Before the arrival of the two fighters, Tokino and her daughter got transported to their designated room. They saw a large holographic screen covering the wall in front. It showed footage of the arena. Beside it was three leather couches that faced a glass coffee table.

Yukino noticed a door on the left side. Opening it turned out to be a bathroom that was more spacious inside. Still curious, she saw a vending machine in the right corner. The items had no price tags. In the “Earthly Food” section, she treated herself to a Ritter Sport almond-chocolate bar.

“Honey… please come sit,” Tokino called out to her daughter. Sitting on the middle couch, the two saw Kennedy on the screen delivering his speech. After a while, they heard a knock on the doors behind them.

Two people came in upon realizing it was open. Hokori’s comrades walked in with intimate smiles. “Hey, y’all!” Kakunō exclaimed. “Mind if we join in on the same spot? We’ll be living on the same roof later on anyway, so think of this as our proper introduction.”

Tokino smiled at them back. “Oh, no, no… I don’t mind at all. Yukino would love to meet you two,” she presented her in front.

Yukino became excited upon seeing them up close for the first time. She ran toward Kenkō and hugged her. “Big Sis!” she declared loudly.

“Hmmm…?” Kenkō’s eyes blinked multiple times.

A smiling Yukino let go and stood in front, holding her hands behind her lower back. “You’re my big sister from now on, right? Mama told me your family could be anyone!” She tilted her head with eyes closed.

Her statement deeply resonated with Kenkō, helping with the fact that she found her incredibly adorable. Smiling widely with joy, she hugged her back, “Of course I am, Yukichi (ゆきち)! We’re gonna do lots of fun things with your one and only Kenkō! Yukichi. Yukichi. Yukichi. Yukichi.” She repeated seven more times.

Kakunō walked to them. “Hahahahahaha! The fact you’re only two inches taller than a literal kid is so funny to me, dude. I mean—just wow….” he smirked.

His remarks filled Kenkō’s heart with unrelenting resentment. She stopped hugging her new little sister. “Yukichi… you see that boy over there?” she pointed to her comrade. “You have a big brother, too!”

Yukino gasped, more excited than before, “Really?!”

Kakunō backed away with both hands raised, “Wait, what! Hey, hey, wait for a minute— Aaagh!” In a flash, Yukino rode on his back, arms around his neck.

“Yay, Big Bro! Weeeee!” she shouted with joyful laughter.

“Ugh…! Aaagh! Get off me! I-I can’t breathe! Ugh!” Surprisingly, Yukino immediately agreed with Kakunō’s command. He fell on his knees, breathless.

Still playful, Yukino tilted her head again, smiling with eyes closed as she looked at Kakunō. Tokino giggled at the whole scene.

Standing up, Kakunō looked at her straight in the eye. “Listen here, kid. I am…” he saw an even more resentful Kenkō at the back, readying a scalpel behind her hand, “…totally your big brother. You’re right, Yuki (雪ちゃん).” He smiled nervously, sweating bullets.

“Call her Yukichi, country boy,” Kenkō gave him a death glare.

“No, it’s okay, Big Sis. I love you all, either way.” After all that, Yukino sat back with her mother.

Now in the present, Kennedy ended his opening speech and announced the fighters. “Now, my kind… let us bring our entertainers for tonight! In this corner—we have this interesting lad. A boy who embodies the idea of phenomenal power from an unassuming face! Climbing atop a ladder against Vetus’ strongest a year ago, they say he conquered all of them with little to no effort!

“His past from both worlds is unknown, but in our world—rumored to be the former retainer of the fallen Alaric Empire’s late prince. The same empire who sought ruling over Pantaiyanilam! As such, none of us know why he switched sides and eventually married the unrivaled beauty Tokino. Nevertheless—he is now our beloved comrade! Ladies and gentlemen, the elegant yet deadly White Swordsman: Minagawa—Haruto!!!”

The mentioned archmage stepped outside, eyes stern as ever. Amongst the crowd cheering, young women shrieked at his presence in the arena. “By. The. Gods! I am so freaking jealous. I wish he never married! I still stan him hard tho, so I’m goddamn blessed, either way, gurl!’” one woman stated to her friend.

“I know, right! I want Daddy Haru’s pee so bad! Aaaaaaah!!” She giddied for five minutes.

A nearby fourteen-year-old boy with his younger brothers became unnerved with the women beside them. Their eyes widened in utter shock. “Let’s move somewhere else…” their mother told them. They all agreed.

Kennedy announced the next contender. “In this corner—is no man. It is an arrogant, playful, and mischievous thing. A dragon that passes off as human. An end-all and be-all to everyone’s story in the ring. An apex predator! When he came to us three years ago, he nullified the lifelong hard work of all of our mages. To this day, he keeps asking for more.

