“Please e up. Room four hundred and two. It is unlocked.” A voice came out of the inter, and Hinata whispered to me that it was Koga Michiru, the bodyguard of Miyu-san. The door slid open, revealing four armed and bulky security guards that were posted around the entrao the block of iniums, probably Fujiwara Security. I o them politely, well acquainted with some of their colleagues, but all they did was remain expressionless, maintaining their poise.

  “You know, this doesn’t seem like a party venue.” I said, as we ehe lift. Kazumi-san had to wait outside, as bringing a bodyguard to the house of Miyu-san arently an insult, especially for someoh the status of Hinata.

  Hinata nodded, curious that we hadn’t seen any uests, but perhaps we were asked to e early, or were already te. “Well, her father doesn’t involve himself in the business of Fujiwara house. He’s a senior bureaucrat in the MEXT. Most of the nobility look down on him, as he deed to work for Fujiwara house, but Miyu-sama is still Fujiwara-sama’s granddaughter, so she suffers no disrespect. But due to his job, there are numerous gatherings held here, or so I hear. Obviously the daughters of nobility aren’t involved in gover business.”

  MEXT, huh? Education, Culture, Sports, Sd Teology. It’s not a big one like the Military or Finance, and he’s a career bureaucrat rather than an actual politi like Tsumura-san, right? Even so, if he’s senior, that’s quite iial, especially if his family is so important… As the door slid open to floor four, we stepped out of the elevator into a wide hallway. There was still nobody else about, and we couldn’t hear any hat sounded like a social gathering.

  Hinata met my quizzical gaze and shrugged, her hand still in mine. “It does seem a little strange, but this is a very high-end building. I’m sure the soundproofing is excellent.” We quickly reached room four hundred and two, and I pressed the inter by the door.

  “e in. I said it was unlocked.” Koga-san said again, so after a deep breath and a reassuring squeeze of her hand, I opehe door, aepped io be greeted by a surprisingly spacious entryway. Looking down, I could see the floor was hard wood, so we would not o ge our outdoor shoes. I daresay that makes sense, if this isn’t just a home, but a venue for politics as well. Must be tough for a young girl.

  Ohrough the hall, the do opened out into a signifitly-rge living area. It could easily hold a hundred or so people in a party, and… there was nobody there. No, that isn’t correct. There are two people. One was a woman in what looked like archaija garb, her broulled into a side ponytail. Her body-nguage radiated wariness, and her brown eyes were looking at me with cold appraisal. Beside her, sitting down quietly, wearing a bd white dress with long skirt and sleeves, showing almost no skin, was a-looking girl, her expression bnk and doll-like. Fujiwara Miyu-san, I guess.

  “My mistress bids you wele.” Koga-san decred, gesturing to a couple of seats sat opposite the girls at a noticeable distance. Hinata squeezed my hand again, showing her nerves, but I smiled calmly and mouthed reassura her.

  “Pardon my rudeness.” I said, trying to prehend the unusual situation. “My uanding was I’m esc Hinata here to a gathering for noble girls from her school. Are we too early?”

  “I fear there has indeed been a misuanding.” Koga-san said, still o. “My mistress is not fond of such boisterous affairs. Instead she wished to speak to the two of you. She thanks you for your attendance.”

  At that, Miyu-san ined her head in thanks, the movement elega somehow soulless, insincere.

  “I… see.” Hinata said, thrown off by the surprise. Still, she quickly regained her fidence, leadio the chairs. As we sat down she offered her greetings.

  “Michiru, Miyu-sama, I thank you for inviting Akio and I here today.” Hinata said politely. “It is quite the honour to be in the presence of the oldest daughter of the Fujiwara family.”

  At Hinata’s polite greeting, Miyu-san’s face twitched, though I wouldn’t have noticed it except for my excellent perceptioe her seeming annoyance, she opened her mouth and spoke, her voice quiet but refined. “Hinata… I call you Hinata, right?”

  Hinata nodded hurriedly to agree. “Of course, Miyu-sama.”

