Reiki wrung a damped piece of cloth over the sink, he had already finished making pancakes as he had a couple of bentos on his right that were beautifully presented. On one of the stoves was a deep iron cast pan that was frying two large pieces of tonkatsu that were constantly letting out a fragrant smell around the place. Ketsueki made her way to the kitchen while holding her plate of pancakes with her left hand. The pancakes were covered in whipped cream and syrup, she picked up the fork that she placed on the side of the plate and took a couple of whiffs. Ketsueki said. "That smells good." Reiki placed the wrung cloth in the sink as he wiped his hands with a clean one, he opened a drawer and took out a pair of tongs and a wooden chopping board. He said. "Holding a plate while eating is bad manners, Onee-chan."

He took out one of the two large pieces of tonkatsu and shook it a bit to get rid of the excess oil, he placed them on the chopping board and turned off the stove. Reiki reached into another drawing and took out a knife and sliced both of them into even pieces. Ketsueki watched her little brother's fast and elegant knife work, she thought. Quick hands. Reiki opened another drawing and took out a pair of wooden chopsticks as he started putting tonkatsu into their bentos. Ketsueki cut a large portion through her pancake that was soaked in whipped cream and syrup, she stared at it and said. "Just making sure you're not going to burn down the house." She ate the pancake she stabbed with her fork while Reiki put the tonkatsu pieces on top of the white rice that was sprinkled with some black sesame seeds.

He placed everything he used into the sink except for the pan and started doing the dishes, Reiki said. "Did you make sure to tell Shiro not to eat too much? If she does, she won't have an appetite for lunch." Ketsueki made her way to the two bentos, she glanced at her little brother from the corner of her eye and placed her fork on the plate. While reaching out for the tonkatsu on the bento, Ketsueki said. "I did, but we may or may not have eaten some of your pancakes." Reiki thought. I'll just drop by at Arashi's place and ask for some food. While using the abrasive side of the sponge on the chopping board without looking at his left, Reiki said. "Onee-chan, don't touch the bento.' Ketsueki slightly jolted and quickly moved her hand away, she said. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Shiro walked in on them while carrying a plate that had a fork on top with some bits of cream and syrup with both her hands. She looked up to her older brother and said. "Here you go, Onii-chan." Reiki turned his head to look at her and said. "Thank you, Shiro." He took the plate off his little sister's hand with his right hand that had soap on it. Shiro's gaze wandered onto the two bentos, she took a couple of whiffs and said. "Thank you for making my bento again, Onii-chan." She spread her arms and hugged her older brother. Reiki let out a chuckle as he used his right elbow to rub the top of his little sister's head, he said. "Anything for you and Onee-chan, Shiro." Shiro flashed him a smile while Reiki continued. "Now go take a bath, you don't want to be late." Shiro let him go as she turned around and headed to the second floor, she said. "Yes, Onii-chan." Reiki turned his head to look at his older sister who still had a tall stack of pancakes on her plate, he said. "And lay off on the coffee, Onee-chan."

Ketsueki rolled her eyes at him as she ate more pancakes, she wiped some syrup from the corner of her lips and swallowed. Ketsueki said. "I don't drink coffee every day…" She made her way back to the dining table while Reiki finished off the last dish. He picked up a clean piece of cloth and started drying them, he turned his head and looked at the deep pan filled with cooking oil. Reiki thought. I'll just place it back inside the bottle once it's completely cooled down. He quickly finished drying off the rest and wrung the cloth in the sink, before he could move his older sister was suddenly on his right holding an empty plate. Ketsueki had a big smile on her lips as she placed the used plate in the sink that had some whipped cream and syrup on it, she said. "Thank you." As she ruffled his unkempt and scraggly hair. Reiki had a helpless smile as he turned the sink on and picked up the sponge again.

______________________________________________________

Arashi's Apartment

Asami was sitting in the middle of the couch while browsing through the channels. Arashi sat on her right with both her feet on the coffee table, she placed her elbow on the armrest and rested her head on her palm. Asami kept her gaze on the tv, she said. "Arashi… Do you find anything… Off about Reiki?" A flicker of surprise appeared in Arashi's eyes, with furrowed brow she said. "Lil bro?... I guess you can say he doesn't act his age." Asami waved her hand at dismissal, she said. "Poverty will do that to you… What I meant was during our spar." A slight frown formed on Arashi's lips, she said. "What do you mean?" Asami threw the remote on the coffee table as it stopped centimeters before hitting it. Asami said. "Small test, before I hit his stomach. Which strike was I using?" Arashi immediately answered. "Leopard strike. But when your fist was a couple of inches from hitting him you immediately pulled back and extended your pinky."

