Translator: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

  "Although the names are appropriate, overly simple names lack recognition," Seiji commented.

  "That's right, Sister. Apart from an ability's name being descriptive of the power in question, what's even more important is personality," Hisashi added. "It's just like a name brand. Having a cool ability name is a man's romance!"

  "…Then you guys feel free to slowly think of names on your own."

  Kaede turned around and began flapping her wings as she started flying again.

  It felt really nice to be flying. However, she was currently still unfamiliar with the action, and wanted to practice more.

  She flew around slowly in the dojo, and it was evident that she was flying rather clumsily like a young bird just learning how to fly.

  Seiji and Hisashi watched her practice flying.

  Although her flying was rather rigid in her movements, this scene still mysteriously managed to touch them.

  "It's amazing that she's actually able to fly."

  "Yeah. It's such a pity that she can't just fly around outside as she pleases."

  The two of them silently observed the flying blonde beauty for a while.

  In the end, they were unable to come up with names for these new abilities that satisfied them.

  Well, it was only a joke topic to begin with, so they didn't mind so much.

  However, with the fact that Hisashi and Kaede had now become Awakened, Seiji's Knights of the Round Table dating sim creation group now had over half its members as Spiritual Ability users now. That was no joke.

  A Spiritual Ability user faction… was beginning to form in his dating sim group.

  Although Seiji felt that it was cool at first to imagine such a thing, he was now concerned as the group's leader and "king" about things becoming like this in reality.

  There were now a total of six Spiritual Ability users in his dating sim group. Apart from himself and Mika, the other four were all Awakened. And currently, the Awakened had a rather awkward situation in the mystical society.

  Seiji really wanted to be able to protect his friends. However, the things he was capable of were limited. Even though he became a Yin-Yang Master, there would still be situations that were difficult or impossible to deal with.

  He had to become stronger. Or…


  Seiji had an idea.

  He didn't know if it would work or not… should he try it out?

  He kept thinking it over as he returned home to the Uehara apartments.

  It was currently a bit after breakfast, and Reo was in the midst of preparing to go to elementary school.

  Mai called Seiji at this time and informed him that she had already eliminated the pest causing security issues for the elementary school and that he wouldn't have to worry any longer.

  As for what the "pest" she was referring to actually was, and how she "eliminated" it, Mai didn't mention the details… and Seiji felt that it was best not to know.

  Since the problem was taken care of, that meant Reo no longer needed an escort to school. She happily went to her elementary school on her own.

  Seiji gave Shika an explanation of what happened last night. However, he intentionally left out the part about himself being injured so that she wouldn't worry.

  He had already cured himself using his [Beginner-level Healing] magic, and rested for an entire night. He felt that he was fine already. At most, all he needed was a checkup at the hospital a bit later.

  Seiji contemplated the idea he had a while longer before coming to a decision. He made a save file in his system at this point in time, then contacted his younger sister Hana.

  "Your dueling equipment will arrive at Natsuya Yoruhana's residence in two days' time. At that time, try it out, she'll be responsible for making the final adjustments for you." The cat-eared hat girl appeared on his computer screen and greeted him with those words. "All this equipment is merely being loaned to you. Although I doubt that you'll be able to break it, I still need to add on that it's best if you don't break the equipment."

  "Thank you, my dear sister," Seiji gave his sincere thanks.

  "Don't disgust me like that so early in the morning." As always, Hana didn't enjoy such a response.

  "Hana-sama, this humble one has something he would like to discuss with you."

  "…What is it this time?"

  Seiji couldn't help but imagine the cat ears on Hana's hat stiffening in a cute manner as he noticed the cautious tone she spoke in.

  "You know about the Awakened, right? I would like to know what you think of Awakened, as well as what Yui and the entire Haruta Family think of them as well."

  "The Awakened… of course I know about them. Why are you bringing up such a topic? Do you know someone that became an Awakened?" Hana inquired.

