Back to the present, Hokori perplexed and frightened the Minagawa family.

He chuckled. “Boy, you’re exactly the way I thought you would be. I now wonder. How many times did ya point those swords at anyone who pissed you off?

“Don’t get me wrong tho—I would have chopped their melons off the moment they spoke, but still…. Betcha never thought a day in your life that maybe the guy at the end of the stick could break it off,” he grinned.

Haruto’s eyes narrowed, “W-What are you talking about…? What’s going on here?! Who and what are you?!” he pointed.

Hokori chuckled again. “What’s goin’ on here… is dat I was just fuckin’ with y’all. Boy, are you tellin’ me I got raw acting skills there? Dat shit felt forced. I mean, who the fuck goes bare-fisted against someone armed?

“And who and what am I, you ask? Well, first off, sorry for messin’ with your shit. Here…” Hokori cast runes on Haruto’s clothing, drying it completely, as well as washing away the horrendous odor. Haruto noticed he used his blood to cast Runic Art.

The Coelestian archmage lent out a handshake with his right, “The name’s Hokori Udemaeno. I got my fam here, too. There’s Kakunō and Kenkō. No relation.” As he pointed at the latter, Haruto saw her unconscious state on the table. “And about your other question, it’s complicated. You’ll understand later, boy.”

After comprehending the situation, Haruto was enraged by Hokori’s actions and swiped his hand away. “You think this is funny?! Trying to hit my wife and then my daughter?!” his eyes narrowed.

“Well, in a prank video sense, yeah. ‘Cuz y’all fell for my act,” Hokori smirked, which caused Haruto to swing one sword at him again.

Hokori dodged it effortlessly and now stood at the opposite side. “Hahahahahahaha! I knew you were gonna do that as soon as I said blatant horseshit.” He yawned and stretched his arms, “Boy… you bore me. For real.”

Haruto swung again. After he did, he noticed both swords were gone from his hands. “What the…?” He turned around.

“Please… stop. I got somethin’ to say to y’all.” Hokori stabbed them on the floorboards.

“Hey! I told you not to ruin my floor, son!” Don complained.

Hokori casually dodged and ignored Haruto’s assault to talk to the bartender. “Can’t ya just fix this shit with runes?”

“I’m not a mage, you dimwit!”

“Well, if you love your floor so much, maybe you should have learned how to fix it instantly. Sucks to suck, old man.”

Their nonchalant conversation enraged Haruto enough to use his fists alone—never even thinking once to get his swords back. Hokori still dodged all his blinding attacks but briefly noted that they were now faster. Hokori flash-stepped from behind Haruto and pinned him down. It worried his family, “Papa!” Yukino exclaimed.

Sakusei observed, caressing his chin with his fingers, “Damn… this kid ain’t half bad. No wonder he was Vetus’ archmage….”

As Hokori held him down, Haruto grunted and struggled, “Get off me!”

Hokori sighed with his eyes closed. “Boy, stop, or I swear you won’t have fingers ever again. As I said, I got something to tell y’all, so ya better fucking listen—” Hokori interrupted himself when Tokino drew her rapier to his neck.

“Let. Him. Go,” Tokino’s eyes showed tranquil fury.

Hokori and his friends felt her magical pressure. “Oh yeah… I forgot about ‘dis kid….” He moved his left arm behind.

Tokino experienced the same phenomenon again with her innate ability. She foresaw Hokori grabbing her rapier with his left, so she prepared to intercept. But what happened instead was a backhand slap to her stomach—and then Hokori grabbed her rapier—all in a split second. Tokino flew into a wall. Yukino worried and ran to her aid.

Haruto also witnessed it and gasped. “Tokino!” He broke free from Hokori’s hold of him. When he managed to do this, Hokori noticed his physical strength spiked.

Haruto quickly grabbed Tokino’s rapier from Hokori and his swords from the bar table. The former action made it slide from Hokori’s palm. “Ow….” he said lightly.