Asami glanced at Arashi from the corner of her eye, Asami thought. If only you were as diligent in other things… She moved her gaze back on the tv and said. "Correct, if you were to tell me something was missing from the fight what was it?" Arashi moved both her feet off from the coffee table as she sat up straight, she said. "I mean… Mom said the things you can't avoid in a fight are injuries, grudges, and pain-..." Asami turned her head and saw Arashi with a pondering expression. Asami said. "Exactly, everyone would react if someone inflicted pain on them. Yet he managed to take a few of my blows without breaking something let alone scream." Arashi turned her head to look at her and said. "And your point is?" The corner of Asami's eye twitched, she let out a sigh and thought. I forgot she's part of that damned Tora clan… Asami shook her head sideways and said. "Nothing, I just realized he's more suited in your clan than I thought."

Arashi smiled, with a hint of pride in her tone she said. "Of course, I picked him." Arashi's stomach let out an audible gurgle which made her face turn red as she placed both her hands on top of her belly. Asami ignored her reaction as she kept her gaze on the tv, she said. "When will he come back?" Arashi faked a cough as her cheeks still had a tinge of red, she said. "He'll be back when he finishes walking his little sister." Asami nodded and thought. Shiro, huh.

______________________________________________________

Somewhere In Osaka

Reiki was walking beside his little sister down the street, he held her bento with his left hand and held Shiro's hand with his right. Shiro was happily walking in silence as she looked around the street without a care in the world. The two of them slowly came to a halt as Shiro reluctantly let go of her older brother's hand. Reiki pointed at the right turn, he said. "This is as far as I'll go, Shiro." He passed the bento to his little sister and continued. "Look both ways before crossing the street and don't talk to strangers. If they grabbed you, make sure to scream very, very loudly so others could hear you. Okay?" Shiro took the bento off Reiki's hands as she looked up to him with a big smile on her face, she said. "Yes, Onii-chan." Reiki had a smile on his face as he rubbed the top of his little sister's head, he said. "Be nice to your teachers and study hard." Shiro nodded as she slowly turned around and waved at him goodbye, she said. "I'll see you later, Onii-chan."

Before crossing the street she looked both ways and made her way. Reiki watched his little sister until she took another turn as he eventually walked back to his home. While stretching his left arm, he thought. My arms still feel numb. He did some light stretches and started running at full speed. Reiki sprinted by a few teenagers wearing high-school uniforms as they felt a sudden gust of wind as he ran past them. He quickly made it back near his neighborhood and just when he was about to reach the front of his home, Arashi suddenly appeared in front of him. Arashi grabbed him by the neck of his clothes, she said. "Perfect, now make us breakfast." He saw everything around him bend and warp as the surroundings changed from the outside to Arashi's apartment. He looked around and saw Asami watching a sitcom on tv, Reiki said. "Was teleportation necessary?"

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Arashi made her way to the couch, without turning her head to look at him, she said. "Yes, it was." She sat on Asami's left and continued. "Now go to the kitchen and cook." Reiki stared at Arashi for a moment as he made his way closer to the couch, he moved his gaze onto Asami and said. "Sweet or savory?" Asami turned her head, she said. "Savory." Arashi placed a hand on top of his somewhat damped hair, she said. "Ditto." She ruffled Reiki's hair and wiped her hand dry using his shirt. He had a small frown on his face while Arashi pinched his cheek and chuckled in response, Reiki said. "How does an American breakfast sound? Bacon, ham, sausages, and some hash?" Arashi placed an arm around his neck putting him in an arm lock, he felt something soft hit his face while she said. "Sounds good, Lil bro."

Reiki managed to move his face on Arashi's large chest, he looked at Asami and said. "Any chance you have some bratwurst on hand?"

