A few years had passed since the children had started their rigorous training that their foster father had prepared for them.

"Good job, Kuze!" Kazama's doting cheer echoed along the grassy backyard as the white haired adolescent consecutively hit his favorite training dummy named: DumDum.

Over the years, the young man's facial features had slightly matured, along with his body that had become well-toned due to the training regimen Kazama had prepared for him. Despite the difficulty of the said regimen, Kuze was glad that he was starting to get stronger. The young man hoped that he had become strong enough to protect his foster father, and the young woman beside him— his beloved sister, Tenshii.

"Brother... Get some rest. It's my turn on the dummy." Tenshii's tone was soft, and nonchalant. Fitting for a lady from the 'victorian era' that Kazama had taught them about.

"Ah yes, Go ahead, Sister. I'll cheer for you." Kuze's smile was like the tranquil breeze. One would mistake them for siblings by blood, but apparently, they are both adopted.

"Heads up, Tenshii! Focus!" Kazama's encouragement was enough for the young woman to clear up her muddled thoughts. "Sister, I'm cheering for you!" Kuze's smile widened as he looked at his sister's form.

Petite as a strawberry, but carried the elegance and poise a noblewoman would have. Her facial features had not changed like her height.

"Hya!" With a determined growl, Tenshii had started to hit the training dummy with a wooden polearm  consecutively. Her dark skirt fluttering with every movement she exudes, giving Kuze and Kazama the impression that she was only merely dancing, not fighting.

a small smile was etched in Kazama's lips. His children had improved drastically. Four years ago, Tenshii would be very pressured, she had sloppy movement, low attention span, and a ridiculously weak stamina. While Kuze would constantly stumble on his own leg, hit himself with his sword, and would focus on his sister more than the training dummy.

"Mama.. Mama, wake up." Kuze gently shook his foster father awake, Tenshii was behind him, looking very worriedly at her parent. "Mama, are you getting old?" Tenshii deadpanned, a stoic look present on her doll-like features.

"I'm not old. I'm 21, and glamorous." Kazama whipped his hair, causing his children to chuckle. "That never fails to wake him up. Good job, sister." Kuze patted Tenshii's head affectionately, as a slight tinge of rose pink colored the short young woman, eliciting a sweet smile from her. "You can try too, Brother." She giggled softly.

"Mama, have you ran out of sunscreen?" Kuze snickered, Kazama could only pout at them. He really needs to stop letting them hang out with Lindow and Sakuya. They'd only pick up their nature of teasing him.

"Alright, Alright children. Let's go back inside, and have a nice nap." Kazama ruffled the children's hair as he gently guided them back into their massive manor.

As they made their way back, a lone figure stood in front of their backdoor, cigarette smoke visibly wafting from the person's lighted cigarette.

"Uncle!!" both children eagerly ran up to their most favorite uncle in the whole world: Lindow Amamiya,

"Hey hey, careful there kids." Lindow grinned toothily as he pressed the butt of his cigarette to the ground before ruffling each of the children's hair. "Uncle, Sister/Brother was so cool today!" they chimed in sync, sparkles of admiration present in their eyes.

"Uncle! Tell me what happened in the battlefield!" Kuze excitedly shimmered. "Uncle.. tell me more about how the other god eaters cooperate!" Tenshii sparkled,

Kazama could only grumble and glare at Lindow for taking his children's attention. The raven haired man only gave him a snicker as Kazama walked forward to where Lindow was ruffling his godchildren's hair.

"Ahahaha, I'm sorry, kids. But I'm here to pick up your mother." Lindow pointed to Kazama.

"Aw.. Another mission?.." Kuze slightly looked downtrodden, while Tenshii only averted her gaze and pouted. "Now now, children. When we get home, I'll let you loose on him." Kazama gently coerced Kuze and Tenshii, giving them a loving embrace.

"For now, take care of the house okay? Don't let anyone else in, and run away to Dr. Sakaki's office once you need to." Kazama continued.

"Okay Mama. But, come back home safe. Okay?" Tenshii and Kuze looked seriously at Kazama, each of them holding out their pinky finger.

Despite the creeping feeling that their tranquil days would be disturbed soon, Kazama swallowed back his nausea and smiled for his children:

"I promise."

* e x t r a *

Silence was thick in the room as Kazama and Lindow entered, no emotion present on their faces, when they exchanged pleasantries with the blonde director who in turn smiled quite eerily, in Kazama's perspective before turning to Dr. Sakaki: "Here they are, Dr. Sakaki. Our loyal veterans." Dr. Johannes' eerie smile and overly sugarcoated words gave Kazama a chill he can never seem to shake off.

Between Johannes and Soma, Kazama would prefer to interact with Soma more instead. Despite the young man's antisocial tendencies, his blunt honesty is far more better than his father's pleasant, flowery words.

"Well then, Kazama-kun, Lindow. Welcome, Welcome. I do apologize for the sudden call." Dr. Sakaki smiled as Kazama took notice of the two clipboards on Sakaki's desks. In fear that it might be Tenshii's and Kuze's medical forms, The chestnut-haired god eater's heart pounded erratically against his chest cavity until he clearly saw the names written on each form:

"Yuu Kanagi",   

"Lenka Utsugi."

Only then, had Kazama's frantic heartbeat calmed down.

Never did he knew, this was the end of their tranquil days.