Ketsueki slowly put on her shirt as she laid back down on her bed, she glanced at the three girls standing by her bed. Ketsueki said. "I'll answer all your questions after I'm better. For now…" She glared at them and with an icy tone continued. "Don't do anything stupid." Ketsueki moved her gaze onto Ahma and said. "Especially you, commander." Ahma's eyes widened as she placed a hand on her chest, with a hurt tone she said. "I feel-." Ketsueki coldly said. "I don't have the energy to argue with you."

Ahma immediately turned back to normal as she lazily waved her hand at her, she said. "Fine, we'll play a little game next time you're feeling better." Ketsueki let out a sigh while she moved her gaze onto Sachi and Namida who were giving her odd looks. Ketsueki said. "What?" Sachi slightly frowned, she was about to say something but Namida spoke first. Namida said. "Don't what, me! You were about to let your little brother wash your chest!" She pointed at Ketsueki using the bowl in her hand. Ketsueki stared at it, she said. "Don't move that bowl around, I don't want mold growing anywhere in my room."

Ahma let out a chuckle while the bowl in Namida's hands lightly shook. Sachi placed a hand on Namida's shoulder which brought her back to her senses. Sachi said. "Namida, calm down. Don't forget she's sick so you're arguing with a whiteboard who'll be clean the next time you meet." Namida let out a long sigh while Sachi wrung the towel over the bowl and placed the towel on the rim. Namida tapped on her pocket twice as the bowl and towel were sucked in, Ketsueki said. "Now tell me the reason why you three are here." Sachi raised a brow and said. "We already told you." Ketsueki let out a yawn, she said. "Did you? I can't remember…" She let out another yawn and continued. "Just give him the groceries we agreed on and he'll make you breakfast." Ketsueki closed her eyes as she went back to sleep while Sachi placed a blanket over her.

Ahma glanced at Namida from the corner of her eye and said. "I'm docking your pay for three days for wasting my time." Namida was about to shout when Sachi placed a hand over her lips. Sachi placed her index finger on her lips making a shushing gesture, she pointed at the door while Ahma already made her way toward it. Namida slapped Sachi's arm but before she could hit it Sachi moved her arm away making Namida miss. Sachi said. "Let's go." While Ahma opened the door and walked out of the room. Ahma walked in the front with Sachi and Namida on her respective left and right a few steps behind. Sachi looked around the simple home and said. "Why did you make a deal with her?" Ahma casually said. "I want to speak with her infamous little brother." She glanced at her from the corner of her eye and continued. "Aren't you curious about him?" Ahma's lips formed into a smirk.

Sachi thought about the moment when Ahma glared at Reiki's back as he slightly crouched down and sprinted toward the hallway. Sachi shook her head sideways and said. "I am, But I don't want to have to look behind my back any given time of the day." Namida placed a hand on Sachi's shoulder and said. "I don't know why you're so afraid of her, it's not like we haven't beaten her before." Sachi glanced at her from the corner of her eye, she said. "I'd like to see you say that to her face with a smile." Namida opened her mouth but didn't say anything, the three of them walked down the stairs. Ahma waved her hand and said. "Now kids, enough about work talk. We need to make a good first impression." Namida let out a soft scoff and spoke under her breath, she said. "Didn't you just send a chill down his spine when you thought he was a fake?"

Ahma had a sweet smile on her lips as she turned her head sideways, she said. "Speak louder dear, I couldn't hear you." Namida placed both her hands behind her head as she looked at the right and started whistling. The three of them quickly made it to the first floor. Reiki sitting on the couch watching a woman climbing up on an obstacle course who fell into a deep puddle of mud. He stood up from the couch and turned to face the three girls, Reiki said. "The remote is on the coffee table." He scratched the back of his head and thought. There's nothing left in the fridge… Reiki continued. "If you don't mind waiting half an hour I'll drop by the morning market to buy some groceries." Ahma appeared beside him out of thin air, with an amiable smile on her lips she patted him on his shoulder. Ahma said. "Reiki, you don't need to go through all that effort."

