The mansion they'd been given by the guild was absurdly large—polished marble floors, chandeliers dangling from the ceiling, endless hallways that made it easy to get lost.
But Shiki didn't care about any of that. The duel was over. The crowd had dispersed. The guild master was probably drinking himself into a jolly stupor somewhere.
Right now, Shiki was slumped lazily across the oversized couch in the grand living room, one arm draped along the backrest, the other lazily flipping a conjured coin in the air.
Ai sat across from him, curled up on a single-seater, hugging a pillow almost as if she were preparing for interrogation.
Her cheeks were still puffed up in that stubborn pout that could stay for hours.
The silence stretched.
Shiki smirked. "Oi, Kitten. If you keep pouting like that, your lips are gonna stick that way forever."
Her cheeks burned, and she buried her face deeper into the pillow. "…Shut up."
He chuckled. He loved how predictable she was—and how unpredictable at the same time.
Finally, Ai peeked up, eyes narrowed. "Shiki… I want answers."
"Answers?" He tilted his head innocently, though the grin tugging at his lips betrayed him.
She squeezed the pillow tighter. "…Earlier. During the fight. When your clothes got burned." Her face turned redder just recalling it. "…Something was hanging. Between your legs."
The coin slipped from his fingers.
"…Ah."
Her voice came out like a blade: "What. Was. That."
Shiki leaned back, covering his mouth with his hand to hide the twitch of a laugh. "O-oi, Kitten… that's… how do I put this…" He scratched his cheek, his ears tinged red. "That's my—"
"Don't you dare say some stupid excuse!" she cut in, pointing a finger at him.
"Everyone saw it! Even I saw it! It looked—it looked like…" She trailed off, face practically steaming.
Shiki pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright, alright, calm down, jealous wife. That was… well, that was my thing."
Her brows furrowed. "Your… thing?"
"Yes. My… ah, equipment."
"Equipment?" She blinked innocently.
"Yes. Equipment. The most important tool a man has." He coughed, eyes darting anywhere but her. "The source of life. The—"
Ai tilted her head, frowning. "Tool? Like… a sword?"
Shiki almost choked. "NO! Not like a sword! Well—okay, fine, kind of like a sword, but not—ugh!" He buried his face in his hands. "This is impossible."
Her pout deepened, her cheeks flaming. "Why impossible? You're the one making it weird! Just explain properly!"
He peeked at her through his fingers. "…You really want to know?"
She hesitated, clutching the pillow tighter. "…Y-Yes. Because… you said Lyra's butt was perfect for… childbearing. What does that even mean?"
Shiki's soul left his body.
"K-Kitten!" He groaned, throwing his head back against the couch. "Do you have any idea how dangerous these questions are?!"
Her eyes widened, innocent and sharp all at once. "…Dangerous?"
"Yes!" He sat forward, pointing a finger at her dramatically. "This is advanced knowledge! Forbidden lore! The kind of explanation that once given cannot be unheard!"
She puffed her cheeks again. "…Don't act like I can't handle it, Shiki."
The words hit him straight in the chest.
For a moment, Shiki just stared at her. She was red-faced, hugging that pillow like it was a lifeline, glaring at him with watery eyes. But her voice had trembled just a little when she'd said it.
He swallowed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."
Her ears perked, but she nodded quickly.
Shiki inhaled deeply. "Alright. You know how babies are made, right?"
Ai blinked. "…Storks deliver them."
Shiki nearly fell off the couch. "ST—WHAT?! Storks?!"
She frowned, indignant. "That's what this little girl told me the other day! Storks bring babies when a man and woman love each other!"
Shiki clutched his chest as if stabbed. "Oh god, you had to ask a kid…"
Her lips trembled into a pout again. "W-Well? If it's not storks, then what is it?"
He rubbed his temples. "…It's not storks. Listen carefully. Babies are made when a man and a woman… do something together."
"Something?"
"Yes. Something special. The man uses his… tool. That thing you saw. And the woman…" He trailed, looking at her bright, wide eyes. His face burned. "Ahh, damn it, this is harder than fighting SSS!"
Ai tilted her head, innocent and merciless. "…So your tool makes babies?"
"W-well, yes. Technically."
"…By poking?"
Shiki choked so hard he started coughing. "P-p-poking?! Kitten!"
She flinched, burying half her face in the pillow again. "…W-Well it looked like it could poke…"
Shiki buried his face in both hands. His shoulders trembled—not from shame, but because he was trying not to laugh himself to death. "Gods, you're gonna kill me…"
Her cheeks puffed. "…You're laughing at me!"
"I'm not!" He lifted his face just enough for her to see his grin. "I'm laughing at the situation. You're way too cute when you're trying to be serious."
Her blush deepened. "Sh-Shut up…"
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, eyes narrowing playfully. "…You really want me to explain? Step by step?"
Ai hugged the pillow so tightly it might explode. "…Yes."
Shiki smirked. "Then you'd better prepare yourself. Because this is the most embarrassing lesson you'll ever hear."
Her heart pounded. She wanted to argue, to call him a pervert, to stomp her foot and storm away. But deep down, she didn't. She wanted to know. Because she wanted to understand him.
And Shiki, though still smirking like a devil, lowered his voice just a fraction. "…Don't worry, Kitten. I'll explain properly. Because if anyone's gonna teach you about this stuff…" His gaze softened. "…it'll be me."
Her lips parted slightly, her throat tightening.
"…B-Baka."
Shiki chuckled, leaning back again, stretching his arms along the couch as if he hadn't just dropped a line straight into her chest. "Alright then. Lesson one: Why I said Lyra's butt looked good for childbearing."
Ai nearly exploded. "YOU COULD HAVE STARTED SOMEWHERE ELSE!"
The mansion walls rang with her shriek, and Shiki's laughter followed right after.
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END OF CHAPTER : 23 : FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE! : 2
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