EPISODE 3

LET’S INTERRUPT THE FORMAL MATCHMAKING SESSION!

“You’ve grown quite skilled,” Sasara called with a cheerful nod, finishing off the last training session before the fateful meeting.

Her face was flushed from practice, and her damp hair was somehow alluring.

“Yeah, I’d be really disappointed if I didn’t improve after all that.”

On the other hand, Ryouta was exhausted, on all fours on the tatami. He wouldn’t be able to stand for a while.

“You have a knack for swordplay. If you continue, I am certain you will grow to be an excellent fighter in the future. I guarantee it.”

Sasara’s voice was bright.

Maybe she was thinking of him as her apprentice. There was no greater honor for a coach than to see someone under their guidance grow.

“But”—her expression immediately clouded over—“it’s almost impossible for you to win against Masatsuna Toraha. Imagine a praying mantis versus a car. A mantis can have all the fighting spirit it wants; the car will simply flatten it.”

“Yeah, I guess a superficial crash course wouldn’t do anything…” He had been ready for this, but he still hated hearing the truth so plainly.

“But, Sasara, it’s not like we don’t have a chance. I’ll do everything in my power.”

If he bowed out now, she would be destined for a future she didn’t want.

For a noble, it was difficult to choose a marriage partner with total freedom, but if Sasara hadn’t accepted her fate, he couldn’t do so easily either.

“Shiren was the same. She had just accepted her lot and decided she wasn’t going to change. But if you give it a shot, you might be surprised at the results. I’m sure you—”

“I appreciate the sentiment,” Sasara replied with a kind smile. “There is a chance. But I will not force you to risk your life for a slim possibility. I will not be destroyed, after all.”

“But you can’t give up just yet. We still have time.”

“I have said nothing about giving up.” She quietly balled her right hand into a fist. “I will use our final option,” she said solemnly.

“What is that option anyway? Don’t do anything that would hurt yourself.” From the way she was refusing to tell him, Ryouta naturally imagined the worst.

“No need to worry. I’m sure it will be fine.”

“It’s making me really nervous… But it is just a day away, so I’ll wait.”

If he knew ahead of time, he might start overthinking and ruin everything. That was likely why she was keeping him in the dark; it wouldn’t be wise to worry him at this point.

“Well, I must return the key and start on other work. I shall be returning home now.”

“Sure, see you tomorrow.”

They parted ways, and Ryouta trudged home.

He was nervous, but they weren’t completely out of ideas, so this wasn’t a lost cause.

“She hasn’t said she’s given up, at least. It does kind of bother me that she won’t tell me what it’s all about though—”

His cell phone rang.

It was Alfoncina.

“Oh, Ryouta, is your practice finished? I want you to drop by the cathedral on your way home. I promise I won’t do anything weird~.”

“When you have to tell me you won’t do anything weird…”

“I made too much boiled taro, so I’ll give you some to take home. Come on over~.”

“All right. I’ll drop by.”

When he got to the cathedral, he dropped five sacred yen into the donation box.

Alfoncina didn’t typically appear unless one made a donation.

…

But this time she didn’t appear at all.

“Huh, she should be in. Don’t tell me…”

This time, he put in one hundred sacred yen.

No response.

“Huh, maybe she suddenly had an errand come up… Wait, no way…”

This time, he put in five hundred sacred yen.

Wham! The door to the main shrine flung open.

“Hi there, Ryouta! Come on in!”

“I shouldn’t have to pay money when you ask me to come here!”

“Oh, no need to be so harsh. Only one coin is a small price to pay for what you’re about to get~.”

“That was not one coin! This cost me six hundred and ten sacred yen!”

“No need to be harsh~. This could easily cost thirty thousand sacred yen~.”

“Wh-what are you going to do…?” Ryouta tensed slightly. “You’re not going to take me somewhere and try to bite me, are you…?”

“No need to worry. I am serious today. See? I’m dressed differently.”

Once she mentioned it, Ryouta realized her clothes were much fancier than her normal archbishop ones, and heavily accessorized.

“No sexy plans. I am not lying today.”

“Today, huh? You could stop lying every other day, too!”

“Come in, now, and please sit down in the center here~.”

A single cushion sat in the middle of the grand cathedral hall.

Right in front of it was a grandiose altar. The space was meant for rituals, by his guess.

Ryouta did as he was told and sat. “Okay, but what are you—?”

“Here we go!”

Alfoncina took a deep breath.