Reiki thought. There's a hidden knife in that smile. Sachi and Namida walked toward the couch and casually sat down, Sachi sat down with her legs crossed while Namida placed both her feet on top of the coffee table not taking off the white indoor slippers. Ahma continued. "Ketsueki was so worried about you she was almost in tears, she asked us if we could buy you some groceries in exchange for making us breakfast." Ahma stared at his face looking for any kind of reaction, she thought. He's raised by Ketsueki alright. Reiki nodded and said. "Thank you?" Which made Sachi chuckle while Namida let out a snicker. He took a step away from Ahma, making her move her hand away from his shoulder. Reiki said. "Sachi-san do you want something savory or?" Sachi gave him a small smile, she said. "I have a sweet tooth." He gave her a nod and moved his gaze onto Namida, Reiki said. "Umm."

Namida raised the teacup she was holding with one hand, she said. "Namida, I prefer savory." He moved his gaze back onto Ahma who flashed him a smile and said. "I'll settle for something simple and ask for pasta." With a wave of her hand, a pouch appeared in her palm as she handed it to Reiki. Ahma continued. "Everything you'll ever need and more will be in this." Reiki stared at her for a moment, he said. "... Sure…" He quickly turned and made his way into the kitchen while Ahma made her way to the couch to sit beside Namida's right. Sachi filled her cup with more tea, he said. "Could've gone worse." Namida let out a chuckle as she stared at the light brown liquid in her teacup, she said. "I'll say." Ahma picked her cup with her left hand and used it to wave in dismissal, she said. "One big step at a time."

Sachi picked up the remote that was lying on the coffee table and browsed through the channels while Namida took a sip from her cup. Namida said. "That's supposed to be a big step?" Ahma took a small whiff of the tea in her cup, she said. "Don't forget whose little brother he is. If he was as strong as his older sister I bet he would've attacked me." Namida was about to say something but shrugged her shoulders, she said. "True." She took a sip of tea while Sachi stopped browsing the channels as she placed the remote back on the coffee table. Sachi let out a sigh and said. "Japanese television is still as boring as always." She picked up her cup of tea and took a sip, before anyone could say anything Reiki suddenly appeared near the couch like a ghost. He said. "Any chance one of you has a waffle iron?" Reiki was holding onto a large bowl of the batter while he was mixing it using a whisk.

Sachi's eyes slightly widened as she turned her head sideways and stared at him with surprise in her eyes. Namida's brows furrowed as she gave him a scrutinizing gaze from head to toe. Ahma took a sip of tea while she gave him a piercing stare. Sachi cleared her throat and said. "I have one." She rummaged through her pocket and took out a large round waffle maker, she was about to pass it to him but noticed his hand was full. Reiki bit the whisk by the handle and grabbed the waffle iron by the handle as he made his way back to the kitchen. When Reiki was back in the kitchen, Ahma said. "Boy's light on his feet, I'll give him that." She took a sip of her tea and lazily waved her hand as the kettle floated and poured more tea into her cup. Sachi had a slight frown forming on her lips, she said. "How did he get so close without us noticing him?..." Namida glanced at the kitchen from the corner of her eye, she said. "I noticed, I just decided to play along."

~20 Minutes Later~

Sachi, Namida, and Ahma were staring at the coffee table with a hint of shock in their eyes. In the middle was the tea set and near it was three large plates, one of them had three large waffles that were slightly folded in the shape of a taco and were filled to the brim with whipped cream. One of the waffles had a drizzle of dark chocolate sauce with some strawberries, the middle had some light brown caramel sauce with some sliced bananas on top, and the last one had sliced mango with dark red raspberry sauce. The other plate had four large calzones with dark golden brown crust next to a bowl of marinara sauce. And the last plate was a large portion of pesto pasta with some buttered fried basil, parmesan cheese grated on top, and a few large pieces of garlic bread on the side.

Reiki gestured at the coffee table and said. "I don't know why you three preferred to eat here rather than at the dining table. Here you go, if you want seconds just tell me and I'll make some more." Sachi immediately came back to her senses as she picked up a silver knife and fork and sliced a bite-size part of the waffle and tasted it. Her eyes widened in surprise as she dug into her food while Namida picked up one of the calzones with her hands and took a bite out of it. Melted cheese and tomato sauce came from where she took a bite as long with dozens of pieces of pepperoni inside the calzone. Ahma picked up a silver fork and twirled it on the plate to pick up some pasta with it as she tasted it, she thought. He puts Michelin star chefs to shame. Reiki let out a yawn, he said. "I also took the bowl that all three of you left in my sister's room."

