After Steely left Sun Temple Park and went separate ways with Shiroi, he returned home in a rush. He ran back to the same path as he did when the little girl dragged him into the park.

  After a few minutes, ten to be precise, he managed to return to the front gates of his massive home. He slid the wooden gates open and went towards the front door, opening the doors themselves and removing his shoes before he stepped onto the wooden floor.

  “I’m home.” He called.

  “Steely! Welcome home!”

  Stella was the first to hear him and rushed to hug him tightly.

  “Umph! I’m back, Stella. No need to hug me so tightly.”

  “So, did you get the candies that I asked for?” Stella immediately went down to business.

  Steely sighed before a small smile crept on his face as he dug his right hand into his right pocket and took the candies out on the palm of his hand.

  “I got them right here.”

  Stella immediately gleamed at the sight of the candies on her “twin brother’s” palm and quickly snatched them from him like a robber hitting the jackpot.

  “Yay! Sweet caramel candies are the best!”

  Stella unwrapped one and ate it, a soft hum left her mouth at the taste.

  “I haven’t eaten one of these little ones in a long while. Here, Steely, have some! Take it as a sign of gratitude from me for going through the trouble of getting these sweet delicacies for me!”

  She handed two of her sweet caramel candies and Steely took them slowly before nodding his head in thanks.

  “You have no idea how long I have to look for the store that you said were selling these candies. The Festivity District is way too pack these days that you can barely even tell where you’re going.”

  Stella giggled apologetically.

  “Sorry. I just couldn’t leave today because dad ordered me to take my talisman practice seriously.” She sighed.

  “I get that our practices are extremely important, but can’t a lady like myself have a few days off or maybe just a few hours off just to buy something real quick? Geez, dad can be quite strict sometimes.”

  Steely nodded his head, agreeing with his “twin sister’s” statement.

  “Oh, I know how you feel. Gramps is like that as well when it comes to training me in combat or even when he tells me to read a specific book carefully.”

  “Like father, like son, eh?” Steely nodded at Stella’s words.

  The two shared a look at each other before Stella smiled and Steely followed, soft laughter soon erupted between the two as they share a warm moment before entering deeper inside their home.

  “So, do you think we can spend a few minutes running around on the garden?” Stella asked before she ate another one of her candies.

  “Why do you ask? Is something going on that has your schedule oh so locked up, my dear sister~?” Steely teased, Stella was unamused.

  “Oh shut it, my dear brother~. But yes, you’d be correct. I just hate the fact that you guessed it in one go.”

  “Well, you can be quite predictable at times, Stella.” Steely informed.

  “Wait? I can—? Wait, no! Back to the topic at hand!” Stella gently slapped both her cheeks and looked at Steely.

  “The reason being is because mom said that our Onee-chan is coming back home in a few hours just before your Blood Transfusion Ritual starts, so she wants me to prepare for a feast for her when she gets back home.”

  “Wait, Amber-nee is coming back home?! Today?!” Steely asked, completely in shock by this revelation.

  Stella nodded her head, approving Steely’s question without a single word.

  “Why didn’t you told me about this earlier, Stella?!”

  Steely questioned as he grabbed Stella’s shoulders and shook her violently, making her dizzy during the process.

  “H-Hey! Mom and dad didn’t told me about this until earlier either! So don’t blame me for breaking the news to you now! S-Stop shacking me, Steely!”

  The male “twin” stopped shaking the female “twin” and Stella leaned her left arm on the wall as she took deep breaths to calm down her nausea and to stop her from vomiting on their wooden floor.

  “Ugh… Did… Did you… really have to… urk… shake me violently like that, bro…? Ugh…” Stella was trying her best to keep herself from vomiting.

  “S-Sorry…” Steely apologized.

  “I-It’s just that… phew… Hearing Amber-nee return home after so long surprised me so much that I didn’t know how to express myself.” He admitted.

  “Heh… urk… I get how you feel. I had the same reaction as you did, minus the shaking of course.” She forced a smirk on her face.

  Stella’s nausea was calming down enough for her to speak properly. About three or four seconds later, her expression finally returned to normal as she took one final breath in and out of her mouth before she turn to look at Steely.

  “Anyways... As I’ve told you earlier, mom wants me to prepare a feast before Onee-chan returns from the Galactus Kingdom’s Capital: Quasar City.”

  She and Steely return to walking through their hallway and forward towards the garden.

  “I heard Amber-nee managed to make it to the top ten in the Starfell Academy in the capital.” Steely said as he walked shoulder-to-shoulder with his sister.

