*Yuko*

"Tetsu!" Yuko yelled as Master finally came into view. He had woken up before sunrise to take a morning jog around town. Now the rising sun was shining behind his back. "Breakfast is ready!"

He smiled warmly as he used his white t-shirt to wipe away sweat from his chin. "Thanks."

Yuko blinked. "Why is Master exhausted? Got out of shape so fast?"

He laughed. "It would be sad if so as I haven't slacked off, to begin with. I had Grandpa Saffron use a technique on me that makes my body super heavy. Works better than the weights I had been using."

"Woah! Yuko had no idea such a technique existed."

He put his hands on his hips and chuckled. "Me neither. Would be nice if I could learn it."

"Not bad," a voice called out. We turned to see Tetsu's aunt Jun standing by the palace doors.

Master grinned. "Thanks."

"There's still time to get stronger, but not enough for all the areas you would like to focus on."

Tetsu lowered his head and rubbed his chin. "Well, Grandpa suggested I focus on what I'm good at. I was hoping you could help me learn that aura thing you showed Rosa and the others. To build up my defenses."

His aunt smirked. "Your mom also thought it would be a good fit. Dad says you're a quick learner. Hopefully, it won't take long for you to master it."

Master smiled.

"Wait, is Miss Jun coming with us too?" Yuko asked.

She nodded. "Figured I would. I always wanted to see Xeleria."

Hmm. Maybe Yuko should get her uncle to train her too. Nori did and got bigger and stronger. Jun would surely do the same for Master. But Yuko hasn't grown much. Big Sis's training is good, but not enough. A proper master was needed.

"Tetsu. can we go find uncle after we arrive? Yuko wants to train under him."

"Wait, did you do that during your time there?" Master asked.

Yuko shook her head. "No. Yuko trained with Big Sis and a girl called Shiomi. Didn't get much but bruises from the latter."

"So you had inadequate training. You really are amazing, Yuko."

Yuko blinked. "Yuko is?"

"Yeah! You still managed to be as strong as you were when we fought Bylet and the others. And then you managed to help Hyo fend off a possessed Conrad while the rest of us weren't of much use."

"So a small girl who had bad training is stronger than you? How sad," Jun said, shaking her head.

Master's face soured. "Yeah, you're right. But that's why I want to work on my defenses. My enemies keep getting the best of me."

"Master kept the others safe," Yuko said.

He sighed. "After they nearly died. I rather avoid a repeat of that sorry performance."

His aunt tilted her head at him. "Wow. I never knew you were this critical of yourself. Not that reflecting at past failures isn't good. It's just the way that you're going about it that's not helpful."

Master smiled slightly. "Why do you say that? It is because you always saw me smiling and saying I would be the strongest knight as a kid?"

"Yeah. It's weird to see you like this."

"This is nothing compared to how he was when we met," Yuko said.

"Hey! Don't tell her that!" Tetsu exclaimed.

"Ahh. So the confident little Tetsu I knew was a facade. Seems that apple didn't fall far from the tree."

"Are you referring to Mom?"

She sighed. "Yes. She liked hiding her fears behind a mask of self-assurance. Indeed, she still appears to do so. But she has never fooled us. At least not me. It's obvious when she's nervous. Her mannerisms would give her away."

"Master too! He avoids eye contact and stares at the floor!" Yuko said.

Tetsu patted Yuko's head. "Hey, don't be giving away all of my secrets!" He let go of Yuko and sighed. "I don't want to be any easier to read than I already am."

Yuko frowned. "Sorry."

He ruffled Yuko's brown hair. "It's okay. I know you can get a bit overboard when it comes to talking about me to the point you give things away. Anyway. I'm gonna go shower real fast. Tell the others to pack up my breakfast! I'll eat it on the way."

"Okay!"

Yuko followed Master inside and went straight for the giant dining hall as he went upstairs to get cleaned up.

"Pancarrots!" Conrad said, mouth watering as he stared at a trio of purple pancakes.

"Do they have any Panberries?" Yuko asked. Everyone turned to look at Yuko.

"Yeah," Hyosetsu said as he walked out of the kitchen. He had on an apron. His brow furrowed. "What?"

"You know how to cook?"

He scoffed. "Of course I do."

"He knows how to do his laundry and clean for himself too!" Kohri said.

"That's better than Tetsu," Teresa said, smirking.

Rosa giggled.

Yuko better learn to do those things. Need to better serve Master.