  “Well, Hinata. I was curious when yagement was annouo someoside the nobility, with no pedigree. Curious. Except that the world isn’t normal now, is it?” Miyu-san shook her head. “I’m quite aware of these mysterious people who have strange powers. And this gentleman, Oshiro-san, I believe, he is one my grandfather is putting much faith in. even so…” this time even Hinata could see the displeasure on her face, which made her bnch, her ingrained respect for the dies of the Three Great Houses making her instinctively avoid upsetting her.

  “… I’m curious. It is the fate of all of us, a marriage for our House. I have a fiancé too, supposedly, though my grandfather has not announced who it is, not even to me, as the time isn’t right. So I was curious. Your family isn’t true nobility, but your mother is from the Takatsukasa house, so you were raised properly, to accept this. But you would have expected a marriage to someone in the Fifty-Seven, surely. Yet my grandfather has pushed you into a marriage to this stranger. How does that make you feel?”

  This again? Hinata is pretty bitter about how she’s treated differently to her cousin Sakura-san, right? I made to sole her, only to find Hinata was smiling brightly, no trace of distress on her features. Seeing me looking, she wi me, before turning baiyu-san.

  “That’s quite a strange question, Miyu-sama. And I must say I’m a little disappointed. I was hoo receive an invitation from you, only to find that I am merely here to be a , to make you feel better about your own situation.”

  “You dare, you…” Koga-san started to move, angered, but she suddenly froze, as my io intervene radiated out from me. I wouldn’t say it’s killing i, like a manga, but I’m definitely annoyed right now.

  “Be still, Michiru. She means no disrespect, Hinata merely… misuands me.” Miyu-san said, and I was starting to suspect she was nowhere near as meek as Hinata had advised me. “Go fetch us some tea. That will suit everyone, will it not?” She asked us, and Hinata nodded, so I did likewise.

  “But, mistress, I o guard you!” Koga-san protested, but Miyu-san merely fixed me with a searg look.

  “I’ve heard the reports from grandfather. If Oshiro-san wished to harm me, you would be uo stop him, isn’t that right?” She asked me.

  “Well, I’m not in the business of hurting girls.” I shook my head. “Though I’d appreciate it if you’d st to upset Hinata. But if I’m being ho, yes. You’d both be dead or under my power before you even noticed, if I was so ined.”

  Koga-san te my words, but Miyu-san leaned ba her chair, seemingly satisfied by my answer. “As expected, anyone who defeat armed yakuza and even fs will outmatichiru. Though I daresay you would give a good at of yourself.”

  “This is why I objected to this…” Koga-san talked back, surprising Hinata, though she did head for the side of the room, where an expensive-looking tea set was waiting.

  “It was necessary.” Miyu-san insisted. Turnitention back to the troubled Hinata she smiled, and this time it seemed menuine. “Well, Hinata. I am quite serious. Just what do you think of your arranged marriage? I have reasons for asking, and not to mock you. I resent when Mayumi-sa you st off in tears, after all. Besides, why would I moy fate is the same…”

  Hinata and I exged gnces, before she looked down and sighed. “I don’t feel good about it. Not at all.” Hinata said, and Miyu-san raised an eyebrow in surprise.

  “Iing. You would say that o your fiancé? From everything I have heard, you are supposedly overjoyed, Motoko-san too. Though that might just be your families putting on a brave face. There is much rotteh the surface. But to think you would be so bold as to speak freely? Do you not respect Oshiro-san? Well, he is a oner, but that seems…”

  “You misuand me.” Hinata shook her head. “I hate it. Motoko-san and Natsumi too. We all hate the arranged marriage, as… it wasn’t fair. I’m particurly ashamed. I even had t my proposal on Akio when he was helping my grandfather, using my parents too.”

  “Isn’t that hed marriages work?” Miyu-san uzzled. Koga-saurhen, carrying cups of tea on a silver tray, aook them gratefully. I took a sip and smiled. Yeah, this is good. Really good.