  “It was just that time of the year where she’ll be moving up to the next grade as well, huh? No wonder mom wants to celebrate a feast for her, I should’ve known.”

  Stella patted his back before she talked in a reassuring tone of voice.

  “Hey, to be honest, I’ve forgotten that Onee-chan’s moving up was this month as well. So you’re not alone in this, Steely. And perfect timing as well! She’ll be here to see your Blood Transfusion Ritual!”

  Stella said giddily with a smile on her face.

  “Well I’m glad then. Seeing her be there for me during the ritual would relieve me of some of my nervousness. Did mom and dad tell you what time she’ll come home?”

  Stella pondered for a bit before shaking her head.

  “Nope. At least, nothing specific. Just that she’ll be back home in about near evening. So… four forty-five o’ clock should be a good speculation.”

  Steely nodded his head as they continued to walk.

  They soon managed to reach their home garden where the massive cherry blossom tree from before stood completely still in the middle as its pink and lovely petals kept falling down in a slow and calm manner as it swerved side-to-side.

  The “twins” stepped foot off the wooden porch they were standing and onto the petal-covered grass. They walked closer until they were beneath the shade of the gigantic tree and right in front of its massive and hard wooden trunk.

  Steely leaned onto the hard trunk as Stella sat on the soft petal-covered grass, both were staring into the blue sky through the small branches and attached petals of the tree as the two felt a calm and relaxing feeling.

  “Seven years, huh…?” Steely mused.

  “Hm? What are you talking about, Steely?” Stella glanced at him with curiousity.

  “I mean the time that I’ve been living here ever since I was found at the Descending Rivers. Amber-nee told me that I was found on one of the Clear Rivers that leads through North.”

  Steely extended his right arm forward to the sky before he balled his fist like he was gripping hard onto something.

  “I can’t help but wonder of what would’ve happened to me if the three of them didn’t managed find me during that time.”

  “It’s best not to dwell on such sorrowful matters, bro.”

  Stella scooted closer below Steely’s knees before she leaned her head onto his right leg.

  “As much as I would like to know the answer to that as well, the best thing to do is to cast away that thought and remain focus on what’s in front of you. Seek out the future while seeking answers in the present, no?”

  Steely couldn’t help but let out a small scoff with a smile on his face as he shook his head and stared at Stella with a giggle.

  “Mom’s philosophy lessons has managed to become engraved into your head, huh?”

  “Well~, it’s not my fault that mom decided to punch those lessons into my mind extremely deep. She said, and I quote: “It is important for you to remember these lessons as they will become useful in the future once you’re out into the real world”. Ooh boy, and I’ll tell you something, mom doesn’t joke around with those lessons.”

  “I can’t help but get the feeling that she learned those things because of gramps’s doing. Sheesh, it seems like even mom got influenced by gramps even though she’s just an in-law daughter of the family.” Steely added.

  “Great minds think alike, wouldn’t you say?”

  A familiar voice for the two resounded through the hallway where their porch entrance was located.

  And when they glanced at the entrance, they saw an old man with the physique of a military soldier that has the same traits as the Akane Clan.

  Short light blond beard with a mustache and a scar of his left eye, neck-long hair with red tips that was tied into a small bun, and piercing predatory red eyes can be easily seen on the man’s facial features.

  He wore a red and white samurai armor over a white long-sleeves shirt on the top part of his body while his bottom consists of a pair of black armored boots and black hakama-style pants with a katana that has a red fox tail-design tsuba and red scabbard located on the left right side of his hips that was tied with a white sash.

  He stood about five feet and eight inches tall and his nine tails were unwrapped for all to see their glory.

  Both Steely and Stella immediately knew who this person was.

  “”Gramps/Grampa!!””

  The “twins” shouted in unison at the sight of their grandfather, Enrei Akane—The Chief General of the Akane Military, who now has a grin on his face.

  “Well, well, well! Would you look at that! It would seem that my surprise visit has managed to even make my two youngest grandchildren smile! Well, did you miss this old man of yours?”

  Both Steely and Stella didn’t answer as they both quickly rushed to their grandfather’s side before jumping off the ground and hugging him tightly.

  “Woah there! Hahaha! Guess I didn’t need you two to say it!”

  “Are you kidding? Of course we’d miss you, you damn geezer! With you going out there in the frontlines every time you leave the house, who wouldn’t miss you?”

  Steely gently punched the old man’s chest with a smug grin on his face.

  “Yeah! And besides, whenever you return back home, the house becomes even livelier. Despite our home being a lot lively enough, but still!”

