Flora made sure her mother would never worry. Fourteen years before the circus, they lived under trash heaps in the human realm. They hid their wings no matter what. It was the gravest injustice. They lived generously as royalty back then. It took one coup d’etat to have it all crumbling down.

Whenever Titania gave her bread, she would return two-thirds of it. She forced her stomach to stay quiet all day. “I’m fine, Mom. You need it more than I,” she demanded over and over. Her sluggish strides told a different story.

She vomited red in secret—a faraway junkyard. Her bones became more brittle alongside her tattered look. Had it been prolonged, she could have seen the other side. Salvation called for them. A ringmaster took them in after killing a few thugs; he bowed with his hat off. Sadly, he was no angel. Yet, no other choice awaited them.

Flora could never tolerate her skin aflame and melted when holding an iron sword onstage. “The show must go on, Mom. We need the money,” she demanded over and over. Her scars gave Titania endless tears in secret—a bathroom stall.

To the present, the runic shield in her bedroom repelled the demonic monsters Dominus created. She sensed no magic in them whatsoever. Otherworldly for even their otherworld.

She smiled at a photo she kept before the coup. Her father had the best teeth, she believed. Eventually, she could not bear to look at it. The sorrow returned as she hid her face in a pillow.

As it went on, the shield’s integrity waned a little. Fortunately, Flora was not alone. A little girl fortified it any time it would degrade. She was utterly perplexed. To think someone three years younger had indomitable courage. Still, she curled in her bed and covered her ears.

Yukino moved beside and held her shoulder. “Are you okay, Big Sis?”

She shrugged her off. “Stop calling me that…! I could’ve fought those things by myself.” She sniffled with dried eyes.

She shook her head. “You won’t stand a chance. Even I had trouble. Same as you.” She presented her arm and noted her torn-up leg. However, she had already healed both.

Flora grunted with clenched teeth and got up to prepare her right. Yukino did not flinch as she stopped herself. No matter what, she could not dare hit such an innocent face. The waterworks came back. Her head lowered. “I’m weak beyond belief. No one can deny that.” She looked up.

“Tell me, Yukino. What does a human gain from protecting a sylph? It’s not like I’m royalty anymore. You should—” Her eyes widened as she felt a warm embrace like no other. She could not help but recall her mother’s comforting words. In her mind, she did not want it to end.

Yukino let go and smiled with her head cocked. “Your hair’s gorgeous, Big Sis…” she stroked it longingly. “My parents used to call me a princess. But I’m too ugly for that.”

Flora’s eyes widened more. She shook her head. “N-No…! You’re nothing of the sort! Your eyes, your smile. You’d be the most—”

“It’s not about beauty.” Her eyes turned to a window. “I’m no hero no matter what star I wish upon. So many died because of me. But I’ll protect you for now.” She cupped her hands with both. “And you know what, Big Sis? Maybe we’re still princesses. Our parents cherish us. What do you think?”

Flora noticed her serene smile once more. Her heart had ached, but not of sorrow. She smiled back and hugged her like a longtime sibling. Her pulse had calmed.

“Of course, Yukino.” She sniffled again with closed eyes. “When they’re down, we’ll lift them no matter the burden.” She held her shoulders. “So, shall we fight for them?”

Her eyes and smile had now beamed with sheer confidence. “Hm!” she nodded.

In the circus ring, there was no warm moment in the air. It all wreaked of browned blood and dusty debris. Hokori had pushed his opponent far enough that he could never name his attacks.

“Pattern 13!” Kl**s exclaimed. Yet, every time, a blinding punch would greet his face. His shades shattered to bits. Eventually, he resorted to keeping his mouth shut. Now, he finished techniques 5/s.

One of the spectators could not comprehend such a duel. “What am I looking at?” Titania noted the countless afterimages. To think sylphs had exceptional perception.

To add more to the absurdity, human mage Kakunō saw every attack Hokori used. “Don’t get me wrong, ma’am,” he shrugged. “I’d never survive an onslaught from him. I just knew him longer.”

He explained his style under one roof—primal instinct. He would prey on apex predators had he not been human.

Her mind found it all preposterous yet still believed it. She sighed and crossed her arms. “Don’t flatter that guy, man. He’s clearly an entire species.” She pointed at the ongoing ‘duel.’

Said fight had now devolved into complete devastation of the playing field. The ground rippled from Hokori’s steps and Kl**s’ blood cross techniques. The latter could not believe his lone strides would gash his skin. The debris was more like shotgun pellets. All the while, the kicks, and punches had no end.

