Hayato woke up with a better smile than his sister. Either way, Yukino felt the same, rubbing her eyes. Blue-breasted robins sang by the window. It was a firsthand sight, and it bolstered their demeanor.

He gasped and smiled more. Hands raised, he wished to catch all four in midair. Suddenly, his sister lowered his action.

Yukino wagged a finger. “Don’t be mean, Lil Bro. Birds belong neither in your hands nor in cages.” She opened the panes, and two perched on her pinky.

He raised a brow and pointed. “Hey! You said it’s mean to do that!”

The robins flew away from his shout. Closing the window, Yukino giggled at him. “Oops. Did I say anything about fingers?” She cocked her head, hands tied behind.

His narrowed look instantly faded. He laughed and ran for a hug; Yukino had treasured it forever. She taught him a lasting lesson according to plan: animals deserved consent.

She patted his head. “So am I a good enough Big Sis?”

He nodded immediately and jumped for another embrace. Then, he raised one more brow. His sister had told of a surprise and went downstairs.

Happier than ever, he ran—only to stop in his tracks; his smile stayed but not of joy. He looked back at the window and snapped his fingers. The demeanor had become a smirk. Feathers rolled down on the red-dripped windows.

He gasped again in the dining room. It was not his birthday, yet a Smorgasbord lay. His mouth watered before the mountain of onigiri. It worsened upon seeing the pyramid of croquembouche.

Unexpectedly, Hokori ate not one massive leg of meat. Only his siblings did, though neither could finish off the bone. He instead enjoyed a small bowl of bisque. Even so, the first spoonful could kill a God.

Hayato gulped down his thirteenth helping. He gave more hugs, now to his parents. Tokino held his shoulder, smiling. “This isn’t the surprise, honey. Five-star meals are just me and your dad’s specialty.” She saw her brother briefly and looked away.

Hokori wiped his mouth with a napkin. He only had one serving. “That’s right, man.” He showed him his screen. “This is what we’re lookin’ forward to!”

At that point, he failed to count his gasps. Coelestis’ longest-sought holiday had neared that weekend. First, he smiled at the summertime events. It did not take long to realize it was so much more.

He smiled more at the brochure’s overhead view of the city. He giddied at his seat. “By the Gods! Everything’s really gonna be underwater?”

His uncle finished his orange juice and chuckled. “Well, we don’t call it ‘Atlantis Day’ for nothin’. You’d be surprised how they’d pull it off.”

Despite his excitement, he squinted at the brochure again. Questions had fired quicker than they thought. Luckily, Kenkō held his shoulder next. “It won’t cover everything, Hayataro. Just half a skyscraper.”

Hokori got off his seat and went for the main door. “Yup. That’s why we gotta prepare for the right drip. To the strip mall!” It closed behind him loudly; the rest followed, unable to wait. Tokino exited last, eyes aglare slightly.

The elusive holiday had already changed two-thirds of the city. Numerous runes glowed and formed water parks on the spot. King Harald always loved appetizers before the main course.

At the mall, Hokori found the perfect tune. Everyone agreed, wearing their earpods. Yukino and Hayato skipped to the first verse of Mungo Jerry’s “In The Summertime.”

Hayato picked a peculiar aloha shirt. It had matched his uncle’s to a T, who found no reason to change. He cared not that it was unoriginal. He loved its shades-wearing sun and the yellow “SUNNY BOY” text in front.

Yukino shrugged, eyes closed. “You do you, Lil Bro.” She wore a light pink one-piece swimsuit. Admittedly, she only loved it for its chibi pineapples all around. Somehow, a skirt made her feel more decent.

The opposite occurred before Haruto’s eyes. His wife wanted a bikini, but he did not expect the micro type. She tied the last ribbon below and pulled up the garment. Head slowly turning, she snuck in a smirk.

Alongside his cheeks, red dripped from the nostrils. He shakingly pointed. “H-Hey! W-W-What are you….”

She looked at him, eyes blinking. “Honey?” After a finger-snap, new clothing appeared after the runes. A long white halter dress with a bleeding heart; stab mine, not his, said the white text within. She also wore a sun hat to match her daughter’s.

To think she already had a pick before they went shopping. Still, she smirked again. She twirled a finger on Haruto’s chest. “Alright, you got me. I booked a villa just for us, a pool and all. They have their own, too.”

He failed to realize such premium expenses. Before long, his risque memories disappeared. Tokino held his hand toward the matching outfit. A white sleeveless with a bleeding heart; shank mine, not hers, it said around it.

Yukino and Hayato cocked their heads before their siblings. Luckily, the two showed their picks, mesmerizing them. Kakunō chuckled. “We intend to save them for the real event. I’m not that good at swimming, either.”

Surprisingly, Kenkō did not ridicule him and turned to her sister. “Ready to blow their minds, Yukichi?”

“Hm!” she nodded, jumping to the public pool. Artificial waves made freestyle impossible for even medalists. Just a hint of her luck magic blew them out of the water. She hoped it had not occurred literally.

The whole family cheered at her butterfly strokes at 20 km/h. She even went deep below for a summersault finisher. Everyone thundered their applause. Tokino refused to let go of the hug.

The fun continued toward a fire dance spectacle. No one cared about the bright sun and cheered. However, one cracked not a smile. Hayato covered his ears, teeth clenched. Annoying! The praise went louder around him.

