I don’t mind giving you some that I personally approve of…feel free if you want to take any here…”

“Well…” It took everything of Mikado to hold himself back from saying yes.

“Then…it’s time for the penalty. Come here.”

Mikado moved to the middle of the bed as Kisa instructed, and was given a piece of the fruit from her. With her beautiful fingers, looking right after a manicure, she pushed the piece into his mouth. The second he bit on it, the juice of the fruit filled his mouth, directly reaching his brain. His world shook, as sweat broke out from his entire body.

Back when he was young, he had taken a sip from Japanese sake by accident, and the impact right now felt even stronger. He felt his ability to think suffered for at least half the value by just that. With that, Mikado understood the true reason for this game. It wasn’t to have the other person answer, but rather to have them pass, so that they would be unable to eventually escape the questions in the first place. In other words, Mikado had to think of questions Kisa would want to pass on no matter what. That being said, Kisa probably would expect certain questions, already having prepared countermeasures.

“Next it’s my turn. With what kind of goal in mind is the Nanjou Family governing the Kingdom of Glorious?”

Since this was strategic information, she should not be fine to blatantly answer it. With this, he was sure about a penalty for Kisa, but—

“With the goal to eventually control all of Japan, we’re doing this as an experiment of sorts.” Kisa just grinned at Mikado in confidence.

“Was that really fine to tell me?!”

“It doesn’t matter. You’ll give out information about this country to your family anyway, so they’ll be able to figure out our goal.”

“You’re not worried about us bothering you here?”

“Even if you tried, we’re having a proper grasp on this country, so go ahead and try.”

“Ugh…”

Mikado wasted a question. Gritting his teeth, he looked over at the container with the nectar.And then, it was Kisa’s turn.

“Mikado, do you have a girl you like right now?”

“You’re asking that straight again?!”

From the looks of it, Kisa was not holding back on any banger questions. She wanted to make this a short battle, giving Mikado as much nectar as possible. Then again, it was a fitting pattern for Kisa.

“Not in the sense of liking them as friends or family, okay. In the romantic sense.” A faint glimmer of tension could be heard in Kisa’s words.

She gazed at him, almost as if she was worried about his answer. It was a bold question, but he couldn’t have her take the lead more than this.

“……I do.” He gave an honest response.

“S-So you do…” Kisa showed a rare expression, as she cast her face downward.

Is he talking about Kisa herself? Or was it about Rinka, Mizuki, or even Kokage? He didn’t specify, which left Kisa with more damage. At the same time, Mikado felt his eyes spinning, as the nectar started taking effect. Before he collapsed, Mikado had to fight back. Hence, he decided to bring out a highly critical question.

“Why did you even set up this love game with me?”

“E-Eh…why…?” Kisa looked bewildered.

“I mean, is it all just to reign over the Kitamikado Family? All just with the political aspect in mind…or was there another reason?”

Mikado wanted her to have another reason. This was something he had wished to ask before, without this whole question game. Kisa on her part just formed fists on top of her lap.

“Because in the past, you…”

She spoke that far, and bit her lip. Hesitation colored her expression. Like a child that got lost, Kisa didn’t know where to put her gaze.

“………Pass.”

Mikado was dejected. It shouldn’t have made him, because he gained an important victory in the game, but he wanted to hear her words until the end. Not her plotting, scheming words, but rather the words that slumbered deep inside of her. He wanted to know why she looked so painful.

“…Then, the penalty.”

“…Yes.” Kisa didn’t protest at all, just half-opening her lips, as she closed her eyes.

She looked like she was waiting for a kiss from her lover. Mikado only enjoyed this sight for a second, before he picked up a piece of the nectar, approaching Kisa’s mouth with it.

—What would happen if I just kissed her right now?

A weird voice spoke up inside Mikado’s chest. Would she be surprised, push him away? Or…would she accept him? Naturally, it would be Mikado’s defeat, but if the two of them could become happy…?

However, Mikado thought thus far, and quickly cut off that train of thought. Defeat was not allowed. No matter how much he wanted the girl, there was no path in the future like this. It was probably just the vain dream induced by this cursed foreign fruit. Hence, Mikado just calmly pushed the fruit inside Kisa’s mouth.

“Mmm…” Kisa moaned a bit as she accepted the fruit.

Her cheeks quickly turned red, and she put her hand on the bed to regain her balance. Apparently, the nectar was working properly.

With that, the question game continued. They forgot time, forgot the night, just breathed with the desire to know more about the other, trying to draw out any small ounce of information. The amount of nectar grew less, as Mikado’s reason was about to break down. At this point in time, he completely lost himself in the questions, not knowing what he was asking anymore, merely enjoying this time with Kisa.

Finally, it was Kisa’s turn again.

“Mikado…do you think of me…as cute?”

“………!” Mikado hesitated.

Though most of his thought process and senses were damaged by the nectar, his own feelings even forbid him to answer that question. Was it bashfulness, or pride even? Even asking himself, he couldn’t come up with the answer. The only thing he was certain about was his answer to the question. Kisa was cute, undoubtedly so. That being said, there was another meaning hidden in her words.

“I’m not asking about your own affection…I want to know if I am charming as a girl…if I even have a chance of winning you over…So please…give me a clear answer…?” Kisa pushed her body towards Mikado, looking up at him.

It was a question from the bottom of her soul, completely unrelated to this whole game. Exactly because she sounded this serious, Mikado couldn’t help but hesitate. He was unsure if he could really answer her in the state he was in. However, Kisa didn’t take his silence quite well.

“How could I be cute, right. Someone honest like Mizuki or Shizukawa-san are much more adorable. I have this horrible personality, bothering everyone…unlike a normal girl.”

Watching Kisa in her self-loathing send a sharp pain inside Mikado’s chest.

“No, that’s…”

He tried to correct her, but didn’t make it in time. Having reached her limit most likely, Kisa collapsed onto the sheets. Big droplets of sweat ran down her cheek, as some nectar dropped from her lips. Just as she stated, being a fragile girl like her, she was at a disadvantage.

Mikado carefully put down her body, and lied down next to her. His head was turning so much it hurt, as just keeping his consciousness took his everything.

“Mikado…” Kisa gazed up at Mikado in a daze, as she snuck into his arms.

Her softness and warmth calmed Mikado down a bit. At the same time, he realized. Even if she acted as a queen most of the time, she was still a girl. As soon as he started gently rubbing her head, she fell asleep, leaking soft breathing sounds.

—Of course you’re cute!

Mikado and Kisa were embracing each other, their legs entangling, as they both went into their own world of dreams.

---

1 Sashimi arranged in the form of a fish

2 3rd-7th Century AD