I opened my eyes and found myself in my room. Yuko was asleep, her head against the edge of my bed. What had happened? Was it all a dream?

The door suddenly opened. It was my ma. In her hands was a bowl with herbs.

"Ma," I said.

She smiled as soon as she saw me, but there was something off about it. There was what appeared to be pain behind it.

"Seems my little boy is finally up!" she said as she put the bowl on top of the book case. "I was afraid that you would be out for another day."

I gasped. "Another day?"

"Yeah, you've been out for over twenty-four hours. You missed the third day of the training camp entirely. It's morning now. Your father said that he'll be taking you five to someplace special while the rest will head to Xian in the magical universe."

I stood up slowly as to not alarm the sleeping Yuko. "Wait, what happened to the battle?"

She lowered her head. "You technically won."

"Did... did Eiichi turn into a demon? Or was I dreaming it?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Nori, Takuya, Lady Saya, and I put some additional seals on him. However, he has to be careful not to be separated from Carlos. It's what keeps his demon side at bay."

I stared at her arms and noticed what appeared to be scratched marks on her left arm. They looked as if they had been made by a dragon. She pulled her arm back and hid it behind her back as she continued to avoid looking at me in the eye.

I gasped. "Ma... Those scratches, d-did I... did I... Was I the one who..."

She turned around. "Don't worry about it, Tetsu! They're just scratches! Nothing a month worth of putting ointment on them won't cure."

"A month?" Then they were deeper than the part I had seen. I sniffed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"M-master?" Yuko said, opening her eyes. "Why is Master crying?"

"I'm an awful person, that's why! I hurt my own mom in my rage!" I screamed.

Yuko lowered her head.

"Tetsu, don't blame yourself!"

"It is my fault though! I allowed my anger to get the best of me again! It's just like with that kid, the one lying on the ground back in the capital, bloodied. I-I couldn't control my power." My eyes grew wide. "I... I might've killed him. Ha. To think that I had to audacity to call Eiji a murderer, when I myself might be one."

"Master," Yuko said.

"Tetsu, get a hold of yaself!" Ma yelled.

I looked up at her. "I did it again, didn't I? I... keep letting my emotions get the best of me. Ma, why... why do emotions do this? Why are they so confusing? Why do they cloud one's judgement? Why do they lead one astray?"

"Emotions aren't all bad," Yuko said, grabbing my hand. She smiled. "Master might be a fool, but he is a good guy."

"A fool?" I said, furrowing my brow.

She nodded. "Yeah. Master does things without thinking! And here Yuko thought Master was the opposite when we met!"

She's right. When did I start to let my emotions start to get the best of me? No, perhaps, I've always have. My worries, my fears, my anger. They continue to hurt me. I kept saying that I would change when I was younger, yet I haven't done so. I am still the same wreck. I'm a kid who never grew up, who never matured. I'm still the brat who tried to deprive Serrano of Aventine. The same one who acted happy but when no one was looking, I would start to cry.

I felt two pairs of arms wrap around me. "There, there, Tetsu," Ma said, patting the back of my head. "It's my fault, for not teaching ya how to control them. Then again, how could I? When I myself struggle with them."

"Ma, ya too?" I asked.

"Yeah..." she said, giggling as she backed away. She fidgeted. "M-maybe one day I'll share the story. Ya know, I kind of envy my pa. He is a master at hiding his emotions."

"Concealing them isn't good either," a voice called out. It was Rosa. Her face reddened as all three of us stared at her outburst. "A-at least that's what I read." She sighed. "Not that I've done a good job at taking that advice myself."

I chuckled. "What do you mean? Your feelings are always on your sleeve. You're like an open book."

"Hey, you're no better!" she snapped, stomping her foot against the ground.

I scratched my cheek. "I... guess not, but you make me feel mature, ya know?"

She pouted her cheeks. "A girl comes to help a guy out and she only ends up getting made fun of by him, hmph." She spun around. "I'll just let Yuko console you by herself next time, make fun of her, will you?"