  Stella answered as well while hugging the old foxian tightly.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Haha! Well, I’m glad to see you two all the more relieved now that I’m back home. I for one wouldn’t want to see myself dying in the frontlines either, but it’s a good memory knowing that I died in the name of my clan!”

  “Please don’t give them the wrong idea, dad…”

  Aki’s voice was heard from the left side of the porch and he was holding a clipboard in his left hand with Shiranui right behind him. He smiled when the three noticed and turned to both him and Shiranui.

  “Especially when it comes to Steely. He may still be young and is your apprentice and is an in-training samurai for our clan, but it is best that you don’t give him any wrong ideas about something like that.”

  “Oh don’t be a spoilsport, son.” Enrei grinned.

  “Honor for your clan in the highest pride one can have! If dying for your clan means that you’ll continue to hold onto your clan’s honor, then a proud warrior would gladly lay down their lives for the sake of the betterment for their country!”

  The old foxian shouted it loudly with great pride and a gripped fist high in the air.

  Aki just sighed and face-palmed himself while Shiranui was giggling at her father-in-law’s charismatic and prideful statement.

  “Fufu~. It would seem that father-in-law’s fire for our clan’s honor hasn’t dwindled even in the slightest bit. You still continue to hold onto our traditions close to your heart.”

  “But of course! As someone like you, who also had a Blood Transfusion Ritual when you married my son, knows this to be the very truth! Our clan may haven’t been the largest of the clans and we certainly aren’t the smallest…”

  Enrei gripped his chest tightly and proudly said:

  “But our clan is the most adaptable to anything that the world throws at us thanks to the eyes that the Goddess of Creation has bestowed upon us! You two already unlocked yours, while Stella and Steely are yet to unlock theirs.”

  “Our God Eyes…” Aki stated and his father nodded as the old man added.

  “Yes. Though hard to obtain due to the wielder needing to achieve them through various harsh training and life-and-death situations, our eyes are one of the strongest abilities out their gifted to us by our Great Goddess.”

  “God Eyes? Is this the latent ability that’s said to be within every part of our clan’s cell that the ancient books and texts in our library are talking about?”

  Stella asked along with Steely nodding his head for any affirmation from the adults.

  “Oh? It would seem that Stella has also been reading our clan’s ancient history and texts too, eh?”

  “Mom forces me to do. It’s best for my lessons, as she said.” Stella slummed at the horrible memory.

  “But of course. And you are right on your answer, my dear girl! This is the latent ability that our clan always have and nearly all of the Akane Clan Members of today have managed to achieve to unlock them, with the minority being young ones like you and Steely.”

  “So I’m also going to have this ability once my Blood Transfusion Ritual is complete?” Steely asked slowly, though his eyes were sparkling with excitement.

  Enrei saw his adopted grandson’s spark and grinned from one ear to the other.

  “That is correct, my dear boy! Just like your mother, once you’ve completed your Blood Transfusion Ritual, you too will not only gain our clan’s greatest aspects and traits but also our clan’s latent eye-based ability. Truly a blessing for anyone to join us!”

  “Alright, alright, stop with the shouting, dad.” Aki ordered while cleaning his left ear over his head.

  “We get that you’re excited for Steely to become truly part of our family, but isn’t there another matter that needs to be addressed? Something… very important as well…?”

  Enrei stood there silently, pondering through his thoughts on what he could’ve missed that his son was talking about… And then it hit him like a loud hammer hitting a massive bell.

  “Amber’s return to our home is today! By the Goddess above, how could I ever forget?! I need to buy a present this instant!”

  He was about to rush out the door but his son stopped him.

  “Now hold on just a minute there, dad. I know that this is an important event since Amber is moving up another grade level in the capital’s academy, but I suggest that you don’t buy her anything extravaganza.”

  “A simple gift of gratitude would be more than enough for Amber, father-in-law. You know how your eldest granddaughter is like when it comes to gifts. Not too cheap but not too expensive either.” Shiranui reminded.

  “Not too useless but not too useful as well.” Aki added.

  “Right. Alright then, little ones. Off I go!” Enrei stopped hugging the “twins” before he bolted out of the wooden mansion as quickly as he can.

  “Gramps is still extremely fast, isn’t he?” Steely remarked.

  “For someone who’s live about nearly half a century, he sure is quite a runner for someone of his old age.” Stella added in a friendly and mockingly tone.

  *BONK!*

  ““Ow/Ouch!!”” The two let out a yelp of pain as they felt their heads being hit.

  “You two better watch your mouths there.” It was Shiranui who struck their heads hard with her left fist.