“Are you alright?” Haruto placed his hands on Tokino’s shoulder. Laying on her side in a curved position, she could not respond for a short time as the wind got knocked out of her. Eventually, she coughed. “Yeah…. I’m fine….” she reassured them with a heavy breath and got up.

Yukino began hyperventilating. “Papa… I’m scared. That man…” she looked at Hokori, “…His heart is very—very chaotic…!” Hearing her say this unnerved Haruto. But he had no time to ponder about that. He looked back at Hokori and readied his swords against him while exerting magical pressure. “I’m not finished with you!” Haruto exclaimed.

However, with a stern look and a smirk, Hokori was not fazed by any of it, “Well, too bad, boy. Cuz I’m finished with you,” he exerted his pressure again, more potent than the last.

Haruto’s grip lessened. He dropped his swords and fell to his knees. He was the only one who felt it, as none of his family or anyone else in the bar did.

With that, the couple stopped fighting back.

Hokori walked closer. “Aight… now y’all can listen to me. Once again—I am Hokori Udemaeno. Coelestis representative. So is my fam right over there…” he pointed at them again, “…I’m twenty-five, and this is where I hang out. So—ya got all dat?”

Haruto stood up and sheathed his swords. Breathing heavily, he finally conversed with Hokori, “I can’t believe this… I thought your name sounded familiar to me. Now I remember. I heard—that Coelestis’ most powerful mage was a prideful—often violent man who still showed a heart of gold. But you—you have none of that! And you’re far more savage than what they say!” he pointed.

Hokori chuckled again. “Well, duh…. Dat’s just PR Management 101.”

Haruto sighed with his eyes closed. “I have something to say to you, too…. Do you honestly treat everything in life as a joke—just like what you did before?! I can’t fathom the idea of anyone viewing you as a worthy archmage! Who do you think you are?!” he pointed again.

Hokori raised his hands, “Hey, hey…. Calm down, boy,” he spoke in Japanese. “You’re making it sound like I throw bottles at kids just for sick kicks. I don’t. I did that shit to your daughter ‘cuz I knew she was anything but normal.” he pointed at Yukino, huddling behind her mother. “When I threw that not-so-cheap bottle at her, it changed direction, even at point-blank range. She’ll grow up to be a phenomenal Child of Athena, I tell ya. In fact, these are some reasons why I chose to mess with y’all.

“I knew you three were the newcomers when I saw your fancy carriage outside.” Hokori walked closer. “Now… even if I told ya I’m legit sorry—y’all won’t accept it, right? It’s da truth either way.” he shrugged.

After hearing Hokori’s explanation, Haruto’s eyes became even more resentful toward him. “Yes, you’re right. Truth or lie—no amount of it will make me forgive you. Everything about you disgusts me.

“I can’t even stand your face—or how you constantly look down on me as a child…” he drew his swords and pointed the right one at his adversary. “…Hokori Udemaeno… you don’t deserve your title. And so—I will fight against that. Let’s take it outside.”

Hokori sickered. “Hahahahahahahaha! You asked me before who I think I am, right? Well, just who do you think you are, a light novel protagonist?” He disappeared out of Haurto’s sight, making him blink.

Next, he felt a sharp pain and grunted. Haruto dropped his sword and looked at his bleeding hand. He held the wrong end before he even knew it. Hokori reappeared in front of him.

He walked closer and returned Haruto’s resentful expression with his own. “You don’t know jack shit about me, boy. None of your bullshit right now is intimidating, and you made it sound as if my man Harald was a complete moron for givin’ me the title. Now I just can’t let dat shit slide.”

Hokori cracked his knuckles, neck, spine and took a deep breath. “But… If you wanna fight—we ain’t gonna do it here. We gotta do it up there,” he pointed at the ceiling. Next, he pointed at the bartender, “Don! A cold serving of 1v1, please!”

Nodding with a hum, Don opened an application not available on The Every Hub. The said application sent a digital flier that triggered all of the city’s billboards, announcing that two fighters would duel in the “Fools’ Theater.” It also sent notifications to The Every Hub, prompting people to transport to the place or not. When The Every Hub was not open for any reason, a digital red exclamation mark appeared in front of any civilian.