He hoped it would end after the human tower trick. Alas, the nuisance worsened by the main gate. Guards told protesters they needed tickets but to no avail. Many had barged in and chanted, “Appease the Gods! Divine wrath cometh!”

Out of nowhere, he grinned at them from afar. Anger had now mixed with joy. Slowly walking, he could already imagine the crusade.

Tokino held her daughter close and turned to the rest. “Go back to the hotel, guys. We’ll wait until dinn—” She looked around fast. “Where’s Hayato?” She exclaimed at the others but had no clue. Her eldest brother had gone away, too.

She cursed herself for turning off foresight. Eyes closed, she saw a mental image of the whole water park. Minutes in, she gasped and sweated bullets. The situation would go from bad to a red inferno.

She turned to them again. “Everyone! Protect the—”

Endless screams drowned her warnings. Three protesters burst into a pulp every second; four had their necks forcibly twisted the wrong way. Then, they floated in midair, wrung like a wet towel. The chaos continued with “rain” above everyone’s heads. Screams moved quickly to the main gate. Yukino’s stomach felt off, down to her knees. Tears abode, but Kenkō held her close.

Haruto and Kakunō flash-stepped everywhere to save any. Their hands could only hold mushed-up bones. They cast runes on themselves, now clean. “Forget these guys!” shouted the latter. “Someone’s obviously targeting them!”

Indeed, other citizens ran unscathed but terrified. Kenkō did not take the notion lightly. Eyes narrowed, she greeted his face with her right. “How could you say that! We’re mages!”

He grunted with clenched teeth. “Got any better ideas, then!?” The vitriol between them rose to 75db. They pushed each other several times. Their fists tightened—only to calm upon hearing a broken bird.

He kneeled and rubbed Yukino’s back. “Sorry. I’m so sorry. It’s okay….” His sister joined in with the comfort.

Haruto stepped in and carried his daughter. “We have to split up,” he looked at Tokino, eyes stern. “Your power’s the key to finding him. I know you can.”

She spoke nothing with even more sweat. Panting, she had to tell a heartrending truth. It was the foresight that showed it crystal clear. She flash-stepped away as her husband reached out a hand. Chaos had never sounded so quiet for him.

Far away, the central park had the same problem tenfold. Picket signs had covered every square meter. Yet brigade mages convinced them to stay in line. Others got dispatched to another fiasco.

Among the brigade was a hunching Joshua. He brought his comrades for military assessment. Picking his ear, he sat on the grass. Jesus H. Christ. Will this shitshow ever end? He turned to his left. “What do you think?” The gray Mastiff let its tongue out, feeling the summertime. It licked his cheek and went for a frisbee.

He caressed his chin and realized the canine had a point. He stood and yawned, clapping to get their attention. “Alright, guys! Time for lunch. Any more time out here, and I’d become the shishkebab.”

His comrades moaned in sheer disappointment. It even felt like a much bigger hassle returning to their base. Booming protests sounded better than empty wind.

“Come on, man,” one slurred. “Let us do something for the day.”, “Yeah. It can even be four minutes. Too much to ask?”, “Please, sir. We need activities before Atlantis Day. Anything, please!” They performed dogeza before their instructor.

Joshua caressed his chain again. He never thought of being swayed by another point. “Hmmm… Okay. Two minutes, and then it’s the home sweet home.”

They moaned once more but could do nothing. However, the youngest boy did not accept any more half-baked drills. He puffed up his chest and walked tall. Then, he sighed. “Come on, man. If anything goes wrong, who will help?

“Others here have counted on us. They need us. We’re next in line before their retirement.” He pointed at the scarred mages. “Remember the story you told us? This task could be your redemption.”

Joshua felt the wind brush against his crown. With a familiar quiet, his body felt no need for shade. The protests went ear-piercing, yet he smiled.

He looked at the sky and saw a flock of Y-crested grebes. “Yeah, I get it. Being tied to my home’s worst tragedy is horrible. But survivor’s guilt ain’t my thing, I always say. Please remember that.”

They gasped and cheered over his decision. Even a group hug commenced. At long last, they had much to do until dinner. Joshua wished it had stayed that way. Looking afar, he sweated with lit-up eyes.

The world slowed to a crawl as his power activated. Three-eyed mosquitoes looked paused in time. The Mastiff had its mouth open for another frisbee. He had no time to watch the mundane any further.

The nearest protester had her neck slowly contorting. That only applied to his lightning senses. So he intervened even faster. Bolts had zapped beneath his feet.

Joshua moved each victim before the bloody inevitable. They felt like mannequins, spread out everywhere. He even saved one close to bursting into a red mess. One by one, he made sure none would feel whiplash. Lastly, he returned their floating pickets signs.

Time had sped up for him. He promised no whiplash, yet not the falling over. His comrades’ eyes widened as they hugged nothing, but he caught their fall before blinking.

A mage held her head and saw him with crossed arms. “What happened, sir?” she ran, only for a hand to block her.

He blocked more from walking closer. “Stand by. Here comes a huge SoB.” Lightning whirled all around him. “Too bad my magic was faster.”

The mages squinted in sheer perplexion. Their instructor found kids as sugar-induced goblins. Yet none knew him willing to cull one on the spot.

Hayato cocked his head, grinning. “Slow down, child. You’ll never know if you go to Heaven.”