4. Chapter 4: Less than a Man (2/2)

"you expect me to believe that?!" ayumi yells as she punches me in the gut. "elsie flying is probably just some special effects again."

i take the hit as best as i can, but can't help but have to pause for a few seconds.

"hey ayumi!" yui calls out to her "don't hit keima-kun again. he's frail!"

this is bad, i can't let them argue like this or else i will get a bad ending!

"why are you being so protective of katsuragi?" ayumi makes a couple strides towards yui, so that she's no more than a foot away from her.

"ayumi-sannnnn!" elsie calls out to her, "don't fight with yui-san! nii-sama will explain everything. please listen to him!"

ayumi takes a couple steps back and

ings her attention back to me. i regain my composure and continue my explanation.

"but i thought that elsie was your sister keima-kun," yui points out "if she's a demon, would you have to be too?"

"elsie is not my real sister." i explain "her being my sister is just a cover that hell made so that she could stay with me at all times."

"even at home? why does she have to be with you all the time?!" tsukiyo demands an answer from me.

"elsie is the demon i signed a contract with, she has to be around so that i can do hell's work."

tsukiyo tightens her grasp on luna, likely frustrated with the situation, yui and ayumi look as though they are trying to understand the situation, and shiori is still holding her book to her face as her eyes dart around looking at everyone.

it still seems like they don't quite understand, but they don't need to. i'll just continue my explanation of what happened.

"in order to prevent the evil demons from making the earth their battleground i had to find all of the goddesses, only they were strong enough to stop them. " i pause for a second, not wanting to continue. "and the only way i could find the goddesses was by making all of you fall in love with me."

i can't help but hang my head in shame. the roof fell silent as all of the girls must have been too shocked to respond to this development.

"it was the only way." mars, now taking the place of yui told everyone. "the goddess's power only returns if the host is in love. if katsuragi hadn't done this, none of us may have even been alive right now."

i look up to see tsukiyo looking down at luna, yui looking away, shiori with some tears rolling down her cheeks, and ayumi walking away. i look away, not wanting to see the pain i've caused.

i've said all i can. if i say anything more now, it will only frustrate them more.

"wait ayumi."

i turn back to see chihiro standing in ayumi's way.