D-Day

I had to seek help from a black smith for the sword, thankfully the blacksmith was patient with me, he explained that the wasp cores and stingers wouldn't be enough, I would need to find some more ore. 

I ventured in on a mining expedition with some of our local miners and came back with a couple of interesting things. I was too weak to properly mine any so some of the experts mined the areas I took interest in and I compensated them monetarily and by charming their pick axes. They promised to give me anything I want in the future if I kept doing that. Hehe... I can't let Mom find out. Folks have to pay for that kind of enhancement these days.

I decided, I would make a red fur lined hooded cloak using the alligator, boar skin, rat fur and a sword and sword sheath… but the sword turned out more lovely than I expected.

"Here's the finished product, Lady Himiko, the sword sheath gathers and collects mana into the blade just as you wish!" The Black Smith Kotsuba was so happy. I regretted not trying to make anything for my brother, so I asked if the black smith would make a ring with the leftovers and he did. 

All that was left was to cook up a feast. I didn't know the day, that person would be arriving so I prepared foods that needed to marinate. 

When word reached that a strange person had arrived at the fief, I began to cook immediately. 

I got word that Father would guide the person to a private room, and decided to intercept and prepare the room. I was setting the table, alongside the servants when the left wall crumbled.

As if it was made from paper and someone stabbed it with a pen... how is that possible? Unlike traditional olden times the walls weren't made from wood here!

A familiar redhead, the leader of Nomura clan(the shrimp) and an unfamiliar person with black hair, were wrestling. 

They were just wrestling but somehow they managed to continuously break down the wall… as each dodged punch and kick hit it. This baffled me, I just couldn't wrap my hand around it.

As I sat there with my maids gaping, we shuffled back to give them space as the two continued to wrestle inside.

When the two got back on their feet, the energy in the room began to spike, a breeze formed out of nowhere.

Hugging and Shielding the dishes that nearly flew off the table, I eventually got knocked back, the maids following suit. 

As the two charged at each other, the breeze became a gale, furniture went flying, leaving the maids no cover to hide behind. The furniture crashed into walls, splitting upon impact, the debris from that splitted further from the spiritual pressure, the debris and splinters flew about, wailing on us. The trajectory of the larger pieces found the heads of some maids, hitting them upside the head they stopped moving.

A few others that witnessed this ran towards the door to flee not realizing they were walking into the orbit of other flying pieces of furniture, they were sent flying into the wall or even worse through it.

The rest that saw could only squat on the ground and scream covering their heads as the tiny splinters pierced our arms and hands.

Meanwhile I had lost all strength in my legs as I took in all of this.

In an anime it would have been a real impressive scene but this was reality. How could normal humans withstand such pressure?

Witnessing someone tear holes in walls so easily, startled me, having to brace myself for each splinter flying at me... Like I said, the fief may look like a traditional mansion but the doors aren't made from paper but from glass.

As I tried to process it all I barely noticed a shadow looming over me. A bookshelf.

This is not how I imagined my death, I never thought I'd be dying so soon already!

As I lowered my head. An odd sound followed suit. after hearing two loud thuds I opened one eye.

The bookshelf was sliced in half.

Brother's back stood before me, he stopped by grabbing the two youth by the faces, his fingers digging into their skin.

His voice was laced with ice as he spoke slowly. "I don't mind you duking it out to settle your differences, but you clashing like this inside the household within such close proximity to Father's people, especially my younger sister I do mind. She only recently recovered from her cold." 

As he released the two, the gazes of the boys flickered to me who had attempted to shield the food with the other maids. I felt silly now, I was about to die but still holding on to a bowl of honey fried chicken, it was now peppered with splinters and debris anyway though. Such a waste. This marinated chicken would have been delicious...

Brother's smile was forced.

"Please, pay more attention regarding your surroundings." His gaze lingered on the taller youth. "I'm told my younger sister has prepared a lot for you while I was away Sir Hotaru."

Like this chicken. All this marinated meat would have been so good...didn't you basically shit all over my good will and hospitality? I didn't have the gall to get angry I was simply disappointed and beginning to wonder whether my gifts would be appreciated...

The blackie blinked, his skin was wheat colored, and his eyes were an unusual amber grey. 

It was acceptable that Brother and Cousin's eyes were blue because of our Mother's side of the family who were half-Japanese to begin with, and cousin Mifuyu, who had demon ancestry.

Meeting someone else outside from Black Apple, aside from the red haired Nomura clan with unusual features was a first for me. I don't know why. Perhaps it's because everyone in town had the same brown hair/brown eyes and black hair/black eyes that I expected others in this world to be the same. 

He wasn't bad to look at, but his eyes betrayed a haughty and feral spirit as he glared at brother. Judging from those eyes... it was likely he was more bothered by the fact that he was subdued so quickly. The boy from the Nomura clan also had a sour expression.

They were muscle heads through and through it would seem. Monsters.

Brother was a demon slayer so it wasn't surprising, but these two were ridiculously strong. I furrowed my brows as I looked at the hole in the wall. The food which was a mess and the poor maids who got k.o-ed. It sounds funny but seeing it happen in person is seriously traumatizing. Simple words can't do it justice but I felt like a tornado could have started within this room.

Since they were only looking at brother, He looked at me.

"Himiko."

I squeaked. "Huh?" 

He blinked at me, waiting. 

I held in a sigh, some part of me had hoped he would continue to speak on my behalf, maybe even ask if I was hurt. I'd use that as an excuse to give him my gifts and leave. 

To be honest, I had never been good with guys with strong personalities, they seemed cool but they intimidated me.

Once a fight broke out amidst two boys at school, I didn't have the luxury of someone shielding me, I got flattened on the floor as they wrestled and rolled over me.. Elbowing and furiously punching each other, I bore the brunt of the missed jabs.

There was a boy involved who I had gotten along with prior to that day...I was never able to see him in the same light again and I practically stopped existing to him too as he embarked a life of delinquency.

Men and raw violence, I had forgotten just how unsightly and traumatic it could be.