“Is everyone ready?” I asked, carrying several rge suitcases. We were only going to be away for a long weekend, but even so, girls needed a lot of things, and Fae were no exception, it seemed. Looks like Haru-san has some busio attend to first, she texted me to say she’ll be getting a ter train…

  “Ihough I fess to some-some trepidation.” Shaeu observed. “The Night Parade may be in Kyoto, may they not-not? In that case…” she frowned, nervous, so I pulled her into a hug.

  “Don’t worry. If your mother is there, you be reunited. And if there are any problems, we’ll deal with them, like we always do.”

  Shaeu nodded, and I could see a mixture of resolution and nerves on her face. I gave her a quick kiss, a fleeting brush of our lips, and patted her head. Still holding her, I looked at Hyath, who was in her maid outfit, though the skirt was longer, as I didn’t want her underwear to be exposed. To a me anyway, I’m such a possessive hypocrite. Still, I was resolved to own that, so I had Karen- get me some maid clothes from Akiba, and ironically they were more modest than what Hyath arily wore, showing less leg and cleavage.

  Seeing Hyath looking at me, unwilling to show her affe in pany, I resolved to treat her to some skinship ter. “So, you ready, Hyath? You’ll be meeting my family again, so be good, all right?”

  Hyath nodded so frantically it was as if her head was going to fall off. “Yes, I shall be good, I prooomised. Your family is mooost important to me too!” She had spoken to Aiko a bit when they had arrived in Tokyo for the big pnniing, and exged a little talk with my parents and the Mori’s, but they were still hardly well-acquainted, and I worried she would cause fri, especially with auntie Hana…

  “Really, I hardly believe this.” Kana’s mother, Nagi-san said. Since she was married into the shrine, rather than of the direct line of Shirohebizumi, she did not o attend cve, but there was no way she was going to be left behind. She was wearing casual clothes, and looked like a very pretty, more mature Kana. And speaking of…

  “Here, straighten that up a bit.” Kana was saying, ening the hakama of Marika-san, who was excited, ag her age for once eager to see her mother and grandfather again. “There, all tidy.” Kana then turo me, looking a bit sour. “Akio, do you have to flirt so early in the m? And with two girls at the same time… ugh, no, why do I even care?”

  “Jealous, Kana dear?” Nagi-san asked with a smile, and she de, shaking her head fiercely. She too was in red and white hakama, though this was an expensive ade version, that all of our shrine maidens and trainees were going to wear at cve. I’ll spare no expense in impressing the fa heads. A little money is nothing that ’t be repced…

  “Jealous? Why would I be?” she tossed her head. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean, mom. Anyway, e on, we o go soon.”

  “Grul is ready.” Grulgor decred. “Any foe that tries to fight, Grul will crush them!” he ched a powerful fist menagly.

  “Sure. But hopefully that won’t be necessary.” I sighed. “But if it es to any battles in the Boundary, you’ll get your ce. And if the Night Parade needs a lesson…”

  “Then Grul will give it!” he roared, too loud for the early m.

  “Please show more de.” Masaji-san warned him, and Daichi-san agreed. Kana’s father and grandfather were dressed in fine robes, and were nervously esc their kami, Shirohebi, who was strolling beside them, in his white robes and strange four-ered hat. “cve will be a time of ption, of discourse. There is no room for violence.”

  Grul sighed, a cavernous gust of breath. “Grul will not make trouble. But trouble often es looking. If so… Grul will crush it!”

  As they bickered, Aliyah snorted. She was dressed in her suit, and carrying several cealed ons that were likely illegal in Japan. Her brother Trey was beside her, simirly attired, while Travis and Manx were wearing more casual clothing. None of them spoke Japanese, so they were looking a bit fused, but from our body nguage and as they could make educated guesses. “Seriously, what the hell are you doing this early in the m? It’s as though you are trying to piss me off, flirting with cute girls.”

  “Cool it sis.” Trey warned, but she shook him off.