“Why are you singing in tongues?! Are you contacting aliens or something?!”

Alfoncina’s melody was very strange indeed.

She started dancing in circles around Ryouta, waving a staff decorated with pleated streams of paper, like what a Shinto priest at a shrine would use.

“This might be the creepiest thing I’ve ever seen! Is this some recent trend or something?!”

“Shut up,” Alfoncina said to him, her face more terrifying than any she’d ever made in front of him before. Her voice was filled with the dignity of an elder. She wasn’t playing around. “This won’t take long, so sit still.”

“O-okay… I’m sorry…”

—The weird song went on for five minutes.

Alfoncina froze in a sort of pose.

“I’m done. Huff, puff… Whenever I do this, I lose about two pounds… Maybe I’ll put some mayonnaise on my lunch today…”

Alfoncina limply slumped to the floor, but her legs folded beneath her in an almost coquettish way.

“Was it really that much work? That was a long dance… Good job…”

“You should now have the Goddess of Blood’s protection, Ryouta.” Alfoncina’s expression immediately brightened.

“What was that, anyway…?”

It didn’t seem like a joke, but he still didn’t understand what exactly had happened.

“I was praying for you, Ryouta. You seem to be in some danger this time~.”

“Danger? What do you—?”

“You’ve crossed many dangerous bridges so far, Ryouta. You’ve always been lucky in the end, but you never know when your luck will run out.”

“Uh-oh, this sounds way more serious than I imagined!”

She came to sit beside Ryouta and stared at him. “This is because you’re greedy, Ryouta.”

“Greedy? I don’t think I want a lot of stuff…?”

“You can only share the burdens of so many people in life. You’d be all right just with Shiren, but when you add Ouka and Tamaki, the weight may become too much to bear. And now Sasara. Don’t you think you’re approaching your limit?”

“Burdens? I’m just helping out my classmates… I don’t really have other motives…”

“Yes. It’s most dangerous when you’re unaware. To be honest, I had no idea we would reach this point.”

Alfoncina appeared to be treating Ryouta as a big problem.

“But I did all I can. There is no more I can do for you as the archbishop.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry to have caused you all this trouble…”

“Well, besides the more erotic things.”

“No, thank you! Seriously!”

Alfoncina had bit him once, almost turning him into her minion, which would have prevented him from going home forever. Alfoncina was serious when it came to this.

“I’ll leave the rest of the prayers to Kiyomizu~.”

“What? Kiyomizu?”

The next moment, someone hugged him from behind.

“Ryouta, dearest! You keep making bad connections lately! I’m the only one you need!”

“Oh, Kiyomizu. Could you just let me—?”

“You will most certainly find yourself in danger, Ryouta dearest! Which means I will purify you with my sutras! I will use the Kannon Sutra that is a part of the Lotus Sutra!

“You’re way serious about this! You’re not joking, are you?!”

“Of course! I will always genuinely love you, Ryouta dearest! I want you to understand that in this life, and not end up in nirvana!”

After hearing several of Kiyomizu’s sutras, Ryouta went home.

“I’m back~. I’ll start making dinner right away, so just hang on.”

“Ugh! Ryouta, you reek of incense… What happened?” Shiren immediately asked. “Did you go to somebody’s funeral…?”

“Could you stop inviting bad luck talking about these things?”

The people at the cathedral had been really worried about him, which in turn had shaken his confidence even further.

Kiyomizu had told him the sutra was a blessing to get him out of most trouble—which meant both she and Alfoncina were assuming that trouble was on the way. Did they have some kind of clairvoyant abilities…?

I hope I’ll be okay tomorrow… I hope nothing happens… Well, those prayers were to protect me, so I should be fine…

Shiren closed the manga she was reading and then took Ryouta’s hand.

“Wh-what is it, Shiren?”

“Ryouta, let me just say one thing about the meeting tomorrow.”

“O-okay… I’ll make sure not to die…”

“Obviously; don’t invite more trouble… I just don’t want you to forget…” Shiren’s grip tightened around his hand.

“Forget what?”

“That you’re my minion. Don’t go marrying other girls without my permission.”

“Well, of course not. The whole point is to ruin Sasara’s meeting. I’m not going there to marry her… If she ended up marrying me instead of her cousin, we’d be right back where we started.”

“That’s fine. You do tend to throw yourself into danger without a second thought when you see someone in trouble, though… I admire your servile spirit, but it shouldn’t be too much…”

“I know. I’ll be fine,” Ryouta promised, meeting Shiren’s eyes directly.

