Morning shined through the windows many hours later after the story of the sorry child. Even with a happy ending, Kenkō sobbed endlessly. For the other two, not a single tear rolled down their cheeks, but they felt remorse.

Tokino stood up. “So… was my husband’s chance good enough?”

“Well, actually, yes! Bet it would have an eighty-five percent rating if it were a movie.” Hokori proceeded to walk from the living room and near the kitchen; to get a better view of everyone else. He looked at Tokino. “Now, with all dat shit outta the way… I reckon ya got another reason why you told me his backstory. Now, ain’t I right?” he raised his hand in front.

“Yes… I do,” Tokino nodded and walked toward him, “I finally know why you did those horrible things to my Haruto. Just as Yukino felt within your heart last night, you didn’t want him to be here—because he reminds you so much of Leuchten Glatteis.”

Hokori chuckled. “Well, now I’m just fuckin’ impressed you remembered him but not me. Not gonna lie,” he shook his head.

Tokino sighed. “You’re right that I don’t remember you…. But I never forgot Feuer telling me how he died. It makes sense now. You didn’t do those awful, violent things to my Haruto only. You’ve been doing this for years ever since he passed. So why is that?”

Hokori sighed as well with his eyes closed and held her shoulder. “Kid… I am indeed a savage. Combat’s my religion. Even then, I’m still human. If I ain’t one, I’d be covering up my homicides. Never touched a granny in my life…” he let go and put his hands inside his pockets, “…The mage path could easily strip your humanity if you’re not careful. So let me ask ya dis. You angel or you ain’t?” he raised an eyebrow.

Tokino shook her head, “No, I’m not. I only know one angel. If anything, I’m a monster at times.” She put her hand on Hokori’s chest. “Listen… I tolerate you—but I don’t accept you. I acknowledge you—but I don’t like you. But I hope—we can amend all of that as we go on. So please—let us stay. We’re family now.”

After hearing her plea, Hokori gave off a hearty laugh, while Kakunō became a bit annoyed. Unexpectedly for all of them, he patted Tokino’s head like a little child. “No need for dat, kid. I never say no to family,” he shook his head. Unfortunately, he spoke in Japanese, prompting Kakunō to translate it.

With that, Kakunō suggested she cook with him again, acknowledging that Haruto needed a lot more rest. Tokino delightfully agreed, clasping her hands with her eyes closed and head tilted.

To kill time, Kenkō opened The Every Hub to chat with her colleagues at the Imhotep Inn: Pantaiyanlam’s largest and oldest hospital. Half the time, she helped them in medical practice; they always thanked her immensely. The other half was all-out gossip about their male colleagues. At one point, Kenkō pointed out their routine was eerily similar to a show she forgot. All she recalled was it started with the letter G. They never gossipped over one colleague out of pure respect: Head of the Department, Dr. Gregory Hugh.

Hokori killed time via playing earthly video games. He turned his Every Hub interface into a holographic computer set. Routinely, he played CS:GO, Apex Legends, PUBG, and Destiny 2. He bullied children, teenagers, adults and helped out the elderly. His enemies screamed and ranted to the point their microphones only picked up muffled static. Hokori elegantly sang “Sound of Music” throughout, “That’s it, fellas. Keep up with the gamer words….” He chuckled internally.

With his online friends—every arch/imperial mage except one—he never raised his voice and helped them coordinate, telling them that they should all share the fun. In one particular game, his deception skills were flawless. Everyone either got killed or voted off swiftly. Rosado and Bernard suggested he should take their place during espionage missions. “Eh…. It ain’t my kind of thing, fam,” he shrugged with eyes closed.

After the long wait, Kakunō and Tokino finally served breakfast. It was the same as dinner, but now with two new dishes: udon and currywurst with fries.

Tokino went inside where her husband slept, waking him up. Slowly opening his eyes, Haruto saw her tearing up with a smile. Teary-eyed, she hugged him. “You did it…. They know you better now. Even Hokori….” she smiled.

At that moment, Haruto could not help but express his happy-go-lucky glow again. He hugged her back, “No… you did it.”

Next, the couple woke up their daughter Yukino. Seeing her parents in front of her, she got up instantly and hugged them both in deep joy. After being told of her father’s past in the Alairc Empire, she burst into tears and hugged them again—only tighter. “I’m happy, Mama, Papa…! I love my new family so much!” A smiling Tokino rubbed her back.

When Yukino got out of the bedroom holding her parents’ hands, the Automodachi followed her behind. Seeing Hokori sitting in his favorite spot wolfing down onigiri, she quickly ran up to him. “Uncle…. I’m sorry I called you a big fat meanie….” she could not express regret any better.

“Oh, don’t be like that, kiddo. You were actin’ your age, that’s all. Can’t blame ya,” Hokori patted Yukino’s head, making her giggle. She sat next to him on the left length of the table, accompanied by Tokino. Haruto sat on the opposite width, where Hokori could look at him in front. This time, Yukino scarfed down a lot of financiers, turning out to be one of her favorite. When the Automodachi redid their comical fight skit in front of her, she laughed in pure joy.