The three girls didn't respond as they enjoyed their meal, He continued. "If you need me I'll-." Sachi raised her left hand while she whipped some cream on the corner of her lips using a napkin with her right. Sahi said. "I'll have six more waffles, please." Namida was holding the last calzone in her hand as she dipped it in marinara sauce, she said. "I want another eight." Ahma ate the last bit of pasta on her plate as she picked up the remaining garlic bread, she said. "I'll have a couple more large portions." Reiki thought. How fast did they eat? He nodded and said. "Sure." As he made his way toward the coffee table and picked up the plates. Sachi poured herself some more tea, she said. "This is almost as good as the slice of cake Ketsueki gave me." Reiki was holding onto a stack of plates, he turned his head to face her and said. "Onee-chan gave you a piece of the black forest cake I made?"

Sachi snapped her fingers and pointed at him, she said. "Correct! The black forest cake… You… Made?..." Reiki made his way back to the kitchen while Sachi had a stunned expression on her face. Namida adjusted the black frame glasses she was wearing and said. "From your reaction, I need to ask Ketsueki for a slice." Ahma picked up her cup of tea, she said. "Or you can ask Reiki to make you one."

~30 Minutes Later~

Reiki was washing the last plate with Sachi on his right as she dried them with a clean white cloth. Reiki said. "Onee-chan is going to murder me when she hears about this." Sachi gave him a friendly smile as she bumped his shoulder with her elbow, she said. "It'll be our little secret." Reiki passed her the last plate as he turned around and leaned on the cabinet near the sink, he said. "Despite your temper of enjoying inflicting pain on others and the man who likes to crossdress, I can trust…" He pointed at the area behind Sachi and continued. "Your boss on the other hand I wouldn't even let her hold a ¥1 coin for me." Ahma and Namida suddenly appeared out of thin air. Namida pointed at his face and coldly said. "I'm a woman!" Reiki rolled his eyes at her and said. "I know, no need to get your boxers in a bunch." Sachi was impressed by him as she raised a brow while Namida curled her hand into a fist.

Ahma gave him a scrutinizing gaze and placed a hand on her chin, she said. "You're exactly like your sister." Namida gave him a deadly glare while Reiki pointed at her and said. "What's with the glasses with no prescription?" Namida pointed at him again while Sachi placed the last plate onto the rack. Ahma raised a brow in interest while Namida who realized what he just said suddenly calmed down. Namida said. "What… What did you just say?..." Reiki crossed his arms, he said. "Your glasses, they don't have a prescription right?" Namida was completely tongue-tied while Ahma coughed and got everyone's attention, she said. "She's giving herself a challenge. Namida here has very keen eyes, she wears the glasses to give others a… Chance in battle." Ahma flashed him a friendly smile which Reiki ignored, he said. "What weapon do you use?"

Namida snapped back to her senses and said. "K-Katana, I use a katana." A brief hint of interest flashed in Reiki's eyes, he said. "Iaido." Namida looked at him weirdly, she narrowed her eyes and said. "How did you know?" Reiki looked up to her and met her gaze head-on, he said. "Lucky guess." Namida gave him a suspicious glare, she said. "And the lucky guess is the same for my glasses." He gave her a nod, Sachi clapped once which made the tension in the atmosphere vanish. Sachi said. "No need to get all suspicious, Namida. We know who he is." Ahma gave Reiki a peculiar look, she said. "What surprised me today was the amount of food you ate." Reiki shrugged his shoulders and said. "I'm a growing boy, I need all the nutrients I can get." Ahma's gaze slightly narrowed, she said. "Twenty-four calzones that were easily doubled the size of what you served Namida. Ten extra-large plates of pasta and twenty baguettes worth of garlic bread. I don't know about you but even bodybuilders only eat 3,500 calories a day, 3,800 for even the burliest of men."