His only intention was to give his master some peace of mind. Still, this is kind of embarrassing… We’re even holding hands…

“Yes. I believe you, Ryouta.” Shiren answered her minion with a smile of trust. And then her face flushed red. “So…to seal it in stone…could you let me drink a little— No, never mind!” Shiren shook her head. “I can’t do that. It is shameful for a master to test her minion. I have to trust you!”

“Uh…Shiren, is something wrong?” Ryouta could tell there was.

“Don’t worry about it! Go crash the matchmaking meeting! Y-you should go to bed early so you’re ready for tomorrow! I’m not going to bite you in the morning, either!”

“Thanks…”

Her consideration only made Ryouta more uneasy.

I really hope nothing happens tomorrow…

Then came the day of the meeting.

Ryouta was in the Nine-to-Eleven convenience store, where he would be meeting Sasara.

He’d never been to her house before, so he wasn’t exactly sure where it was. Or maybe she lived somewhere in the castle?

He was dressed differently from his usual—a morning suit with his sword at his waist. He’d decided to dress up, in case a T-shirt was uncouth, and equipped himself in case he did need to fight. And also to convince everyone that he was also in the emperor’s personal guard.

“Sasara still hasn’t showed up. I’m sorry, Shijou. I’ll still be waiting here for a bit,” he said to Tamaki, who was working as the store clerk.

“Of course. You’re free to make yourself at home, Ryouta. You may pick your nose and I will say nothing at all.”

“I’m not gonna do that.”

“You may even take a look at the adult-only stand.”

“I really don’t need preferential treatment!”

“But all the pornography is taped shut, so you can’t read it anyway, right?”

“I don’t know anything about that at all! I don’t even know what to say to that! I’ll read magazines for kids my age or whatever instead!”

“Oh, are you more turned on by the fan service in teen comics?”

“Can we stop talking about this?! I shouldn’t be reading them for free anyway, so I’ll go look at the snacks!” And in the snack aisle he found a familiar face.

“You buying something?”

“Oh, hey, Kokoko. Nice to see you actually working.”

The bunny-eared girl came to stand beside him. Despite the shape of her ears, her name meant fox-fox-girl, and she was the daughter of a god enshrined in one of the mountains in the Empire. She used to shoplift from the Nine-to-Eleven, and now she was employed there.

“I’m not sure. Do you recommend anything?”

“These The-Ramen-Shop-Everyone-Lines-Up-For–flavored chips are pretty good. Crunch, crunch.”

“Ramen shop flavor? What kind of ramen? Crunch, crunch. Hey, these are pretty tasty.”

“Right? Crunch, crunch. I like the 9 Little Chocolates, too. Nine balls of chocolate in a compact—perfect for short trips. Nom. Try one.”

“Nom. Yeah—sweet, but not too sweet. I think they’d be great to take along on the Shinkansen. Oh, but you don’t have the Shinkansen in this country— Huh?”

It was just now that Ryouta realized that she’d taken the chips and chocolate from the shelves.

“Hey! You opened them before paying for them!”

“This plum gum wakes you right up, too. Chew, chew.”

“You’re opening them all! Are you allowed to give out free samples?!”

All the snacks around him had been opened, like at a club meeting when no one wanted to do anything.

“Kokoko, please do not open the goods! I have a snack for you!” Tamaki cried from the counter.

“You just don’t understand. I like it best when I eat what I want, when I want. I’m thirsty now, so I’m gonna grab a drink.”

“Wait, wait.”

Before she could add another crime to her rap sheet, Ryouta grabbed her ears. Bunny ears were extremely convenient for grabbing.

“Let me go! My ears are not handles!” She wriggled in protest, but she wasn’t strong enough to wriggle away.

“Listen. The reason you’re working at this store at all is because you caused them problems. Take this seriously. You may have bunny ears, but you still have to follow human rules.”

“No! I’m a fox! I’m not a bunny! You’re making me hopping mad!”

“Don’t make bunny puns! It sounds really forced!”

“Waaah! Why won’t you accept that I’m a fox?!” Kokoko burst into tears.

Since she was a kid, once the floodgates were open, they wouldn’t be stopping anytime soon. Ryouta was beginning to suspect he should have left well enough alone.

“C’mon, this isn’t something to cry over…”

Deciding he shouldn’t keep her restrained while she was crying, he let her go.