Throughout breakfast, Yukino conversed mostly with Kenkō and Kakunō. Eventually, the latter turned to Hokori, sharing incredibly vulgar stories and laughing throughout; Tokino covered her daughter’s ears. “And when I perfectly hit it just at the right spot, her face went—” was the last thing a confused Yukino heard. She saw her uncle’s eyes rolling back and his tongue sticking out.

Haruto paused from eating his udon and cleared his throat. “I’d appreciate it if you held off such topics on the table, Hokori….”

He shook his head, “Nah… she won’t even understand it, boy.”

Tokino could not believe her eyes. Her new family beamed with sheer liveliness, even though her husband began bickering with Hokori. Either way, she felt ten million butterflies in her stomach. She abruptly pulled Haruto by the neck with both arms, giving him a quick kiss. He blushed and called her name softly. Yukino also blushed.

Hokori smirked. “Wooooh…. Smooth moves, kid. Though, if I were your man, I’d immediately dig my fingers deep down—” Suddenly, Kenkō kicked him.

“Could you stop being a lecher for once?! Being the blood god is already enough,” she gazed at him.

He grinned. “Hahahahahahaha! Dude, I ain’t no sweaty, obese porn addict with zero social skills. I fucking swim in pussy with the girls back down there! It’s just my way of speakin’ it. Cuz it’s the truth!” He was kicked again. “Ow….”

“I told you, I’m not a dude!” her eyes narrowed.

Hokori began another bicker with Kenkō. Meanwhile, Tokino let out a sigh and smiled with eyes closed from everything she saw. “I swear it upon the Gods…. We’ll be a loving family—forever till the end.”

After breakfast, Kakunō cast runes on the dishes. Not a speck of debris left uncleaned, stacking them in the kitchen.

Outside the house, Yukino played with Kenkō on a flying carpet. Tokino sat by a bench near the estate’s lake.

As for Hokori and Haruto—they sat on two couches—face to face. “Interestin’ shit, don’t ya think?” the former grinned.

“W-What are you talking about?” Haruto’s eyes squinted a bit.

“Well, ya see, boy… I was born in Shibuya,” he pointed with his thumb. “In fact, my three-floored crib was just ‘round the block near yours. Your foster dad in my gym was very kind. And the thing is—I remember the NFT fiasco. Mind if I talk about it?” Hokori raised an eyebrow.

“No, not at all,” Haruto shook his head.

“Aight…. When they arrested your mom—I thought to myself: ‘Wow. It sure took them long enough to do that. Thank Christ.’”

Haruto’s eyes narrowed after hearing those words. He got off the couch but stopped himself when Hokori raised an index finger, “However! When I heard about their deaths, I thought to myself: ‘Dang…. I hope the kids are fine….’”

Haruto’s eyes widened. He expected Hokori to be a little more understanding than usual—but for him to express genuine empathy for strangers was a revelation and then some. However, he was still confused. “But… I don’t understand. You hated my mom. Why—”

Hokori chuckled. “Boy, dis ain’t about whether I found her evil or not. I knew as soon as the news broke out, the kids had to be hella devastated. Cuz dat’s how kids are! It takes a ton to remove the love from their little tiny souls. Just by your eyes—I deadass know you’ve got a lot of that in ya….” He smiled intimately.

Haruto stood in complete shock further. Feeling his heart raise, he almost teared up while panting and clutching his chest.

Hokori walked closer and lent out a fist bump. “Whaddaya say, boy…? Hate me now, but we’re bros from now on. And I mean bros-bros. We got the whole ass world waitin’ for us. And It’s so much bigger than ya think….”

It took Hokori’s serene smile for Haruto to begin the waterworks. At that moment, he saw his fallen brother within Hokori. Tearing up further, he raised his right arm, “Okay….” he sniffled, showing his happy-go-lucky glow again.

Suddenly, a digital exclamation point popped up in front of Hokori, putting their heartfelt moment to a complete end. Unlike the Fools’ Theater’s notification, it was gold in color. Haruto heard Hokori say the casual iteration of “damn” in Japanese (やべえ), and he quickly ran out of the living room.

He opened the main door. “Everyone, come back inside! It’s important!” he shouted in the same language. Excluding Kakunō, even though the other three knew some Japanese, they still interpreted Hokori’s words correctly. Inside, they gathered in the living room. The Minagawas sat together on one couch while Hokori’s comrades sat on the one-seaters again.

Hokori tapped on the Every Hub notification. The holographic screen widened one meter across, showing a live feed of Coelestis’ king himself.

“Yo, Harald! How ya doin’, my man?!” Hokori waved.

“Great as always, our champion,” he bowed, “However… I’m afraid my news has no ounce of greatness in it. If anything, it’s terrible.”

“Well, just lay it on me, fam! Are we talkin’ ‘bout orc raiders again, or is it those ‘black ink’ slimy things again?”

“Not at all,” Harald shook his head, “The news I have for you guys has everything to do with the literal underworld: Naraka. The demons broke the Divinus Treaty again.”

