Unfortunately, the world was kind not to Haruto that day. Exiting the bathroom, the savage commoner broke his measly minutes of serenity.

His face cringed as Hokori walked closer. He still sang the chorus of Beck’s “Loser” and sat on his chair. Surprisingly, Haruto let go of his contempt that time. He paid no mind and began his meal.

Hokori clasped his hands to say a traditional Japanese phrase before eating. He hunched over his chair and gulped down onigiri whole; he ate fourteen in one sitting.

Kenkō looked at Yukino from afar. She sighed in relief toward her now happy demeanor.

She turned to Hokori and cleared her throat. “Hey, blood god. I’ve been meaning to ask this for some time. We’ve been with you for years, and yet we’ve never known how you died.”

“Yeah, you never told us, Hokori!” Kakunō lightly exclaimed.

He caressed his chin. “Hmmm… You guys do be havin’ a point. Aight, I’ll tell y’all. In fact, it was golden! Ya see, it was my hundredth birthday…” he told them for five minutes, “And that’s how I kicked the bucket.”

“You died by laughing too hard at a game show…” Kenkō’s eyes squinted.

“Oh, not just any game show,” he shook his head. “It was the one and only Takeshi’s Castle! I’d watch the tapes almost every single day. And in grade school, I’d binge it all night with Mom and Dad.”

She took a sip of her orange juice. “Were they always with you when you did that?”

“Of course! They were my whole world, dude. Even when they were ninety, I’d never beat Dad in shogi. And Mom always made the best goddamn udon there was!”

“One time, we visited Hawaii on Christmas. Dad’s skin got so red tourists thought another pandemic broke out! Some of ‘em called the cops on him. Hahahahahaha! There was also this one time….” As Hokori shared more stories, Kenkō smiled.

Tokino sat in surprise. She hated to admit, but his parents were one of a kind. However, Haruto did not feel that way. His hand shook about, unable to drink his orange juice. He looked down and stared blankly at the glass. It was like he heard stories of torture.

She could hear her husband breathing louder and louder. “Oh, no, honey. Please don’t. Just ignore it.” She held her hand.

Hokori raised a finger. “Ooh, ooh! Here’s another funny story. When my Mom went shopping for antique daruma dolls, there was this security guard that—”

They all heard glass breaking.

Haruto’s hand bled profusely. It soaked his meal alongside the drink.

Hokori raised an eyebrow. “Is that how you season back home, boy?”

“Shut up….” He breathed heavily.

He chuckled and held his chest. “Oh, I must dearly apologize, your majesty. My mouth never died since birth. Shalt have cut mine tongue?” He smirked at Haruto and raised an eyebrow again. He spoke in an Early Modern English accent.

Haruto banged the table and stood up. “Shut up!!” His eyes glared as his breathing turned worse. Tokino held his shoulder but shook her off. He began going back to bed.

Hokori smirked more. “Oh, I get it. You got the super-ultra-mega-depressive backstory in your first life, didn’tcha!? It makes sense, though. All part and parcel for any light novel hero. Tell me, boy. Where were ya hit the most? Here or here?” He kept pointing at different body parts.

Haruto did not respond and continued walking.

After a long sigh, he stood behind him in the living room. “Answer me, boy!” He grinned and released his pressure. “Brooding and other bullshit ain’t fit for your age no more.” He grinned wider.

Haruto stopped in his tracks. He clenched his teeth and fists. “I want… to punch you… right now. That’s all I have to say.”

He chuckled again. “Actually… I’d prefer that.”

Haruto obliged with all his might. He aimed at his face, and a shockwave reverberated around the house. Everyone else shielded their eyes as knickknacks fell.

He stopped his punch with three lone fingers. “Still thinkin’ with your fists, huh boy? And I’m supposed to be the blood god.”

Haruto forcibly freed himself and walked back. Hokori placed his hands on his hips and tsked.

“Ya know somethin’, boy? We’re very much alike.” He pointed.

“What!?” He squinted.

Hokori rolled his eyes. “Don’t ‘what’ me… I just told ya. When we fought, you didn’t use your power. That was—until I pissed you off enough. Within that time, you thought you were invincible. Ergo—you’re a light novel hero extraordinaire.

“Those weren’t the only times you acted like that. It’s obvious. You and I are smug and prideful par excellence, boy. However,” he raised a finger, “we’ve got one glaring difference.”

Haruto walked closer. “What would that be, then?”

He pointed at his chest. “When I act within my pride, it’s fun and entertaining. I got more fans than I got pubes. When you do it,” he moved his finger, “it’s just monumentally condescending.

“You… are the patron saint… of patronizing faux humility.” He poked him multiple times, which annoyed him. “And I bet ya act like the whole world’s looking down on ya when you’re literally blessed with powers anyone would die for!”

