Kurama: bringing your friend for what sickness now ? Did you get him in some sort of trouble again ?

Aiko ; Papa! That's not fair ! Always blaming me...

Kurama: so the last time wasn't because of you ?

Aiko : mmm... No fair...

Koushiro: it's kind of mine

Kurama: don't defend her. We all spoil her too much . Even her ototo spoils her, when she's the nee-chan.

Aiko: Papa !!

Kurama: what is it this time ? I'll ask your mama to take a look this time.

Koushiro: it's fine ! Really.

Kurama: are you sure ?

Aiko: he's my guy. The guy I want to marry... Lover... Papa.

Kurama: eh... Looks better in real life. No wonder Zaine wanted to call your number and ask if you're free.

Koushiro: I rejected her.

Kurama: gomen. Zaine is a little flirty.

Koushiro: it's ok.

Kurama: does aiko know ? About your past. Mamoru told me all about it

Koushiro: haha... You know... I'm very serious about aiko. I'm not in that business anymore.

Kurama: that's not the past I'm referring to. The one that got you in the business that allowed you to meet aiko. That one.

Aiko: Papa. I'm not interested. It's ok.

Kurama: if that's your choice. Well, you've met me. Pass. Tell me when you got a date.

Aiko: we haven't met mama !!

Kurama: I haven't met his parents.

Koushiro: they're not from this city. From quite a faraway place. I could ask them to come to meetup.

Kurama: it's ok. Don't make it hard for them. I wasn't serious. I was teasing our aiko.

Aiko: Papa !! How about mama ?

Kurama: surgery.

Koushiro: gomenasai. I came at a bad time.

Kurama: you'll meet her. Don't worry.
____________________________________

Aiko picks up her phone " hai hai ? "

Mamoru ; I need you to come over for a while.

Aiko: why?

Mamoru: I'm going out for business. Do me a favour. I'll pay you.

Aiko: I want Ping Ping exclusive tickets to the concert. Backstage passes.

Mamoru: it's a kid's show.

Aiko: bye bye.

Mamoru ; fine .

She hangs up the phone and sees hishiro approaching her.

Hishiro: aiko.

Aiko: hishiro ?

Hishiro: can I treat you to a piece of cake ?

Aiko: ping ping cafe.

Hishiro laughs a little " ok. "

____________________________________

Aiko:  so cute !!

Hishiro: is it even nice ?

Aiko takes a bite " it's ok. It's a themed cafe. It's just for the cute cute stuff !!! "

Hishiro: I heard you're marrying Koushiro.

Aiko : Um. I'm a bad girl. But he love even in spite of that.

Hishiro: I heard master Vislan say you're quitting the guild. He asked you to ?

Aiko : no. Mamoru got me another job . To work for him. Though I'm his nee-chan!!

Hishiro: to avoid me?

Aiko: no ....

Hishiro: as usual, you're bad at lying. It's not like we meet up that often at the guild. You don't have to go to that extreme. You're one of the ace in the guild.

Aiko : master Vislan sent you ?

Hishiro: not really... She just said it's kind of a waste. And... Because of me... I didn't peg you for the loyal type. You've have always been free spirited. Married even ...

Aiko: kou-chan goes along with whatever I want. So I don't feel restricted or anything.

Hishiro: is that what you feel of me ? Restricted and tied ?

Aiko: when you tried to ask me marry you...

Hishiro ; but I'm not anymore. Do you think we can start over ? Again. Just like how we used to be.

Aiko's phone rings, she picks it up " I got it. I'm coming. Coming. " She looks to him " I've got to go. "

He held onto her hand " think about it. Our affair. " And he lets her go.
____________________________________

Mamoru : what took you so long ?

Aiko: ping ping cake

Mamoru : I need to go. Take care of them for me.

Aiko: don't you have Musaki ? He's skilled somehow.

Mamoru ; those coming may be stronger.

Aiko: like how strong ?

Mamoru : fuiin.

She cracked a small smile " eh~ looks forward to it~ "

Mamoru: call me if anything props up.

Laemi: hai.

And mamoru leave through the door.

Aiko: hey !! Laemi ! Who's she ?

Laemi: my imoto. Rei.

Aiko waves " aiko desu."

Rei : Rei desu.

