Chapter 275: Mana and Shiori
Feeling the little fists pounding against his chest, Franklin took it in stride until all her spiritual power was completely sealed. Only then did he gently set Kotori down. Looking at her flushed cheeks, he smiled with satisfaction.
"You bastard of an older brother..."
He easily blocked the kick she aimed at him. Franklin smiled and teased, "Watch your image, a lot of people are watching."
Feeling the gazes of the other girls, Kotori huffily lowered her leg.
Seeing the semi-completed Astral Dress materialize on Tohka's body, Franklin nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad, your control over your spiritual power has gotten much more precise."
Receiving his praise, Tohka's puffed-out cheeks instantly relaxed. Seeing this, Franklin smiled, wrapped his arms around her, and gently kissed her. In an instant, the spiritual power flowing back into Tohka was absorbed by him once again.
After a long while, their lips parted. Tohka's cheeks were also flushed bright red. Seeing her longing gaze, Franklin cleared his throat and looked away.
"Um... there's more..."
His gaze shifted next to Tohka, where Kurumi was standing. Having watched the entire process of Franklin sealing their spiritual power, Kurumi's cheeks were also flushed. The moment she made eye contact with him, she blushed even harder.
Knowing that Franklin was the kind of man who did exactly what he said he would, Kurumi wasn't about to just talk tough. She slightly turned her head away, her expression turning somewhat serious.
"Please restrain yourself, Mr. Franklin. I haven't been conquered yet, so please don't look at me with that kind of gaze."
Franklin cleared his throat, looked away, and glanced at Origami Tobiichi and Chiyo Tobiichi, whose spiritual powers were already sealed. After making sure neither of them had any issues, he finally turned his attention to Mana Takamiya and Shiori Takamiya.
Observing Shiori closely, Franklin wanted to determine whether the person in front of him was cross-dressing, transgender, or had simply been a girl from the very beginning. He stared until her cheeks flushed red before finally looking away.
Combining this with the blurry memories in his mind, Franklin confirmed it: Shiori Takamiya had indeed been a woman from the very start, and it seemed she harbored a certain level of affection for him.
"Ahem, sorry you had to see that. Let me introduce myself first. My name is Franklin, which you probably already know. The thing is, I've lost a lot of my memories. I definitely have some recollection of you two, but the specifics are very hazy. So, could you tell me what my relationship is with the two of you?"
Releasing the constraints on the two, Franklin looked at them with a smile. Mana frowned slightly and looked at Shiori beside her. After a brief exchange of glances, they both looked back at Franklin.
"Brother, do you really not know anything at all anymore? I'm your younger sister, Mana, and this is my older sister—and your younger sister—Shiori..."
Hearing Mana's slightly trembling voice and the hint of grievance in it, Franklin's heart fluttered.
He felt a strong sense of closeness, but no matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn't recall those specific memories.
Letting out a soft breath, Franklin snapped his fingers. In an instant, the group was teleported to an empty conference room aboard the *Fraxinus*.
After gesturing for everyone to take a seat, Franklin and Kotori sat down across from Mana and Shiori.
"I'm sorry, I really have lost a lot of my memories, but I do believe what you just said."
Hearing this, Kotori glared fiercely at Franklin.
"Brother, what kind of nonsense are you spouting? I grew up with you since we were kids! Since when did you have two extra younger sisters?"
Instantly, Mana glared back at Kotori.
"You're the one spouting nonsense! Shiori and I are the ones who grew up with our brother! Since when did he have a sister with the surname Itsuka?"
Seeing this unfold, Franklin used his *Eye of Truth* to look at Shiori and Mana. Seeing their true ages, everything instantly clicked into place for him.
"Neither of you is lying. The problem lies with me. Or, more accurately, it should have something to do with the Spirit of Origin, Mio Takamiya."
"Mio... Takamiya?"
After exclaiming in unison, Shiori and Mana looked at Franklin curiously.
"Brother, who is that...?"
"Franklin, who is that...?"
The two curious girls asked at the exact same time again. After exchanging a look, Shiori looked earnestly at Franklin.
"Can I ask why this Mio Takamiya you mentioned shares our surname? Who exactly is she? Why would she be connected to you having three younger sisters?"
Since the Spirit of Origin was brought up, Kurumi instantly grew serious as well. Origami and Chiyo also turned all their attention to Franklin.
Franklin had originally wanted to investigate everything fully before explaining, but right now, he had no choice but to voice his hypothesis.
"Mana Takamiya is 44 years old this year, and Shiori Takamiya is 46 years old..."
Gasps and immediate denials rang out instantly. Franklin raised his hands in a pressing motion to quiet them down, and the room fell silent once again.
"Your memories are definitely stuck at ages fourteen and sixteen."
Seeing the two girls nod, Franklin continued, "That's because you were frozen in ice for thirty years and were only recently unfrozen. As for your memories, there are definitely some issues with them too, though I'm not exactly sure what those issues are.
"Then there's me. I am definitely your older brother, but I'm also Kotori's older brother. During those thirty missing years—or rather, a missing decade or so—I went from being a teenage boy to a baby, and then grew up all over again to where I am now. On top of that, I acquired the ability to seal a Spirit's power by raising their affection for me.
"I believe that in the past, the Spirit of Origin, Mio Takamiya, definitely had some connection to all of us, which led to all this happening. But the exact details? I don't know, and neither do you, because our memories were wiped. If we want to know why, the only way is to find the Spirit of Origin and ask her personally."
Listening to the conclusion Franklin finally arrived at, the girls were utterly speechless.
"That's enough, Brother. That explanation was basically like giving no explanation at all, though I suppose it counts as an answer," Kotori said. She then turned to the other two. "Mana Takamiya and Shiori Takamiya, right? Are you currently working for the AST? If so, that makes you enemies of our brother. Have you considered changing employers? For example, joining Ratatoskr, where my brother and I work. As long as you join Ratatoskr, you'll get to see your dear brother every single day. Are you tempted?"
Hearing Kotori's pitch, the two sisters exchanged a glance, their eyes full of hesitation.
Franklin didn't say a word. He simply digitized all the data regarding their physical conditions—the hidden injuries, and the fact that their lifespans had been artificially reduced to a mere ten years—printed it onto a piece of paper, and placed it right in front of them.
"Don't even think about going back to DEM Industries. Before, it was because I forgot you existed. Now that we've crossed paths, I can't let you step back into the tiger's den. If you stay at Ratatoskr, I can look after you. Besides, your physical conditions can't be delayed any longer. I will help treat you as soon as possible."
The moment Franklin laid down the law, the hesitation in Mana and Shiori's eyes instantly vanished, replaced by an overflowing sense of joy.