Translator: Ranzan

  Taiyou changed and the two girls continued showing him around. Outside of the window in the hallway was a broad horizon, and the sun shone onto a blue sea.

  Above the ocean a sun…it made Taiyou think of Leticia.

  「Does this happen to be Leticia’s boat?」


  「It seemed like staying on the island was inconvenient, so for now, yes.」


  Youran answered his question, as she walked along beside Taiyou and watched his hands just so she could make sure he wouldn’t pull her hair again.

  「So we’re still on the ocean.」


  「You didn’t notice?」


  「It was the same before, we’re on the water, but nothing rocks.」


  「Well, a big ship like this doesn’t rock.」


  「Even so, somehow when you imagine Leticia, you get the image of the ocean, right?」


  「You’re right. Leticia always loved the ocean since she was young, and she was born on a ship, at least she said so.」


  「That so?」


  「They always use this boat to come when they visit us. We’re different though, like when we visit Japan, we always use an airplane.」


  「So you always use the sky then. Maybe the name is ‘Shingetsunokami’ … or something with the moon in it?」


  「No, not at all. It’s only because an airplane is the fastest way to get from place to place.」


  Youran said with a blank voice and a stare. Taiyou considered the means and agreed.

  「So, maybe you have your own jet then?」


  「Sure.」


  「Whaaaaat?!」


  Aoba, walking in front of them, suddenly screamed.

  「You’re saying you have your own JET?!」


  「Well, the secret is that in Juunishima…village has its own jet, so it’s not ours but a government plane, actually.」


  「Ah, I see.」


  「Wow…I bet the inside is like a room and all, right?」


  Just before they got to the island, Aoba go to see a trailer-style camping car of hers called the “Running One-room.” Aoba probably imagined it looked like that.

  「Yeah, I guess so.」


  「You can board your own family and just relax inside, right?」


  「Yup.」


  Aoba’s eyes shimmered at the thought, while Youran answered her with a strained smile.

  「When I was a child, though, I couldn’t ride around with my father in the same vehicle.」


  「Why is that?」


  「Political reasons. You have to prevent the number one and number two from dying in the same accident. Just like the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor have to go to different counties in different planes.」


  「Really…」


  Aoba nodded as if she understood. Taiyou, on the other hand, silently stood surprised.

  He realized that Youran was in a supreme position…he felt that she was on a much higher place from where he stood.

  And though an airplane was a way to move riders from one place to another in the fastest way possible, it was a vehicle with the possibility to create a huge accident with one small mistake.

  Opposed to a car or ship in which survivability was high in the event of any accident, when an airplane has an accident, everyone will probably end up dead.

  That’s why, in order to lower the chance of an accident all planes have two pilot just in case the other becomes necessary. In order to prevent both pilots getting food poisoning at the same time during a flight, different foods are ordered to be delivered from different suppliers to eat. This is why all passengers also are able to choose from two different meals during a flight.

  Also, at the same time, the leader and secondary leader of most countries move around in different vehicles as a rule. One famous example is Air Force One and Air Force Two.

  Juunishima Shingetsunokami Youran.

  That meant that she was on the same level as leaders like that.

  「It sounds so lonely, usually it’s sad to not be able to ride with your family, desu.」


  Hera suddenly appeared with those words, a sullen appearance and drooped shoulders. She sadly nodded as she flew around in an interesting pattern.

  「I don’t care, I really don’t see my father as family. He’s just a separate person with the same blood.」


  「A separate person with the same blood…」


  Youran’s words spilled out of her tongue. To Taiyou it seemed that she was just resaying Youran’s thoughts, but Hera was thinking over the depth of what was said.

  「Youran-chan, Youran-chan, I want you to take us all in the airplane of yours, desu.」


  「Everyone?」


  「Taiyou-cahn and his wives, desu.」


  「…I don’t mind…why?」


  「It’s something I saw on TV, desu. When you kiss in the low pressure up high in the sky, I’ve heard that it feels very good. Because Taiyou loves kissing so much, I wanted him to be able to do that, desu.」


  「Hmmph.」


  Youran opened her eyes wide as if she wanted to give Taiyou a piece of her mind.

