Translator: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

  Let's rewind time a little.

  While Natsuya was still frenziedly rolling around on her bed, she heard another knock on her door.

  "Yoruhana-san, could I talk to you for a moment?" A calm voice sounded outside her door.

  It was Shika Kagura!

  Natsuya was astonished.

  Her astonishment helped to quickly cool down her body and recover her ability to think.

  Shika could only possibly want to discuss something related to Seiji.

  Natsuya never expected this girl to come talk of her own volition… did Chiaki Wakaba do something?

  That was the first thought to pop into her mind as Natsuya sat up again.

  "Please wait for a moment."

  Natsuya speedily made her bed and fixed her appearance in front of a mirror before taking a deep breath.

  After she finished preparing herself, she opened her room's door to see the black-haired beautiful girl standing there quietly.

  Shika had a beautiful face, a calm expression, and clear eyes containing a deep expression… No matter how many times Natsuya saw her, Shika was always a superbly charismatic girl.

  If it wasn't for the fact that she was also the Reaper's Curse, her beauty alone would have made her incredibly popular.

  Unfortunately, the strange power she possessed caused her to lead a lonely life until she finally met Seiji.

  Seiji took her in as his adopted younger sister when she had only been loathed and taken advantage of before in the past. He lived together with her and truly took care of and doted on her.

  And, the truth was that indeed, nothing unfortunate happened to Seiji despite Shika's curse. He had been fine for all this time. Just as he stated, he overcame her Reaper's Curse.

  What did such an adopted older brother mean to someone like Shika Kagura?

  It was easy enough to imagine that Shika would have feelings were Seiji that no normal words could describe!

  Just imagining what she would be able to do for Seiji, and to what degree, was quite scary if Natsuya analyzed it deeply.

  Shika had been a girl who endured loneliness and misfortune all by herself for so long. Her surface appearance was quite cute and attractive. But as for what she was really like inside… who could possibly imagine?

  Or, who had the courage to try imagining it?

  Natsuya understood Shika Kagura, which was precisely why she didn't know how to deal with Shika.

  When Chiaki Wakaba mentioned making a deal regarding Shika, Natsuya had only felt limited expectations.

  Natsuya never expected that things would become like this… with the current situation.

  "Please enter."

  "Excuse me."

  Natsuya invited Shika into her room and closed the door. She indicated politely for Shika to sit down and then poured some tea for her.

  "Thank you." Shika took the teacup and sipped on some tea.

  Natsuya also sipped some tea from her own teacup.

  They both put their teacups down and exchanged glances.

  Natsuya was unable to discern anything from Shika's expression. She also found it impossible to speak first as she wasn't sure what Shika was here for, so she could only wait.

  "Yoruhana-san…" Shika spoke up in a light voice after observing the student council president for a while. "How exactly do you view Brother Seiji?"

  She had a calm voice and her tone sounded emotionless. However, Natsuya detected a hint of danger in the air.

  To use an analogy, Shika was just like a calm and beautiful lake. Yet, beneath the lake's surface was a faint shadow of something tremendous swimming underwater.

  Natsuya prevented herself from thinking too much about this. She clenched her fist slightly as she looked at Shika.

  "I like him… really really like him."

  'I like him to the extent of losing control of myself.

  After saying her feelings out loud, Natsuya felt her face heating up and something warm moving within her body.

  Shika blinked upon hearing this.

  "Can you betray your family for him?" Shika asked directly.

  "Eh?" Natsuya felt like her heat was now freezing over.

  "Are you capable of betraying the Yoruhana Family for Brother Seiji's sake?" Shika asked once again.

  Natsuya felt a chill when faced with this direct question. The heat on her face and body quickly drained.

  "…Why ask such a question?"

  "Because I want to know."

  Shika repeated the same words as the last time she asked such a question.

  "What exactly do you want to know?" Natsuya asked the question that she didn't ask the previous time.

  "I want to know if you'll end up harming Brother Seiji or not," Shika replied calmly.

