About a month after the end of our six-day battle, a wedding took place.
It was the union of Yuuki Tagamiya and Keiko Isogaki. The wedding of a Ninja and a Greater Ninja was held in a corner of the World Tree, in a modest ceremony that only a few of us attended. In fact, I ended up being responsible for organizing the ceremony.
“Leaving it to Shiki-dono would be the most reliable option,” Yuuki praised me, but as a first-year high school student, I hardly knew anything about weddings. In the end, with the help of Rushia and Leen, we simplified the ceremony, basing it on this world’s customs, and kept it casual. The marriage vows were as simple as “Care for each other.”
Yet, Yuuki and Keiko seemed content.
“A lot of our friends are still fighting in different places.”
“It wouldn’t be right to call everyone back just for us.”
For them, the happiness of everyone else was more important than being celebrated themselves.
“Next, it’s Kazu-dono’s turn,” Yuuki teased. He really had let his guard down, even if only for a day. “Shall we go ahead with your ceremony right now?”
“No, we’re…” Kazu stammered.
“I want to see Papa and Mama in their beautiful dresses!”
“Um, uh, Kayla?!”
Kayla looked up at us—especially at Kazu—with her clear, sparkling eyes. Arisu and Tamaki blushed, not entirely opposed to the idea.
Meanwhile, Rushia was quietly devouring wedding cake. To me she seemed like a bit of a lost cause in some ways, but Leen liked her—I could tell by the way she smiled at her—so I guess that was all right.
“That’s a brilliant idea. You all should take a break for once. How about a week or so?”
I crossed my arms and tried to produce an arrogant smile.
“But Shiki-san, we’re…”
“You want to level up fast to get to Mia-chan, right? I’ve heard it so many times I could grow corn on my ears.”
They had been busily engaged in battle for the past month. Though nowhere near as frantic as those six days, they had spent more time on the battlefield than anyone else from the high school or middle school sections.
Countless times, Leen and I had advised them to take it easier, but these four and Kayla went on fighting as if possessed. I got that they had a goal, but that goal was so far in the future! Pushing themselves to the limit just wasn’t necessary now. Kazu and Rushia, of all people, should know this all too well.
“It’s just, we feel this urgency… like we need to fight more.”
“I get it. So…”
I sighed and nodded at Kayla, whose agreement I had already secured. If you want to shoot the general, first take out his horse.
“I want siblings!”
“Whoa!”
“Wh-what are you saying, Kayla-chan?!” Arisu and Tamaki panicked, flailing their arms.
So adorable.
“To put it bluntly, you guys are overdoing it. The time when you had to be the aces and handle everything has long passed. The top ranks of the CAC group are already improving their derived skills. You know that.”
“That’s… true, but…” Kazu-kun still seemed dissatisfied.
“It’s an order, Kazu-kun,” I insisted. “It’s perfect timing. You guys are all going to take a break for the next seven days… during which we’ll be ‘borrowing’ Kayla.”
“I’m being rented out!”
“Wait, wait, wait a minute! What does that mean?”
“Just enjoy your newlywed life together. Don’t make me say more in front of Kayla-chan, okay?”
Kayla had always struck me as quite perceptive in the strangest ways. Well, she is Mia-chan’s daughter, after all. But for now, she’s playing it cool, just smiling innocently. This kid’s a force to be reckoned with.
“Don’t worry, maintaining the frontlines won’t be an issue. Rushing to liberate more territory only complicates rear support. And… Kazu-kun, Arisu-chan, Tamaki-chan, you all look terrible right now.”
The three of them looked at each other—and Rushia continued indulging in cake.
“Didn’t you notice?”
“I did think Arisu and Tamaki have been sleeping poorly lately.”
“It’s hard to notice when you’re directly involved, isn’t it? Rushia, you were aware, weren’t you?”
Rushia lifted her face from the cake, a smear of cream on her cheek, and nodded solemnly. “Yes. But at the same time, the people were mourning their losses. At least, until now. Maybe it’s time to slow down the battle for territorial liberation.”
“Yes, it’s about shifting down a gear… Sorry, that analogy doesn’t quite work in this world, does it?” I said. Rushia may have seen cars on Earth, but she wouldn’t know what went on under their hoods.
“So… the plan,” I signaled to Leen.
“Leave it to me, Shiki.”
With a smile, Leen instructed her attendants to replace the “Tagamiya Family Wedding” sign hanging on the wall with a “Kaya Family Wedding” sign.
“Hey, wait a minute, when did you make that?!… Hey, Shiki-san, Leen-san. You guys set me up, didn’t you?”
“Unfortunately, yes. Everyone’s in on it.”
“Everyone’s in on it!!”
Kayla joyfully raced around the bewildered Kazu-kun and the others, going round and round and round in circles.
“Even Kayla… Ugh, my daughter is in her rebellious phase.”
“No, Kayla loves Papa very much! ‘The more you say no, the more it’s a yes!’”
By the way, Iyana Kousaka, from the Cultural Arts Center group and a former second-year middle school student, was skilled in sewing.
“The wedding dresses were prepared by Sumire-chan and the others. Just in case something like this happened, they took out samples from the basement of the CAC.”
This time, Keiko didn’t wear a wedding dress. Instead, she wore a light green robe made from magical fibers called “tree bark silk,” which was meant for weddings at the World Tree. It suited her simple charm well, and it looked stunning…
“Hey, Arisu-chan, Tamaki-chan. You wanted to try on wedding dresses, didn’t you?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
After a moment of hesitation, the two blushed and shyly looked down, murmuring, “Y-yes.”
Heh, too easy. With this, Kazu-kun’s escape routes are thoroughly cut off.
“So, just give in.”
I placed my hands on my hips and smirked.
Outsmarting Kazu-kun was always a delight. Seeing his face sour like he chewed on a bitter bug melted all the stress of the day away.