Wads of cash overflowed on the coffee table. So much so half of it fell on the floor. Even then, Yukino was happy to show it to her parents.

Tokino did not want to eat her words that day. She thought she could finally see the savage commoner as a well-meant, decent individual. Alas, she felt cheated. Haruto did not want to deny brotherhood that day. He thought he had another sibling he could admire. Alas, he felt betrayed.

At that moment, their souls were a blazing inferno that could engulf planets. Still, they closed their eyes and gave their daughter calm smiles.

Tokino held Yukino’s shoulder. “Excuse us, honey… Your father and I will have a long talk with your uncle….”

“Don’t go inside, alright? It’s a very personal matter…” said Haruto.

“Okay, I won’t!” she smiled back.

Her parents went upstairs. She tilted her head in confusion when they brought their weapons, but she shrugged it off.

Haruto and Tokino walked with heavy steps. So much so, the wooden floorboards splintered.

For the first time, Haruto’s eyes matched hers. At least once, he inherited the same tranquil fury she always had. He unsheathed his broadswords. “I’ll go for his guts. He’ll be too preoccupied with the sudden pain. What about you?” he turned to her.

“I’ll go for his head. Starting with his eye sockets.” She unsheathed her rapier.

They opened the door together.

Before the couple walked upstairs, Hokori won the third round against his friends online. Miraculously, he was always the “werewolf.” His gaslighting and evasion tactics were terrifyingly perfect. However, his arch/imperial mage comrades caught up with his schemes.

He made his first mistake. He killed Bernard on the game map’s Medical Bay—and vented to Electrical. Feuer noticed the opening animation in said area. He reported the body, positively sure who the culprit was.

Unfortunately, their meeting devolved into primal screaming. “Guys, guys… listen,” said Hokori in his holographic headset. “I was in Reactor the whole time doing the Simon Says task. Danielle even saw me there. And the door to Security was closed. How could I have killed him?”

“But the doors to Upper Engine never closed. Neither was the one in MedBay. I say it was you, dude,” Sakusei concluded.

“Well, how would you know that? Hmmm? I never saw you walk by me as I did my task. Sounds pretty sus, not gonna lie.”

The argument became louder, along with Bernard and the Kizoku twins. Sakusei defended himself by claiming he did go to Upper Engine. “Wait a minute,” Danielle raised an eyebrow. “I was the one in Upper Engine. I never saw you there. Are you screwing with me?” Because of her retelling, their voices raised to their peak.

Just when they had him by the ropes, Hokori fueled their squabbles. In his mind, he formulated a frighteningly Machiavellian plan to win:

1. Kill Bernard and accuse Sakusei again so he would get ejected.

2. Kill Feuer and make it look like Danielle did it at the right moment.

3. Kill one of the twins while O2 got sabotaged.

“Don’t leave us hanging, Feuer! You gotta save us!” said the twins in unison. They became too terrified to bicker with one another.

He sweated bullets, not wanting to make a misstep. Unfortunately, the argument clouded his judgment. He even began accepting defeat. “S-Skip the voting, everyone,” he told them reluctantly. “If we go down in flames, tomorrow shall be a brighter day.”

Hokori nodded. “I’m glad to have you as a bro, pretty boy. Pointing fingers is never good.” He moved his mouse. However, he and everyone heard his bedroom door open. He turned around and saw the Minagawa couple.

Tokino cast a runic array that covered all of the room’s walls, floor, and ceiling.

“Oh, hey! Wassup, fam! Wanna play with us in the next round— Agh! Agh! Aaaaaaaaagh! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!!!” He fell to the floor, pinned down.

His friends heard blood-curdling screams over his microphone. They also heard flesh tearing and metal clanging.

Feuer seized the opportunity. “Vote him away. We mustn’t waste this chance. I admire his flawless deception, but I am sure he is the killer again.”

Hokori’s comrades voted him without question. They shouted in victory, seeing the message “腕前乃 誇利 was The Imposter” on-screen as his red avatar floated in space.

In the living room, Yukino hummed and moved her legs while sitting. She found it odd that she could not hear their conversation upstairs. In fact, she heard nothing. However, like before, she paid no mind and continued humming.

Later that night, Kakunō informed Danielle via The Every Hub that Hokori would not be joining karaoke. “That’s a damn shame,” her eyes lowered. “We had so much fun playing before. But thanks for letting me know. Tell him we can do another one whenever he wants.” She ended the call.

In the Imhotep Inn, medical observers looked over a wide glass window. It showed a room down below.

They observed Kenkō. She reattached Hokori’s parts together slowly and carefully. Said parts floated in the air due to her innate ability. Before, he was brought into the hospital by Kakunō. He remained conscious, despite being a mass of minced flesh and bone.

Hokori slowly opened his eyes. He realized his jaw got detached. “Huh…? Wha-s ha-enning? Aaaagh!” He felt immense pain below.

“Don’t move.” Kenkō reattached his fingers. “I’m putting you back precisely as I could. Your healing factor’s currently not working.” Her eyes were stern yet had hints of unfathomable rage.

Next, his left leg got reattached. “Aaaaagh! I- hur-s! Every-ing hur-s so -ad! Why!”

She sighed with her eyes closed. “The thing is… not using anesthetics for the patient is a crime. But due to my archmage privileges, I get to relish your suffering. It’s a reparation for what you made Yukichi do.” Her glare did not fade.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaagh!!!” For three hours, Hokori experienced the Seventh Circle of Hell.