  “Your grandfather may be nearly half as old as time, but that doesn’t give you the right to insult him behind his back. Sure I can agree that he is really old, but let the old man live his life however he wants. He’s still quite energetic for a reason.”

  “Right…” Steely rubbed his head.

  “Sorry…” Stella apologized while doing the same.

  “Hmph. Good. At least you two know what you did wrong and repented. I don’t want you two to whisper bad things behind another person’s back, alright?”

  Shiranui crossed her arms together and waited for her children to answer her.

  “Yes, mom…” Steely sulked and stared down onto the floor.

  “Understood…” Stella nodded her head before she did the same thing as her brother.

  Although both Steely and Stella rarely do anything that can be considered wrong, Shiranui wouldn’t allow them not to apologize if they did managed to do something wrong.

  A child’s personality must start developing at their early childhood and from the people around them, most importantly: from their parents.

  “Now, now, dear.” Aki held his wife’s left shoulder.

  “Let’s not try to restrict them way too much. They’re still children, so give them some time to enjoy their childhoods before they—.”

  “You’re spoiling them way too much, Aki!” Shiranui angrily scolded her husband.

  “I know that they’re still kids but not correcting their wrongs is a bad way to raise a child! And besides, all of our children are good kids! I don’t want them to become bad when they grow up just because of something as small as this!”

  “Y-You’re worrying way too much about this, dear—.”

  “Huh?!”

  Aki immediately cowered back and shielded himself with his arms, afraid of the wrath that his wife may inflict upon him if he didn’t be careful with his words and actions.

  When she noticed her husband has finally backed down, Shiranui crossed her arms once again before sighing.

  “Listen, I don’t want to be a bad mother and a bad wife. So please just understand that I’m trying my best to be good here. I just don’t want our children to stray from the right path, Aki.”

  Sensing that his wife has calmed down, he hugged her tightly.

  “I know what you’re trying to say, dear. Just… try not to be way too strict on them, or else they might see you as someone who wants to control everything.”

  “I’m only trying to show what’s best for our children… But fine, if that’s what you want, then I’ll try to control myself. But you better not try to spoil them way too much, got it?”

  Aki giggled before winking teasingly at Shiranui.

  “No promises, dear~.”

  “Oh you little…” Shiranui just sighed and let her husband hug her.

  “Mom and dad are flirting with each other again.” Steely whispered to Stella.

  “They’re always like this after a fight. We’re already used to this, so no use complaining about it, brother.” Stella whispered back.

  *SLAM!*

  “I have returned!”

  Enrei slammed the door open and walked inside their home once more with a huge and slim box that has a red ribbon wrapped around its middle section.

  “Welcome back home, Gramps!” Steely greeted.

  “So, what did get for Onee-chan, Grampa?” Stella asked, her eyes staring up and down on the box.

  “Hehe. That will be a secret for now! The gift inside this box is one that I think is the most appropriate gift for Amber once she gets back home. Knowing the subjects and strands that she picked in the Starfell Academy, this gift will be perfect!”

  Enrein placed his gift aside for now as Shiranui suggested that they should all start preparing for the feast that they were going to create for Amber’s return. All of them soon followed the woman of the house into the kitchen to help prepare and make the feast, assisting one another whenever the other needed it.

  “I’ll handle most of the hard to make meals for the feast.” Shiranui said as she wrapped her apron around her waist and tied it behind her back.

  “Then I’ll handle the rest of the lighthearted appetizers and snack then.” Aki grabbed a small knife from the kitchen rack.

  “I’ll get the drinks done! You can’t have a grand feast like this and not have any sort of drinks after all! Non-alcoholic or alcoholic, it’s the same!” Enrei grinned as he took a huge container from the lower drawer.

  “I’ll help Gramps with the fruits that he needs to make for the drinks!”

  Steely rushed towards the fried and grabbed a few fruits along with about five bottles of sparkling soda.

  “Hey! No running in the kitchen, Steely! That’s dangerous!” Shiranui scolded her son and Enrei laughed at the sight.

  “Then I’ll help out with both mom and dad with the appetizers and meals that they need to be done!”

  Stella took a small chair and stood on top of it and helped Aki with chopping the vegetables and meat that was on the kitchen counter.

  “Be careful with handling the knife, Stella. We don’t want another incident like back then happening.” Aki reminded his youngest daughter.

  “I know, dad. I’ll be careful not to cut myself anymore.” Stella replied and carefully chopped her way through.

  The whole Noble Akane Family worked together in unison to finish their part of the feast. With all of them working together so well and coordinated, it was merely a small matter of time before they completed all of the dishes and drinks that they needed to make with only the plating remaining.