“When the maniacal Ted Manson threatened our very lives, he didn’t become the paragon of justice and compassion after killing him. He became the true heir of the colosseum’s curse. The curse of perpetually toying with the pitiable fools beneath him. Ladies and gentlemen, the God-splitting Peerless Champion: Udemaeno—Hokori!!”

The mentioned archmage jumped up to the arena so hard the ground fissured. Men, women, and even children of all ages screamed and chanted in a beastly frenzy. Everyone of every status turned primal with bloodlust before his presence. “Wooooooh! Fuck yeah, Hokori! Rip his guts out and wear it!!!” an upperclassman shouted.

“Skewer him from ass to mouth with his spine, Hokori! Let’s. Fucking. Gooooo!!!” a blue-collar man yelled as well. “His wife’s quite the snack, though. I’ll give her that…” he gave a thumbs up. Beside him was the same fourteen-year-old boy with his siblings and mother, chanting similar notions against Haruto.

Back in the room, Tokino witnessed her husband on the screen fighting his adversary after the long wait. “Haruto…” she clutched her chest, eyes worried.

“Dang… That guy’s actually keeping up with Hokori’s pace. Not for long, though,” Kakunō noted. He went to the vending machine, noticing bags of mountain firedrake jerky. They usually cost seven hundred Geld. “Ugh! Why do they still sell this garbage!” He chose a bag of ridged potato chips instead—costing two Geld for non-VIP spectators.

Kkaunō sat on the second couch on the right. Next to him, he saw Yukino holding her chest in pain.

Tokino noticed and accompanied her, muting the volume on the screen’s holographic interface. “Honey… what’s wrong?”

Yukino panted. “Sorry… it’s the hearts outside. They feel so awful. It’s like the crowd is wishing for Papa’s—Papa’s……..” her eyes and mouth filled with dread. She turned her head. “Mama… is Uncle really going to…” tears flowed out.

Tokino gasped and hugged her immediately. “No, honey, no… Papa won’t die. He’s our hero, and he’s no doubt strong. We should all be like him. Come now…” Yukino began sobbing on her chest, so she rubbed her back.

Kakunō stood in front. “Hey, kid… Sorry to bother you, but did you just call Hokori ‘Uncle’?”

Yukino looked up at him. “Yeah… What’s wrong with that?” she dried her eyes, sniffling.

“‘What’s wrong?’ You didn’t forget what he did, did ya? Now make no mistake, I don’t see Hokori the way your mom and dad see him. It’s just that I didn’t expect this from you. Why is that?” Khe raised an eyebrow.

She moved closer in her seat. “You might not understand. I—can feel people’s hearts….”

“Hearts?” his eyes squinted.

“Yes. Emotions…” Yukino placed her hand on her chest. “…I won’t tell you why I can, but right now, I can feel that you love Uncle like a brother. The same goes for Big Sis. I was scared of his heart, yes, but only because I felt too many emotions at once.”

“Like what you felt with the crowd outside?”

“Not for the same reason,” she shook her head. “For Uncle—I felt arrogance along with humility. Tranquility with uneasiness. Bloodlust with docility. Happiness with sorrow. It’s like his heart—was in a constant battle. I know what Uncle did was horrible. But it was all an act, right? It felt strange when I never sensed malice in him. But I wanted to defend Papa more than tell him the truth. I didn’t feel malice. I felt a very playful emotion….”

Kakunō sighed and smiled with his eyes closed. “I’m not surprised for even a second, Yuki… I’ve known him far longer than you have.”

Tokino moved closer to Yukino and held her shoulder from behind. “Listen, honey… You may have felt no evil in his heart—but your uncle is still very deplorable. I’m not saying he’s bad or that Kakunō’s words aren’t true. I just don’t view him as decent. I’m worried about his influence over you….”

Kenkō walked to the vending machine. “Oh, believe me, Mrs. Minagawa. I felt the same too, meeting him. To this day, I still berate and tear out his guts. But thanks to him—I learned I was no angel….” She pulled a pack of cigars, usually costing three hundred Geld.

Tokino gasped with her eyes widened. “W-Wait…! Kenkō, you shouldn’t—”

“It’s fine, ma’am. You can tell I’m an adult with how perky these two are. It’s hard to spot at first, but it’s there. Plus, this room has vents on top. It’s all good.” Kenkō opened the pack and lit one with runes. She leaned over a wall from afar and lifted her head as smoke billowed out her mouth.

Kakunō sat back on his couch near the Minagawa family. Unmuting the holographic screen, they all heard a booming sound that shook them from their seats. The screen showed Hokori throwing Haruto onto the runic edge of the arena with his bare arm. The floor arena fissured and caved in. Sand, bones, hair, and teeth fell up above. Kakunō noticed Hokori not wearing his hat. “Oh, geez…. I knew it….”

Tokino tilted her head. “What in the…? Those eyes— Urgh!” she held her head, feeling sudden sharp pain. She grunted and fell to the floor as it throbbed harder.

“Mama… are you okay?” Yukino placed her hand on her shoulder.