The medical observers went out of their room plentifully satisfied. They declared Kenkō’s procedure perfect. “Of course it is, gentlemen!” said Gregory Hugh, the Head of the Department. “Before I met her, I almost lost faith in my colleagues. They told me I was a quack who stole a dead guy’s Ph.D.” He chuckled.

Nurses transferred Hokori to another room. In his bed, he groaned and moved. Kenkō went inside.

“Oh, God… I think my nuts are facing the wrong direction….” Hokori held down below.

She sighed again. “They’re not. I have experience. Because nothing was sacred during medical school.” She sat on a chair beside him.

He chuckled and looked at the ceiling. “You don’t forgive me at all, do ya?”

“Actually, I do, 100%…” she crossed her legs. “I enjoyed every moment of your torture. The couple, however? They don’t even wanna see your face tonight. So, I suggest you sleep here and make amends tomorrow.”

He nodded. “Whatever ya say….”

With that, Kenkō walked and opened the door. “By the way, don’t push your luck over my forgiveness. Catch you using Yukichi as a glorified four-leaf clover again, and I’ll force hydrofluoric acid down your throat.”

Hokori stared blankly at the ceiling. “Come on, now, dude… You know why I did it. It ain’t like I got a choice….”

She stopped in her tracks and turned around. “Yes, you do…!” her eyes narrowed. “I’m the one who understands the most why you did that. But it’s no excuse to exploit one’s family!”

Her words made his blood boil. He got up from bed and glared intently. “Exploit? Like how you keep ‘em alive but brain dead? I loan you 500k monthly for your sci-fi bullshit. What should I do, crash the economy for your woeful ass!?”

Her heart raised, and her tears welled up. “Don’t make me the bad guy here. I want none of this argument. I only ask you not to be degenerate. Be prideful all you want, but I’ll never forgive the former.” She opened the door again and sniffled. “Please find another way….”

Hokori saw the door close slowly. He laid down in bed and continued staring blankly at the ceiling. “‘Another way,’ my ass….”

It was now morning. Breakfast in the house was takoyaki, full English, Currywurst, ramen, tonkatsu, and American biscuits with honey on the side. French pressed espresso was the beverage.

Hokori went inside in a casual demeanor. To Kakunō, it looked fake.

The Minagawa couple, who avidly chatted before, turned dead silent before his presence.

Surprisingly, Yukino hugged him. “I don’t hate you, Uncle. I still love you very much. Always….” She hugged him again and ran to play with her big sister.

Haruto stepped in. “We need to talk. But I want you to know that I still love you, too. Hopefully, that won’t change. Let’s have a seat and some coffee.” They walked toward the living room. As they did, Hokori witnessed Tokino’s soul-staring glare. Now in the desired location, the couple sat together on one couch. They faced him on the opposite end.

Tokino let out a long sigh. “I don’t hate you either, Hokori. If only for her sake. But I accept you less, now.” She pulled up The Every Hub interface. “To make up for what you’ve done, I demand you do this mission for us. We plan to hang out with William and Grace again.”

Hokori caressed his chin. “Hmmm… So, if Imma be your errand boy for a day, we’re all good? Water under the bridge?”

In a flash, she pointed her rapier to his neck. “Not exactly… We’ll forgive you, and that’s that. We’re not doing this for you. You and I both know Yukino is our sunshine.

“If you step out of line again—I will, with honesty from the Gods—turn you into an immovable, limbless, infinite organ farm. You’ll serve our family handsomely for generations.” As she gave her warning, she moved her rapier further and further.

She sheathed her weapon and sent him the mission now assigned to him. Before he took a look, Haruto raised a finger. “I’m with her on this, Hokori. I wish for our brotherhood put under question in the coming weeks.”

He chuckled. “Suit yourself, boy. I highly doubt you’ll find any doubts yourself.” With that, he looked at his holographic screen.

He read the mission thoroughly. It was long, possibly five hundred words. As his eyes moved downward, the couple noticed his face changing drastically. It went from an arrogant nonchalant smirk to a distressed, anxious frown. He began hyperventilating. After the read, he swiped down the interface with great force. His lone finger broke the coffee table in two. His breathing became hoarse.

Tokino covered her mouth. “By the Gods….”

“What the fuck… What the fuck!” Hokori clenched his teeth.

Haruto held his shoulder. “Hey, are you okay—” The doorbell rang.

When it failed the first time, the sound chimed another five. Tokino snapped out of her daze and told the person to come in.

A brigade mage informed them they were late for the Celestial Summit: an annual meeting between all arch/imperial mages. “It’s held at our majesty’s home. I’m sure you all know it’s a tradition dating back to a mega annum.”

An enraged Hokori walked toward him. He turned his screen around for him. “What the fuck is this horseshit? You think this is funny!?”

“S-Sir, calm down. I-I know nothing about this mission—” His clothing got grabbed.

“You think I’d accept this!? Not in a billion fucking years! Is this a joke to you, huh?” He pulled the mage higher. His feet did not touch the ground.

He raised his hands in defense. “Sir, please! I swear to the Gods and my children’s lives, I know nothing.”

Haruto walked toward Hokori and told him to let go. He complied and pushed the brigade mage away.

He stepped on the runic circle outside. It transported him to Harald’s home.

His family followed suit. “Uncle…?” Yukino’s eyes frowned.