~Ten Minutes Later~

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Large Apartment in Asami's Talisman

Arashi, Asami, and Reiki were sitting on chairs in front of a dining table. All of them had their plates and in the center of the table were large plates overfilled with crispy bacon, large grilled bratwurst, ham, a large bowl filled with potato hash, and a pitcher of ice-cold water. Reiki filled his plate to the brim as he devoured his food while Asami ate with etiquette and Arashi ate normally. Arashi picked up her glass and downed half of it in one go, she wiped it with the back of her hand and said. "I thought you already had breakfast with your sisters." Reiki ate three slices of ham in one go, he picked up his glass of water and took a sip. He let out a burp and said. "Excuse me. I did, but I only made three dozen pancakes." Arashi picked up her fork and said. "You only ate that much?" She stabbed a bratwurst sausage in the middle of the table and placed it onto her plate.

Reiki stabbed some hash on his plate, he said. "The plan was me and Onee-chan get twelve each and Shiro eats half a dozen and we share the extras… The two of them decided to turn the tables on me." Asami used her knife and fork to slice the bratwurst on her plate into bite-size pieces, she said. "Reiki, what do you think is the hardest part about exercise?" Reiki devoured an entire bratwurst in two bites, he picked up his glass and took a sip. He said. "The constant eating." Reiki wiped his mouth clean with a tissue that was beside his plate, he continued. "The more you exercise, your body eventually adjusts accordingly. Having a full stomach that you could puke from someone touching your stomach is not a pleasant feeling." He picked up his fork and started filling his plate with more food, Reiki continued. "Speaking of food, I was surprised by how much my two sisters could eat."

Arashi and Asami glanced at him from the corner of her eye, they simultaneously thought. That's not something you should say. Reiki stabbed four pieces of bacon and stuffed his mouth with it, he swallowed and noticed the two women looking at him from the corner of their eye. Reiki said. "What?" While Asami and Arashi continued their meal.

~One Meal Later~

Reiki ate the last bit of ham and bacon on his plate while Arashi and Asami were watching him with observing gazes. Arashi muttered. "Eight dozen sausages, five dozen bacon, four whole hams worth, and about one-fourth sack worth of potatoes…" She reached her hand out to grab her glass of water that had some condensation on the outside, Arashi continued. "He's eating almost three times the amount when mom forced me to increase my regimen." Arashi took a sip while Reiki let out a burp, he said. "Excuse me." He reached out for his glass and downed it in one go. Asami looked at him with a hint of a smile on her lips, she said. "Did you eat your fill?" Reiki wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, he said. "I can go for some steak and a bowl of nuts." Arashi looked at him with an odd gaze, she muttered. "With that, it officially makes it three times."

With a hint of concern in her eyes, Arashi said. "Slow down Lil bro. The last thing you need is your stomach to explode." Asami started rummaging through her pocket, she said. "How do you like your steak?" Reiki rubbed his stomach with his left hand, he said. "Medium rare, the only way to eat steak in my opinion." Arashi had a smile of approval on her face while Asami nodded in agreement. With a wave of her hand a metal tray that had three large steaks stacked on top of each other. With a small smirk on her lips, Asami said. "120oz from a free-range cow that was fed plenty of medical plants." Reiki's stomach let out a loud grumble as his gaze was glued onto the steaks. Arashi placed her right elbow on the table as she rested her head on her right hand, with a hint of suspicion in her eyes. Arashi said. "Why are you so helpful today?"

With a wave of her hand, a mini-burner appeared near the tray along with an iron-cast pan. Asami had an enigmatic smile on her lips, she said. "Just curious what would happen." Reiki observed the mini-burner and noticed at the side was a glass compartment that was filled with dozens of bright red crystals. He turned the mini-burner on and placed one of the steaks on it, the sound of meat sizzling took over the room which made Reiki's stomach let out another loud grumble. He picked up his fork and used it to flip the steak which let out more sizzling sounds. Arashi's eyes were filled with doubt, she said. "And what would that be?"

[System: Queen has tried to control the host.]

Reiki's eyes turned inverse for a split second as he closed his eyes and violently shook his head sideways, the two girls turned their heads at him. With narrowed eyes, Asami thought. I saw his eyes change for a second… Arashi stared at him for a moment, she thought. Did his eyes just turn black all of a sudden?...