Kokoko rushed straight toward Tamaki. “Sis Tamaki, he’s bullying me!” she cried, hugging Tamaki tightly.

“No, I wasn’t bullying—”

“He’s a bully! He told me that abura-age is just made from the dregs of the tofu-making process and that it’s a crappy thing to eat!”

“One, that’s a really rude thing to say, and two, I didn’t even say it!”

“Listen, there’s a restaurant in Sakai, Fukui that offers abura-age steak! The highest quality abura-age has the rich umami that comes from soybeans and an irresistibly crisp texture, and it’s really good if you put some grated daikon and a special sauce just for the steak on top! There’s also something called a fox burger in Toyokawa, Aichi, which is renowned for its inari-zushi and Toyokawa inari—”

“Okay, okay, I get it, you love abura-age, enough with the trivia!”

Her depth of knowledge in the fried tofu dish only emphasized her identity as a fox.

“Oh my. But you are at fault here, too, Kokoko, so you need to think about what you did,” Tamaki warned her.

“But according to the teachings of monks Hounen and Shinran, even the worst people can be saved by praying to Amida Buddha! So I’m fine the way I am!”

“Agh! She acts like a kid, but she knows just enough to be weirdly difficult!”

“Some consider the belief that doing good things alone will give you salvation to be like testing the gods and Buddha, even a form of blasphemy, so I think just mindlessly praying to be saved is way better!”

“Don’t tell me you’re just pretending to be a kid and you’re actually super-duper wise? I really don’t understand your character!”

She did have divine blood in her, so maybe she had a longer life span. Maybe she even had some omnipotence or omniscience. But Ryouta had only seen her a few times, so he wasn’t sure about that.

“But please do try not to do it again, Kokoko.” Tamaki gently patted Kokoko’s head.

“Okay, Sis Tamaki… I’m sorry.”

She seemed attached to Tamaki. And Tamaki was a good big sister.

“Business has been doing a bit better since Kokoko came, and it’s been fun.”

“I’m glad to hear that. You kept talking about how the store was about to go under.”

“Yes. Simply talking about the hardship doesn’t change anything—I read that in a self-help book once. Instead, you can invite happiness by talking about how happy you already are. That’s why no matter how bad things get, I can avoid the pain just by insisting that I am not in pain. I will be happy if I insist that I am happy. I am happy. I am happy!”

“I…don’t think that’s right, but I dunno…”

But he couldn’t reject her happiness, so he ignored her. He turned the topic back to Kokoko.

“If business is doing well, then you must really be a god, Kokoko. You brought in good luck.”

“Sure am. I’m super important, so be nicer to me. I don’t have power over luck, but I can generally tell if someone is going to be happy or not in the future. I’m making sure Sis Tamaki won’t be too unhappy.”

“Huh, that’s an interesting power.”

“So listen, Sis Tamaki.” Kokoko pointed at Ryouta. “Don’t get close to him. His unhappiness will rub off on you,” she declared.

“What? Why, Ryouta? He should be much happier than me!”

“Yeah, that’s right! Don’t be rude!” Ryouta added.

“Indeed… You could not acknowledge the possibility you would ever be unhappier than me… No person could ever find more woe than a girl like me…”

“No, Shijou, that’s not what I mean! I just got mad when she acted like I was contagious…”

Conversations got complicated whenever Tamaki was around.

“Kokoko… I bet you still hold a grudge, don’t you?”

“I’m not lying. This guy’s going to get neck-deep in some major misfortune. He might even get himself killed. It’s probably best you don’t associate with him.”

“Y’know, there are some things you shouldn’t say…” But Ryouta was stumbling over his words—he knew what she was talking about.

Alfoncina and Kiyomizu were super worried about me… Just give me a break…

The entrance chime sounded.

“I am sorry I’m late, Ryouta Fuyukura.” Sasara entered the store.

“Oh, morning, Sasara. Let’s get goi—”

Ryouta’s eyes widened.

Sasara was wearing a frilly dress that was no embarrassment at all, perfectly fitting for a noble young lady.

Where do they sell clothes like these? It looks like a stage costume…and yet it’s scarily perfect on her.

You would never guess she was a swordswoman at all. Right now, she was a well-bred young noblewoman. It was almost impossible for him to think that she’d ever lifted anything heavier than a fork in her life…

“Why have you fallen silent? Is my dress so bizarre?”

“N-no, that’s not it at all…”

Even Tamaki and Kokoko were enraptured by the sight.