Namida gave him a piercing gaze while Sachi stared at him with a questioning look. Ahma continued. "Your breakfast alone would give most people a heart attack, if not make their stomach burst." Reiki let out a carefree yawn, he said. "I exercise." A small frown formed on the corner of Ahma's lips, she said. "That's enough girls, he is Ketsueki's little brother. We can't scare him with a bit of intimidation, not unless one of us is willing to press a knife against his neck and gain her wrath." Namida shrugged her shoulders and said. "I'm not taking the blame since this was your plan." Sachi patted Reiki on the back, she said. "Neither will I, since I don't want to fight against someone of her caliber." Ahma let out a small laugh as she waved her hand in dismissal, she said. "Minor details, it's a tradition at this point since we've all done it to your little brothers." Ahma glanced at Sachi and gave her a meaningful look.

Sachi looked down at Reiki, she said. "Reiki, are you holding up fine?" He looked up to her and gave Sachi a thumbs up, Reiki said. "Wasn't even phased." Namida let out a chuckle while Sachi gave him a small smile. Ahma placed a hand on her chin, she said. "Reiki, what kind of exercise do you do?" He moved his gaze onto Ahma, Reiki said. "Nothing special, just a simple set of push-ups, squats, sit-ups, and a light jog around the block." Ahma moved her gaze onto his wrist, she noticed faint traces of a line and said. "With weights to boot, such a hardworking young man." Reiki didn't have any visible reaction, he said. "It's only half a kilo, nothing special." The two of them stared at each other while Namida and Sachi felt the air slightly change. Sachi coughed and said. "Leader, I think we've overstayed our welcome. We still have plenty of work to do back in the room." Namida pointed at the front door using her thumb, she said. "Don't forget we still have a few meetings to arrange for the day."

Ahma and Reiki stared at each other for a few more seconds as worry became more visible on Sachi and Namida's faces. Ahma said. "Sure, I had to cancel a few meetings to drop by today." She gave him a warm smile and continued. "Until next time, Reiki." Ahma made her way to the front door followed by Namida and Sachi. Reiki followed them as Sachi waved at him and said. "Next time we meet we'll eat out, my treat." Namida pointed at him and said. "Since you're too young to drink, I'll be sure to make up for it." Ahma slid open the shoe compartment and took out her pair of wooden geta, she threw them on the floor and put them on. Namida took out her sports shoes while Sachi took out her flat-heeled heels. Reiki's brow furrowed, he said. "The legal drinking age is 20." Namida tied her shoes while Sachi put the straps on. Ahma opened the door and said. "I'll wait for the two of you outside."

Sachi placed a hand on Namida's shoulder and said. "I'm not taking responsibility." Sachi raised her hand as it was enveloped with a layer of mana, she said. "Almost forgot about the tea set." Sachi walked out of the house leaving Namida who tied her shoelaces, she said. "Guild card." Reiki's eyes had a glimmer of hope, he said. "How'd you do it?" Namida turned her head sideways, she used her thumb to rub the tip of her index and middle finger. Namida said. "Lots of money." Reiki thought. Perfect-. Namida coldly smirked and continued. "You need to be sixteen and have a signature from a parent or legal guardian." Namida let out a chuckle as she walked out of the building and closed the door behind her. Reiki placed a hand behind his head and started scratching, he thought. Onee-chan would have a mental breakdown... He let out a long sigh and continued his train of thought. I wanna drink so bad…

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Down the streets

Ahma was walking by and looking around the scenery with Sachi and Namida behind her. Ahma said. "Thoughts?" Sachi's gaze wandered to a shop that had sweets on the storefront, she said. "His affinity with magic alone would cause a storm." Namida placed both her hands behind her head as she let out a yawn, she said. "That's not even adding to the fact his metabolism is special." Ahma thought. I could use another pawn… If I recruit him then I'll also have Ketsueki under my thumb… She let out a long sigh and shook her head, Ahma thought. Impossible. His older sister would rip my head off my shoulders with her bare hands. Ahma muttered to herself, she said. "Friends it is then."

Sachi raised a brow while Namida gave Ahma an odd look. Sachi said. "Leader?" Namida looked at Sachi and said. "I think our captain has finally gone insane." Ahma let out a chuckle and said. "Namida, make it six days of docked pay." Ahma slowly vanished leaving a stunned Namida and a giggling Sachi behind.

______________________________________________________

Arashi's Apartment

『Flash Has Been Activated. Mana Cost: 6,250.』

Reiki appeared near the window with Cherry on his right shoulder, he said. "Anyone hungry?..." Arashi was standing right in front of him with her arms crossed while glaring at him.