  Before she could speak though, I fixed her with a stern gre, my grey eyes hard, which made her swallow nervously, stepping back a little. Speaking to her in English, I made a matter clear to her. “Look, Aliyah, this is your first task. You and Trey are going to be muscle in Kyoto, and guards for certain people. But I don’t want you to use too much bad nguage. Besides, we have young girls here.” I warned, gesturing to Marika-san and Keomi-, who was now a firm friend of hers, with a simir mental age despite being quite a bit older. On seeing her, Aliyah nodded, trite.

  “Damn, yeah… uh sorry. Anyway, you t on me and Trey. We are strohan ever!”

  “With that arranged, I shall remain here.” Ixitt cackled. “I am close to a breakthrough regarding the artificial Ether Spires, if I just salvage some det Etherites. Anyway, I shall look in on the shrine here regurly, have no fear. And keep any eye owo.” He looked at Travis and Manx, who were staying behind to guard the shrine, along with several guards from Fujiwara Security. Since Ixitt spoke English like Shaeu, Hyath and strangely enough even Grulgor (which was weird in itself) there should be no problems.

  “In that case, we should be going.” I gestured to the minibus that had been id on for us by Hinata. She was very disappointed she wasn’t able to attend, but had made all the other arras, including for my family and Marika-san’s. She’s getting more and more capable. She’s quite the catch… “We’ll be meeting up with everyo Tokyo station, as well as Kikuchi-san and his daughter.”

  “I still ’t believe my friends at school are involved in this.” Kana shook her head. “This is your fault, Shaeu!”

  “My fault? Why, I was simply giving them a great-great opportunity, out of the goodness of my heart…”

  As they argued we all boarded the bus, me giving o cheake sure we had everything, and then we were off…

  ********

  “Hey, he’s here! Bro, over here!” my sis was waving at us as e, spicuous group ehe station. Of course, the group with my sister was gathering plenty of looks too, as it tained Eri and my mom and auntie Mori, so tweous women and two pretty girls. Father and uncle looked a bit pin by parison. Marika-san’s grandfather and mother were there too, and on seeing them Marika-san brightened and rushed over to hug her mother.

  “Mother, I’ve missed you!” she said, happily.

  “Me too, my little girl.” She fixed me with a gre then, still not liking me. “So, have you been looking after my daughter like you promised? There’s been no trouble, I hope?”

  “Mother!” Marika-san protested stoutly. “Akio-sama and the people of Shirohebizumi shrine have been good to me, I assure you!”

  Oh Marika-san, you good little girl. sidering the disaster with the yakuza, she was lying. I’d have to reward her ter. Still Nagi-san, Keomi- and Kana reassured Marika-san’s mother and grandfather, while my sis and Eri barrelled over to me, our parents following. “Damn, bro. Yht her? How the hell did that happen?” she scowled at Aliyah.

  “Long story.” I ughed. “Well, they work for me now.”

  “Well, just don’t try anything funny. I don’t swing that way.” Aiko warrey and Aliyah looked relieved as she spoke in English, giving them more people to talk to.

  “Aliyah won’t cause any trouble.” Trey promised. “We are on our best behaviour.”

  “Yeah, no shit… err, no problem.” She corrected herself, scratg one cheek hesitantly. “You’re a real cute girl, but your brother is a madman. I’m not having him break any of my ribs again.”

  “You did that?” Aiko asked, and I shrugged.

  “Well, she had it ing. Oh, there’s Kikuchi-san and his daughter, as well as their kami.” I waved at them, and they came over slowly, his daughter Maiko-san still a bit wary around Kana, who noticed that, pouting a little. The jade beetle, in his human form, moved to speak to Shirohebi, leaving us humans to greet each other.

  “Oh e on, Kikuchi-san. I don’t bite. And speaking of… everyone else is here!” Kana greeted her friends with a wave.

  The school friends of Kana had arrived. They were wearing casual clothes, but we had shrine maiden outfits for them in gage. On seeing all the girls, my sis rolled her eyes, turning to Eri. ”Damn, bro really loves surrounding himself with cute schoolgirls. I think you should be worried.”

