<h4>Chapter 400: Captured for Hugs</h4>


    Nira hugged her daughter tightly so she could shift position slightly to better see Kat. "Yeah you get people like that sometimes. It''s not too often though. Normally when they mess up the ritual. You can actually decline a lot of those and still get paid half the time. It''s a bit of a gamble, though."


    "Why is that?" asked Kat


    "Well, mostly because the circle didn''t actually get asked to do what the circle said you would. Most of the time that sort of thing happens when an old Summoning Circle gets activated by someone with no idea what they are doing.


    "The problem, and where the riskes in, is that sometimes they are just close enough to what the circle was intending for that you get penalised for skipping out on the contract. Then you either have to do more contracts or a punishment run like you and Kamiko are doing right now."


    "Huh, actually, why are you doing this Kamiko? Not sure I asked?" asked Kat.


    Kamiko groaned and mumbled something quietly into her mother''s neck. "I''m sorry what was that?" asked Kat. Kamiko repeated what she said, making no effort to actually be heard.


    "If you don''t want to tell her I will" said Nira without shame.


    Kamiko groaned again and faced Kat. "I… I don''t really want to say? It''s very embarrassing…"


    "Dear" said Nira as she ran her hands through Kamiko''s short hair. "It really wasn''t that bad. They didn''t exactly call the best demon for the job, and it wasn''t your fault…"


    "It''s still embarrassing" said Kamiko, blush creeping up her face.


    Nira shrugged as if to say ''welp I gave her a chance'' before actually saying. "She got lost."


    "What?" asked Kat confused


    Kamiko groaned and turned herself around to speak. "Fiiine. If Mum is going to go that far. I… I was tasked with delivering a letter. I''m not sure why I had to, or why they couldn''t have gotten a courier to do it, but they summoned a demon and I was that demon.


    "I maybe sort of… got lost along the way? I gave up in the end… after like, two weeks travelling when I found out that I''d headed the wrong way at some point and was like a month of heavy travel away from where I wanted to go at least.


    "I was informed that I wasn''t getting paid and I was going to be punished for doing so badly. Apparently because not only did I not do the mission, but it was a somewhat time sensitive delivery. I think I was chosen because technically I have a teleportation ability, but I''ve already mentioned how that''s all it is. A technicality."


    *That… that does make some sense I suppose. I have True Sight, and D.E.M.O.N.S said I might get missions just because of that fact. I wonder if the system likes pushing us? I wasn''t exactly a fan of my most recent Summoning… but I didplete it in the end, even if thatpletion was questionable.


    Well ok, maybe I didn''tplete it by the strictest definition but I DID help. He''s the one that started screwing things up at the end, and I feel like I did the right thing there. Maybe that''s the point though? Hmm. I''m not sure how good D.E.M.O.N.S is about basically telling the future.


    It''s clearly not impossible. The Angel I met proved that you can in fact, tell the future, or at least make scarily urate guesses about it. Then again, that was an Angel making a prediction about just me. D.E.M.O.N.S has a much bigger job. I wonder what the limit might be?*


    "What do you think Nira?" asked Kat


    "Hmm hard to say really" said Nira "It''s one thing to think that D.E.M.O.N.S set you up to kill the person toplete the contract and an entirely different thing to think they wanted you to fail, especially going on to punish you for it.


    "You start thinking in circles, and wondering if you''re entire life has be nned out already by some cosmic force, but that''s just silly. Maybe D.E.M.O.N.S does y with the odds, but ultimately, it''s always our choice, and D.E.M.O.N.S does stick by its rules, even if you feel like it is trying to get you to do something else.


    "It will also never give you something impossible. I know my daughter doesn''t have any experience with that sort of job, but it''s not like she''s known for being bad at them are you? You found your sses fine and you can get around the neighbourhood"


    Kamiko shrugged and said. "I guess? I never really thought about it too much… but yeah I guess my sense of direction is passable. I''m not sure how much attention I paid to it during that mission, or where exactly I got turned around. I think it was somewhere in the forest but I can''t be sure. I didn''t exactly leave the road, but maybe I should have seen a turnoff or something"


    Nira leaned into Kamiko and said. "Nothing you can do about it now dear. I will say this punishment is a little extreme in my eyes, but I bet it counts as an extra week of Contracts anyway."


    "Oh?" asked Kat "Why is that?"


    "It''s just the way it is" said Nira "They treat the punishment like a contract in and of itself and it sounds like the one you guys have will run for at least a week, so it''ll probably count as two. It''s not exactly a harsh punishment but it is a time consuming one. Though it''s probably worse for you Kat because you can''t see your family during it unlike we can. So you are more than wee to stay for the whole lot. If someone else tries to tell you off and I''m not here just let them know they can fight me over the decision if they don''t like it"


    Kamiko jumped in with "Don''t say that Mum, Elmony with ask for a fight just because you''ve given her the chance"


    "It''s been a while since I fought her though. If she really wants a fight with me I''m happy to give it to her. It''s been what… a month since ourst one? She''s getting better." Said Nira


    "How close are you both inbat prowess?" asked Kat


    "Closer than you''d think" said Nira "Or perhaps not? I guess I don''t know you well enough to say that. Elmony is one of the best Rank 4 fighters if you ask me. She works with me through the Lust faction as an enforcer."


    "Wait how does that work?" asked Kat "I thought that was Wrath''s job?"


    "It is… but Elmony still has Subus abilities for the most part. She just uses them offensively forbat. It''s not like the other factions have nobat capabilities. Personally I think the only reason she joined Lust is to be around family, but she gets her fill ofbat from the asional Contract and fight with me, so maybe it''s where she wants to be. Hard to say really, and I know she''d never answer me either way. Still embarrassed after all these years. Makes me very happy though, that she thinks of herself as my daughter still." said Nira with a goofy smile on her face.


    "Do you mind borating on that?" asked Kat


    "Sure" said Nira picking up on what Kat meant. "I''m sure Kamiko already mentioned she was adopted under… strange circumstances to say the least. Well, we never really wanted to keep that hidden from her. It would be hard to keep as a secret and I like being honest with my children unless it''s for embarrassment purposes.


    "And I guess, in the back of my mind… I sort of felt like once she''d gained enough power she''d just… stop being my kid you know? It''s different with the other girls. Not that I''d treat them any different but they don''t get a choice. Even Meradithna doesn''t. She might be angry still, but she''s my daughter and she can''t tell me otherwise.


    "Elmony kind of… could though? If she''d done half the shit Meradithna had, then I think I''d be forced to give up. Mostly because… she''d be right? If that makes sense. Meradithna I can be annoyed with her, but ultimately, know she''s wrong."


    Kat gulped and decided to change the topic, not really having experience with the intricacies of family. "Why are your fights so close?"


    Nira looked like a shark who smelled blood in the water, until Kamiko gave her a light squeeze on the arm. "Oh fine" said Nira rolling her eyes. "The reason is because a lot of my abilities are tied up in healing. Sure some work well enough on me, but it''s mostly for other people. Thatbined with her love forbat and more practiced technique means I have to rely on the extra power and speed from being Rank 5 toe out on top. I think she wants to beat me before Ranking up, but I suspect that beating me will be achievement enough to Rank up."