A vibrant red flowed out, trickling down the snow-white neck, which became even more alluring against the red backdrop.
Shichen's throat moved as he greedily absorbed the blood of Yoshino, feeling a hint of icy coolness that intoxicated him.
After satisfying his thirst, he regained his senses and began to absorb Yoshino's spiritual energy.
The spiritual energy had a familiar scent, not from a divine fragment, but from the divine fragment within him.
It's the power of the Familiar!
The power of the Familiar that hasn't been awakened yet!
The extreme cold, the power that freezes everything, Shichen guessed whose power it was.
Why does Yoshino possess his Familiar's power? He can only find the answer by going back in time.
But he has no idea when he can awaken the Familiar that manipulates time, so he'll have to wait for its appearance.
With Yoshino's power, he can also return to the past.
Yoshino's blood is delicious, comparable to Yatogami Tohka's, but unfortunately, neither of their blood can help him awaken the Familiar.
Only one person's blood can awaken the Familiar.
Yoshino murmured, leaning her small head against Shichen, her face flushed.
Yoshino's body leaned against him, looking lifeless.
After a while, Shichen finally left Yoshino's neck, pulling out a red thread, his fangs stained with blood.
"Onii-chan..." Yoshino's eyes were misty, grasping Shichen's clothes, trying to get closer.
Her small face, flushed cheeks, and intoxicated eyes... Shichen's throat moved again.
He remembered that Yoshino was actually over 30 years old.
At this moment, restraint would be unmanly; he couldn't control his desires.
His fangs retracted, Shichen's crimson eyes cleared, and he hugged Yoshino, kissing her small, cherry-like lips.
"Mmm..." Yoshino didn't understand, responding passively.
Shichen didn't stop at the surface level; he deeply connected with Yoshino.
The sound of their intimate moment echoed softly in the room.
"When is Shichen coming back?"
Inside Shichen's room, Yatogami Tohka and Itsuka Kotori were lying on the bed staring at the ceiling when Tohka finally asked the question.
"Haven't you gone through this already?" Kotori replied softly without looking at her.
"Well, yeah, but…"
"You're worried Shichen-nii and Yoshino might do the same things he did with you, right?" Kotori finally turned her head.
"Ugh …" Tohka had no comeback.
"Tohka-nee, do you know what that's called?"
"What?"
"Being jealous."
Tohka fell silent. She had just learned that word from television, along with what it really meant—to like someone, and not the kind of liking she felt for sweet bean‑paste bread.
"Tohka-nee, this won't do." Kotori sat up, smiling.
"What won't do?" Tohka sat up as well, puzzled.
"You know Yoshino isn't the only one who's like you, right?"
"Mm‑hmm."
"And you know Shichen-nii plans to save all of them?"
"Mm‑hmm."
"Then obviously he'll end up doing those things with every one of them. Are you going to get jealous every time?"
"Uh… If it's just blood‑sucking, I wouldn't be jealous."
"Just blood‑sucking? There's something else?" Kotori blinked.
She herself had only ever been bitten—nothing more.
"Um… there was the kiss…" Tohka answered shyly.
"A kiss?!" Kotori frowned. "Why was there a kiss?"
"Eh? It just… sort of happened. I really wanted to at the time, like some instinct took over…"
"Darn it… Why didn't I…?"
"What?"
"N‑nothing… So you're afraid Shichen-nii will kiss Yoshino too, right?"
"Yeah… I really don't want Shichen and Yoshino to do that. It would hurt."
"That's perfectly normal." Kotori grinned.
"Normal?"
"It means you really like Shichen-nii and want him all to yourself."
"Want him all to myself… I see!"
"But that's not right." Kotori wagged her index finger.
"Not right? Why? On TV they always try to keep the other person to themselves."
"TV is TV. We aren't them, and our situation is different."
"How is it different?"
"They're ordinary humans, but we're Spirits."
"Spirits… What's different about that?" Tohka missed the nuance in Kotori's phrasing.
