An hour later, Hokori’s family still did not reach their destination. Throughout the trip, an army of forest giants migrated below the plains. All appeared tree-like, and their height ranged from a mansion to a skyscraper. The largest would be the king of fifty-strong.

Kenkō held Yukino’s hand and walked her to a window. However, the latter became saddened—and not mesmerized one bit. “What’s wrong, Yukichi?” she turned to her.

She clutched her upper arm. “I don’t like looking at them, Big Sis… They give me bad memories.”

“Do you hate forest giants?”

She shook her head. “No… But I don’t want to talk about that either….”

Kenkō smiled and patted her head. She walked her to the clinic section to teach her how to play the “Tower of Hanoi.”

In the library section, Haruto accompanied his wife, feeling severe headaches. “Do you need painkillers again?” he asked. No matter what, Tokino refused. She revealed it barely dulled the pain and would go away randomly. Sometimes, it would recur thirty seconds after the first.

“I need rest, honey…” she said faintly.

He nodded and tucked her a blanket on her seat. “We haven’t done this for a while,” he held her hands. “Do you mind?”

She slowly opened her eyes and smiled. “Go ahead….”

His lips neared Tokino’s. With that, her heart felt at ease.

An hour later, they arrived at their destination. Yukino gasped with widened eyes seeing below. Despite its Japanese name (家族), Kazoku Village looked more like a European hamlet.

Along with its wells and white houses with black wooden beams, the place had cobblestone roads. Children would run around with sticks and wheels. Agriculture and animal husbandry were commonplace. However, the village had modern vibes, if only sparingly. Flying vehicles parked everywhere, and the residents’ clothing was not too old-fashioned.

Unfortunately, Hokori’s family could feel Alessandro Inc.’s parasitic influence in one street alone. The Novus-based company owned 30% of Pantaiyanilam’s resources for manufacturing arc reactor batteries. People used it for everyday transport and even military weapons. Because of this, recharging was a necessity.

Novusian workers lifted stations on every block. Each building displaced one local establishment. As the family walked down the street, Tokino saw a group of children whining about their demolished playground. “Please let us in, mister,” said a spiky-haired boy to a worker. “We have a secret base to visit a friend.”

He closed his eyes and shook his head. “Sorry, little one. We’re here to uplift your town to a brighter future. I’m sure you understand it will help the needy in your village.”

“But Mona doesn’t want our base disturbed. She told us to meet with her today…” one of the group looked up.

“Well, I’m quite skeptical about that, young lady. We checked the perimeter, and there’s no sign of your friend anywhere.” He kneeled. “If we do find her, we’ll let you know. Is that fair?”

A chubby kid walked in front. “No, that’s not fair! It’s not fair at all. Mona needs us!” With his words, his friends begged the worker to let them in. The leader of their group failed to calm them down.

The worker tried to talk to them—but a Novusian mage stepped in. “Sorry, little dudes. Time for bed.” He began casting a runic circle on his hand.

Before he could accomplish it, Tokino grabbed his arm. Her eyes pierced through his soul. “Let them in, Oskar. Don’t make me say twice.”

He felt her grip tighter. He grunted through the pain and told his men to allow the children inside briefly. Their faces beamed with smiles, and some shed tears. “Thank you so much, miss!” said the redhead girl from before.

Tokino turned to Oskar. “You should be ashamed for a billion years. Your city knew you as the patron saint of relief funds.”

He scratched the back of his head. “Come on, man. It’s not like I stopped doing that back home. But money doesn’t grow on trees, as earthly people say.”

Her eyes glared at him. She raised her hand for a slap, but Haruto caught it from behind. Their daughter, Yukino, insisted they should follow Uncle from afar. Her siblings nodded. With that, She apologized to the mage and walked behind her family.

Yukino waved back at him.

Hokori’s family continued following him behind. Haruto accompanied his wife, who gradually became angrier down the street. “We’re here to save his home, Tokino,” he encouraged. “Soon enough, its turmoil will be all over.”

She nodded. “Yeah… Of course. I just need to remember my exercise,” she inhaled. “Breath, Tokino. Breath….” She exhaled. “Breath. Breath. Breath.” She continued it with her eyes closed. Her husband cracked a smile and kissed her cheek. Tokino blushed, as did Yukino and her sister. However, their little moment was short-lived.

Nearby, Tokino heard the distraught cries of an older woman. A tailor’s wife bawled as she begged on the ground before three Novusian workers. “Please! With mercy from the Gods, spare our livelihood! Our families worked together even before your elders came to be. Please!” Her tears soaked the dirt below.

A mage stood in front. “We’re not here to watch drama films, ma’am. It’s a job at the end of the day. You think I don’t have mouths to feed?” His eyes narrowed as his heart ran cold.

“Then, why can’t you sympathize? I wouldn’t wish you or any of your men to suffer. But you’ve dealt me with the end of the stick. Please. Please!!” She grabbed his feet. “This is all we have….”

The mage grunted in annoyance and cast a runic circle. “Whatever, ma’am… Enjoy your new home in Coelestis when you wake up.”

From afar, Tokino’s heart raised, and her blood ran fast. She also overheard the corporation’s ultimate goal: to build three highways over the village. As her eyes narrowed, she reached for her rapier. However, divine intervention occurred.

Hokori flash-stepped before the mage and karate-chopped his neck. He fell unconscious, and the workers in front ran for it.

He cracked his neck and destroyed several recharging stations nearby. The tailor’s wife got off the ground and stood confused. She did not recognize the towering man—until she looked up and witnessed his fiery yellow eyes.