  "Yes. I would like to seek protection for them," Seiji told her honestly.

  "Them?"

  "Yes, there's more than one. I feel that with my strength alone that it'll be quite difficult to do a good job protecting all of them."

  The cat-eared hat girl fell silent for a moment.

  "I don't have any particular opinion. However, Sister is paying special attention to the Awakened, and even recruited several as well."

  "Recruited?"

  "Yes, she took in several Awakened as her subordinates, and had them go and visit Spirit Worlds."

  Seiji's gaze sharpened upon hearing this.

  He and Hisashi had once guessed that someone must have taken Zankita to a Spirit World… could it have been Yui…?

  'No, it couldn't have been.' Seiji reflexively denied the possibility.

  "What is she having them do in the Spirit World?" Seiji decided to ask.

  "I don't know the specifics, but there's basically only two things to do in a Spirit World anyways: gathering resources and cultivation."

  "So you mean that Yui is basically raising them?"

  Hana nodded.

  "Sister probably views the Awakened as having excellent potential, which is why she recruited several to raise and train. The Haruta Family as a whole doesn't have a unified view on the Awakened. This is something that she's doing personally. I don't know why Sister seems to favor the Awakened so much. However, since she's spending so much effort on raising them and improving their strength, that means that they're worth her doing so."

  The cat-eared hat girl folded her arms. "If you request Sister to protect your friends, perhaps she'll accept. However, they'll become just like the other Awakened as Sister will be making use of them. Perhaps they'll even become your opponents in the future. Although that type of scene actually seems rather amusing, you don't want things to turn out that way, do you?"

  "Indeed not…" Seiji tried imagining having Hisashi and the others as his opponents, and found himself unwilling to imagine such a scene.

  "That's why you shouldn't do something like asking her to help protect those Awakened you know. Instead, you should copy her, and take in those Awakened as your subordinates, raise them, and take advantage of them!" Hana advised him seriously.

  "…I don't even have the power to protect them. How would I be able to take them in as my subordinates?"

  "You can do it, using your name of Seiji Haruta!"

  "I thought that I was already officially removed from the Haruta Family."

  "That's a private matter that very few know about. And even for those that know about it, they still might not dare to antagonize you, because even if you've been removed from the Haruta Family, you still have Haruta blood in you…" Hana paused for a moment. "Besides, you've already become a Yin-Yang Master, which makes you someone to be reckoned with now. At the very least, the average Spiritual Ability user will no longer be a match for you."

  Seiji fell silent at this.

  "Believe in yourself, oh hero. You're making defeating our sister your goal, but you don't even have the confidence to be able to protect your friends, and you even want to ask the sister you want to defeat for her assistance? Isn't that simply too trash-like?" Hana continued. "You're someone who dared to adventure in a Spirit World with only a wooden sword, as well as someone who dared to challenge another Yin-Yang Master to a duel for the sake of a girl. Why is it that you lack so much confidence when it comes to being able to protect your friends?"

  "These examples you bring up are of different natures entirely. You're comparing apples to oranges." Seiji sighed. "Protecting others is something quite difficult, and what I can do is limited. Although it may be rather unbecoming to ask Yui for assistance, it's nothing compared to having my friends be safe. I don't want to regret things because something I was incapable of handling happened to them."

  Hana was rendered speechless.

  "Of course, I won't beg her to help me like a beggar. I just want to try asking. If she's really willing to help me protect them, that'll be great. If not, then that's that." Seiji smiled.

  'Idiot.' Hana called him that in her mind.

  "Then go ahead and ask her. At any rate, you're the one who's going to lose face." The cat-eared hat girl humphed and ended the video chat.

  Seiji slowly retracted his smile as something flashed in his eyes.

  Then, he took out his cell phone and dialed Yui Haruta's cell phone number.

  "Good morning, Sister Yui. I would like to discuss something with you… something inconvenient to discuss over the phone."