  Hinata pced her cup back down on the saucer, noddihanks to Koga-san. “Well yes.” She tinued. “But you misuand me. I’m not unhappy at the marriage, Motoko-san, Natsumi her. We are unhappy that we couldn’t win his love without tricks.” She then leaned over and kissed me, heedless of ruining her immacute lipstid make-up. As Koga-san and Miyu-san flushed, we tangled our tongues, damp sounds eg, and as we pulled apart, lips damp, Hinata was flushed too, with a mixture of shame and lust, her lips wet with my saliva. “Make no mistake. It may have started as an arranged marriage, but it’s a love matow. I have proht?”

  I grinned shamefacedly. “Sorry about that. We shouldn’t have been so forward in front of such refined girls such as yourselves.”

  “Think… think nothing of it.” Miyu-san managed. “That was… iing. So, a love match you say? That seems improbable. You barely know this man.”

  “True, but I discover something more to like every day.” Hinata insisted. “Most importantly, he reats me like a noble, or an upstart, or anything but a girl. And he needs me! Holy, he’s too weak to women, and too generous. He needs a wife who stop him getting swindled! I wake up excited every day now, w what it will bring. And there are other perks too…” she touched her lips, flushing. “If I may be so bold as to give you advice, Miyu-sama…” she said diffidently, and the irl nodded, allowing it. “… I’ve seen more of the outside world i few weeks than I have in my entire life, been more alive, had more joy. Nobility is important, history is important, I don’t disagree. But nothing is more important than our happiness. If you don’t want to get married, then don’t. It may cause problems with your father and grandfather, but… finding someoo love is more important.”

  “Problems with father? Hardly.” Miyu-san snorted. “I ’t even remember the st time I spoke to him. If I want anything I gh mrandfather, I respect him, he has helped hold Japan together through many troubled times, and he has always been kind to me, but he likes Honoka more, she’ll be the heir.”

  “In that case, why not… why not try and find your own path? Even if you deed any e, I am sure Fujiwara-sama would five you. Besides…” Hinata looked at me, her eyes pleading. “I am sure that Akio help you. The world has ged, and the nobility o ge with it. For my future. Motoko-san, Natsumi. Even you, Miyu-sama.”

  “So, you’d help me, would you?” Miyu-san smiled, looking satisfied. “I see. I knew I was right to call you here. Yes, you help me.” She leaned forwards, her gaze inteell me, Oshiro-san, these strange powers, how do you get rid of them?”

  For a moment there was silen the room as Hinata and I turned over the implications of that in my head. There was only two clusions I could e to, and one made no sense so… “Miyu-san… are you a didate? Did a god bless you?”

  “Sharp as expected.” Miyu-san sniffed. “Though calling it a blessing seems stra is surely a curse. Ame-no-Uzume… to think such kami actually existed. Laughable.” She snorted sourly, pletely shattering her image of a meek girl. “I didn’t ask for this.”

  “But…” Hinata was shocked. “Fujiwara-sama, Ichijou-sama, Grandfather Itsuki, they were desperate to find others like Akio, a you didn’t talk? Why? I don’t get it.” Hinata said, fused. I think I do, though. Reag out, I patted her on the head reassuringly, not g that I mussed her hair, sidering that this social gathering was just a front, and that Miyu-san was revealirue face to us.

  “Just let her speak, okay?” I said, and Hinata nodded.

  “I am already trapped, a marriage I don’t want decided for me, my life pnned out for me, my fate to be the perfect, quiet daughter. I am only ever happy when dang, or pying piano, or spending time with Michiru.” At that, the ninja-girl flushed. “Hinata, do you seriously believe I would surrender even more of the fragile specks of dust I get for my own life? I’m not like Mayumi-san, who revels in being a queen, or Honoka, who believes her future husband will succeed the Fujiwara family. I don’t want any of this!” She was angry, her face red, and Koga-san was at her side, rubbing her back soothingly. “Why should I have to save the world? What has the world ever done for me?”

  “That’s… amazingly selfish.” Hinata said then, surprising me. “I’m a little disappointed in you, Miyu-sama. No, Miyu. If you dislike Fujiwara house so, and your rank, why should I give you the respect it merits?”

  “You would dare speak to Miyu-sama that way?” Koga-san protested, enraged, but Hinata brushed her off, tinuing.