Her tears rolled down, and she hugged him by the upper waist. “Oh, Hokori…! It’s nice to see you again, dear. You’ve grown so far when you were only below my knees….” She sniffled and did not stop smiling.

Tokino’s eyes felt deceived. She saw his serene smile as he kneeled to embrace the tailor’s wife back. Even then, her heart still felt cheated. After all, he was a savage commoner.

Hokori stood up and turned to his family. “Let’s go….” He continued walking.

As his family followed, Tokino stood and clutched her chest. She looked over Hokori and pondered, “Why…?”

Hokori led his family further away from the village and into a thick, dark forest. A trembling Yukino hugged her mother close as she heard caws unknown to her. “Don’t be afraid, Yuki,” Kakunō held her shoulder. “Those are the mating calls of Coelestian warbirds. They may sound like zombies, but they fit on your palm.”

After walking for ten minutes, Hokori’s family saw a peculiar house deep in the forest. As an avid reader of fairy tales, Yukino recognized the gingerbread walls and candy decor instantly. Outside the said house, two children of similar height wrestled each other.

Hokori clapped his hands twice. “Wassup, fam!” he kneeled with open arms.

The brother and sister ended their roughhouse and ran up to him with big smiles. “Uncle!” They hugged him enough to make him fall on his back.

Yukino stood perplexed over what they called him. She used to brag to her parents about how special she was. Moments later, She saw the gingerbread door open from afar. She huddled behind her mother in fear. However, no ugly witch came out.

It was a beautiful maiden. A brown braid rested over her right shoulder, and she exuded classic motherhood down to her purple dress and white apron. The woman walked toward Yukino and bent forward. “Nice to meet you, sweety…” she smiled. “Care to tell me your name?”

Yukino stood baffled by her presence. She felt as if she would have raised her dearly in another time. Still, she became scared and huddled behind her real mother again.

The woman turned to Tokino. “I can clearly tell she’s a lovely angel. I already got my own—so no need for kidnapping…” she smirked.

Tokino’s eyes widened, and she cleared her throat. “E-Excuse me, miss. Why are you saying these things?”

She giggled with her eyes closed. “Oh, I’m so sorry, sweety. I mean no harm. By the way, I’m thirty-one and still quite the Aphrodite, aren’t I?” she smirked again. “Shame every man who walks here gets the ‘I’m not available’ hair sway.

“Though, I must say,” she walked to Haruto and caressed her chin. “You’re good enough to be my type. I bet you’re quite delish down there….” She observed below for five awkward seconds.

Tokino stepped in and held her husband close behind her back. “Back off, succubus…” her eyes narrowed a little. “We’ve done the deed many times. My Haruto’s not yours to take.”

The woman giggled once more and did something unorthodox. She tapped Tokino’s forehead, which surprised her. “You’re so damn precious, sweety. We’re gonna be amazing friends.” She called her children, who played with Yukino, to come inside.

With that, everyone else went into the gingerbread house.

The woman served Hokori’s family tea and cookies. She sat beside Tokino at the dining table.

Yukino took a whiff at the door from afar. The wooden smell confused her, but she took a bite anyway. “Oh, yum…! Buttercream….” She helped herself with five more chews. Every time she did, the door regenerated quickly.

“Don’t eat a lot, sweety,” the woman looked over. “It’s very fattening, sadly. And I can’t control that.”

Tokino took a sip from her tea. “This place smells nice. It doesn’t smell like sweets at all….”

She giggled. “Thank you… But I always get the taste right for the kids. You’re lucky your Yukino is not an evil monster….”

“I beg your pardon?” she raised an eyebrow.

She giggled again and lifted her cup. “You see, Tokino… when evil folks eat my craft—they get a hefty dose of potassium cyanide instead.”

She sweated bullets hearing her words. However, the woman calmed her down. She genuinely meant no harm to her guests. As they conversed, she revealed her name: Ingrid Milch. “I didn’t like the tale that influenced my powers. But Hokori taught me to embrace ‘The Witch’ in me. At least a loving and caring version.”

Coincidentally, her two twin children were also Earthly Mythos. In fact, they were born as the two children in the fairytale that Ingrid portrayed in. One was Hans, and one was Greta. “Sadly, sweety… I was never good at naming.” She giggled with her eyes closed, as did Tokino.

In the living, Yukino tried to cheer up Hokori with her two Automodachi. They did somersaults and fought each other comically again. Surprisingly, it pulled some string in his heart. Eventually, it felt warm.

He patted her head. “Thanks, kiddo…” he smiled calmly. He stood up and called everyone’s attention. “Don’t none y’all try to stop me tomorrow. If I’ll be hittin’ the slammer for eternity…” he pointed at Haruto, “…the boy here shall be the new leader. Remember that.” He walked upstairs.

Ingrid sighed, making Tokino turn around. “Hokori always loved going up to his room—beaming with joy upon seeing his parents down the dining room. We used to be playmates. I never won during wrestling.”

She put down her cup. “Ingrid… Do you, by any chance, know the defector siblings?”

She sighed again. “Hokori messages me a lot of personal stuff, sweety. All due to this.” She showed a Pocket Hub device on her neck. “Leuchten was a brother to him like no other. Even more, than he was to Feuer and Hagel.

In both realms—Hokori’s parents were his whole world. And they sought to take it over and live life to the fullest. Sadly, in this very village, an evil monster took them away from him….”

Ingrid told Tokino of a harrowing and frightening past. As it went on, the latter’s heart began matching a rabbit’s.