Reiki used the fork to move the steak off the mini-burner and placed it on his plate, with an innocent expression he said. "What?" He quickly placed another steak on the mini-burner and started devouring the 120oz steak as he ripped it with his hands. Arashi placed both her hands behind her head, she said. "Smaller bites, Lil bro. You might end up choking." Reiki ate more than half the steak as the two of them noticed it was barely cooked to medium-rare. Asami stared at the steak with a pondering expression, she thought. So there is something in him… Interesting. Reiki inhaled the other half of the steak as he flipped the one in the mini-burner using the fork. The handle of the fork had grease all over it as he picked up a napkin and wiped his hands and mouth clean, he noticed the two women gaze at him. Reiki said. "Never seen someone eat before?" Before Arashi could say anything Asami suddenly said. "What nuts do you prefer?"

Reiki wiped the handle of his greasy fork with the napkin, he said. "Pistachio and cashews, if you don't have them I'm fine with anything." He used the fork to place the streak onto his plate and placed the last one onto the mini-burner. Reiki tore through the steak at a visible rate while Arashi was glaring at Asami from the corner of her eye. With a wave of her hand, a large bowl of peeled pistachios and cashews appeared near Reiki's plate. He gave her a nod of thanks while Asami ignored Arashi's glare that was increasing in hostility. Asami said. "About your eyes changing… Can you tell me about that?" The hostility in Arashi's glare suddenly vanished as she moved her gaze back onto Reiki who almost finished his second 120oz steak. A moment of silence passed as Reiki took a couple of bites of steak, he said. "No comment."

Asami nodded, she said. "Is that so?" Asami thought. I like this boy, he knows what to say. The corner of her lips formed into a smile as she forced herself not to smile while feeling Arashi's glare as her pupils were slowly turning into gold. Reiki devoured the last bits of steak on his plate, he let out a burp and said. "Excuse me." He picked up his glass of water and noticed it was empty as he placed it back down on the table. When he was about to pick up his fork Arashi suddenly stood up from her seat and picked up the cast iron pan by the handle and placed the steak on his plate. Arashi said. "Lil bro, make sure to eat up." She casually placed the pan back onto the mini-burner as Reiki turned it off. His gaze wandered onto her hand that touched the hot pan, with a smile on her lips Arashi said. "Don't worry, the only way I can get burned is if someone drowns me in lava."

Reiki slowly nodded, he said. "Y-Yeah…" He quickly finished the last steak while the two girls kept their gaze on him. He stuffed himself with large cuts of meat into his mouth as he inhaled his food, he let out another loud burp and said. 'Excuse me." Asami stood up from her seat, she said. "Grab the bowl." Reiki was about to reach out for the bowl when Arashi suddenly grabbed it with her left hand. She stood up from her seat, made her way to him, and placed an arm around his shoulders. Asami ignored her actions as she took out a talisman from her pocket as it started shining bright enough to engulf the entire room in light. Reiki's vision slowly returned as he looked around and saw the three of them were back in Arashi's apartment.

He was sitting on the couch with Arashi on his left while Asami sat in the middle on his right. Arashi was still holding the large bowl of nuts, Reiki was about to reach for the bowl when he heard something tapping the window aggressively. He turned his head and saw Cherry tapping on the window using her beam, Reiki thought. I thought something was missing… Asami glanced at the window from the corner of her eye while Arashi took a handful of pistachios and cashew from the bowl and ate them. Reiki stood up from the couch, made his way to the window, and opened it. He said. "Hey, Cherry-." Before he could finish Cherry turned into a streak of white as she started scratching his face using her talons.

[System: User has received 29 Damage.]

[System: User has received 34 Damage.]

[System: User has received 16 Damage.]

…...

Reiki covered his face with both his hands, he said. "I- I get it, Cherry! I forgot to feed you for a day-! So stop!" Arashi and Asami watched him from the corner of their eye. Arashi grabbed another handful of nuts from the bowl, she slightly turned her head at Asami and said. "Now that's entertainment." Asami took some nuts from the bowl while Cherry eventually calmed down and landed on his right shoulder. Reiki let out a long sigh, he moved his gaze onto the front door and said. "You've been standing there waiting for an opportunity to come inside, Kiru."