Hokori chose a particular spot to do karaoke night with his family and comrades. Yukino could barely hold her excitement. It took a few bribes from the bouncer to let her in.

Situated downtown, Mugen Yoru (無限夜) always gave him a sense of home. Not only did it serve his nation’s cuisine, but every decor was no misstep. The owner even went so far as to display Shinto items in every corner.

Haruto volunteered to treat everyone to a banquet. Feuer never tried anything Japanese in his life. Danielle always preferred Southern food from Earth. Coffee enhanced her book-reading up to eleven. “I guess it can’t be helped.” She shrugged with her eyes closed. “I’ll have milk tea, Haruto. I like trying new things.”

“I want kibi dango again, Papa!” Yukino raised her hand. As for her mother, she asked for wagyu and macha.

Ever since the mission, Tokino had become more open and teasing. Kissing in public was not new to her, but it now occurred twofold. With cheeks red, he chuckled and scratched the back of his head. He turned to Hokori. “What about you, bro? What do you want?”

“C’est la vie, boy,” he shrugged. “Just make your surprise good.” He smiled with droopy eyes.

Minutes later, Haruto’s choice exceeded expectations. Despite its affordable prices, the restaurant’s menu was nothing but delectable. Hokori wolfed down tenmusu rice balls by the dozen. Yukino did the same with her sweet dumplings. She immediately coughed.

Tokino rubbed her back. “No, no, honey. You don’t need to copy Uncle. He loves you, either way.” She wiped her mouth gently with a napkin. She got a hug and a thank you.

After the long meal, the main event began. Danielle sang every Kansas song with a mellow tone, except for one. It had everybody off their seats. Hokori internally described her voice as a perfect female version of the lead singer. At the top of her lungs, she went:

Carry on, my wayward son

There’ll be peace when you are done

Lay your weary head to rest

Don’t you cry no more

After the final verse, she shed a tear hearing their claps and cheers. She bowed and thanked them.

Next was Yukino’s turn. However, Haruto interfered with his daughter’s choice. Although “sweets parade” sounded cute and innocent, the lyrics turned out to be very risque.

“Listen to him, kiddo,” Hokori added. “Ain’t none of us want ya to do fucked up shit. Fetishization’s a horrible slope to slide in.”

She nodded in agreement and turned to her sister for a better pick. Luckily, Kenkō had one in mind this whole time. She insisted they would sing it as a duet.

Everyone sat surprised that Yukino was perfect for singing “Secret Base.” Her childish yet warm voice pulled her parents’ heartstrings. Kakunō sulked beside them. “What’s wrong? Are you sad?” Tokino held his shoulder.

“No… I-I mean, yes, but.” He sighed and stood up. “Sorry, ma’am. I need to clear my thoughts.” He closed the bathroom door from afar.

She still showed concern and felt that she did not give him the right words. Unexpectedly, Hokori chuckled. She stopped in her tracks.

“Leave him be, kid. Sixteen-year-olds ain’t the kind to show their weak side.” He looked over the window behind their couches. “I don’t blame him, though. No teenager should see what he went through. Mikadzukihantō wasn’t some exotic eastern land untouched by outsiders. Funny that it’s familiar with my nation’s ancient history.”

Tokino gasped with her mouth covered. Knowing her earthly studies well, she went back to her seat. Melancholy filled the room; even Feuer knew it. Haruto tried lightening the mood but to no avail. His wife continued her inner self-deprecation. Luckily, a prolific guest broke the silence loudly by the main doors. As brigade mages stepped in, customers kneeled but got dismissed.

Hokori turned and stood up. “Yo! Wassup, my man! The girls ain’t here this time, but my fam is.” He clasped his hands. “So, wanna give ‘em a real show? The pièce de résistance?” He grinned.

Harald slicked his brown hair back and chuckled with closed eyes and mouth. “Of course… It’s the least I can do for Mrs. Minagawa.” He saw the mentioned thanking before him. “At ease, madame. You deserved every pardon I gave in court.”