  “Not really.” Eri sniffed. “Well, there is one…” she looked at Kana with her dark eyes, but Kana was studiously ign her. “Besides.” She tinued. “I am more ed about what’s going to happen in Kyoto. It’s very important everything goes well.”

  “Yeah, guess so.” Aiko agreed, as the friends of Kana, as well as the shy Takagi-san, all came over.

  “Whoa, so this is the famous Mori-senpai then? I remember seeing you at that meeting, but we didn’t get to talk, did we? I was a bit overwhelmed there, to be ho, so many important people.” Mio-san said, before introdug them all again. “Look, Asami-! Now I take a good look, she’s as cute as us, the sister too! Damn, you’ve got some petition, Kana-!”

  “I’m not ied, I keep telling everyohat!” she pined, and that lightehe mood, everyone ughing, the shy Takagi-san too, and even Maiko-san cracked a slight smile. “Anyway, Kyoto! We get to skip school and go to Kyoto! Awesome!”

  “You’re there to work!” Eri said harshly, and Mio-san giggled.

  “So strict!” she said. “That’s the presence of a winner in life! Looks, boyfriend, money. Nice!” she gave a thumbs-up, and Eri actually blushed a little, which retty charming. “Still, I hope it won’t be all work. I’d like to see the sights, have some fun! We didn’t get to go on our school trip, right Kana-?”

  “Yeah, you missed out!” Asami-san agreed. “But there were things I missed out on too.”

  “Well, I hope so too, but bro’s work es first.” my sis said, before looking very excited, showing me a post from a web site on her phone. “Bro, check this out! Rumour has it that the idol group Red and White will be doing a guerril cert in Kyoto some time over the weekend! That’s a big deal! They are super-hot at the moment, and the lead dancer is super pretty! Apparently they are all Uni students that started an idol group together… and check this out.” I looked at the pictures of them dang in what looked like shrine maiden gear, just fshier, with tons of frills and other decorations.

  “Oh yeah, you like them too?” Mio-san asked, and my sis started rapidly talking about her favourite songs and so on.

  “I hear she’s a shrine maiden at Kanda-myōjin shriakagi-san said, surprising everyone. “What?” she protested. “Just because I’m pin, I ’t be into idols?”

  “No… nothing like that.” Kana said slowly. “I’m just surprised you volunteered that information. You don’t like us pirls much, do you?”

  “No.” she looked at Maiko-san, whed. “But… you haven’t bullied Kikuchi-san. Instead…” she looked at me then. “She told me you saved her father’s life. I still don’t really get it, not even havihat magical world, but… you aren’t a bad man. And if you are o us, they will be tht?”

  “I’m always nice.” Kana protested. As the bickering and mingling of groups tihe ral shrines arrived, led by Chiyo-san. On seeing us, we exged greetings.

  “I must say, this is quite the group you have here.” She remarked, eyeing Aliyah and Trey, as well as Grulgor. “And a maid too. How very… det.”

  “Oh yeah, I was going to mention that. She was there at the meeting too.” Asami-san grinned. “So, you’re into that sort of thing are you, Akio-kun? Maid rolepy? Giving her orders to do this and that?”

  Before I could answer, Hyath piped up happily, face flushed, clutg her cheeks. “Ooof course. I warm master’s bed whenever he asks, and I wash his back, and his frooont too. Master washes Hyath then, and we…”

  As she carried on with her delusions (which really weren’t, as we did indeed do that sort of thing), Kana merely rolled her eyes. My mother and father, as well as uncle and auntie, came over as well.

  “Hello again, Hyath. I’m happy to see such a beautiful girl being intimate with my son!”

  “My little Eri, don’t disrespect her! I warned you before, and I’m saying it again!” Auntie Hana was saying sourly, and as Hyath insisted that “Nooo, she would never insult the mistress…” I turned back to Chiyo-san and Kana’s friends.

  “Uh, well, Hyath does have her issues, but she’s actually like Shirohebi over there.” I poio the silent snake, who was attrag curious looks with their androgynous appearand strange clothes. “She may look like a cute maid, but she effortlessly kill anyone here barring me, Shaeu and Grulgor.”