Hearing their conversation, Yukino was surprised such a race even existed in the first place. She became scared a bit, which prompted Tokino to comfort her.

“Holy shit, my man! Did the Demon Lord make a comeback?!” Hokori grinned.

“Apparently Not. I was called in by Yama beforehand, and he had nothing to do with this. It turns out his three generals have gone AWOL again. He is now considering a court-martial once we return them to him.”

“Oh, believe me, fam—I am THE returner of uppity bastards in this world….” he pointed with his thumb.

“That you are, indeed,” Harald nodded, “The thing is, though—I order all of you to go. According to our research mages, they’ve settled in the once-thriving city of Smaragdos. Takes you back, doesn’t it?”

Hokori sighed. “Yeah…. That psychopathic cunt made it his personal toyshop,” his eyes narrowed a bit.

Harald conversed further whether Hokori would be fine taking them with him; he replied yes. Kakunō asked if it would be okay for only him and Kenkō to join, as he did not want Yukino harmed. “No, no, it’s okay, Big Bro…! I’m strong and will never back down from a fight!” she pouted with her fists raised. Her parents nodded over her claim. She then turned to “Big Sis” Kenkō, suggesting they could fight together. The latter’s eyes widened, as did her smile. She immediately hugged Yukino and agreed, repeatedly calling her “Yukichi” seven times.

With all that, Harald’s transmission ended.

Closing The Every Hub, Hokori told the Minagawas to go outside to see something special. They followed him to the “garage,” which was only a blank white wall—part of the house’s color scheme. “Watch this, y’all….” He cast blood runes, forming the shape of a garage door.

The Minagawas thought a larger-than-life vehicle would come out. Instead, it was a bronze rectangular cube the size of a double mattress. They were confused for one minute as Hokori explained to them vaguely that this was their main transportation for any mission. But then he pressed a hidden button on its side.

Hokori told the Minagawas to stand back when the cube quickly transformed into something they should have predicted. They had already seen similar ones before when they first arrived in the City of Gods. The cube turned into an enormous airship resembling a sidewheeler, all down to its paddles and funnels. Unlike real ones, its design was bronze with a hint of green tarnish.

“Come on! Hop in. I’ll go get Bleaker.” Hokori ran back to the house.

Going inside, the Minagawas witnessed a room almost as large as the exterior. The interior was unexpected; a massive recreation room with a white color scheme and lighting, all down to its pool table, library, and minibar. A home cinema and karaoke section were even present. As Yukino let her Automodachi toys out, they immediately played with the billiard balls.

At the cockpit was a holographic control panel showing a live feed of the outside world, including surveillance of the airship’s exterior at different angles. A large round table at the room’s center showed another holographic interface: a kilometer-wide real-time environment. Yukino was amazed at how she could see sections of the city. Accompanied by Kenkō, she showed her that it had a zoom function.

“How do you power all of this?” Tokino looked all around, mesmerized.

“We use these, ma’am. Courtesy of the latest Novus tech,” Kakunō explained, “Ever seen arc reactors in the Iron-Man movies? Well, think of those as really tiny cells in this AAA battery lookalike.”

Hokori eventually went inside the ship holding his pet Kelpy spadefish in a bowl. He poured him into another walled aquarium. “Aight, if you guys’re hungry, just eat these,” he showed the Minagawas what looked like white chocolate with no squared wedges, “They actually taste pretty savory.” He helped himself with one bar. “Less Go!!” he exclaimed with his mouth full.

“We ain’t your slaves, man. I’m the one who pilots this thing,” Kakunō pressed buttons similar to a QWERTY grid format. The airship’s paddles began spinning. He displayed his expertise in full swing, effortlessly weaving through other airships in the city at one hundred and fifty kilometers.

Haruto sat beside Tokino at the library section while Yukino looked at the screen where Kakunō was driving; Kenkō held her right shoulder just beside her.

Hokori handpicked a song at the karaoke machine and sang “We Go!” by Hiroshi Kitadani. Unlike LiSA’s “Crossing Field,” he knew every single lyric.

With that, the family drove by in a clear blue sky.

Meanwhile, in Smaragdos, demon soldiers settled in the abandoned homes and set up camp outside as well.

In every way, demons passed off as humans. The only way to differentiate them was a unique crown-of-thorns-like birthmark wrapped around the forehead; the thorns in question constantly changed location every minute.

At the center of the city lay a ruined palace. Inside the throne room, the three generals hung around. “I still don’t get it… What the hell are we gonna do with this thing?” Auris pointed at a human-sized glass vial filled with a glowing green liquid containing a little boy.

Meretrix walked toward him, “Just leave it be, hon. We don’t even know if this poor child is alive….”

“Oh c’mon! I say we just give it to this bitch! She’s been begging for hours. It’s drivin’ me nuts, I tell ya!” the other general exclaimed.

Meretrix turned around, “I will refrain you from doing such reckless acts, Lupa. We still don’t know her true agenda….” She looked upon the silent, mysterious woman that she locked up in a fire cage.