"It's all this person's fault! As soon as she arrived, she called herself my sister-in-law! It's so weird!"
"And she even wants to move into our house!"
"That's... that's why I fought with her!" As Kotori spoke, her tone became slightly weaker.
"I just never expected that... she's also a Spirit!" At this point, Kotori looked towards Mio. Her Sephira Crystal was given to her personally by Mio, so she knew that Reine Murasame was Mio.
"My Sephira Crystal was given to me by Yuki." Tobiichi Origami, who had somehow wrapped herself around Yuki's arm at some point, leaned against him and spoke.
"Ah!"
"When did you—!"
"You woman! Let go of my brother right now!" Kotori was shocked to find the other had clung to her brother the moment she let her guard down.
"No." Tobiichi Origami simply refused flatly.
Kotori was furious but didn't want to start a fight with Tobiichi Origami in front of her brother. So, she could only grab Yuki's other arm. She glared fiercely at Tobiichi Origami, as if saying, I'll keep an eye on you like this, let's see if you dare try anything!
But then she remembered the other mentioned that her brother had given Tobiichi Origami the Sephira Crystal. She grew even more puzzled.
"Brother, you... what's really going on?"
"Aren't you an ordinary person?"
"Why do you know about Spirits? And the Sephira Crystals, aren't those Reine's... no, Mio nee's things?" Kotori looked back and forth between Mio and Yuki.
Mio sat to the side, a smile always on her face.
"Yuki, should I explain, or will you?" Mio asked gently.
"I'll do it," Yuki replied.
Then, he slowly explained everything to the two, including the matter of him traveling back thirty years.
After hearing this, Kotori suddenly had an epiphany and understood what had happened.
"So that means... brother only recently awakened his powers, then traveled back thirty years and already knew Mio back then!"
"And these Sephira Crystals of ours were modified by you!!!" Kotori thought it over, roughly summarizing the events. Yuki had kept the system a secret, attributing his power to a sudden awakening.
"And you traveled back to the time my parents had the accident and saved them."
"From then on, you became my spiritual support, and gradually, I developed feelings of love for Yuki!"
"So I decided to become Yuki's bride, little sister-in-law." Tobiichi Origami suddenly added.
Hearing Tobiichi Origami call her "little sister-in-law" again, Kotori's face instantly tightened.
"I told you, don't call me little sister-in-law! I will never acknowledge you as my sister-in-law!" Kotori said indignantly once more.
However, Tobiichi Origami paid no mind, holding onto Yuki without letting go. Even Kotori was helpless against her.
"Let's not talk about that for now. Mio-nee, why did you give us the Sephira Crystals?" Since many things were now out in the open, Kotori then asked Mio the questions she had had over the years.
Kotori obtained her Sephira Crystal actually four years ago. That day, Mio suddenly appeared before her and asked if she wanted to become a magical girl like those on TV shows. Kotori was still young back then; hearing she could become a magical girl, she excitedly agreed. And Mio didn't disappoint her, instantly transforming her into a Spirit, fulfilling her magical girl dream. But thinking about it now, she really didn't know why Mio gave her the Sephira Crystal.
"The reason is simple. During the thirty years I was waiting for Yuki, I was very lonely."
"So I wanted to create some daughters for company." Mio answered with a gentle smile.
"Ah..."
Hearing Mio's words and seeing the loving look she gave Yuki, Kotori suddenly understood a lot.
"N-No way! Mio-nee, do you also have feelings for brother...?" At this moment, a storm raged in Kotori's heart, as if she had witnessed something shocking.
"That's right, I love Yuki very much, the love between a man and a woman not siblings" Mio said with a smile.
Kotori, on the other hand, was at a loss for words. So it turned out her love rivals weren't just Tobiichi Origami; there was also Mio, who had taken care of her for many years—not her biological mother but someone who felt like a mother. Not only that, but the women Yuki had come into contact with thirty years ago were probably even more numerous. This meant her love rivals would only increase.
Just thinking about this made Kotori feel completely numb. In the past, she had been guarding against outside women every single day, day and night. But she never expected that, in the end, she still couldn't prevent it—there was a traitor inside the house!
Kotori then looked like she was about to cry, tears glistening in her eyes.
"I... I'm going to sleep, I don't care about you all anymore!" Kotori let go of Yuki's arm, stood up, and quickly went upstairs.
Watching Kotori's reaction, Yuki sighed inwardly. That was just Kotori's personality—not very straightforward. Right now, she clearly had a lot she wanted to say to him, but she just wouldn't open up. Truly, tsundere ruins everything.
"Yuki, Kotori, she..." Mio, being observant, naturally noticed Kotori's unusual state and looked at Yuki with some concern.
"It's fine, I'll go check on her." Yuki gave her a reassuring look.
"Origami, you go with Mio-nee to find a room."
"I'll go see Kotori." Yuki patted Tobiichi Origami's hand, signaling.
Tobiichi Origami, being very clever, understood that Yuki needed to handle the situation with Kotori now. So she nodded lightly and let go of Yuki.
"Go ahead, don't worry."
"Mhm."
Then, Yuki quickly went upstairs and arrived outside Kotori's room.
Knock knock knock!
Yuki gently knocked three times.
"Kotori, it's me." Yuki called out.
After ten seconds, there was no sound from inside.
"Since you're not saying anything, I'll take that as consent. I'm coming in!" With that, Yuki placed his hand on the doorknob, turned it gently, and soon pushed the door open a crack. Then, slowly pushing it open, Yuki walked in.
Kotori's room had an overall cute, pinkish color scheme, with many animal patterns stuck on the walls. Although not as large as Yuki's room, it was still over 60 square meters.
At that moment, Kotori was sitting on the white bed in the room. When she saw Yuki push the door open and enter, a flash of panic crossed her face, but she quickly put on a stern expression, snorted coquettishly, and turned her head away.
"Brother, what are you doing here?"
"Shouldn't you be spending time with Mio-nee or that Tobiichi Origami?" Her very first sentence was filled with strong jealousy. But Yuki ignored it.
He slowly closed the door and walked step by step towards Kotori with a smile.
Seeing Yuki getting closer and closer, Kotori's eyes showed a flicker of panic.
"You... what are you going to do?"
Yuki sat down right beside Kotori, looked at her with a smile, and said:
"I know about Kotori's feelings for me."
"So, Kotori, I know everything you're thinking in your heart!"
"Wh...what?" Kotori's face instantly flushed with a deep red, her eyes filled with panic.
But then Yuki hugged Kotori tightly, gently patting her back.
"I know Kotori likes me."
"Actually, I like Kotori too."
"O... Onii-chan..." At this moment, Kotori's hair ribbon turned half black and half white, her expression incredibly shy and touched.
"Onii-chan... I love you."
"Take Kotori~~~"
Hearing this, Yuki gently nodded.