So this is what noble blood is like… Those clothes look so good on her, like she was born to wear them…

“Shall we be going, then? I have the car waiting in the parking lot.”

“The car? You don’t have a license, do you?”

Sasara gawked at him. “Why would I drive? I have a chauffeur. They are nice to have, so I suggest you hire one for your household.”

“Spoken like one who has no idea about the Fuyukura finances…”

“Ahh, a personal chauffeur…,” Tamaki cooed. “That is what makes the rich different from everyone else. It’s beyond my means to even imagine such a thing. I should embrace my fate as a convenience store clerk and the joys that life brings. I shouldn’t be hoping for any more than that…”

“Sis Tamaki, these snacks are great. You can find happiness just by eating something yummy. Cheer up.”

It was Kokoko who ended up comforting her despondent coworker.

“Have I done something wrong…? Anyway, we must go. Farewell, Shijou.”

“Oh yeah, we need to go! See ya later, you two!”

In the parking lot was a black car that was probably way more expensive than Ryouta could ever imagine.

“I was originally thinking about sending the car to your house, but you live on castle grounds. Even if it’s only the gardens, it would still be disrespectful to send a car in.”

“Oh, yeah, I guess so…”

As the chauffeur drove smoothly along, Ryouta took in the scenery outside and inside the car. This wasn’t just a luxury vehicle; it was an expression for a noble’s peculiar interests. The thing was covered with custom designs—maybe rococo or something.

“We’re going to a noble manor…”

Even though Ouka had once given him a tour of the castle, he felt a different kind of nervousness.

“No need to be so tense. Bloodlines do matter to my family, but I doubt they will discriminate against you simply because you are a commoner. More importantly, you are one of the emperor’s personal guard, which legally makes you a noble.”

“Most real nobles probably wouldn’t want to acknowledge a noble by technicality, though…”

He would need to project confidence, he knew, but he still couldn’t find peace of mind.

“By the way, is the Toraha family a branch of the Tatsunami family or something?” Ryouta still wasn’t sure what kind of position her cousin held.

“No. They were originally an independent family, until my father’s younger sister—my aunt—married into the Torahas. A good majority of the noble families moved here after the Empire was established, but the Toraha family has lived here for generations.”

“I see. So now that your cousin’s really strong, he has to get married?”

“He will be treated as a groom marrying into my family. The Toraha family has plenty of boys, so they are not concerned with succession. They are fully capable of protecting their family line.”

This was a very “blue blood” kind of conversation, which made Ryouta feel small.

The car continued north and out of the downtown area, and the view changed into something more pastoral. They then turned west and entered the mountains.

“Wait, you’re coming to school from all the way out here…? We’re already more than three miles away from the castle…”

“Yes, and that’s nothing in a car.”

“But should one of the emperor’s personal guard live so far away?”

“I stay in the castle on days I have night duty, but it is not wartime. I commute from my territory.”

“Wow, your ‘territory’… I feel like I’m back in the old times…” Finally, a large mansion at the top of a small hill came into view. “That’s more of a castle than a manor.”

“Indeed. It is built to be safe and defensible if the time calls for it.”

The car stopped just inside the large gate, before what Ryouta assumed was the main building. Before they could enter, however, a gentleman with a magnificent beard and a kind-looking woman came out to greet them.

“Ah, so you are the candidate,” said the man.

“My, thank you for coming out all this way,” said the woman, who reminded Ryouta of Sasara.

“This is my father Maxwell, and my mother Elsa.”

“Oh, hello,” said Ryouta. “I’m honored to be a classmate of Tatsunami’s.”

Ryouta hurriedly bowed to them. He was easily flustered in these situations; his only experience with nobility was Sasara and Ouka, and they barely counted.

“No need to humble yourself. This is all to see if you are stronger than the man we’ve arranged. That is all.”

Whoa, so strength really is all that matters here…

Even though he wore the sword that Ouka had given him to display his noble status, he was still unsettled by the idea of fighting with it. This was a real sword, so winning would mean wounding his opponent.

“Then I shall be going into the manor. Ry…Ryouta, please go ahead to the meeting spot…”

“Y-you called me—? Oh, right…”

The sudden shift to his first name left him taken aback, but she couldn’t exactly call the man she supposedly wanted by his full name.

I bet she really hates this… Her face is all red… She must be so embarrassed…

He couldn’t just keep staring at her face, so he quickly made his way to the annex, which was a Japanese-style building with a tiled roof.

Inside, there was a long table sitting in the tatami room.