  'I see… as I expected.'

  "So, you're doubting me?"

  "Yes, I'm doubting you, Yoruhana-san," Shika admitted this directly. "I'm aware that you have feelings for Brother Seiji. However, your feelings… just how much are they worth compared to your status and your family?"

  This was a question that was almost an insult! Yet, Natsuya found it difficult to respond and sank into silence.

  "In the past… I've met many Yin Yang Masters. Compared to them, Yoruhana-san is a truly nice person," Shika stated calmly. "That's why Brother started liking you and was willing to fight for your sake. However, Brother Seiji is too gentle. He fell in love with you and resolved himself so that he wouldn't care even if you took advantage of him or harmed him. Nor does he care if his life is in danger. As long as it's for you, he's willing to fight anywhere at any time, no matter who the opponent is. He's too gentle and too strong… even if I tell him that you're foundationally no different from other Yin Yang Masters, he'd surely just smile in response.

  "He believes in you.

  "Yet, I'm unable to do the same.

  "That's why I'm here to ask you."

  Shika looked straight into Natsuya's eyes, as if she was attempting to peer at her soul.

  "Natsuya Yoruhana-san. Just how much are your feelings worth?"

  The massive murky shadow under the water suddenly rushed out!

  Natsuya froze over when faced with this question. She felt fear begin to grip her.

  Shika's tone of voice and expression didn't change at all. Yet, Natsuya felt as if her life was on the line here and she was in incredible danger!

  It was as if a supremely powerful demon was watching her, or as if invisible iron wires were tied around her neck.

  Actually, her power level should have been above Shika's.

  But for some unknown reason, right now Natsuya felt that if Shika wanted her to die, it would be impossible for her to live!!

  The Reaper's Curse.

  Shika's mystical ability wasn't under her own control… in theory.

  But what if that wasn't the case?

  Was the fact that Seiji had nothing befall him truly because of himself?

  Could it be that the truth was… that Shika Kagura could actually control her own power?

  If that was really the truth, even if she could only control a minor portion of her power, that would still be quite terrifying…


  'Stop! I shouldn't think about this anymore.'

  After freezing over for several seconds, Natsuya forced herself to suppress her own fear.

  "I… don't know…" Natsuya decided to tell the truth. "How much my feelings are worth… I don't know.

  "I'm the Yoruhana Family's daughter… I can't betray my family, even though my family has made me unhappy on many occasions.

  "I was born and raised as Natsuya Yoruhana. I was raised well, doted on, and given a good education… to become the current me.

  "Whether or not I can betray my family for Seiji's sake… and how much my feelings are worth compared to my family… I really don't know!"

  This was the truth in her heart.

  She confirmed this as she looked directly at Shika Kagura.

  "This isn't the answer that I wanted to hear," Shika stated softly.

  Hearing this caused Natsuya's heart to tighten.

  "But… I suppose it's fine." Shika retracted her gaze and slowly lifted her teacup, sipping on some more tea.

  She slowly drank all the tea before gradually putting the teacup down again.

  "Brother Seiji has problems as well… so someone like you might actually be perfect."

  Natsuya blinked at this.

  "Kagura-san…"

  "You can just call me -chan for little sister in the future." Shika stood up as something flashed in her eyes. "I shall be keeping my eyes on you, Yoruhana… onee-san."

  She turned around and left after saying that.

  Natsuya remained sitting there in a daze even after Shika left.

  *Cling!*

  Suddenly, a sharp sound rang out.

  Natsuya jumped in surprise and checked to see where the sound came from. The source was the teacup that Shika had been using earlier… a crack suddenly appeared on the teacup's surface!

  The Yoruhana Family daughter felt yet another deep chill run down her spine as she looked at the crack which appeared for mysterious reasons.

  "Kagura…chan," she muttered to herself.

  After taking some time to calm down, an impulse suddenly arose within her and she reflexively took out her cell phone and dialed a certain number.

  "Seiji…"