Dad's gaze locked onto Calamitas, his expression unreadable at first—then, slowly, his eyes narrowed, jaw tightening just slightly.
A muscle in his temple twitched, his fingers curling into a tight, deliberate fist at his side.
That silence between them? It was too familiar.
Dad exhaled through his nose. "You planned for her to come..."
"Of course," Hinata replied smoothly. "I thought it best to handle this personally."
Dad's eyes flicked between him and Calamitas, a storm brewing beneath his otherwise controlled demeanor. "I'm debating whether to punch you square in the face—" his gaze snapped back to Calamitas, sharp and assessing— "or to attack her on principle."
Calamitas smirked, clearly unfazed. "Oh, please. If you were going to attack me, you would've done it already. I see you're still holding grudges, Satoshi? I thought you would've let go of the past by now. Oh, wait—" her eyes gleamed in amusement, "—you don't even claim it, do you?"
Reilan stiffened beside me, his grip on his sword tightening. Asmodeus, still grinning from earlier, now looked between the three adults with growing amusement. "Wow. This is the most awkward family reunion I've ever seen."
A flicker of something—too quick to name—crossed my father's face.
Not anger.
Something deeper.
Something closer to regret.
He inhaled sharply through his nose before turning away. "We'll talk. Inside."
Uncle Hina inclined his head. "As expected."
Without another word, the gates swung open.
The doors to the Tomaszewski estate shut behind us with an unsettling finality. The tension in the air felt suffocating, thick enough to drown in.
Dad stood just inside the grand foyer, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. His sharp eyes flicked between Calamitas and Hinata, the weight of his scrutiny pressing down like a vice.
The doors shut behind us with unsettling finality. The tension in the air felt suffocating, thick enough to drown in.
Dad stood just inside the grand foyer, arms crossed. His stance was different now—less about control, more about defense. Like he was bracing for something he didn't want to hear.
"Talk. Now." His voice left no room for negotiation.
Calamitas let out a low chuckle. "You've changed, Hoshino."
The silence in the room snapped like a thread pulled too tight.
My father's entire body went rigid. His arms tensed slightly, as if physically rejecting the name.
"Satoshi," Mom corrected smoothly, stepping forward. "Whatever this is, it can wait until everyone is seated and not glowering at each other like children about to duel."
Calamitas exhaled through her nose, amused as we went into the living room and sat across from Dad. "Oh, right. I forgot. The name 'Hoshino' doesn't exist anymore, does it? Just a relic buried under layers of nobility and pretense."
Dad said nothing.
Hinata finally spoke, voice softer this time. "It still exists to those who remember, Satoshi."
Something unspoken passed between them.
For the first time, I realized: this wasn't just about me.
Dad's jaw tightened, but he said nothing as she turned toward the others.
Mom got up, "I'll have drinks brought in. Reilan, Chiori, come with me."
She didn't wait for a response before turning on her heel, already walking toward the hallway leading to the kitchens. I hesitated, glancing at my father, but the look in his eyes told me this wasn't a request.
Reilan gave me a subtle nudge, and I sighed before following my mother, leaving the tension-filled room behind—for now.
Calamitas chuckled softly, unbothered. "I've never seen you shut up that quickly before." She smirked, leaning back slightly as if enjoying the moment. "You were going to send for me eventually. Consider this saving you the trouble."
Satoshi exhaled sharply through his nose, his fingers twitching in frustration. "That's irrelevant. The decision wasn't yours to make."
"And yet," Hinata interjected smoothly, "the decision is made. You should be thanking me, really."
Satoshi's glare turned on him with full force, his body tensing as if considering whether this was the moment to finally punch Hinata square in the jaw.
Asmodeus remained in the room, standing slightly off to the side, equally uncertain of what would happen next. Unlike the rest of them, he looked way too entertained by the whole thing.
"So?" Asmodeus piped up, grinning. "She's teaching Chi, right?"
The silence that followed his words was so dense it might as well have collapsed in on itself.
