"What is it!? What it is? Is it a ghost? A bad spirit? A good spirit? No, wait, that's Aeris! But is it what? It is what! Huh? Aeris is confused."

Aeris dances in from somewhere talking nonsense before confusing herself and stopping with a quizzical expression.

This appears to have derailed Seria's thought train again. Good job, you are a good spirit!

I pat her on the head and she giggles, forgetting her confusion.

"Boy... you are an insufferable prat from time to time... what have you done!?"

"Master-sama is bad? Kissed all the bad girls? Bad master!" Aeris kicks me in the shin.

There is a clang noise.

Yes, I kissed all the girls and they made me cry. Ouch. Oh god. It’s like getting clubbed by a cricket bat straight on the leg.

I almost keel over. If I didn't have my higher endurance, I swear a hit like that would have broken my weedy office workers leg.

"Uwohhh... Arrr... Aeris p-please don't do that again."

Seria laughs, though. Slapstick for her at its finest.

"Kicking is for baddies though?" Aeris cocks her head. "Nn... okay! Kicking for baddies that are not master only!"

Seria and several of the others are now snickering... le sigh...

"Ahem... it seems you all now have my translation power." I finally explain.

"Ah!" Seria's eyes briefly glaze over. "Of course. It’s actually obvious. Fufufufu..." She puts a finger to her mouth. "Mmmm... is it really that your power is shared with all of us due to your incessant perversions? I wonder... fufufufu..."

"I... uh.... it certainly seems plausible." I scratch my cheek. "Sharing magic power through intimacy is a standard idea in my world."

Well, at least in fiction anyway.

Seria raises an eyebrow.

Then, Aria suddenly appears with a queer expression.

"So... does everyone also get that... uh... protective mode you gave me?" She fidgets with her fingers and looks under her beautiful blue eyes.

"I..."

I stop myself. 'I honestly don't know' was the honest answer I nearly produced. But I think, in this case, Aria's insecure... so maybe a white lie is for the best.

"You're my summoner, so maybe not? I'd love for you to always protect me. And... we promised to be monsters together, right?"

Aria smiles a warm and adorable smile, and shies away. I think that was the right answer here.

"Ufufufu... what a flatterer you are, boy. It’s actually quite gross, you know?" She gives me a terrifying smile as well.

"Of course, Master Eri is very important as well. We would be mute and blind without your incredible intellect."

She rolls her eyes with a 'humph!' and flicks a twin-tail dismissively, but somehow, I think that was also the correct response.

"Elijah-sama... handing out such praise is dangerous with that old bag's already towering ego." Rishya mentions, sidling up to us.

Seria cackles and Rishya snickers. Aria simply rolls her eyes.

This lot really do have a strange relationship now, don't they? It still makes me smile.

"If that's the case, I'll just have to praise Aria more, won't I?" I laugh, ruffle her head, and draw her into a hug.

"Ah..." Aria blushes. "Elijah... you..."

"I what?"

"No... it’s all good." She smiles again.

"Niiiiiiiiii! Me too..." Kiku forces her way into my hug. It soon becomes another group hug.

We then sit down to eat Kiku's stamina food. It is certainly filling; heavy on the thick broth and Megarum meat and mushrooms.

"It is wholesome. Heh. This long mushroom is familiar." Kali says, hoisting a phallic mushroom piece from her pot.

This makes Kiku swear and blush, which was probably the intended reaction.

"So... I meant to ask before... did Kaede actually attempt the unmaking afterwards?"

"Ah... it suddenly was not a high concern, yes? I was... too concerned over Nii-sama."

"More likely she was scared, fufufufu... though we all were... somewhat. Fortunately, we were all assured that you were not dead, at least, due to that irrepressible spirit of yours."

"You're a good girl, Aeris." I praise her. She's sat at the table chewing on a dagger she's found somewhere. It’s a bizarre sight.

"Nn! Aeris is a veeery good spirit!" She raises her nose and puffs out her chest.

"Um... she could stand to work on her modesty, though." Kiku says.

I laugh.

"I may still attempt it, yes? There is still time." Kaede nods, returning us to the original subject.

"Mmmm... do you truly feel it will help with the other jutsu's you have described to me? From what I can ascertain, they are indeed a non-spiritual phenomenon. I am very concerned that the unmaking will just flat out kill you." Seria taps her cheek.

"That reminds me, Thanatos told me that having Aeris hold onto my soul as a conduit is what allowed me to come back at all. If that's true... you should listen to Seria's warning. I don't want you to die, Kaede."

"Ah... nii-sama..." She looks shocked.

"That shouldn't be a surprise, should it?" I smile.

"Ah... no, it’s not that. It is simply..."

She stops, closes her eyes, sighs and puts a hand to her chest.

"My chest aches somewhat. But it is no longer a terrible thing, yes?"

"Are you sure your chest isn't aching because of being rubbed too much? Mine was, hehehe..."

"Rish!" Aria clouts her.

"Huhu... maybe it is that as well, but both are caused by Nii-sama's callousness, yes? So, there is no difference either which way." Kaede laughs slightly.

"Truly, the miracles of sausage have no equal!" Kali raises her arms in praise, and all the girls laugh this time, whilst I can only shake my head with a wry smile.

Well, I guess all's well that ends well. But now, I must focus on honing myself. It will be a harrowing few days, but the time limit is approaching quicker and quicker, isn't it? I hope I can make it before anything really bad happens.