  “I do dare. I’ve always spoken my mind, to Sakura, to Mayumi, and why should you be any different? Besides, you are being foolish. Yes, the system is rotten and unfair to us, but it es with bes too. Bes you’ve enjoyed. You say you love piano and Japanese dance. Well, do you think a normal family afford such luxuries?” She looked at me fondly then. “Aiko told me how you scrimped and saved for her bow, giving up your allowanany months to pay part of it.” She tinued. “I hate the way I’m treated yes, but I still do my duty. I’m just lucky that my duty cides with what I want now. Your bodyguard, Michiru. Would you have her without yrandfather? And you don’t care about the world? You and Michiru live in this world!”

  “I think you might want to calm down.” I warned her, but she shook her head.

  “Seriously. I get it must be scary. Akio told me a tale of his battles earlier, and the thought of fag such things, I uand you must be afraid. But there are those that would envy you. Ame-no-Uzume. If I had her power, I could do amazing things together with Akio. Eri would kill for that. Aiko too.”

  “If you want it so much, then take it!” Miyu-san sneered, her pcid mask now pletely gone. “Who are you to preae?”

  “Someohat knows more than you do!” Hinata snapped back, and then I was moving, my hands grabbing at Koga-san, who had leapt at Hinata, an expression e across the part of her face that wasn’t behind her mouth-c ninja mask. “Enough of that.” I warned, only for her hand to dart towards me, glitterial and dark liquid uwo of her fingernails, aimed for my exposed skin. “I said no.” Grabbing her hand I squeezed, and she turned pale with pain. Even so, the ninja-girl struggled, and her shoe stabbed at my body, long needles also coated in dark liquid shooting out.

  “Stop, Michiru, this isn’t…” Miyu-san was shouting, while Hinata was frozen by shock. This little firecracker moves well. You’d think she was a didate. Still, that’s fug dangerous. My foot smmed into the needles, and they pierced through the sole, before stopping, uo pee my skin. Koga-sa out a yelp as I smmed her down into the floor hard enough for the ground to tremble, and I stomped my pierced shoe down, shattering the needles, before treading on the ninja, pinniunned body down.

  “That was stupid and reckless.” I said, extremely aggrieved. Hinata ale, and Miyu-san was looking at me, as if unsure of what I would do . “I’m telling you now, if one of those had hit Hinata, you’d be dead.” I was serious, and even the dazed Koga-sa. Hinata was blushing at my vehement defence of her, but I wasn’t going to let her off either. “And Hinata, I get that Miyu-san has been shitting on all your dreams in front of you, despite having achieved them through no effort but being born, but remember. We promised, right? We’ll ge things. There’s o let her get to you.”

  “Sorry.” Hinata said, shaking her head in apology, calming down now the suddenly-attag Koga-san was helpless below my boot. “I… well, it offends me on so many levels! When you are putting in so much work, fighting, bleeding, g, just to save the world, and she… she…” her words failed her and I reached out, g her hand.

  “I’m n to save the world. I’m trying to save those I love. It’s just those I love need a world to live ht?” As she looked surprised at that, I turned baiyu-san.

  “Well, that was… troublesome. Where do we go from here? And I hope you know why Hinata set. She idolises the true noble daughters like you, and now she longs for the sort of abilities I have. To hear you dismiss both of them…”

  “I apologise. We went too far.” Miyu-san said, surprising me, and Hinata more, as she gasped in shock. “Michiru, you shouldn’t have attacked her. Besides, we knew Oshiro-san was uable for us. Now you have to pay the price.”

  “Anything, mistress. This ninja has failed you. Death is a small price to pay for such disgrace.”

  “Death doesn’t be uest. One I am asking a favour from.” She shook her head. “Oshiro-san. Michiru is a beauty is she not? She is now yours, to do with as you will. Break her, toy with her body, defile her purity. She deserves no less.”

  What. The. Fuck? My mi bnk for a moment as a schoolgirl, such a young dy, suggested the unthinkable. Hinata was equally shocked, choking.

  “But mistress, I only yearn for you. I swore to let no man but the stro give me… wait…” she trailed off, fused, falling silent.