"Spirits weren't part of this world to begin with. People here reject us. We don't know how many of us there are, so we have to stick together."
"You're right…"
"When everyone lives together long enough, someone's bound to fall in love. And as far as I know, Shichen-nii is the only male around. You understand what that means, don't you?"
"Uh… everyone will end up liking Shichen…"
"Exactly. Are you going to forbid them from liking him?" Kotori asked.
"No… I'm happy others can like Shichen." Tohka shook her head quickly.
"Then there's no problem, is there?"
"But… liking is one thing, kissing is another, right? TV says a couple is just one pair."
"That's a special human rule. We're Spirits."
"Ugh…" Tohka puffed her cheeks, frowning in confusion.
"Soon we'll all be one family. You can't stop everyone from getting any of the 'meat,' right? Kissing is just how we show we like him—otherwise how do we prove it?"
"Mm …" Tohka's pretty brows knit tighter.
"And besides, you don't have to worry—Shichen-nii likes you the most."
"Really?" Tohka's expression instantly brightened, her eyes sparkling with barely hidden joy.
"Of course. He fulfils your every wish and spoils you rotten—more than he does his own little sister, me." Kotori pouted theatrically.
She wasn't lying; she could truly feel Shichen's special fondness for Tohka.
"Heh‑heh~." Tohka giggled foolishly.
"So there's nothing to fret over. If you're upset, just have Shichen-nii comfort you."
"Okay, I got it!" Tohka nodded vigorously.
"Also, Tohka-nee, isn't it nice that someone else likes Shichen-nii along with you?"
"Huh?"
"You all love him. Having others feel the same way—shouldn't that make you happy?"
"When you put it like that… I guess it does…" Tohka tilted her head. It felt odd, yet somehow right. "So instead of resisting the others' feelings for Shichen, being happy about it is the proper way—and that'll make Shichen happy too."
"Shichen will be happy?"
"Absolutely."
"Okay, I'll do my best!"
"That's the spirit!"
Kotori let out a secret sigh of relief. Now she wouldn't have to worry about Tohka's jealousy.
I worked this hard behind the scenes, she thought. Shichen had better give me some reward.
…
A while later Shichen returned, a faint smile still on his lips.
"Shichen, you're back at last!" The moment the door opened, Tohka sprang from the bed and pounced on him.
"What's wrong?" Shichen caught her instinctively, wiping the smile from his face at once.
"Nothing—heh‑heh~." Tohka clung to him like an octopus, legs wrapped around his waist, rubbing her head against his chest.
"Hmm?" Shichen looked quizzically at Kotori.
"Hmph—make sure you thank me properly!" Kotori sat up, haughty.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I'll explain tomorrow."
"Fine…"
Shichen carried Tohka back to the bed and lay down between the two girls.
As expected, one girl latched onto each of his arms—one side slightly flat, the other very soft.
"How's Yoshino? Is she okay?" Tohka asked with concern.
"Don't worry, her Spirit power is sealed now. From here on she's just like you."
"That's great! But why didn't she come with you?"
"Ah… she was so tired she fell asleep, so I didn't bring her." Shichen pursed his lips, savoring the lingering sweetness in his mouth, and made up a reason.
In truth Yoshino wasn't asleep—she was just too shy to come over.
"I see." Tohka didn't think any further.
"Really?" Kotori sounded doubtful; she remembered she hadn't been that tired back then, and Yoshino was bigger than she'd been.
"What? You doubt me?" Shichen looked at her.
"Of course not. How could I doubt Shichen-nii?" Kotori immediately flashed a cute smile.
"That's better."
"Hmph~." Kotori bumped him with her head in protest.
"What is it now?"
"Shichen-nii is playing favorites!"
"Huh?" Shichen was baffled.
"Hmph! I'm going to sleep!"
"Tohka, what's wrong with Kotori?"
"I don't know."
"All right… Let's sleep too."
"Mm‑hm!"
"Good night, Tohka, Kotori."
"Good night, Shichen~"
"Good night, Shichen-nii."
~~~
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