“Dear Coelestians! Get ready for the next battle!” said a masculine voice within the fliers.

Runic circles appeared beneath Hokori and Haruto. “W-What’s happening…?” the latter said.

Hokori’s eyes rolled. “Boy, I just told you, we gon’ fight up there. We can’t just fight in our clean streets, y’know?” he shrugged.

“Mama, what is this?” Yukino saw the red exclamation mark in front of her.

Hokori looked at her, “Oh, yeah…. I suggest you two answer yes. Dat is if ya wanna see us fight in person, ‘cuz my fam here’s gonna.” Sakusei, Bernard, and Rosado opened The Every Hub to prompt “yes.” Kenkō—sleep-talking—had her notification done by Kakunō. Runes appeared beneath them.

Seeing all this, Tokino chose yes on her screen, along with Yukino’s. She noticed a countdown timer of twenty seconds.

“You’re not comin’, Don?!” Hokori turned his head around.

“I’d rather not,” he waved his hand, “Hearing crowds scream maniacally will deafen my ears faster than my age will.” Don sat on his chair. “I’ll just watch it over here.”

“Aight, suit yourself!” he smiled and gave a thumbs up.

Everyone except Hokori and Haruto now got transported to the Fools’ Theater. The fighters would only transport forty-five seconds late to build suspense and audience anticipation. “Huh? Where are they going? My family….” Haruto’s head moved around.

Hokori sighed. “Didn’t ya hear what I just said? Never ask too many questions, boy. We’re gonna duel. Dat’s what’s happenin’. Keep your senses sharp, ’cuz when we go up there and do it…” he pointed upward again—then at Haruto, “…I’ll give ya the wake-up call of a lifetime.”

With that, they disappeared from the bar.

The Fools’ Theater was a gigantic colosseum on a floating island located at the top of the city’s center—made of white marble and plated with gold decorations. Its seven arches showed spear-wielding gold statues resembling Athena. Said arches also housed a repeating pattern of two giant red and blue banners. One showed Coelestis’ emblem—the other showed gold line art of two loinclothed muscular men grappling each other.

The colosseum contained sixteen rows. Every seat was a soft leather recliner with a cupholder on each arm, and on top was a floating vending machine. Pressing a button located at the right arm brought it down. On the first row, instead of seats, were lined with fifteen VIP marble rooms, all merged into one massive ring. Its rooftops were flat and lined with railings at the edges, allowing spectators of the second row to view the fight closer.

The floor arena was made of sand and concrete, and hidden within it were bones, hair, and teeth. The floor’s gold runic dome protected spectators from anything the fighters did inside—from flying debris to even the most devastating attacks. Whereas spectators could go inside the dome, fighters were always trapped until one or more was defeated or forfeited the battle.

The entire colosseum was also surrounded by a runic sphere, blocking most of the heat and radiation of Parallaxis’ sun but not its light.

The Fools’ Theatre was Coelestis’ first and most popular event ever. Even children screamed in sheer excitement at any bloodshed. It was not uncommon to see rich and poor alike sitting beside each other—chanting similar phrases that called for more violence. Many infamous fights occurred for over nine hundred thousand years. The most recent ones were Hokori’s disputes and his “training” with other archmages.

Because of its infamy even before Hokori, some cities in Paṇṭaiyanilam, like Meán Domhan, gave Coelestis another moniker: The Two-Faced Eden. For their motto, they argued it should be: “The taste of blood sweetens as you enthrall our clear skies.” The Prosperity Triangle never inherited the same notion, however. Their diplomats described relations with Coelestis—and each other—as very special. Even among total opposites (Vetus and Novus).

Occasionally, mages used the Fools’ Theater for training purposes. Other times, even civilians could fight in the Fools’ Theater if they wanted to issue it. It was the law for every employee and owner in a bar, casino, and strip club to own the colosseum’s official application—due to frequent fights breaking out in said places.