“I guess the matchmaking meeting is going to be Japanese-style. The Sacred Blood sure like to mix cultu—”

“Who’re you?” someone asked warily.

Ryouta saw a boy with a sharp gaze, sitting there alone. His hair was long, definitely long enough to tie back. He seemed to be just a bit younger than Ryouta.

Wait, did Sasara have a younger brother…? She’s never mentioned him.

The boy also had a katana sheath sitting on his belt.

“You’re not…Toraha, are you?”

“I am indeed Masatsuna Toraha. Who are you? My apologies, I’m about to have a matchmaking meeting here, so could you leave?”

“No, Sasara told me to come here…” After all, if a member of the family wanted him to be here, there should be no problem, right?

“What?! What?! How rude of you!!!!!” Toraha took several steps back with a look of extreme shock, as if he’d just stumbled across a murder.

“Rude? About what? Oh, you’re a noble, right? I’m Ryouta Fuyukura, the lowest of lowest nobles.”

“No, I don’t care about that! How dare you address Lady Sasara by her first name?! And without her proper title, no less?!”

“Oh, right. She’s my classmate… Wait, let me correct myself. Lady Sasara’s my classmate.”

“You call her by her first name simply because she is your classmate…?”

“Ah, you’ve got a point… Uh, Lady Tatsunami is my classmate. Ugh, that doesn’t feel right…”

“Honestly, children these days… I cannot believe this…”

“I’m pretty sure we’re the same age.”

If anything, Ryouta was getting the impression this kid was one or two years younger than him.

“When I was a child, the rule was that once children reached seven years of age, boys and girls were no longer permitted to sit with one another. The boys were on the right side, and girls were on the left. We were not allowed to play with each other.”

“Hold on! What year is this?!”

“It was such hard work fetching water from the well in winter, splitting firewood…”

“When were you born?!”

“But the fried potatoes we would eat by the brazier were delicious. The snacks of long ago were all potatoes.”

“Who cares about the era—your past doesn’t sound noble at all!”

He couldn’t imagine a noble family living like that.

“The virtues of the Toraha family are austerity and fortitude. Plus, status and money are separate things.”

“Now that you mention it, you’re right.”

“We do have our fair share of assets, but the majority of it is land. Mountains and forests alone do not bring money. Yet it is the inheritance of our forebears, a precious gift, so we have no intention of letting it go.”

So despite their status, they weren’t exactly loaded with cash.

Ryouta’s phone beeped.

Just Kiyomizu. Ryouta deleted it immediately.

“Better put my phone on silent. I don’t want it ringing during the meeting.”

“Aaaaaagh! What is that?!?!?!?!” Toraha pulled back.

“Hmm? What are you so scared of?”

“Is that a m-m-m-mobile, portable telephone?!”

“I’ve never heard it called that before. You can just call it a cell phone.”

“A-are you not scared of using something so high-tech…?”

“No? What’s to be afraid of?”

So not only was Toraha’s lifestyle a few centuries out of date, but so was his understanding of technology.

“Kids these days have so much right at their fingertips like personal computers and televisions. How fun it must be to have all that…”

“I just said, you’re a kid, too! We’re the same generation!”

“But we finally have a lay-ser desk at home!”

Was he trying to say LaserDisc? “I’m pretty sure they don’t produce LDs anymore. And don’t you have a TV?”

“All we had to play with in my day was milk caps. Everyone got together outside the corner candy store to play.”

Ryouta decided he wasn’t going to complain anymore. This was all tiring him out…

“Well, forget about my memories. I need to live in the future.” Toraha’s face tensed. He was a good-looking guy, despite the quirks, and there was an air about him that Ryouta would expect from a powerful swordsman.

Some prominent athletes projected a level of maturity that made them seem much older than they actually were, and Toraha reminded Ryouta of them. The amount of experience he had was on a different level from the other people his age.

“I will be having a matchmaking meeting with my cousin Lady Sasara soon. My future wife may be chosen today. That is all I want to focus on.”

Hmm, maybe I shouldn’t say this for Sasara’s sake, but they do make a good match…

They were both good-looking, and even if he was a little weird, Toraha appeared to be a decent person.

But Sasara was not happy with this, and so they had to do something about it. Nobody should be forced into a wedding just because the guy was good-looking.

“By the way, why are you even here in—?”

“I am sorry to have kept you waiting.” Sasara slowly entered the room, followed by her mother and father.

It was less of a marriage meeting and more of a husband screening for the Tatsunami family.