Aiko sees the axe by the side of the sofa and touches it " oh ... " She picks it up and swing " not bad not bad. This is light."

Rei : that is mine...

Aiko puts it down " gomen gomen. "

Just then the doorbells rings. Aiko goes to open the door. She leans her head to one side " who are you ? Laemi! Do you know him ? "

Laemi goes to the door and her face blackens " aiko. He's the bad guy. "

Aiko : bad guy ?

The man pushes his way through into the apartment " not bad. Where's my girl ? "

Laemi : she's not yours !! She's my imoto !!

Aiko : ... I see ! You're a fuiin ! Three... Four... Five days. You took longer than expected neh.

Laemi : so are you. Aiko Fuiin.

Aiko : I'm not a fuiin. I'm a Minamino.

He laughs "Minamino is for humans. You're a yokai. Your father doesn't even have a clan. He has no right to have last names ."

Aiko : but I like having the human name too.

Laemi : aiko!! He's here to take Rei away !!

Aiko : are you going to fight me if I don't let you leave ?

" I would have to. "

Aiko : then , I would need your name.

" Rei. Let's go. It's time to go home."

Laemi : that is not her home !!!!

" Rei !! "

Aiko: you haven't answered me.

He turns around and looks at her " why don't you return with me ? We want you too. Aiko. Your family now and the job you have now are not your best potential. "

Aiko: don't want. I do whatever I like.

" Sound a lot like a yokai I used to know. Come on Rei. You don't want your nee-chan here to die. Do you ?"

Rei comes out of the room " .... Androme-sama. "

Laemi: Rei. Don't !!! Aiko !!

Aiko: cannot. My ototo says, cannot.

Androme : I know. I'll defeat you and bring you along too.

She cracked a wide smile across her face and her yoki rises a little " been long someone tried to challenge me."

Androme : I know... If you lose... I shall take back Arina too. Threaten her to make her come with me. That glitch.

Aiko's face blackens , her cracked smile no longer and she spoke in a cold tone " fuck you. " And seals scripts spread all over her arms. She swings her arms towards him, he sets up a barrier around him. He smiled with confidence.

Her punch meets the barrier. Her smile cracks wide once again, the barrier starts to crack.

Androme: what the....

The barrier starts to repair back by itself as he inputs more yoki into it.

" Don't you underestimate me. " She puts her hand out and turns a seal circle in the air like a lock. She pulls out a red scythe. She swings at the same position she punched " been long someone made me pull this out."

Androme : tsk. I thought that was the extent of her ability.

The barrier breaks like glass as the scythe goes through. She swings once again across to cut his neck off, but a  hand held onto the curved blade. A slice cut onto the arc of the palm between the fingers and the thumb. Blood flowed a little. The red scythe break into pieces.

Aiko: mamoru...

Laemi; why ?!!!

A hand held onto his shoulder  the gentle squish made androme snap our from his stunned moment of almost death " daijobu ? " Mamoru asked. Androme looks behind him " it's you..."

Mamoru : took you long enough. 5 days.

Androme ; have to pick her up. But I'm busy. She's just one of them. Not very precious but can't lose either.

Laemi: you can't let him bring Rei back!!!!

Androme ; how did you know we wanted the Gendro gem ?

Mamoru goes to the display case and takes the gem. He throws it into androme's hands. Androme held it in his hand and looks. He crushes it " a fake. You damn it. "

Mamoru ; I'm an information broker. I don't only get information, I can spread them as well.

Androme : hmph. And here I thought that glitch gave birth to more than one useful fuiins.

Mamoru : glitch?

Androme : you saved me . You'll let me go then ?

Mamoru : Rei. You remember what I told you right ?

Rei nods " it's ok ... I don't hold a lot of hope."

Mamoru: you've to trust me. I love your nee-chan. So I intend to do what makes her happy.

Laemi: what ? What ?!!

Rei walks down the stairs and hugs Laemi " it's ok. Rei will get to meet nee-chan again . But for now, Rei has to go. If he dies here, it's troublesome for everyone. "

Laemi hugs back " Rei..." Tears flowed . What she had for a whole was going to leave her again.

Androme walks out the door and Rei followed. The door closed behind them.

Laemi: you have a plan. You have a plan right ?!!!

Mamoru : I do.