"Ehhh, I'm sorry. Please don't get mad!"

"Well, seems you've quickly cheered up with the little princess here," Ma said, chuckling. "You really are your father's son."

I frowned. "Please... don't compare me to him, Ma."

"Yeah, Master is nothing like mean mister," Yuko said. She turned to look at me and smiled. "Master Tetsu is kind and heroic. He apologizes when he hurts others. He cares for his slaves rather than uses them as tools."

Rosa and Anis gasped.

Yuko gasped and covered her mouth with both her hands.

"Slaves? You have slaves?" Rosa asked, looking at me.

Ma gasped. "T-Takeshi has slaves?"

I sighed. Good going, Yuko.

I patted the tanuki girl's head. "Only one."

"Yuko is your slave?" Ma asked.

Rosa shook her head. "You... why would you..."

"I bought her from my father."

Ma's hands shook. "T-Takeshi sold her to ya?"

I nodded. "Ma, Takeshi isn't the man you thought he was. He's not the Pa that I grew up to admire. He's a mean person."

Ma put her hands on her chest and took several deep breaths. She wobbled back and forth like a great tree about to fall.

I stood up from bed and caught her. "Ma!" I yelled. "Ma!"

Rosa ran over to her and placed a hand on her wrist. "Her pulse is weakening."

"Ma's illness, could it be returning?" I asked. I shook my head. "I'm an idiot!"

"Illness, what illness?" Rosa asked.

"Mom was born with a fragile heart. She can't overexert herself too much, or else her health goes down. I thought that it had vanished as she stopped showing signs even though she was stressed." I gulped. "Perhaps, she had gotten better at controlling it, or maybe she hide it from us three..." Like she hid Takeshi's secret. No, I have to let go of that, at least for now. My anger toward him is only hurting her.

Yuko grabbed the bowl of herbs Ma had brought and placed some damp broad leaves over her head. "Maybe these will help?" she said with a hopeful smile.

"I think so. She hasn't fallen into critical condition or anything," Rosa said. "Just to be safe, it's best we monitor her until she awakens. Tetsu, don't bring up your father's crimes like this to her again."

I nodded. "I didn't think that would cause her to relapse." I closed my eyes. "Ugh. I keep messing up!"

"Master," Yuko said, placing the bowl on the carpet. She hugged me from behind. "It's fine. She'll be fine. So, stop beating yourself up."

Rosa looked at me right in the eye. "She's right. You have to be strong, for her."

Right, I need to be strong. Strong like big brother...

"I'm going to take her to her room, there she might be more at ease," I said. I raised Ma and walked out of the room. Though as soon as I was out, I wished that I hadn't stepped out. Standing in the middle of the hall was Takeshi.

He turned his gaze over to us. His silver eyes widened upon seeing his unconscious wife. "What happened to her?" he asked, rushing over and taking her from my arms before I even could register it.

"She seems to have had a relapse," I responded, looking away.

"Sorry, this is all Yuko's fault," Yuko said, keeping her head low.

He glared at her. "How so?"

"Don't yell at her!" I said, stepping in front of her. "Yuko isn't yours anymore. Even if she was, that's no way to treat people."

"Like you didn't scream at her either when you bought her," he said, glaring at me. "Now tell me what happened or I'll-"

"Or you'll what? Hit me?" I asked, fists clenched. The next moment I found myself collapsing into the living room floor.

"Tetsu!" Rosa yelled, her feet moving as fast as they could take her. "Are you alright?"

"Master!" Yuko yelled. She pulled out her knife and pointed it at Takeshi's neck. It shook in her hands. She gulped, turning away as she rushed downstairs to join Rosa.

"Tetsuya, I'm..." Takeshi said, looking at me from on top of the stairs.

I rubbed my head and pushed myself up from the broken wood. "I won't forgive you, ever!" I yelled, turning around. I glanced at the picture of me as a baby being held by him and yanked it off the wall, throwing it at him. "I wish that you had stayed dead!"

