Chapter 14: Well Excuuuuuuuuu-

"Ahem, Commander?" An old lady sat in a dark room, looking up at a large hologram video call.

"What is it, Ms. Mitsuko?" The fiery-haired so-called commander Itsuka Kotori responded.

"Yesterday, a tenant claiming to be the last owner of Apartment T-27 returned after a four year absence. The same woman who we've since suspected to be a Spirit," Mitsuko said gently. 

"[Sister]?! She's reappeared?" Kotori's eyes widened. "What a coincidence. She returned the very night before [Princess] finally made her way to this city. I wonder if there's more to this story..."

"Going by our standard protocol, I allowed her to renew her rent without any issue," Mitsuko continued. "In terms of surveillance, because of last year's budget cut, all the monitoring equipment was removed. I've already asked for a team to come in today, but because of [Princess]'s descent, they'll only arrive tonight."

"Tch. I knew the higher-up's money-grubbing ways would get us sooner or later." Kotori crunched down on a lollipop. "Good job, Ms. Mitsuko. Anything else to report?"

"Just one thing. It seems [Sister] has returned with a boy in tow."

Kotori choked on her lollipop. "WHAT?"

Mitsuko covered her ears in pain. "Kotori, please. My ears aren't as young as they used to be." 

"Ahem, sorry about that." Kotori blushed lightly before regaining her bearings. "Do you have any information on the boy?"

"I seem to remember seeing him somewhere, but my memory eludes me..." Mitsuko sighed. "I guess this is what happens at my age."

"No, you've done well. Thank you, Ms. Mitsuko. Moving forward, as much as it pains me, you have permission to take steps to sabotage their relationship in any way possible. It's our job to make things easier for Shidou, after all. Seeing his performance today, it's clear he's gonna have quite the hard time already."

"Oh, poor child," Mitsuko lamented.

—————I am the dividing line that shifts time and perspective—————

The next day.

DING-

"Kyo, doorbell~" Nia called from her desk, focusing intently on her drawing.

"Can't you greet the deliveryman yourself? It's your merch, isn't it?" Kyo complained as he walked over to the door. "When did you even have time to order this stuff?"

"Yesterday," Nia called back. "I'm pretty impressed with this delivery service myself. Maybe I should use it more often."

Suspicious. Kyo narrowed his eyes. Grasping onto [Naught], he quickly flung the door open.

"Uh, delivery...?" A surprised-looking man holding a small box called awkwardly. Kyo silently let go of his sword and bowed slightly.

"Thank you," he said coldly. "Do you need a signature?"

"Uh, yes." Fumbling for a second in his pack, the man presented Kyo with a notebook and pencil. Signing his name, Kyo wordlessly grabbed the package and bid the man farewell. An unlabeled package, huh?

"So what is this exactly?" Kyo asked Nia.

"Oh, I found this incredible dakimakura of Tokiy-"

"Forget I asked." Kyo's face darkened. "I'm leaving the package in your room. Have fun."

—————I am the dividing line that shifts time and perspective—————

Later that night, Nia stumbled into her room holding a beer in both hands and taking turns sipping from both.

"Ehehe, barely made the deadline..." she mumbled. "Maybe I can get Kyo to help me with the next one... after all, an arm that can swing a sword can surely swing a brush too?" Nodding to herself at the incredibly logical conclusion she had arrived at, she finally noticed the package on the floor. "Ah! Tokiya!"

Quickly slamming both beers down on a table, she ripped open the package to find-

"Oh my." Nia's eyes cleared up as she beheld countless stacks of 18+ doujinshi. Quickly digging through the pile, she gave a sad shake of her head. "Nope, still no Tokiya. But this is still pretty spicy. Is this all yaoi? When did I order-"

A stray thought flashed through her mind, and a devious grin crawled across her face. "So, Kyo was actually 'that' type of person, huh. No wonder..."

—————I am the dividing line that shifts time and perspective—————

"Did you manage to reestablish surveillance?" Kotori asked.

"Unfortunately, no. Neither Nia nor the boy has left their room since yesterday." Mitsuko sighed. "One can only wonder what those two are doing in there."

Kotori's face scrunched up with concern at her implication. "Continue my previous order. I want to see the boy gone by the end of the week."

"Yes, Commander." Mitsuko diligently replied.

—————I am the dividing line that shifts time and perspective—————

The next day.

"What's with the face?" Kyo asked offhandedly as he pounded raspberries into a pulp.

"Noooothing~" Nia replied, a knowing grin permanently stuck on her face.

DING-

"...again? What did you buy this time? Actually, wait. Don't tell me." Kyo walked over to the door wearily.

"Delivery!" Kyo thanked the deliveryman and took the parcel.

"So, Kyo, I have something to confess..." Nia borderline snickered. 

"Just spit it out please," Kyo sighed.

"The package yesterday? It wasn't my dakimakura."

"...ok. And?"

"And?" Nia complained. "Shouldn't you have a little bit more of a reaction? Think a little harder! Maybe back to when you ordered a 'certain something'?"

"I don't even have the ability to pay for something online, and you already know I spent the better half of yesterday asleep." Kyo raised an eyebrow. "I think it's more likely that you ordered something and forgot about it."

"Oh. I guess you have a point..." Nia slumped over disappointedly. "And here I thought I found a kindred spirit..."

"Uh, what are you-"

DING-

"Oh, this is getting ridiculous." Kyo groaned, opening the door again.

"Hello, master! I'm from Unlimited Bunny Girl Mistresse-"

Kyo slammed the door in her face. "I think we need to talk to the landlord about the people that live here," he said with a pink face. "Specifically, the person who ordered a stripper and then gave them the wrong apartment number."

—————I am the dividing line that shifts perspective—————

After Nia was done laughing half to death, she took the new parcel from a stone-faced Kyo and returned to her room and opened the box. To her lack of surprise, it was full of assorted fetish items. Either Kyo is a really convincing closet perv, or there's someone playing jokes on us. 

"[Raziel]!" As the book manifested in her hands, she took on a praying position. Please let the truth be the former. It would be incredibly funny. Opening the book, a confused look crossed her face.

"Ratatoskr? Who now?"