Tenchi Muyo! in the World

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8 years later…

A lady from Jurai suddenly visited them to meet Azusa's mother. She was from one of the imperial family of Jurai, the house of Kamiki（神木）. Her name was Seto（瀬戸）. Amame was a pupil of Seto and also her friend. This was the first time Azusa and Seto met together.

During this visit, Seto proposed to greet Azusa as the next leader of the house of Masaki. After Azusa's mother had left Jurai, several matters have happened and now no heir does exist and for this she had come here. For the return of Azusa to the imperial house, the other three houses have granted the permission, the houses which are the house of Kamiki of Seto, the house of Amaki of the present Jurai King and the house of Tatsuki.

However, Azusa himself refused to go to Jurai. It is hard for an 8 years old boy to separate from his parents, but for his parents it was true that they had the feelings of owing for the Masaki family and tried to convince their son. Many times have they tried, but never had Azusa shaken his head. He was satisfied with his present life, but also there was another reason for him. As is the rule of the Jurai, Azusa's mother could not return to Jurai unless the permission was granted, which was not able this time. Only for Azusa has this permission been given and not for his mother. For this, Azusa had repulsion to Jurai.

'I hate you! Get out of here!'glowering to Seto, Azusa cried out.
'Oh, you are so cheerful!' replied Seto showing no care to his curse.
'Shut up! I said get out of here!'
'He-he. Oh, how scary you are.'
Prying about both of them, Azusa's mother sighted and murmured,
'Now Azusa will not be able to escape from her…'
'Only for this?' Azusa's father asked his wife. 'Anyway as it has been decided in Jurai high council, he won't be able to get off of it, can he?'
'Seto is not such a person who makes one-sided decisions. I think everything depended on Azusa's will. But now …'
'But what?' asked Azusa' father.
'But those which she is pleased in, Seto is surely to get it. I am afraid that she will lead Azusa to say he wants to go to Jurai by himself.'
'Make Azusa say so?' facing the two again, he asked her in surprise.' With that? Isn't she angry being shouted at like that?'
'She absolutely is enjoying it. Seto likes these things.'
As Azusa's mother said, since then, Seto came to their house whenever she had time. She never tried to convince him but only laughed watching Azusa puffing out his cheeks in anger; and this made him puff out his cheeks more. Anyway it seemed that Seto just tried to make him get angry by purpose. When there was a time for the parent to attend the class in school, she appeared saying that she was his mother and when he was sleeping she sat beside him and watched him sleep all night. She tried to bathe with him, took his sweets, tickled him, kissed him, ran after him…
She was just only another teasing child to him now.
'Seto-sama…oh please don't take the joy of a Mother from me…!' Azusa's mother once begged to Seto.
'Oh bothersome! You can just have another child. Azusa is mine now.' Seto simply answered and ran after Azusa again.

Seto's teasing… er no, Seto's love to Azusa got larger and larger while Azusa's cheeks puffed out more and more.
Getting displeased, on the other hand means that he cares about her and the young boy did not notice that the space for Seto in his heart was turning out to be larger day by day…