  “Quite the maid ihen.” Chiyo-san agreed. “Well, everyone is here. We should board the train soon. I must say, that girl of yours arranged everything very well. We were ferried here in rather luxurious circumstances.” At that Kana’s friends and Takagi-san agreed. “Hiroto-kun, his family and those of the Susanoo fa, other than yood selves…” she o Kana. “… have gone along with him. They have greetings to give and matters to attend to before tomorrow. Still, we’ll see them ter.” The old woman observed. “I have people to see as well, and you’ll have to meet plenty of old farts and young prideful idiots. Still, if you want to be important, you have to put up with the tiresome windbags.”

  “All right. But we discuss our pns orain? It’s nearly time.” Raising my voice I called for everyoo board.

  “All right. Eri, got your bento?” My sis asked.

  “Aiko, the train is only two hours.” She sighed, exasperated. “And you had breakfast, right?”

  “Yeah, but… I mean, it’s the shinkansen! I’ve not been on it before! And on trains, you have to have a bentht?”

  As they bickered good-naturedly, Aliyah leaned over. “She seems a bit too rexed. This is a big deal, even if I don’t get it, right?”

  “Yeah. But I’d rather everyone be in good spirits and calm. Depending on what we find in Kyoto, we might have to fight, and while I don’t want Aiko involved…” I looked at her fondly. “…she’d never five me if I left her out entirely, since she’s training so hard to be useful.”

  “Sometimes se isn’t healthy.” Trey observed, and I agreed.

  “Yeah. If it’s too dangerous, I’ll tell her no, even if it upsets her. But… well, ideally, everything will run smoothly, but then, when has it dohat retly?”

  “Amen to that.” Aliyah muttered. “Amen to that...”

  *********

  The journey on the bullet train to Kyoto had been smooth and pleasant. We had ended up with nearly aire carriage in the green car, and the time had passed with a mixture of catg up, socialising, people getting to know each other and some pnning as well. Chiyo-san was intending on doing the rounds with all three fas, since she olitically ral but iial, and the pn was te for me to meet those willing to listen.

  Kikuchi-san and his daughter would o meet their fellows in Amaterasu fa, and while they were g influence, being a tiny shrine in a shitty part of greater Tokyo, with him being a didate this was his ce to ge that.

  Kana and her family were going to sit out their own initial fa gathering, leaving it to Hikawa-san, as they had their kami present, which was a trump card we were keeping to ourselves. The jade beetle would not be apanying Kikuchi-san, as it was too early to reveal that to Amaterasu fa, who were potentially gest stumbling block to cooperation.

  My family had spent the trip with Shaeu and Hyath, getting to know my woman, and I felt embarrassed as my mother squealed and fussed over her. Damn, I wish she’d act her age…

  That left me with Eri and Kana oher side of me, and the atmosphere was… iing. I remember Eri asking Kana if she was ied in me. Don’t get me wrong, I think Kana likes me, but just as an older brother. She’s too prideful to accept sharing, she’s made that pin. Still, as I looked at Kana, I did admire her beauty, as well as her unfling selfishness. She was always true to herself, even if that did ruffle some people the wrong way.

  Of course, my wandering attention stimuted Eri,. Who became very affeate, and she spent a good portion of the trip kissing and cuddling with me, which led to a lot of gentle mockery from my sis and the irls. Still, as the train pulled into Kyoto station, we could see the whole of historic Kyoto. My sis was thrilled, as expected, and she also embarrassed me with her antics. Like mother, like daughter I guess… Still, the thought was a fond one.

  “All right. Hinata should have sorted out a minibus to take us to the docks where we catch the boat to our ryokan. Now I know Kyoto is beautiful and iing, but we’ll have time to gawk ter. First, let’s get bad get set up at our lodgings. Then we might have some time before I have my first meetings.”

  “Roger that!” My sis decred, grabbing a case. When I raised my eyebrow, she grinned.

  “My Olympic recurve bow you got me, bro. Damn, hope I don’t here in Kyoto, but I’m taking no ces.”

  “Hey, I like her more and more…” Aliyah smiled, realising she was carrying a on.

