"Burp-" Rokuya set down his chopsticks and let out a satisfied belch. The weakness brought on by his ultimate magic move had finally been mostly replenished.
"Is... is your stomach actually connected to another dimension?!" Shinobu Kocho clutched her hair with both hands, pointing at the empty plates on the table with a look of utter despair. "That was three days' worth of food for everyone at the Butterfly Mansion! You bottomless pit! Do you have any idea how expensive things are right now?!"
"Can't help it. Cutting down a Lower Rank is hard physical labor." Rokuya leaned back in his chair and lazily picked his ear. "Besides, wasn't your sister the one who told me to eat more?"
"You-!" Furious, Shinobu drew her Nichirin Blade. "I'm going to dissect you and find out exactly how your stomach is built!"
"All right, all right, Shinobu." Smiling, Kanae held down her younger sister's sword-drawing hand, then turned to Rokuya. She extended a slender finger and lightly tapped her smooth chin, her smile growing exceptionally radiant-so radiant that Rokuya shivered for no apparent reason.
"As long as you come back safe and sound, Rokuya, you can eat as much as you like." Kanae's voice was soft enough to melt. "But if you ever dare hide an injury from me again, or fail to eat properly... I'll personally feed you using Flower Breathing."
Rokuya swallowed, immediately sat up straight, and nodded solemnly. "I promise there won't be a next time!"
After the commotion, the three little girls dragged Shinobu off to sort medicinal herbs, leaving only Rokuya and Kanae in the dining room.
Sunlight streamed through the wooden lattice windows onto the tatami, with tiny specks of dust floating in the air. The atmosphere suddenly grew a little quiet, with even a faint