"Calm down," Rosa said.

Yuko ran over and grabbed my hand. "Let's go, Master. Think of Master's mother."

She was right. She was the one who mattered right now. Tears dripped down my face as the three of us rushed out of there.

***

*Takeshi*

"Thanks, Yuri. Please come as soon as you can," I said prior to hanging up. I place my phone next to my white mask and sighed.

I turned around and glanced at my sleeping wife. Despite what had happened she looked so peaceful. What was it that Yuko had done to upset her? No, it was likely that bratty son of ours who caused her to collapse. His antics were taking a toll on her... and me.

I stared at my left hand. It trembled. I shouldn't have hit him, though. I made things worse. Oh Sky Father, is it too late to make things up to him? Is it that my sins are finally starting to catch up to me?

I snickered and raised my head up. This must be how that kid feels. I feel as if I'm going to explode. Well, guess that I already did with him.

"Anis, I'm sorry," I said, continuing to stare at the ceiling. "I'm sorry for not having been here with you to help raise him and the other two. I even made you bring up a kid who wasn't yours. Still, you loved him as if he was, making no distinction between him and our children. Now that one grew up to be an upright young man. I should've given him Agnes, instead. He would've made a better chosen one than that wet behind the ears kid."

Suddenly there was knocking on the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Yuri. I've come to check on Anis like you asked."

I raised my hand and opened the door without even getting up. "Come on in."

"You have telekinesis? Or was that magic?"

"I have magical abilities, but that was telekinesis. I learned it when I was studying alongside Hyosetsu's father, Sebastian. Well, more like learning from him," I said, chuckling.

"I see, " he said as he walked over to the other side of the bed. He put his hand on her wrist. "Her pulse is weak, but I don't think she's in immediate danger." He put his stethoscope on and closed his eyes as he checked her heartbeat. "Yeah, it seems her blood flow is slower than it should be, but it's gradually rising back to normal. She only needs some rest. When she awakens have her take it easy. She can do small chores such as sweeping but nothing more extraneous than that."

"Thanks for checking up on her," I said, my hand shaking.

"Do you know what caused this?" he asked. "Well, not that you have to tell me. If you do then I suggest having her avoid it."

"I think it was our son, Tetsuya. His words from a few days ago seem to have had an impact on her. It appears that something was added on top of it, but I am not sure what it was. Yuko said that it was her fault."

Yuri opened his eyes and removed his stethoscope. "I see. In that case, I'll go ask her and tell her what I told you. Same with Tetsuya."

"Thank you, Mr. Yuki."

He turned away. "No need to thank me. Though do know that the price is hefty."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You're awfully greedy for a small village doctor. Kind of feel sorry for its residents."

He scoffed. "I don't charge them. I only charge strangers and foreigners," he said as he headed for the door. He came to a stop and turned around.

"Is something the matter?" I asked.

He tilted his head. "Well, there could be something else that's 'ailing' her."

"Something else? And why are you saying it with that tone?"

He put back on his stethoscope and walked back over to her. This time, he placed it on her stomach rather than her chest.

"Wait, what are you doing?"

He shushed me. "Silence, I'm listening."

Listening to what? Her stomach growling?

I gasped and stared at her stomach in anticipation. Could it be that... Is Anis...

Yuri sighed and rose up. "I can't determine it with one-hundred percent accuracy, in part because it's likely early. However, when put together with her chi fluctuations being similar to those of a woman with child then I would say she's pregnant."

I jumped off the bed. "Pregnant?"

He nodded. "Yes. I would say conception was around seven to nine weeks ago."

I chuckled. "Yeah, that seems about right."

Yuri's face twisted with awkwardness. "Uh... well then congratulations. You're going to be a dad...again."

I grinned and hugged my sleeping wife. "Ahhh! Anis, we're going to be parents again! I promise to help you raise this one to be a good kid like Taku and Tere! Not like that brat I had Serrano make Agnes' wielder."

