"Tenka, what exactly is your relationship with Tohka?" Shichen asked—even though he already knew—using the conversation as an excuse to get familiar with her.
Unfortunately, she didn't appreciate it.
"Haven't I already said I'm her older sister? And I never agreed to be called 'Tenka.'"
"Isn't that a nice‑sounding name?"
"That's only your opinion."
"Heh‑heh ~"
"What are you laughing at?"
"As expected of sisters—you're both such tsunderes."
"Tsundere? What does that mean? Are you insulting me?"
"No. 'Tsundere' is a personality everyone likes."
"Hmph, I don't believe you."
"Why not? If we really trace things back, I could even say I'm your father."
"You must have noticed it already, right?"
Yatogami Tenka doesn't possess a Divine Fragment, yet she can live inside the blood like a Familia. In the end it's because she carries Shichen's power.
In other words, she isn't just a Spirit born from someone creating a Sephira Crystal—she has also fused with his power.
That was the main reason Tohka felt a familiar aura from him the first time they met.
Shichen still couldn't guess exactly what had happened—surely he didn't travel back in time and devour the Origin, did he?
Given the chance, he wasn't the type to hesitate.
So…does that make Tohka his daughter too?
No way. He didn't want to become a man overflowing with fatherly love.
Then again, Tohka and the others were really more like his avatars, so technically there was no blood relation, right?
Hmm… Still feels off—and why does it feel weirdly exciting?
"Scram!" Tenka likewise refused to accept the implication.
"Is that how you talk to your dad?"
"Are you looking to die?" Her tone was dangerous.
But Shichen wasn't afraid. "Seems to me there's nothing you can do to me. In fact, it's the other way around now."
"Call me 'Dad' and I can let you out—let you exist separately from Tohka."
With his mana he could easily give Tenka a brand‑new body, freeing her from the "two souls, one body" state.
Yatogami Tenka wasn't Tohka's inverted persona; she was a completely independent personality.
"Hmph! I don't need it!"
"Don't you want to talk to Tohka?"
"She doesn't even know I…." A trace of loneliness slipped into her voice.
"Don't you want her to? She'd be thrilled if she knew she had an older sister," Shichen said.
"No. She's fine the way she is."
"You really are—"
"Hmph. Anyway, I'm fine like this. Stop running your mouth."
"You can't stop me."
"Y‑you…!"
"If you want me to agree, just call me 'Dad.'" Shichen joked.
Tenka was usually ice‑cold, but now that he could toy with her, he felt like teasing. Tenka wasn't having it, though: "Get lost! In your dreams!"
"Sigh—what a rebellious daughter."
"Go away! What's your relationship with that woman, anyway?"
"That woman? Oh, she's your mom and I'm your dad. What else could it be?"
"Get out!"
"Why are you so naughty?"
"Tenka, you really don't want to come out?"
"Tenka?"
No matter how many times he called, she didn't answer. Clearly she was ignoring him.
Still, Shichen could sense Tohka's presence more clearly than his three familiars; he could summon her like one if he wanted. But after joking that she was his daughter, he decided to respect her wishes.
His consciousness returned. Beside him, Tohka was sleeping with her arm wrapped around him. He turned onto his side and hugged her back.
Tohka looked tall at first glance, but at only 155 cm she felt very petite in his arms.
"No doing weird things to Tohka!" Tenka suddenly warned.
Shichen chuckled, shook his head, and soon fell asleep holding Tohka.
Knock, knock, knock—
"Shichen-nii, time to get up and make breakfast—do you know what ti—ahh!"
…
Early the next morning, Shichen was jolted awake by Kotori Itsuka's shriek. He opened his eyes and looked toward the doorway; she was glaring furiously.
"Mm… what's wrong?" Tohka woke up too.
"Shichen-nii… Tohka-nee… you two didn't, last night…"
"Does it look like we did?" Shichen replied calmly.
"But Shichen-nii—your hand…"
"Hm?"
Shichen looked down; his hand was clutching something soft—namely, Tohka's chest.
"U‑uh…!"
Tohka realised too; her face went crimson. "S-Shichen… w‑what are you doing…!"
"Oh, I have no idea." Shichen calmly withdrew his hand.
His palm was still warm. The familiar, delicate softness made his fingers reflexively flex.
Must be because he'd slept beside Aqua for so long—he was used to having someone in his arms at night.
Honestly, one day he'd have to chop that hand off!
"Shichen!" Tohka squealed.
"A‑anyway, let's get up."
"Mmm…" Tohka crossed her arms over her chest, eyes downcast.
"Shichen-nii, why'd you bring Tohka into your room? Isn't that way too fast?" Kotori complained.
"What are you talking about? Tohka was uneasy and came looking for me herself," Shichen explained.
"Really?" Kotori asked Tohka.
"Mm‑hm…" Tohka nodded shyly.
"Ohh—so in the end Tohka-nee made the first move."
"I‑I did not…!"
"Heh‑heh~ And he even groped your chest—didn't he?"
"I‑I don't know! It's all Shichen's fault—he's too lecherous!"
"Lecherous…" Shichen's mouth twitched. "Tohka, could you not use that word?"
"Isn't it true?"
"…You can't blame me. You were in my arms—my hand had a mind of its own."
"Hmph—because you're too lewd, Shichen!" Tohka puffed her cheeks.
"At least pick another word."
"Then what should I use?"
"Tohka-nee, obviously it's 'H'! Shichen-nii's behaviour is totally H!" Kotori said.
"'H'? Got it—Shichen, you're H!" Tohka pouted.
"…Whatever."
Shichen wondered if something was wrong with him—being called "H" by Tohka actually made him oddly happy. He had to be sick.
"Hmph! You really are H—sneaking that on Tohka!" Tenka chimed in.
"Still not my fault…"
"Hmph! If you do that even in your sleep, you must be even filthier deep down!"
Shichen ignored her, rolled out of bed, and left to wash up.
"Kotori, teach Tohka how to brush her teeth. I'll make breakfast once I'm done."
"Got it~"
"Kotori, what's 'brushing teeth'?"
"You'll see in a minute… sniff sniff" Kotori inched closer to the bed, nose twitching.
"Kotori? What are you sniffing?" Tohka tilted her head, puzzled.
"Checking if there's any weird smell."
"What weird smell?"
"It's… doesn't seem like there is one. Forget it."
Kotori plopped onto the bed, grabbed Tohka's hand excitedly, and asked, "Tohka-nee, did you two do anything else last night?"
"Wh‑what do you mean 'anything else'?" Tohka blinked.
"Heh‑heh~ I don't believe a man and a woman share a bed and do nothing. Shichen-nii isn't that dense, right?"
"W‑we really didn't do much…" Tohka lowered her head bashfully.
"Oho~ You sure don't look like you did 'nothing.'"
"W‑well, Shichen drank my blood and then kissed me twice."
"What?! He sucked your blood and kissed you? Unfair! I haven't even gotten that far!"
"Kotori?"
"Nothing." Kotori shook her head, then changed the topic: "So, Tohka-nee—what does a kiss feel like?"
"Um…"
"Come on, tell me ~"
"It's nothing, really… Your heart races a bit, you get a little excited, sort of happy, kind of…"
"And you call that 'nothing'? Did Shichen-nii ask you to be his girlfriend?"
"Girlfriend? How's that different from just a friend?"
"Of course it's different—girlfriends mean you're a couple. Only girlfriends get to kiss!"
"Eh? But Shichen said you can do that with someone you're really close to."
"Shichen-nii said that? Doesn't his conscience hurt?"
"Huh?"