Chapter 735: How do you want me to take responsibility?

After the meeting ended and everyone left, Seiji had Shika take Shinobu to the underground training field for some practice.

Seiji and Natsuya were now the only two remaining in the living room. The two of them quietly sipped some tea.

"I've decided to join Soul Society," Natsuya suddenly spoke up as she looked at her boyfriend. "I wouldn't have made such a decision without your encouragement. That's why you need to take responsibility for me."

Seiji detected that Natsuya was intentionally acting slightly spoiled. He blinked and smiled faintly.

"Alright, how do you want me to take responsibility?"

"Take me in if my family exiles me."

"I'd be more than happy to... in fact, I would be absolutely delighted to!"

Natsuya rolled her eyes.

"I don't wish for your family to exile you, but that's what I truly think." Seiji smiled, then retracted his smile. "Still, will it really come to such a thing?"

"It's possible, although the possibility is really low." Natsuya paused for a moment. "I feel that the most likely action my family will take is to force me to return to the main family home and keep me under watch so that I can't do anything for Soul Society."

"Then what should we do?"

"I will ask for help on this front from Soul Society... If Soul Society truly values my personal abilities rather than my identity, they'll probably help convince my family."

With Soul Society's power, it would be quite possible that they could "convince" the Yoruhana Family. The important part was just how much Soul Society valued Natsuya, or on the flip side, how much the Yoruhana Family didn't want Natsuya to join Soul Society.

Seiji mulled it over.

"Will there be a fight?"

"It's possible."

"Remember to call me if there's a fight."

"Of course. This is your responsibility," Natsuya narrowed her eyes at him.

She then got up and sat back down right next to him.

"I feel like I'm turning into a bad girl... it's all your fault."

"I truly apologize for that."

Seiji brought her into his embrace and gently caressed her silken hair.

The scion felt quite comfortable and closed her eyes.

She had just come to this decision after the end of the knight order conference.

Seiji's encouragement and her own wish were both reasons... and when every single person in the knight order chose to remain, the potential she saw in the Awakened firmed Natsuya's determination.

Even if this ended in a terrible result such as being exiled from her family, she could still rely on Seiji. She would make her new life goal focused on developing Seiji's knight order instead of working for the Yoruhana Family if that happened.

Of course, it was highly unlikely that she would be exiled from her family. However, it was certain that joining Soul Society would anger her family and worsen her standing.

Natsuya didn't want to betray her family. She simply wanted to do things her own way.

She agreed with what Seiji had previously told her. Being loyal to the Yoruhana Family didn't mean having to be restrained by them.

Soul Society... Seiji and his knight order... Natsuya felt that both of these were the path to the future.

She had already made her decision. All that was left was to resolutely walk this path.

Something pushed up on her chin. Natsuya opened her eyes to see Seiji looking passionately into her eyes. She realized what he wanted to do, so she closed her eyes again as her body started to heat up.

She decided to think about future things in the future, and to just enjoy this moment.

During the next several days, Seiji stayed shut within his room and worked fully on writing the second volume of "Brother Monogatari".

He fully immersed himself and spent his entire time typing.

It was as if he returned to an earlier time when he didn't need to worry about anything else. He focused on nothing except writing.

Finally, he finished the last sentence of the second volume.

Seiji reflected on everything as he looked at his finished draft.

He smiled as he recalled what he felt when he completed the first volume.

He checked the draft and confirmed that there weren't any major mistakes. Then, he went to get Shika.

Shika was currently putting away the laundry.

She was wearing a plain shirt and skirt while folding clothes under the sunlight, giving off a daily life type of beauty.

Seiji had seen such a beautiful scene countless times already, yet he wasn't tired of it at all. At this moment, he suddenly wanted to enjoy the scene for a while, so he didn't walk over and simply stood there in silence.

"Brother?" Shika noticed that he was there. She questioningly looked in his direction.

"I finished the draft for the second volume. I wanted you to read it." Seiji smiled.

Shika's eyes lit up as she sped up her laundry folding speed.

She finished folding the laundry at lightning speed, and sat down at Seiji's computer, immersing herself in reading his novel.