Asmodeus groaned, throwing his hands up. "What? It's a valid question!"
Calamitas smirked, amused at the whole exchange. "Smart boy. He's got the right idea."
Satoshi exhaled sharply. "Even if I wanted this, why would you accept?"
Calamitas tilted her head, studying him. Then, after a moment, she spoke, her voice deceptively light.
"Because I'm curious."
Silence.
Asmodeus scoffed. "That's it?"
Calamitas ignored him, her amber eyes glinting as she met Satoshi's gaze. "Do you know how many people I've taught over the years? Hundreds, maybe. But true anomalies?" Her gaze flickered toward me. "Those are rare."
Satoshi's expression darkened. "That's not an answer."
She leaned back against the wall lazily. "You were one once, you know."
Satoshi's entire posture locked.
Calamitas' smirk widened. "What? You thought you were the first Hoshino I met? I was studying your bloodline long before you ever picked up a blade."
A beat of silence passed before she added, almost offhandedly—"And you weren't even the best one."
Satoshi's fist clenched.
The door to the room opened, and I stepped in alongside Reilan, carefully balancing a tray of drinks, my mother following behind us.
We had walked in just in time to hear Calamitas' last words. My grip on the tray tightened slightly as my gaze flicked toward my father, his jaw clenched, his posture stiff. Whatever had been said before we arrived, I could tell it hadn't done anything to ease his mood.
"Oh?" Calamitas glanced at me, her smirk deepening. "And here she is. Speak of the anomaly."
Reilan shot her a sharp glare but wisely said nothing as he set his own tray down on the nearby table.
Asmodeus, still looking far too entertained by the whole thing, reached for a drink immediately, as if oblivious to the tension still crackling in the air.
Hinata, who had been watching the exchange with mild amusement, finally stepped forward.
"You don't have a choice, Hoshino."
Dad's head snapped toward Hinata, his expression shifting.
"You know that name has been dead for years."
Hinata's golden gaze remained steady. "Is it?"
The silence between them stretched, too heavy now.
"Tell me, Satoshi." Hinata's voice was softer now, but sharper. Cutting. "When you abandoned the name Hoshino… did you do it for yourself? Or did you just kill the part of yourself that still believed in it?"
The air shifted.
Dad inhaled, his jaw tightening. His next words were carefully controlled. "This isn't about me."
Hinata's gaze flicked toward me. "Isn't it? Do you really think you can keep her hidden forever? Because looking at your daughter now, I think you know—you never buried it deep enough."
Silence.
Hinata's tone lost its usual teasing edge, his eyes sharpening. "Sooner or later, the world will find out what she can do. And when that happens, you need someone who can handle that fallout."
He exhaled, shaking his head slightly. "Satoshi. We both know it wasn't just you who ran, was it?"
His eyes narrowed slightly."Did you think it wouldn't come back?"
Silence.
Hinata exhaled and stretched slightly. "Well, I need to straighten something within my household. Asmodeus, let's go."
Asmodeus, mid-sip, nearly choked. "What? Now?"
Hinata's gaze leveled on him. "Yes. We have a talk to start. About the weapons shop."
The blood drained from Asmodeus's face. He looked at his father, and pure, unfiltered hostility radiated off Hinata in waves. The air itself felt heavier; his usual calm now sharpened into something far more ominous.
A chill ran down Asmodeus's spine, his expression tightening as he slowly turned toward his father.
[Notice: Avian Demihuman named Asmodeus has entered a high-risk scenario. Predictive analysis suggests impending disciplinary action from Guardian Entity: Hinata Saegusa. Recommended course of action: Avoid eye contact and create distance.]
For once, Great Sage and I were in agreement.
I barely suppressed a smirk as Asmodeus swallowed hard. "...Oh no."
Hinata didn't wait for further protest. "We're leaving. Now."
Asmodeus sighed dramatically, shoulders slumping as he trudged toward the door. "If I don't return, tell the world my story."