As chaos occurred inside the circus, the outside felt no such thing. It was still a shrunken Pegasus carriage. The leprechaun driver complained about the wobbling. “Begorrah… I need a new job.” He downed one bottle.

Moments later, he saw figures in the sky far away. It looked like an entire winged army. The wind grew cold, and his eyes widened beyond belief.

“Begorrah…!” His sweat and shaking had no end.

Fifteen minutes in, the battle continued. Hokori delivered an ax kick to Kl**s’ right shoulder. The crunches were music to his ears; he grinned wider. Next, he grabbed his fist, which stopped his technique. He flailed him back and forth and flung him above. Midair, he roundhouse-kicked his stomach. Red splattered and flew everywhere. The lone shockwave destroyed almost every platform on the circus ring.

Kl**s rotated upon his descent. Hokori landed on his feet and chuckled. “Sweet stuff, fam. You’re as strong as you are in the anime. But I ain’t full yet.” He placed his hand on his chest. Within seconds, his opponent got healed to top shape.

“Aight, show me more!” He cracked his joints with a grin. “A lot….” He flash-stepped and threw a downward punch. Another shockwave occurred, which made Kakunō and Titania shield their eyes.

Much to their surprise, only the ground got hit. After a few headscratchers, Hokori heard swishing around him. It did not take long for him to realize the enemy had become divisive. So, he stood and crossed his arms. “Bring it on, fam.” He chuckled with closed eyes and mouth.

Before long, Kl**s stopped in his tracks from behind. With his cross knuckleduster, he finally got to name a technique. Excessive blood had formed into the mentioned shape—the size of an SUV.

“Pattern 117! Kreuzschild Unzerbrechlich!” He threw a straight punch, and the massive blood cross flew at lightning speed.

Titania stood terrified that the attack had sailed through Hokori’s body like butter. However, she raised an eyebrow just as fast. Kl**s sweated more than her. He felt his eyes deceived him in the aftermath.

On the other hand, Kakunō smirked. His comrade’s new attire reacted as he imagined. “Take a good long look, ma’am. My Bro’s healing factor works beyond nanoseconds. And now even his clothes do.”

As he explained, she observed the most unorthodox scene that night. She found not a scratch on him.

Hokori chuckled. “That was mighty fine, fam. Do it again!” He raised his arms in a T-shape.

Kl**s did not take the humiliation kindly—or his pride. He grunted and shut his mouth again. More attacks destroyed his body as expected, but he and his attire’s regeneration occurred a billion times quicker. Now desperate, he threw the last technique without words.

He took it like a passing breeze. As the moving blood cross churned his body upon contact, he “went through” it as if phasing. Once again, not a scratch laid on him. He threw a devastating straight punch to the face once more.

Kl**s got thrown hard enough to warp the ground, even when midair. Spectator seats splintered into toothpicks, and a trapeze platform got demolished.

Hokori slowly walked toward him. “Aight, time for your finale, fam. I had my fill.” He crossed his arms again.

Surprisingly, he chuckled back at him. He got up with a limp and panted. “You sure you won’t regret this? There’s no way out of it.” Blood swirled around his knuckleduster.

“Of course not,” he smiled calmly. “I already saw it in the show. Anyways, I’m Hokori Udemaeno. Don’t wear it off.”

He chuckled again. “You utter fool.” Kl**s mustered all the strength left in him. At that point, all he wanted was to go back home. Libra needed their one and only leader.

“Pattern 999! Ewigkeit Gefängnis!!”

Blood swirled all around Hokori into a cross shape. The former could now taste victory. Alas, it walked past him that night. Like a single timeframe, an arm neared him. His opponent had thrown a lariat that would conclude their fight.

The shockwave had warped half the circus beyond recognition. Countless monsters fell victim in its wake. Hokori’s family felt it from afar and rushed to the scene.

After all that, the unconscious Kl**s turned into white dust in the wind. In his private room far away, Dominus sweated bullets. He severely underestimated many things. He closed the door behind him.

Hokori stretched and yawned with a big smile and chuckle. His family reunited with each other, as did Flora with Titania. She had nothing but good things to say about Yukino.

“I’ll always be your princess, Mom. I’m so sorry for defying your tears.” She hugged her tightly with tears. Her mother did the same with a smile.

From afar, Yukino’s parents praised her like no tomorrow. It gave her red cheeks, made better when Kenkо̄ declared she had matured again.

Kakunō still raised an eyebrow and turned to his eldest brother. “I don’t get it. Didn’t he say his attack had no way out of it?”