  「No, no, no…first of all, there’s nothing you can do about the air pressure. It’s a closed system.」


  「No, you can.」


  「What?」


  「When you get on a plane, your ears pop, right? That’s because the pressure decreases.」


  「Oh, is that what that is?」


  Taiyou had never ridden a plane, but he understood the logic.

  Understanding the logic, next he imagined it.

  (Kissing above the skies)

  Taiyou’s heart thumped at the thought. If he could actually do it…


  「Well…I’ll think about it.」


  「Thank you, desu.」


  After that conversation, they all arrived at the front of a door.

  Aoba knocked on the front of the door, and Hera floated through it without waiting for a reply from inside.

  「Please come in, desu.」


  「You’re telling us?」


  「It’s okay, come on in.」


  Taiyou had just responded to Hera when they head Leticia respond from behind the door, so Aoba opened it and the three entered.

  Taiyou looked around the inside of the room.

  「Leticia, and Mask…the Third?」


  Taiyou voiced the still unfamiliar name. Only the blonde-haired princess was in the room itself, but outside, standing on the veranda’s handrail sat the white-skinned girl. She was barely moving and was facing the sea.

  Though he was used to seeing her long white hair flowing in the motions of the wind, he still wasn’t used to seeing the wrestling mask that covered the rest of her head.

  Taiyou slowly entered the middle of the room pretending to ignore her, and sat himself in a sofa facing Leticia.

  Aoba and Youran both walked up and sat beside him.

  Taiyou, Aoba, Youran, Leticia. With Hera, there were five people meeting together.

  「Is yer body okay?」


  「Yeah, fine. By the way thanks for bringing me here.」


  「No biggie. Ya just looked like ya needed a fresh restart.」


  Leticia said this, and called Hera over to her shoulder, which Hera sat on.

  「Just to check, all of y’all can see this little shrimp on my shoulder, right?」


  「I’m not a shrimp, desu.」


  Hera protested cutely, and Aoba, Youran, and Taiyou nodded in agreement.

  Taiyou suddenly remembered something and turned to Youran and Leticia. Youran understaood what was about to happen and simply acted nonchalantly.

  「Don’t worry about it. I knew that something like this would be necessary.」


  Leticia was made able to see Hera — she had kissed Taiyou and wondered how her friends would view it.

  She thought about this and looked at Youran, who seemed needlessly anxious.

  「…I see.」


  「Maybe, it’s better for you Letty?」


  「I wonder…it’s not like something drastic is gonna come of it.」


  「You see her?」


  「I do.」


  As Leticia answered, Youran nodded in understanding. She had come to know her as a friend after knowing her a long time, and Youran knew this about Leticia.

  On the other hand, Aoba didn’t know about this, but after Taiyou explained she presently came to understand the situation.

  「Well, let’s get things settled now. Everything I need to take care of and everything you all need to take care of, let’s get it all settled.」


  「Yeah, please.」


  「First, let’s start with the origin of the finding of Anoda.」


  「Anoda?」


  Aoba was confused.

  「The girl that you call Pochi. Her real name…or original name is Anoda Juunishima, a younger sister of a different mother.」


  「I see…」


  「I don’t want to her be angry about it, so it’s okay to call her Pochi, right?」


  「Sure, in exchange I’ll call her Anoda myself…I knew about it from long ago. Since we found Anoda, my political enemy…though they’re relatives…have invited her and are bringing her here.」


  「That’s why I came here to this island. Pochi is Kohaku-san’s…is attached to the same Kohaku who has the same Eternal Little as my mother. Somehow, she couldn’t live with Kohaku and is coming here.」


  「She was attacked on a ship coming to this island. And, the mother…」


  「She’s okay, Aoba. We took her to the hospital, and she wasn’t completely uninjured, but there was no threat to her life.」


  「That’s good…」


  「After that, we fought with Saegusa Tsukumo, who carried that girl off. We were both captured for a bit, but now since we’re here, we actually stole away all of their main attack force.」


  「And that’s pretty much it for now.」


  Leticia summed it up, while Taiyou nodded.

  「But, well…」


  However, he was surprised at the next statement.

  「That Saegusa Tsukumo is riding in this ship.」


  「…What?」


  Taiyou looked puzzled at the unexpected development.