The two skimmed through a million songs on the holographic screen. Everyone went back to their seats in anticipation. Unexpectedly, Tokino got called in front to join; they all insisted loudly. After complying, Hokori finally ended their wait. None of them expected such a song for the night.

Danielle raised an eyebrow. “Oh, come on, dude!” she complained. “Isn’t that meme dead at this point? It’s not like you can carry a tune, anyway.”

He chuckled. “Rick is eternal, my sweet summer child. This time, we’ll never give you folks up in my native tongue!” He turned to Tokino and the king. “Ready!?”

They nodded with extreme confidence. The final karaoke began.

The three managed to make everyone in the restaurant move their feet like no tomorrow. Yukino jumped up and down; she danced with her sister. Even her father tapped on his seat with a smile. Kakunō’s gloom disappeared and joined the craze.

Danielle became the most shocked she had ever been that night. Her comrade, Feuer, laughed with glee. The one she mocked every time was selective with his tone. “Now, I get it… No wonder he only picked songs he didn’t like.”

Hokori and Harald’s deep falsetto echoed throughout the room. Tokino’s smooth yet sultry tone flustered her husband beyond belief. As the final chorus began, they raised their voices in unison:

Kesshite yuzuranai (決して譲らない)

Shitsubō o sasenai (失望をさせない)

Kesshite okizari ni wa shinai (決して置去りにはしない)

Kesshite nakasenai (決して泣かせない)

“Sayōnara” iwanai (「さようなら」言わない)

Kesshite uso de kizutsukenai (決して噓で傷つけない)

After giving the three the biggest applause, customers left the restaurant full. Adolescents treated themselves with their shared videos. Coelestis’ internet denizens made one garner 300k views in under two minutes.

That midnight, Harald raised a toast to everyone. Tokino brought a juice box for this occasion. Her daughter loved the volcanic orange flavor the most. Sweet with a hint of spice.

Hokori put down his shot glass. “Yo, my man! I reckon ya got ‘nother reason bein’ here. Lay it on me.” He shrugged.

He cleared his throat with his eyes closed. “Intuitive as always, old friend. But first, I must give these two another mission entirely.”

The king prompted them to stand and listen carefully. Hagel found more traces of the Icarus Folly virus outside of Pantaiyanilam. “Be at his side at all times, Danielle,” he added. “Feuer won’t always be with you.” They bowed and saw themselves out of the restaurant.

He turned to Hokori and his family, who listened closer. He sighed. “Harrowing as it is, my friends, freak shows still gain an audience in our nation. A man named ‘Dominus Ficta’ profited more than others this year.” He walked from afar, accompanied by brigade mages. “I needn’t say much. Destroy their vicious act with all your might.” The double doors closed.

Yukino got excited about another dangerous trip. Surprisingly, her parents felt no anxiety over their daughter. They even encouraged her to do her best. Kakunō pulled out his sleek black gauntlet via runes. More butterflies filled his stomach the more he thought about the upcoming mission. “Time to shine, buddy….” He caressed it faster.

“Hold it! Hold it!” Kenkō ended the noise with a raised hand. “How the hell are we gonna infiltrate? We’re pretty short on ‘less than desirable’ faces. Even the blood god has a decent mug.” She pointed at Hokori.

He chuckled. “Ain’t nothin’ to worry, dude. Remember what I told ya? In another timeline, I’d have shapeshifting magic.”

He presented his right arm and shrunk twice its size. Before long, he looked just like Haruto. Even his eye color changed. Tokino and Yukino’s eyes widened. The mentioned father sat still upon hearing his voice.

Hokori chuckled. “Trippy as all fuck. Ain’t it, boy?” He walked past everyone, still in his shifted form. “Aight, y’all. We gotta prepare for tomorrow!”

The double doors swayed back and forth behind him. The whole family followed suit.

A hundred and fifty kilometers from Coelestis, a whole town of fifty thousand gathered around a tent. It appeared small for a family of three; the Hoopling Sisters company. Starting as an animal sideshow, deformed humans replaced them. Other races were already “freaks” of their own.

Much to the surprise of the children, the interior sprawled far wider. All ages mesmerized the giant stalk-eyed fireflies above, which served as lighting. Rows of seats materialized before them. Said insects lit up the massive center.