He chuckled. “Well, he wasn’t wrong. But it’s like the ‘Dio vs. Goku’ thing. Fancy powers mean fuck all when you’re faster than light.”

He did not expect his words to spark an argument with him. Either way, he ignored him and walked past him. He had another interest in mind. The family and the two sylphs stood in surprise that there was one person left. Every other creature Dominus made became white dust. Haruto and Tokino recalled the squinting boy before them.

Hokori put his hands in his pockets and looked down. “Tell me my future, L*o. Is it full of despair?” He chuckled again.

“Oh, umm… Okay.” He scratched the back of his head and opened his peculiar eyes. Everyone else stood a bit frightened by its blue shifting gears.

Unexpectedly, he grunted and panted. He wiped the sweat off his forehead. “I-I don’t know what to say.” He looked up. “You have the worst outcome I’ve seen from anyone so far. In fact, they’ll all—grieve for you.”

Everyone but Hokori gasped internally. Haruto and Tokino comforted their daughter about to begin the waterworks. Her siblings utterly denied such a vague fate.

Even then, Hokori snickered. “Hahahahahahaha!” He sighed. “Well, what can I say? I am the MC.” He held the boy’s head. “Sorry, fam. If you wanna be with M*ch*ll* again, it’s gonna suck.”

L*o surprisingly nodded at the notion. Before he knew it, his neck turned 360°. He fell on his back and turned into white dust.

He stretched and yawned again. “Aight, now let’s find this ‘Dominus’ bastard. He better be a challenge—”

They all felt the whole circus shaking violently. Kakunō peaked outside the place and gasped. “No good, guys!” He turned. “Fairies are blasting around us. And our ship’s in danger!”

After hearing such distress, Titania ordered her daughter to stay and flew outside. She could believe her sight. Every Fae race formed an army of ten thousand. Their goal was clear: to save their old queen.

“Stop!!!” She flew in front of them.

Before long, everyone kneeled while others wept a river. The generals begged for her return. Her kingdom became a lawless state; her sister died in an annexation effort against the gnomes. They asked forgiveness in tears, and so did every other race.

Her heart had ached, but she kept composure. She held her chest. “Let us live beyond darkness once and for all! No human had harmed me all these years. Only a monster did.” She lowered her arm. “We’ll do better, and that’s final. We’re children of the Gods. Including them.”

Not one sylph, salamander, undine, or gnome defied her order. The other Fae followed suit with their loyalty. From afar, the circus’ leprechaun driver kneeled as well.

Before Titania could say anything, her daughter flew toward her. Her smile gave her tender memories.

“It’s okay to cry, Mom. If humans taught me anything, it’s that everyone deserves peace. I want you to be happy—forever till the end….”

At that moment, she held it no longer. She hugged her with every sorrow she had to let out. For the first time in twelve years, she felt unchained.

In the circus, Hokori and his family became relieved the shaking had stopped. “Our mission ain’t done yet, fam.” He turned to them. “Let’s search this hellhole down to its last stall!”

They nodded with narrowed eyes of determination. Yukino decided to go with her parents for a change. Her siblings agreed to follow Hokori behind. However, the devil spoke as they did.

In front of them, the one ringmaster clapped his hands. “You’re all magnificent par excellence. I cannot deny that. However…” he pulled his hat down, “…the show’s far from over. You’ll see—” He felt a sting on his face.

Hokori lowered his fist. “Ain’t nobody got time for monologues, bruh. We gon’ be— Huh?”

From then on, he made a grave error. They all did. None of them knew what they had dealt with all this time.

Dominus slowly walked unscathed. He smirked with droopy eyes. “If that’s the case, let me show it to you instead.”

With a finger snap, the circus suddenly became a lavish green field. A massive castle floated in the distance. Upon seeing it, Hokori recalled an earthly show he disliked. Then, he sweated bullets.

“Holy shit. So, this is the guy’s power.” He turned to his family. “Listen, y’all! We gotta—”

A blinding light reaped all their eyes before they could react. They disappeared from the place.

Dominus sighed in relief and made a call via his Pocket Hub. “It’s finally starting, Mr. Gankyū. My time to shine. Imagination has no limits. And so I thank earthly media for endless reference.”

His face remained blank. “Oh… Well, that’s interesting.” He ended the call. At that point, he walked on Coelestis’s streets unnoticed. Its biggest hospital, Imhotep Inn, was a block away.

As this story went on, a time bomb would awaken shortly after the family’s unfinished mission. For now, they would face things beyond their imagination.