“It has been quite a long while, Masatsuna. I cannot believe we would meet again in a situation such as—”

“Aaaaaah!” Toraha suddenly dove under the table.

Ryouta thought for a second there was an earthquake, but Toraha was just shaking. And not from the excitement of battle, either.

“Hey, what are you so scared of?!”

“I’m terrified…to see Lady Sasara’s beautiful face with my own eyes…”

That was quite a reason.

“You’re not looking into the sun or anything. You’re fine.”

“Imbecile! Do you understand what a foolish thing it is you’ve said?! Do no thoughts pass through your mind when you gaze upon Lady Sasara?! The goddess of beauty stands right there!”

“Okay, but it’s still weird that you’re under the table.”

“Even her dress is magnificent. What fashion sense! A vivaciousness befitting a young lady!”

“Literally nobody your age talks like this.”

“Um… Masatsuna, I am not going to do anything, so please get out from under the table.”

Ryouta wasn’t surprised to hear the disgust in Sasara’s voice.

“O-oh, all right…” Toraha finally emerged from under the table, but he still couldn’t look right at Sasara. “Ohhh… Lady Sasara is so beautiful, I am terrified to look at her… We may be no more than cousins, but it is the highest honor to have a matchmaking meeting…to possibly marry her in the future… I am so happy I may pass from this earthly realm at any moment…”

His reaction kind of reminds me of how Sasara acts toward Ouka…

One thing he knew: Toraha was totally smitten with her.

“Ha-ha-ha, you haven’t changed at all, Masatsuna.”

“Indeed. How happy Sasara must be.”

Sasara’s parents seemed to treat this like a normal heartwarming scene, but Ryouta was cringing at the melodrama.

“Now, you two, we will begin the meeting. You may already know each other well, but…” Sasara’s dad was getting ready to move the meeting along.

“You are the only representative of the Toraha family here, Masatsuna, and this does not feel very formal at all. I have a general idea of who you are,” said Sasara.

“I know you are not very enthusiastic about this, Sasara, which is why you brought this boy, didn’t you?” her father replied knowingly. “I have heard that Fuyukura is a member of the emperor’s personal guard. If you wanted to call off this meeting, it was not a bad card to play.”

“I see you have me figured out. You are correct…”

“But what we need in the heir of the Tatsunami family is this,” Sasara’s dad flexed. “So if you can prove to us that you are stronger than Masatsuna, then so much the better. And, Masatsuna, you will gracefully stand down if you lose. Do you understand?”

“I see, so that’s why you’ve come.” Toraha seemed to be satisfied with this answer. “But if I stand down, my wedding with Lady Sasara would never happen… No, I am painfully aware that Lady Sasara and I are nothing alike. We are the sun and dust—I would be able to process my loss. It wouldn’t bother me at all. Yes, I know all of this already. Oh no, my eyes are sweating.”

Yeah, he and Sasara are way alike…, Ryouta thought. It ran in the family.

“But I have no objections to settling this with a match,” Toraha said, his voice powerful. “Weak men have no right to be Lady Sasara’s groom. I would not lose anyway.”

Well, well… I guess that makes sense, thinking about experience.

Toraha turned to glare right at Ryouta. “I have fought the perils of the Dark Martial Arts Tournament and the Door to the Samurai World and the Samurai World Unification tournaments. You are nothing.”

“You really did fight in those!”

The names were outlandish, but apparently those were real tournaments he’d fought in.

“I’m ready. All miscreants who dare approach Lady Sasara will fall by my sword.” Toraha placed a hand at his sheath, ready to draw at any moment.

“Oh, Masatsuna, I’m not going to ask you to go easy on him, but make sure not to hurt Sasara’s classmate too badly. We’re glad he even came out here for her sake. We had believed Sasara was moaning about Ouka at school, too, and that she didn’t have any friends.”

“Oh, she does moa— I mean, nothing.”

It was a nice thing to hear from Sasara’s dad, but he didn’t seem to think a novice like Ryouta could win.

“I know. Bullying the weak is not a warrior’s way. But he will be using a real sword, too. I cannot tell the future, but I may end up hurting him badly.”

Nothing for it, but to do it. Ryouta made up his mind.

“If my friend doesn’t want to get married, I’m obligated to put a stop to it.” Ryouta placed a hand on his sword.

“F-friend…?!” Sasara screeched.

“Well, yeah… That’s what I thought we were…” Ryouta was flustered; why did she react so strongly to that?