  Screw this. I’m done being polite. I removed my foot, hauled Koga-san up and propped her over my knee. She looked fused for a sed, before my hand spped her ass. She let out a little shriek, before my hand spped her other buttock. I’m not even hitting that hard, and she’s still wearing her ninja outfit. “Bad kids need punishment. But I’m not some sort of monster.” A handful more sps, and I was done. “Nine. And ten.” Releasing the girl, I frow Miyu-san. “I get that she’s your servant, your bodyguard, but you don’t own her life! You cim to hate the way your role oppresses you, and you go and turn it around on another? I’m tempted to give you a few sps as well, but yrandfather would be pissed off if he found out, and dealing with that would be a pain. Not that I couldn’t.” I decred proudly. “I’m he man I was yesterday, I’m always stronger, more skilled, with allies who support me more and more. I’m using yrandfather as he uses me. I always honour my agreements, but I’m not up for being taken franted. Just bear this in mind. If there’s even a scrat Hinata or any of my friends, family or fiancées, be they a he President of the USA, a fug Demon Lord from Hell, an Alien invasion… or even a young girl like you, then my fury will be swift and terrible.”

  Hinata was throwing her arms around me, while Koga-san took up her post beside Miyu-san, surreptitiously rubbing her ass. “Swift and terrible? I see. But not so terrible.” Miyu-san shook her head. “You made only one mistake. I do not order Michiru as my servant, she is my sworn bodyguard, trusted ninja, only true friend. It is insulting to her to say I ot ao die, or worse. Few true ninja families survive. Her pride would never allow her to refuse an order, no matter what. If you had torn off her clothes and defiled her right then and there, broke her arms and legs, threw her naked into the streets, she would raise no objes if I decred it her punishment for failure.”

  Okay, this is… too weird. She’s giving Hyath a run for her money on odd behaviour. Also, I’m pretty sure I heard her object too… “Should a young girl like you, so sheltered, really be talking about this sort of thing?”

  “Ninja are always wary of suds. It is all too on.” Koga-san said suddenly, looking reproachfully at me. “I naturally advised mistress on all the many varied and cruel ways men could torture her should ince falter.” Her gaze turned flinty. “I objected to allowing you to visit Miyu-sama, even to ask you for help. Men ever be trusted!”

  So it’s your fault she’s talking about that! I only hope she doesn’t really know what she was describiailed, just like Hinata and Motoko were na?ve. Screaming internally, I shook my head.

  “Akio be trusted!” Hinata decred, angry. “But he wouldn’t touch trash like you. He has me, Motoko, Natsumi, Shaeu, Eri… he doesn’t need you!”

  Koga-san was about to respond, before Miyu-san raised a hand to stop her. “Well, he did pass the test, did he not?”

  “He manhandled me!” Koga-san protested, and Miyu-san shook her head in denial.

  “Mere chastisement. He did not even pull down your clothes. And he was right, I told you to make sure not to injure uests unless in self-defence. Poison needles were dangerous. If Hinata died here, it would rock the nobility.”

  A test? That was a test? I’m starting to think I should definitely have puhem more. Putting Hinata at risk for a bloody test…

  “I still think you should have sought out another.” Koga-san stubbornly tinued. “There are several women who have beehed, one of them might…”

  “No. it has to be Oshiro-san.” Miyu-san denied her again. “He’s w frandfather, yes, but it is an alliance, as he says, not servitude. The ones under Ichijou house are far more restricted. They will infrandfather or Ichijou-sama about me. Sedly… Hinata, you ahis better than I, perhaps. Is there any with superior skills to him?”

  “No, definitely not!” Hinata g to me. “If even only half of what he and Shaeu have told me is true, there’s ter in Japan!”

  “I see. More tea, Michiru. This will be a thirsty versation. So, now we uand each other better, I’ll repeat my question from before. This curse, is there any way I get rid of it?”

  Yeah, this was not how I saw this little tea-party pying out, on so many levels… My Eye bzed amber, shog Koga-san and Miyu-san, as I sidered her question, and just what it meant…