Braving the intense gazes all around me and walking voluntarily into the midst of these practitioners of death is quite the terrifying thing.

I plaster a smile onto my face and give a wave to Kiku as I start to walk towards her. I thought Seria would be guffawing again, but looking back, she has an entirely straight face. Weird.

I expected being tripped along the way so I was extra paranoid, but the jabbed foot never came. I felt as though it was considered but was rejected due to possibility that Kiku would run to me and show concern. Cunning lot, or am I overthinking it?

"Um... Nii, why so slow? Is that bag heavy? What is it?" She leans forward with her big green eyes in curiosity. It's monstrously cute. Is it me or is she being rather forward and jolly right now?

"It's things for my weapons. I was just being careful not to trip since there's glass." I answer.

I swear there's a spitting noise somewhere, but Kiku nods. "Un... right. Your big exploding thing was sooo cool. Please show me again when it's ready!"

Oh gods. Kiku, please. Please stop. The magnitude of death glares rises and even the ambient noise level drops. She... she's gonna kill me with a heart attack before the Necrodragon gets close!

But clearly she hears "FINISH HIM!" from the announcer and goes for the fatality; linking her arm with me and saying "Let's go to the back room with the others! Um... there's lots I still... want to do!"

A ghost pours out my mouth as she leads me to the afterlife... and I don't really remember the next couple of minutes.

When I regain lucidity, I raise my face from a desk I am sprawled on to see a Kiku with her palms clapped, bowed in front of me in apparent apology.

"Um, I'm really, really sorry Nii!! D-don't look like that! Um... no! Please don't! I..." she cries.

Its heart wrenchingly adorable, but I'm confused...

"Kiku-sama, it would be more expeditious to explain the plan to Nii-sama, yes?" I see Kaede for the first time.

Kiku fidgets, and looks under her eyes at me, takes a deep breath and...

"Um... I... I fucking hated it! They were always staring and being creepy and asking if I needed help and babying me and...and... like some damn idol! Fuuuuckkkk!"

Rowdy Kiku has a serious outburst. I don't think I've seen that side so vicious. Wow.

I blink in surprise. I thought she was just dense to the guild worshipping her and her sister (and Aria, to a lesser extent), but it seems she was entirely conscious of it, and in fact was growing to despise it.

She takes a deep breath and continues, fidgeting rapidly enough to do cats cradle six times over...

"Um... so... so... Kaede suggested this idea. That... that they might give in if I... if it looked like... hehe... that I was doing adult things with Nii!"

BANG!

I want my nose to explode in a fountain here; as that would be appropriate. My blood pressure is certainly up!

Seria, whom I'd nearly forgotten about at this point, appears and starts a slow clap.

"Mmmm... fantastic acting in that case, swordgirl. I can see why... it might be stifling." Seria compliments, nodding.

I see now. I thought she was trying a bit too hard. She... she wasn't just being oblivious, and this was a planned act.

"Um... hehe... t-though I... I didn't have to... umm... act too m... mmmpphhh!"

Kaede mutes Kiku with a palm over her mouth... shame... I liked where that sentence was going...

"Fufufu. Interesting. However... I can't give you full marks. At the end, you did imply it was considerably more than just the two of you in a relationship. This could make Elijah a public enemy among some men." Seria gains a sharp edge to her tone.

Kiku's eyes go wide as she is unmuted.

"Um... oh! OH NO! I... I AM SO SORRY!!!!" She bends in twain in apology and nearly head-butts the desk with her visor.

"Ufufufu... I forgive you. It was for a good cause in this circumstance, and I still owe you a debt." Seria quips, flicking a twin-tail and licking her lips. She is surprisingly merciful to Kiku.

Kaede shrugs. "I had no... reputation to be lost, yes?"

"You bad girl, Kiku. I thought I was gonna die back there..." I stand, fold my arms and give her a glare, and her face warps as if she's about to cry.

"Um... um... d-do you hate me now...?" She urgently moans, shaking her head as she quivers.

Am I bullying a girl I like again here? Probably. I sigh.

"Of course not. You're a strong, independent girl. You're as cute as a button. You can cook up a storm. And you're MY mercenary. They can't have you." I deliver my own finisher, staring into her wide eyes as I do.

She goes through an 'Aria-class' concoction of emotions, a rarity for her. She starts shaking like when she's in O RLY mode and then begins to burst out in blubby tears in earnest. I ruffle her fringe as the tears and snot drip from her. I consider hugging her, but...

"OH. I NEED MY SWORD AFTER ALL." A gruff deadpan voice states.

"S-sniff... P-papa!?" Kiku snivels.

I freeze, my hand still on her head as she cries, like a child caught with its hand in a cookie jar. My head creaks around like a broken dolls to observe the towering middle-aged man with close cropped green hair, a slash scar across the right eye, and bulging muscles that are currently flexing menacingly.

Yes... actually, it seems I will be dying in this building after all.