Hinata placed a firm hand on his son's shoulder, steering him forward with a grip that allowed no escape. "You'll return. Just a little more disciplined."
The door shut behind them, leaving a momentary silence in their absence.
Dad exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple before leveling a sharp gaze at Calamitas. "I need to understand exactly what your plans are for my daughter."
Calamitas smirked, tilting her head slightly. "Oh? And here I thought you'd already accepted it."
Mom stepped in smoothly, her voice measured but firm. "Calamitas, we appreciate your willingness to take Chiori as your student, but we need to know what this training entails. What exactly do you intend to do?"
Calamitas hummed, tapping a finger against her arm before shrugging. "Simple. I'll shape her into something the world isn't ready for." She let the words settle, watching the immediate irritation flicker in dad's eyes.
Before he could snap, she waved a hand lazily. "Relax, Hoshi—"
She paused, "I meant Tomaszewski. I don't intend to break her—just refine what's already there."
Dad clearly wasn't convinced, but mom pressed forward. "Then at least tell us what you need to know before starting."
Calamitas turned toward Chiori, amber eyes sharp with curiosity. "What skills does she have?"
Dad straightened slightly, his stance shifting to something more guarded. "Her magic form is Summoner. Her element is Gravity."
Calamitas chuckled softly, shaking her head. "I know. And yet, for all your running, here she is."
She gestured lazily toward me. "Tell me, Satoshi. When you saw her manifest her magic, did you hear THEIR voices again?"
Silence.
"Did you think about them? The ones who came before her?"
Satoshi inhaled sharply, his fingers twitched—not just with restraint, but something worse.
Regret.
"That past—" He stopped himself, the word catching at the edge of his throat. He exhaled sharply through his nose, his hands clenching at his sides. "—doesn't exist anymore."
But there was something off about the way he said it.
Like he knew he was lying.
Calamitas tilted her head, intrigued. "Is it?"
Satoshi's fingers twitched—like he wanted to grab his sword. But he didn't.
Instead, his voice dropped lower."It died with them."
Them.
That word felt heavier than it should have.
Calamitas' expression darkened just slightly."You don't believe that."
She was smiling—but it wasn't amused anymore. It was knowing."Who, exactly, is 'them'?"
Silence.
And this time, Satoshi was the one who refused to answer.
Mom narrowed her eyes slightly, ignoring . "How do you know that about Chiori?"
Calamitas flicked her gaze toward Chiori before answering, her tone casual. "Because I stopped her from using magic earlier."
Satoshi stiffened. "You what?"
"Temporarily," Calamitas clarified, rolling her wrist. "She was suspicious of me. Rightfully so, I might add. And in that moment, her magic reacted. That light wrist grab told me everything I needed to know."
Dad stiffened. "And what exactly did it tell you?"
Calamitas' amber eyes met his evenly.
"That the Hoshino line is still alive."
A chill ran down my spine. My breath hitched just slightly.
She wasn't talking about my father.
She was talking about me.
"And tell me, Satoshi. When you saw her eyes—" her voice turned almost mocking, "—did you recognize them?"
Satoshi didn't answer. He couldn't.
But Calamitas leaned in just slightly, her smirk turning razor-sharp.
"You did, didn't you?
Silence.
She didn't let up, "You know exactly who she looks like."
Her voice dropped, razor-sharp.
"Are you ever going to tell her?"
Dad's jaw tightened so hard I thought his teeth might crack.And in that moment, I knew.
He did.
The air shifted.
Then—wind roared to life.
One moment, silence. The next—death moved.
Dad was already in motion.
A blade of compressed air flashed toward Calamitas's throat.
She caught it. With two fingers.
The compressed air shuddered in her grip, the force still trying to tear through her fingers, refusing to be stilled.
The sheer precision of the strike—it wasn't an attack. It was a warning. A controlled, measured killing intent honed through years of discipline.
Calamitas just grinned.
"I was wondering when you'd wake up."
The wind around Dad sharpened. His blade didn't lower.
The silence stretched.