Volume 7 Chapter 1 Kazuramichi Ako’s Resolve ①
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”—Step-brother, there is something I want.”
When I finally brought it up, the expression on my step-brother Naoshi’s face was a rare sight.
He raised an eyebrow, and the left corner of his thin lips curled into his usual cynical smirk, but for a brief moment, a gentle light flickered in his eyes.
”That’s a new one. You actually asking me for a favor, Ako-chan? Well, what’s on your mind, darlin’?” Naoshi asked.
”This,” she said.
The moment I turned the tablet screen toward him, his brow furrowed into a look of pure bewilderment.
It was a bit of an exaggerated change—the kind of look the rest of the world might find shady or untrustworthy—but to me, it was so charming I could watch it forever.
”What is… what even is this?” Naoshi said.
Naoshi was being surprisingly honest about his confusion, showing his emotions more openly than he used to.
It was a shame I hadn’t been there to witness the change of heart he went through during those six months away from Osaka, but I could live with it if that was what he needed to realize his own feelings.
”It is an anti-materiel rifle¹,” Ako said.
”You plannin’ on lugging this beast around to hunt monsters or somethin’?” Naoshi replied.
”Something like that. I realized just how much I lacked firepower back in Kanto,” Ako said.
”Ah…”
The 12.7mm rounds fired from a high-caliber, long-range, high-penetration rifle were in a completely different league than the handguns I usually favored.
It might be a handful to manage when I’m operating solo, but if I’m providing backup for Naoshi against a Great Youkai like the ones during the recent Capital Incident², it would be invaluable.
In fact, this whole request was just a tactical move to prove my worth to him.
Naoshi rested his chin on his hand, letting out a low groan as he thought it over.
”I mean, I get it… but how are you gonna handle the red tape? Can you even get a permit for a cannon like this?” Naoshi asked.
The duty of an exorcist is to protect the nation and its people.
In the modern era, it is a national qualification that provides both restrictions and support for those who battle the calamities known as Ayakashi³.
If deemed necessary for the job, licenses for the possession and use of firearms are granted.
But even so, it isn’t a blank check for just anything.
”The regulations are stricter than for handguns, but I’ve already handled the logistics, including a specialized gun locker for storage. As for the permit, I can apply with the joint signatures of two First-Class Exorcists⁴,” Ako said.
”Hmph. So, who’s the other one besides me?” Naoshi asked.
”Mibu Itsuki-san accepted without a second thought. I have already obtained her signature,” Ako said.
”That woman, seriously…” Naoshi muttered.
Based in Otsu, Shiga, Mibu Itsuki is a First-Class Exorcist of the Mibu clan. She is the same age as Naoshi and has a convoluted history with him—one you might even call fated.
There was a time when people questioned her abilities due to a slump during the new moon, but recently she has silenced them all, performing with a grace truly worthy of the title Sword Saint.
”Isn’t she being a little too easy with the daughter of another house?” Naoshi asked.
Currently, she and Naoshi are involved in a mistress-like relationship. Perhaps because of her position, she can be a bit flighty, which seems to be a point of contention for Naoshi.
”I made sure to send official requests from our house to both the Mibu and Niwazono families so it wouldn’t seem like an arbitrary decision. Besides, I was the one who asked. If anyone deserves a scoldin’, it’s me—” Ako said.
”If that’s the case, then fine… but you didn’t have to twist her arm, did you? Knowing her, she’s either not thinking at all, or she just wants to see the damn thing in person. She’s shallow like that,” Naoshi said.
Seeing my brother snort, I decided to keep Itsuki’s request to ‘test-fire’ the rifle to myself.
No doubt, he’d be more than just exasperated if he knew.
Even so, whether it was because they were the same age or both First-Class, I felt a small prickle of envy at how easily he could talk about her. I buried that feeling deep behind my doll-like, expressionless face.
”So… do I have your permission?” Ako asked.
”Get the paperwork together and bring it to me later. I’ll look it over, so make sure you use sticky notes to highlight the red tape. I’m the one who’s legally responsible for you, after all,” Naoshi said.
”Yes. You’re truly okay with this?” Ako asked.
”You’re sayin’ you need it, so we’re getting it. Simple as that. I’ve got enough backbone to grant a request from my cute little sister—even if the request itself isn’t cute in the slightest,” Naoshi said.
Naoshi gave a playful shrug.
I fought down the urge to throw myself into his arms and instead gave a deep, respectful bow.
”—Thank you, step-brother,” Ako said.
”Don’t worry about it,” Naoshi replied.
”Then, while I’m asking for favors… could I also ask you for a baby?” Ako asked.
”Work! We’re talking about work-related requests, remember?!” Naoshi barked.
”Strictly speaking, producing an heir is a vital part of my duty as your sister and a member of this family…” Ako said.
At present, the main lineage of the Kazuramichi family consists only of Naoshi, the only son of the current head, and myself, his niece and adopted sister.
In terms of combat power, Naoshi is a First-Class and I certainly hold my own as a member of the Kansai Eight Families⁵, but the fact that we are both unmarried—with no children in sight—puts the family’s future in jeopardy.
”That ain’t just a ‘sister’ thing. Look, I’m sorry, but if we’re gonna do that, it’s gotta be after things have settled down a bit more,” Naoshi said.
On the flip side, losing either of our primary combatants would be a massive blow.