The current ringmaster gave a hearty speech, always about the unparalleled creativity of the Gods. “Etch that mind into your mind as you die, folks! We’re here to celebrate their beautiful craft. And did they really make us out of the mud? We may never know! What we do know is the existence of elementals. Ladies and gents—the mighty yet gentle titan—clay golem!”

65% of the crowd cheered out of their seats. The tan creature stood twenty meters upright—a little higher than the sixteenth row. Performers demonstrated its docility by casting runic fireballs. The golem staggered and howled many times. However, as its skin cracked and browned, it never kicked them. Out of nowhere, the joyful crowd heard voices in their head. The ringmaster sweated bullets as the tent fell silent.

“Free me…! Anyone. I shan’t harm any in return. Free us all! We are all children of the Go—” Before they knew it, a white sphere hit the creature’s head. It fell on its back, unconscious. Circus staff levitated the golem from the ring.

The ringmaster dispelled a runic array and stepped into the crowd. “The show’s now over yet, folks! Technical difficulties always happen.” He walked closer. “Kids, watch me pull the ethereal Fae out of my hat!”

A team of sylphs flew everywhere above the tent. Most often called them “pixies.” They transformed into much larger beings. All looked human but without flaw, and their wavy crowns ranged from black to blue. They bowed to the crowd and dueled each other onstage. They expressed their wind affinity in full display. For years, they had to work with nothing but cold iron swords.

Some spectators noticed them tiring out quickly. One defeated the other depending on experience. Even as the duels concluded fast, everyone cheered. The ringmaster waved his hat to the crowd goodbye. Their smiles never faded when going out, and the last child exited.

The circus tent transformed into a Pegasus carriage. The leprechaun driver neared his eightieth birthday. Inside, the room remained spacious. No one could feel the carriage flying into the sky.

Sylph performers passively healed their injured hands. A young girl could not let go of the iron sword; her burnt, melted skin stuck to the handle. Screams echoed louder as medics slowly pulled it out. She curled into a fetal position in a chair. Others comforted her. “Hell… Everything I know is hell…” she said faintly again and again. Moments later, she let out a river of sorrow.

The medics stood in pity. One turned to the ringmaster and walked from behind. “Mr. Ficta! I might need your assistance over this one. One of our fairies hasn’t healed its hands for weeks. It’s become necrotic.”

Dominus corrected his glasses and his Hawaiian shirt. “That’s the thing, man. They don’t recover when they don’t want to.”

He banged open a door and greeted a woman with a sarcastic grin. She got startled and panted from afar. The more he moved closer, the more she became defensive.

He chuckled and squatted before her. “Don’t need to see your gangrene, sugarplum. Putting on a show means giving everything you got.” He pointed. “Otherwise, you’ll be dead weight. And eventually, in a literal sense—” He wiped the spit off his face. As he opened his mouth again, a razor wind slashed his chest. She did not raise a finger.

The sylph’s eyes glared and remained defiant. She spoke no word and did not hesitate to attack again. It hurled Dominus far away from her room. Now, he had wounds across his arms and legs. However, runic arrays healed him quickly.

He chuckled again and walked closer. “Whaddaya say, sugarplum? All four of your wings in exchange for your daughter?” After a finger snap, several broomsticks became alive and walked cartoonishly. “Imagination has no limits. Don’t test me….”

Surprisingly, she stood and turned around. Moments later, staff stepped in with pliers. No matter what, she did not scream, and her eyes still glared. The young sylph from before got restrained by the others nearby. Her tears never ended for hours.

Dominus walked out of the room and into the hallway. The medic continued walking behind. “M-Mr. Ficta. We’ve got people from the black market offering a human freak. Believe me, sir. His face is a sight to behold.” He gave him some photos.

Usually, he would skim through every image uninterested. He stood amazed by every abnormal lump in the crooked man’s body. Eventually, he burst into laughter the more he looked at his features.

“Holy shit!” He grinned. “This guy’s the Elephant Man incarnate! He’s more than a shoo-in, I’ll tell you that.”

Inside his room, he continued laughing.