"Brat?" Anis asked opening her eyes.

Yuri smiled. "Well, I'll be leaving you alone. Though don't drop it on here without war-"

"We're having a baby!" I exclaimed.

"-ning," Yuri said, running a hand through his long silver hair. "Ugh. Well, too late now."

Anis smiled. "A baby? Seriously?"

"Yeah!" I said, nodding.

"Ahhh, I'm having another baby!" she yelled, hugging me back.

Yuri chuckled as he opened the door. "Bye!"

"Well, most likely. Yuri isn't one-hundred percent sure, but he did say that your chi reminds him of that of a pregnant woman."

Anis giggled as she put her hands on her belly. "I'm having another little one. I should tell the kids! I bet they'll be happy when I tell them that they'll having another sibling. Though wonder how Tetsu would take it, he has been the baby of the family for nearly the past twenty-two years."

Baby? No wonder he grew up to be such a brat. She babies him even to this day...

I let go of her.

"Huh, something the matter?" she asked.

"I just hope that with this Tetsu will grow up."

Anis lowered her head. "It's not his fault... I-It's mine. He was only a toddler when you..." She stopped herself.

I sighed. "I get why you did it, but now it's the time to stop it. I am back after all!" Even if he does wish I wasn't...

"Speaking of Tetsu, there was something Yuko and he said before I passed out."

I tilted my head at her. "What was it?"

She closed her eyes. "That you owned slaves and that Yuko was among them." She raised her head and stared at me with her deep purple eyes. "I-Is that true? Did you really own slaves?"

I stepped back. So that was what Yuko had said... She gave away my secret to her. Out of all the people in the world, why did Anis have to find out?

I grabbed my mask from the nightstand and put it on. "T-that's true. I... I am a slave owner."

"How? When? Why?" she snapped at me. "Why would you do such a thing?"

"I have no excuse," I responded. "I wish I did, but I have none. Those slaves, I took them from a woman named Margaret."

"Margaret?" Anis asked, furrowing her brow. "Isn't she one of the Pillars you mentioned?"

I nodded. "Yes. She's the mother of Satoru, the guy whom your nephew dragged down with him into the depths of abyss. She was also the one who owned Yuko's ancestors. I rescued them from her... but at the end I wasn't much better of an owner. I... kept most of them in their cages, in part because I felt that I would need them in the future. I used them as tools. I had Yuko's parents, who were siblings born of cousins who themselves were cousins and so on, breed to create a kind of mythical stone."

"What?" she snapped. She looked at me with eyes of terror.

I stepped back. I knew it. I knew it. Once the truth was out, she would come to either fear me or hate me, if not both.

"Why?"

"To grant me the energy I needed to keep on living. After... what happened on the night I was said to perish, I could no longer keep on living without absorbing the life force of others. By creating and using the philosopher stone, I could avoid that," I said, placing a hand on my chest. "Yuko's older sister though ran away on the day that I was going to take her core to keep me living. Though, Yuko herself has a better core than she does."

Anis gulped. "You...were going to kill kids, all to extend your own life?" she said, shaking her head. She took a deep breath and laid her head on her pillow. "I... I never thought that you were so... so selfish!"

"Hey, Anis, take it easy," I said, reaching my hand out to her. "Yuri said not to exert yourself, that includes stress."

"Don't touch me!" she yelled, tears in her eyes. "You disgust me!"

"Y-you... d-don't r-really mean that... d-do..."

"Hey, Ma, are you okay? Tetsu told me that..." Teresa yelled, opening the door. She stared at her mother and then at me. "Huh, why is Ma crying? Did something happen?"

Even though I had my mask on, I couldn't turn to face my daughter. "Take care of your Ma, Tere," I said, my body dissolving into darkness.

"Hey, where are you going? Pa!" Tere yelled, running over to me.

"To prepare things..." I whispered before I vanished out of there completely.

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed the chapter :3. Let me know your thoughts and predictions down below!**