Moments later, everyone else stepped in. Tokino tried again to stop her husband from joining the toxic vitriol. She failed. He shook her off again and continued his resentment.

“Fun and entertaining…? Have you heard any of their voices!? You’re preaching to your own choir! Ever since I met you, it baffled me why you’d want to live like this.” He pushed him. “What could you’ve gained from humiliating me! Is sheer boredom killing you that much!”

Hokori rolled his eyes again. “Oh, for the love of Buddha. First off, boy, ya really gotta stop pulling up tangents. Secondly, I didn’t become a mage to be Über-Man, or Fuminao Iwatani (巖谷文尚): The Demon Lord-Slaying Fist Hero.

“I ain’t no hero. Never gave a fuck to be.” He walked and past him and opened the door to a karaoke room. He stopped as he held the knob. “You think you’re special, boy? Or any of us here? Not even close. We’re all just built different.

“But if you wanna be a hero so bad, stick to real humbleness. Not teenage angst syndrome. Grow the fuck up.” He turned to his comrades. “Let’s go.”

The door closed before them.

Kenkō hugged Yukino and asked for assurance; she nodded. Kakunō performed dogeza in front of the couple. His apologies had no end.

Tokino raised her hands in front. “No, no. Please don’t. I insist. You’re not at fault here.” She smiled faintly.

He smiled back and transported the leftovers to the refrigerator via runes. He was the last to go inside the karaoke room.

In another borrowed bedroom, Tokino read Yukino a bedtime story. It was the same one read by her mother. The Automodachi reenacted the tale on a nightstand. Yukino, sleeping on her side, faintly laughed before her eyes closed.

She kissed her duaghter goodnight and went outside. In the next room, Tokino’s face sullied. Still, she found warmth lying beside her husband.

Haruto turned and stroked her lavender crown. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have shoved you away.”

She held his hand. “No, no, honey. I don’t hate you for that.” She sighed and looked at a moonlit window. “Once again, I couldn’t do anything. And that was the longest our Yukino hasn’t looked at you. If ever.”

He stared blankly at the ceiling. She realized he had curled into a fetal position. He began panting and shaking.

She moved him to her side gently. “Honey? Are you….”

“Yes, Tokino. It’s coming back. My heart.” He clutched his chest and hyperventilated. Before long, he sobbed.

She held him close to her chest as it worsened. “Oh, no, honey… That’s no good.”

The whole time Tokino comforted Haruto, she heard declarations that sounded like typical moping to others. She knew better. It was unsavory and heartrending.

“I’m a failure…” he faintly said at one point. Then, it went louder. “Why am I here…”, “Take me instead. Take me!”, “For fuck sake, I should’ve died! Why not me! Why not me! Why not me! Why not me! Why not me!” His hands kept aiming for his head.

Tears welled up within Tokino. She restrained him and held him tighter. “Shhhh… Don’t ever think that way. I always say this to both of you because they aren’t empty words. Yukino loves you. I love you. Forever till the end. Forever till the end.

She rubbed his eyes with her thumb and made the first move. “Those aren’t empty words, either….”

Haruto noticed his wife’s serene eyes and smile. However, he could not recall just how beautiful she really was.

“Thank you so much, Tokino. But it’s not working.” He hyperventilated again. “My heart’s racing. Help… help!” His eyes now looked very desperate, like a little boy crying for a superhero.

Tokino hugged Haruto tighter as he began bawling.

“I’m a monster. A fucking monster!” he exclaimed. “Why am I here! Why am I here! Why am I here! Why am I here! Why am I here! Why am I here!”

As it went on, she too turned on the waterworks. For six minutes, he let out a river.

At midnight, he stared blankly at the ceiling again. Tokino was now on his side at all times. “Do you need the medication again?”

Haruto sighed with closed eyes. “That never helped me. It just keeps coming back. Like a plague.” He got up from bed. He gestured his finger for her to do the same.

“I need to tell you something. It’s about Rubio. And I want them all to know what I’ve been through. Our Yukino can know in the morning.”

She moved in front and cupped his right hand with both. “Why…?”

He sighed again and smiled faintly. “If we’re to be a family, then this is only natural. I resent Hokori, but I still don’t want him to get the wrong idea. And it’s not like I’ll hate him forever. If he understands, I assure you I’ll love him like a brother tomorrow. So please listen closely, Tokino. He must know. They all should.”

For thirty minutes, Tokino never forgot a single detail about his experiences. Haruto also opened up about his life in the Alaric Empire. Deep inside, however, she had a gut feeling this was not enough. She believed her new family should know a whole lot more about her beloved husband.

After his story, she held his shoulders. “I have an idea, honey. It’s out of the blue and quite strange. But it might cheer you up. It’s the least I can do for tonight.” She slowly rolled up her shirt.

Haruto nodded. “Yeah, let’s do it. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.” He did the same.