The spectators got transported outside the main entrance. Participation cost twenty Geld each. VIPs, on the other hand, were transported to their designated rooms.

Forty-five seconds later, the two fighters finally got transported to their designated rooms on opposite ends. Haruto noticed the marble room had no visible exits. Virtually empty—except for a single straw target dummy placed at the center. Said dummy had black text inscribed on its torso: Hit Me × ∞. Haruto witnessed minuscule runes becoming transparent when touched and caressed. Suddenly, his body jerked when startled by a man leaning on a wall.

He walked closer, “Those runes gave fighters more assurance. Harald wasn’t so sure they’d believe the dummies’ words. Now that I mention it—every rune here is his making. Unmatched work, isn’t it?”

“Who are you?” Haruto’s eyes squinted.

The man shrugged. “Think of me as your ‘spiritual healer,’ kid. Not only will I fix you right up when you’re injured out there, but I’ll also encourage you when needed. And I ain’t just talkin’ about giving ya more of the will to fight. I can also encourage you to stop fighting if you don’t want to anymore.”

The man’s appearance was quite senile and wrinkled, indicating a long dedicated profession; brown skin, buzz-cut gray hair, and hazel eyes. He wore a very usual dark green paramedic uniform.

The man lent Haruto a handshake, “Dominique Larry. You can call me by the latter. My eighty-third birthday’s comin’ up next week, so I got my son to be a temporary replacement.” He rested his hand inside his pockets after the former complied.

“It’s a great pleasure to meet ya, Haruto Minagawa. Harald’s got nothin’ but good things to say about you. I’m usually Hokori’s healer. He always tells me to save that for his foes. But I do encourage him to stop when he nearly kills ‘em.” He chuckled.

Haruto walked closer. “Larry… could you please tell me what’s happening right now?”

“Well, we’re waiting for McLagan’s grand speech before the real show begins. He loves a good one before any fight. By the way, I noticed the back of your neck.” Dominique turned around and showed a tattoo of the United States flag on his nape, “You, me, and Hokori ain’t that different, don’t ya think?” He turned back. “I should warn ya about this as well.

“Hokori’s got a way of playing with his food, so I may not fully heal you out there. Stay sharp, kid….” he patted his shoulder.

Meanwhile, at Hokori’s room, he conversed with another paramedic.

“‘Ey, ya ain’t my guy. Who the hell are you?” his eyes squinted.

The woman kneeled. “My apologies, sir Hokori (誇利様). I-It’s my first day on the job. Umm…” she nervously walked toward Hokori, “…Engo Ōkyū (応急援護). Age twenty-three. Pleased to meet you….” she bowed down, speaking Japanese.

Engo’s appearance indicated a former zygote ready to take on her duty vigilantly, albeit with a naive and inexperienced streak. Black eyes, light skin, and medium brown hair cropped as a ponytail. Her height was proper for her age—one hundred and sixty-two centimeters. Engo’s attire was much the same as Dominique’s, and she also wore a similarly colored hat that showed a first aid symbol in front.

Hokori decided to speak in his native tongue. “Wait a minute… Are you really by any chance—”

Engo’s cheeks reddened. “Oh, I’m so sorry…. I-I don’t know what you’re saying. I shouldn’t have talked like that. So rude of me. I-I just wanted to rehearse something when we would meet

“I’m not a reborn human. I’m not from Mikadzukihantō (三日月半島), either. Although, my great-great-grandmother was. There’s nothing special about me. Larry encouraged me to get the job because I owe him a lot. But—even then—I’ll help you out whenever I can!” Engo showed a very confident expression, eyes closed and a smile while raising a peace sign.

Seeing all this, Hokori smirked and put his right hand on Engo’s head, confusing the latter. “Hm? W-What are you doing?” she opened her eyes, and her cheeks reddened a bit.

Hokori chuckled. “Engo… I need ya to do me a solid out there. It’ll help out both fighters. And Larry, too.”

“W-What would that be, sir…?” she got confused even further.