Not to mention, Naoshi has other lovers besides myself and Itsuki, including his potential fiancée, Shiun Suzuri.
As a girl who purely adores him, my feelings are complicated, but as the assistant to the Acting Head of the Kazuramichi family, I have to agree with his judgment.
”I understand. But if possible, I would like to do so while I’m still in my twenties,” Ako said.
”Yeah, yeah. You’re really coming on strong today, aren’t you?” Naoshi said.
”Because it’s important,” Ako said.
I’ll settle for making sure he knows I don’t want to be pushed to the back of the line.
The fact that he didn’t outright reject me is enough for now.
It’s a massive step forward compared to where we were.
”—Also, step-brother, would it be alright if I took some time off for training? I’ll make sure all my responsibilities are covered before I go,” Ako said.
Because of that progress, I could bring up the idea of being away from him for a while without being afraid.
”Sure thing. What’ve you got planned?” Naoshi asked.
His response was immediate.
Part of it was likely because I’d already asked for one thing today, but mostly it’s because Naoshi respects the grind—both his own and everyone else’s.
”I am going to a hot spring to learn Ninjutsu,” Ako said.
”Come again?” Naoshi asked.
* * *
A few days later, I was on a train bound for Nara.
My brother had given me a look of pure skepticism, but I wasn’t just acting on a whim.
The spark for this idea had been Suzuri’s technique: Self-Fortune⁶.
Generating water through the Five Elements, using a name as a medium for word-spirits to change the properties of ink, and then the process of ‘drawing.’
When you strip it down, each element is simple.
But that simplicity is exactly why it’s so versatile.
For example, you can use existing water, you only need to mix the ink, and the act of drawing can be visualized.
The most important thing is the practitioner’s own perception—how they view the world.
Looking back, I’d been too obsessed with my Yuki-onna⁷ blood.
Because my blood is so strong that I could easily slip and become a full Ayakashi if I wished, my thinking had been trapped in a binary: either use the power, or don’t.
But I don’t have to rely entirely on my power as an Ayakashi.
I just need techniques that can utilize a single snowflake that I produce.
Fortunately, Japan has ancient techniques for utilizing the natural world—Tonjutsu⁸, otherwise known as Ninjutsu.
And as luck would have it, the Ayabe family of Nara—one of the Kansai Eight Families—was originally a clan of shinobi.
After several train transfers, I finally reached my destination.
Waiting for me at the meeting point in Umeda, leaning against a red SUV, was a woman in a sharp black suit.
”I’ve been expecting you, Kazuramichi Ako-dono. My name is Ayabe Sasara. The head of the Ayabe house has tasked me with looking after you during your stay,” she said.
”I am Kazuramichi Ako. Thank you for having me,” I replied.
As I bowed to the woman—who managed to look both intellectual and sultry with her straight-backed posture and her black, blunt-cut bob—a thought crossed my mind.
(I’m glad Big Brother didn’t come with me.)
Between her sharp features, her figure, and her mature aura—she was definitely in her thirties—she was, without a doubt, exactly Naoshi’s type.
—
Summary:
Ako requests a high-powered anti-materiel rifle from Naoshi to compensate for her performance in Kanto. Naoshi grants the request despite the regulatory hurdles and Ako’s surprising demand for an heir. Ako departs for Nara to train with the Ayabe house to develop new techniques beyond her Yuki-onna heritage. She meets Sasara, a woman she instinctively identifies as her brother’s ideal type
—
Trivia:
- Naoshi’s fake accent is a deliberate character choice used to mask his true nature
- Mibu Itsuki’s ‘Sword Saint’ title suggests peak human martial skill compared to Ako’s supernatural blood
- The snowy imagery associated with Ako’s lineage contrasts with the urban setting of the train station
- The SUV is a specific modern marker of the Ayabe family’s wealth/statu
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Character Insight:
Ako is shifting from a passive role to an active seeker of power and familial standing, recognizing the fragility of the Kazuramichi lineage. Naoshi is showing more vulnerability and honesty in his domestic interactions.
—
Glossary:
Notes:
• Naoshi – A man with thin lips and a cynical smirk who possesses eyes that occasionally soften with a rare, gentle light. He is the only son of the Kazuramichi house head and acts as the legal guardian and step-brother to Ako, operating with a ‘fake’ Kansai accent.
• Ako – A young girl with a doll-like, expressionless face who conceals deep emotional intensity. She is the niece and adopted sister of Naoshi and serves as the assistant to the Acting Head of the Kazuramichi family while possessing the blood of a Yuki-onna.
• Itsuki – A woman who is the same age as Naoshi and serves as a First-Class Exorcist. She is known as a Sword Saint and is the head of the Mibu house based in Otsu City, currently maintaining a mistress-like relationship with Naoshi.
• Mibu – The Mibu family name, carried by Itsuki. The lineage is based in Otsu City, Shiga, and is a prominent house of exorcists.
• Kazuramichi – The Kazuramichi family name, carried by Naoshi and Ako. This lineage is one of the Kansai Eight Families and holds a significant position within the exorcist hierarchy.
• Ayabe – The Ayabe family name, associated with Nara. The lineage is one of the Kansai Eight Families and has its roots in a clan of shinobi.
• Sasara – A woman in her thirties with a black, blunt-cut bob and no bangs, possessing a sharp, intellectual, and sultry aura. She wears a black suit and was ordered by the head of the Ayabe house to act as a guide.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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