Seiji stood by her side and watched her read.

What was "Brother Monogatari"? A light novel that received great acclaim and awarded Seiji with many points in his system. But, more importantly, "Brother Monogatari" was a special story he shared with his adopted sister.

He recalled all their past experiences together. In comparison to that time, Shika had greatly changed.

Shika had grown taller, her figure became more mature, and she was growing even more beautiful... Seiji hadn't noticed too much, since they were now living together, but when he remembered what she was like at first, he finally noticed that she was becoming more beautiful by the day.

Of course, it was a good thing that she was physically maturing, but he was happier that something had changed about her entire aura.

Seiji didn't know how to describe what had specifically changed about Shika. Neither did he want to try and describe it. He would simply enjoy it.

"Brother Monogatari" was a story that he created because of Shika Kagura. That was the main reason.

The system's rewards were important as well, and Seiji was lacking in points with the upcoming danger, so he really wanted some additional points income. However, he definitely didn't create this story just for the points.

Seiji poured some tea for both himself and Shika. He placed the teacups on the table, and moved his chair over right next to hers.

And then, he allowed time to quietly pass just like that.

Shika read his story all the way until dinnertime.

Seiji cooked with Kaede's assistance. Currently, Kaede and Chiaki basically came over to his apartment every day for all three meals. All three of them took turns cooking.

After dinner, Chiaki washed the dishes, while Kaede started playing a video game together with Reo.

Seiji asked Shika what her thoughts were for how to continue the third volume. She brought out her notebook and showed him her outlines.

The keyword for the third volume would be "cluster amaryllis flowers".

The story's style would remain the same, mysterious with a hint of romance.

A female side character from both volumes of the story now revealed her true identity in the third volume—she was a Yin Yang Master.

She assisted the male lead's investigation, but the "adopted younger sister" female lead felt that her true objective was to control her "adopted older brother" so that he would become her Spirit-branded Retainer. The adopted sister felt that this female Yin Yang Master viewed her adopted brother as nothing more than a tool for combat!

The adopted sister warned the adopted brother, yet he felt that the Yin Yang Master was a nice girl. He ignored his adopted sister's warning.

This caused a rift between the adopted siblings, to the point where they even argued about it. During this argument, the adopted siblings revealed even more secrets about their past and current relationship.

At this moment, the Yin Yang Master contacted them, saying that she found something suspicious. She requested the adopted brother to investigate together with her.

He agreed, but the adopted sister felt that this was a trap. She strongly objected, yet he chose to go regardless.

Although the adopted sister was quite angry, she couldn't simply leave her adopted brother alone. So, she contacted the female exorcist from the first volume who became a demon, requesting the latter to go together with her.

It turned out that the Yin Yang Master's true objective wasn't the adopted brother, but the adopted sister all along! This Yin Yang Master had secretly been behind all the incidents in the third volume, all in order to distract the adopted brother's attention.

When the adopted sister asked why, the Yin Yang Master replied, "In order to have my younger sister return."

The Yin Yang Master then used the cluster amaryllis flowers to open the gate to the netherworld. At this moment, the exorcist suddenly appeared. It turned out that she had been watching the Yin Yang Master all along in order to steal the magical cluster amaryllis flowers!

The exorcist and Yin Yang Master had a major fight, witnessed by the adopted sister. Although she tried to use this opportunity to escape, she was unable to do so.

The cluster amaryllis flowers were going out of control due to the fight. At this moment, the adopted brother suddenly arrived and destroyed the flowers with an all-out attack!

He had listened to his adopted sister's warning after all. He didn't fall for the Yin Yang Master's trap, and arrived here in the nick of time.

"Give my sister back to me..." the Yin Yang Master cried out at the adopted brother.

"I'm sorry, that's impossible," he replied coldly, gazing at his adopted sister with an incredibly complex expression.

That ended the third volume of "Brother Monogatari". Just like the other volumes, it ended with a cliffhanger.

Without even needing to ask Shika, Seiji found it quite obvious who this Yin Yang Master character was based on.