Maybe she hated even being called his friend. Given how much danger he was putting himself in, that was a little disheartening.

“Pardon me… I have never heard anyone say that out loud about me before…”

“I mean, probably not… I’d be super weirded out if someone came up to me every day to say that we’re friends.”

Toraha exited to the garden, still barefoot. It seemed he was that kind of person. “Come. We will settle this in ten seconds.”

No way but forward. If Ryouta backed out now, he’d never be able to show his face to anyone ever again.

“All right. We’ll just have to do this fair and square.” Just as Ryouta was about to step down from the veranda—

“I’ll have to use the final option.”

He could just barely hear Sasara’s words.

That’s right, she had something else prepared for this. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he appreciated any help he could get.

“Mother! Father! Please listen!” Sasara proclaimed, her voice strained. “There was never any need for this meeting or for this match. It is all too late anyway.”

“Hmm? Too late? What do you mean by that, Sasara?” her father asked.

Ryouta couldn’t exactly ignore that, either.

Don’t tell me she’s terminally ill with months to live or something…

“I have sucked Ryouta’s blood! Our relationship has already been consummated!”

Something exploded; Ryouta could feel it.

He wondered if this is what it felt like when Pandora’s box was opened. This was most certainly the final option. He had no idea the air would change so drastically.

Thunk-pdunk went Toraha’s sword as it slipped from his hand. “K-kids these days…”

He had nothing else to say, apparently. He’d basically been reduced to ash.

“What?! What is the meaning of this, Sasara?! How could you do such a thing without telling us!”

Sasara’s dad was furious. Even if Toraha didn’t kill Ryouta, Sasara’s dad might finish the job instead…

“There is a reason for this! Mother, Father, do you remember when I was seriously injured?”

“Yes, of course.”

“That was such a shock…”

“Back then, I took Ryouta’s blood and escaped death. Had he not been there, I most certainly would not be standing before you now.”

What Sasara said was basically the truth, so there was nothing he could say.

“R-Ryouta…thank you for what you did then.” She clung to his arm like a child declaring something was hers.

“H-hey… That’s too much…”

Even though this was part of the strategy, he had never expected her to take it this far.

“I know I’ll be in your care…forever…”

“Honey, I don’t think there’s much we can do about this.” Sasara’s mom was giving in.

“You’re right… It’s already happened, so this really isn’t the time to be having this meeting… But, hmm… Hrrrm…”

Sasara’s dad still seemed unconvinced. His beard was wiggling.

“If you don’t agree, then we will have to settle this in battle,” Sasara’s mom coolly declared. “When husband and wife disagree, it is the weaker that obeys the stronger—that is the rule of our family. I shall fetch the katana.”

“Fine, fine! I accept, I accept!”

So Sasara’s mom held more power in their relationship, and she wasn’t afraid to wield it.

“Ahem… Which means that I ask you, Masatsuna, to let Sasara go. I’m certain you’ll find another nice girl out there.”

Toraha immediately burst into tears. The news must’ve really hit hard. “She’s only a high school student… I can’t stand these kids!!”

That was the last thing he said before turning to run away.

“Hey! Where’re your shoes?!”

“I was barefoot when we were playing tag and where’s-the-shoe! I don’t need them!”

“Where’s-the-shoe?! What kind of game is that?!”

Without any further explanation, Toraha left the scene.

I didn’t have to fight after all… But I don’t think this is the end.

The meeting ended without any injuries to Ryouta, but he had a feeling that he was now expected to do something much more dramatic.

“All right. I give you my blessing as Sasara’s fiancé.”

“Thank you… What?!”

“Sasara has never told us of any casual relationships. I doubt you’ve even gone on a date, have you?”

“No, we haven’t…”

“You ought to know each other better. Go out together sometime next week. You’ll be married in the future, after all…”

“Uhhh, well…”

Sasara’s dad placed a hand on Ryouta’s shoulder—and his fingers tightened into a grip.

“You wouldn’t go through all the trouble of making her suck your blood and then back out now, would you? I want you to show her your good faith. That’s all I ask. Can you do that? Of course you can. You will. Capisce?”

“A-all right.” He couldn’t refuse that kind of offer.

“Then next Sunday, shall we go on a d-d-date?” Sasara suggested as she tripped over her words.

“Y-y-y-y-yeah, let’s do that…”

So this was the trade-off for the final option…

Ryouta had fallen into a quagmire, and he was sinking.