  “Well I don’t like you, so back off.” My sis shot ba English.

  “The air here isss thick with ssspiritual power.” Shirohebi said suddenly, and the jade beetle kami curred. It was then Shaeu added her own agreement.

  “Yes, there is power here, definitely.” Her eyes glowed. “And a familiar taste-taste to the air. The Night Parade is here. I feel-feel them. And much more besides.” Her hand sought mine and I squeezed it gently. Yes. More besides. I feel Territories affeg the Material. And not just one or two, but at least a few close to us here.

  “Grul says we will crush them if they cross us.” the bald-headed yet oddly handsome brute reassured her, and Hyath chimed in as well.

  “It shall not-not e to that, I hope. But if it does… well, those foolish cats perished, did they not-not? Any who cross us shall meet the same end.”

  Feeling a sting in my head, I grinned. “Sure. Now, I think that’s our bus. Hmm. There sure are a lot of shrine maidens and priests about.” The station was bustling with them, and we were drawing attention as well.

  “Well, with nearly two and a half thousand shrines, and everyone wishing to attend, I expect there will be upwards of twenty thousand faces here for cve, many of them priests and maidens. Though only a few will be eligible to attend the major meetings and the cve itself.” Chiyo-san said, ushering her granddaughters into the bus, where they went with long suffering sighs.

  “Oh, look, look! A cake store!” Keomi- pointed. “ we get some for the ride? I love cake!”

  “Fihen.” I shook my head. “Get enough for everyone, and also some fifts. That reminds me…” handing my father and uncle some money, I told them to buy a load of spirits and other alcohol. I might as well be prepared…

  *********

  “Well, this is worth the money.” I remarked as we reached our ryokan, after a delightful cruise dowsura river to the outskirts of Kyoto, where there were plentiful natural hot springs and other delights. As we were greeted by a pair of impeccably-dressed women wearing yukata, mother and daughter by the looks of it, I returheir greetings politely.

  “Let us show you to your rooms.” The mother said, while the daughter marshalled several other staffers to take s.

  “This is so coht Kana-, Marika-?” Keomi- giggled, her face still somehow smeared with cake.

  “I must admit to being impressed.” Marika-san’s mother said. “I had worried my daughter was being treated poorly. I still don’t get just what is so special about all this shrine business, but… it obviously matters.”

  “Yes, we don’t get it either.” My mom said. “But we know Aki is doing his best, so cheer up. Us girls from Nishimorioka have to stick together!”

  As my mother worked her charm, we entered. We were shown to a pair e rooms, one for males and one for females, both richly appointed, with futons already id out, along with yukata and other clothing to wear around the ryokan, and a te breakfast spread, full of fresh fish, meat and other delicacies.

  “And this is your private room.” The hostess said to me, showing me a rather ni with its own private open-air area with outdoor bathing and terrace. Four futons were already id out. isn’t that I mind sharing with the guys, but…

  “Wow. No fair bro, that room is killer.” My sis said, turning to Eri and Shaeu. “I get that you want to get all cosy with my bro, the maid too, no doubt.” Hyath that. “Well, that’s fine, but…” my sis tinued. “This is like a holiday, so you have to spend at least a couple of nights in the unal room. Like a giant school trip sleepover! I won’t take no for an answer, all right?”

  “Fine.” Eri ughed, in good humour. “I won’t abandon you, Aiko.”

  “This will be great.” Aliyah rubbed her hands, only for my sis to deny her.

  “No way! You sleep with the guys. Or even in my bro’s room. No way I trust you with us!”

  “Oh e on, your bastard brother… err, my employer… would kill me if I tried anything. I don’t have a damh wish…” she looked at her brother, but Trey raised his hands in surrender.

  “I ain’t toug this oh a ten foot pole, you are on your own!”

  As she howled irayal, I ughed. “All right then. Everyo your stuff put away, then we might as well eat. We have a busy weekend ahead of us, so we should all rex while we !”

  “Sounds good to me. e on, my son is paying for all this, so we might as well enjoy it.” my mom said, and at that everyone burst into a, stowing bags aing ged…

  ShipTeaser