Hyosetsu sighed as he put down Yuko's pancakes next to Onami. "Anyway clean your hands and take a seat."

Yuko ran over to the sink in the kitchen. The soap was foamy and soft to the touch. Nothing like the course soap Mean Mister had Nori and Yuko use.

Hmm, hopefully, Uncle wouldn't threaten Master like last time. Yuko hummed away as she washed her hands. Yuko couldn't wait to learn a bit more about her powers. Maybe Uncle Yusuke could teach Yuko some wind magic.

"How ironic that you would be reborn as a member of grandfather Akinari's clan," a voice called out. Yuko spun around and saw the king of Kasai no Ki.

Yuko patted her red cap. "Mister Kasai King knows who Yuko used to be?"

His eyes were distant. "Yeah." He turned away. "But you're a lot different from her. A lot more cheerful and less reserved."

Yuko smiled. "I used to be less cheerful and more reserved. But Master helped Yuko warm up!"

"Did he now? Seems that guy really is something. It took me a lot of work to defrost your past life." He stared at his hands. "I wonder if I even reached her heart. Seeing you and your doppelgangers being in love with the shards of that boy's soul makes me realize I wasn't her soulmate."

"Yuko doesn't know how her past life was, but just because your souls weren't meant to be, that doesn't mean she didn't love you."

The fire and leaf king smiled. "So you say." He stopped by the kitchen doors. "I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't. I was the one who forced her to marry me. While she was the queen consort, she wasn't my only wife. She didn't say it, but it probably annoyed her."

"Maybe! Yuko knows she felt sad when Master gave the princess lovey-dovey eyes!"

He raised an eyebrow. "You seem to have taken it in stride, though."

"That's because Yuko wants Master to be happy. Rosa and the baby can give him that joy. Yuko also wishes them well."

He smiled. "How selfless of you." He shook his head. "No wonder Takeshi used you as a tool. Your ego is almost nonexistent."

Yuko lowered her head. Master did say that Yuko needed her own desires. But weren't desires evil? Nori said so. And Eiichi proved it. He allowed desire to get the best of him.

"Yuko's fine serving others, so long as the one ordering is a kind person," Yuko said. "Mean Mister wasn't. Everything Yuko did for him was while Yuko's emotions were locked away or out of fear. But what Yuko does for Tetsu is different. Master Tetsu allows Yuko to refuse. He rather Yuko not even call him Master."

He crossed his arms. "So, you still share that in common. But take it from me, subservience is bad."

"Is it, though? Doing whatever Yuko wants can lead to bad stuff. There's nothing wrong with tempering Yuko's needs for those of others."

King Tabiki laughed. "And here I thought Rosa was the naive one. Only one with an absolute drive can change the world. Someone who gives up their wants to help others will be eaten in this world."

"Seems Mister is as cynical as Duke Hyosetsu used to be."

He turned away. "That's because that boy learned the hard way, just like I did. Although, you have suffered a great deal yourself."

Yuko blinked. "How does Mister know all this?"

He smiled. "Beware the quiet ones."

Yuko rubbed her chin. The quiet ones? Who did he mean? Wait, was it Sir Hyosetsu who told him? No, that seemed silly! He disliked talking to people.

"Don't overthink it. Go on and eat. I'll be taking you and the others to Xeleria once you're done."

"How?" Yuko asked, tilting her head.

He smirked and held up a blue orb filled to the brim with prana. "With this. It's a special tool my family made to cross between realms without needing to form a vortex corridor nor use a transport station."

"Right, Mister's family is spread out between various universes."

Tabiki put away the orb into the pocket of his long coat. "Indeed."

"Wait, does that mean that the demons have that tool too?"

"Theoretically, yes. But we can produce vortexes too. The only issue is we have to pass through the abyss, which I rather skip over."

"The abyss?"

"Did you think the pit was all there was to Abyssia? It is wide and everlasting, but it is merely the bottom part of its expanse. The empty space between the universes is taken up by it. Otherwise, there would be a vast void." He patted the orb. "No one knows what will happen if Abyssia does die. Victory might be worthless."

Yuko shook her head. "No."

He laughed. "Don't worry. As long as the Universal Seeds continue to exist, so too should the various realms."

Yuko pouted. "Making Yuko worry for nothing..."

"Well, it might not be for nothing. The lives of those bearing the Universal Seeds will be in danger in this war."

Yuko gasped.

"Conrad and Piedad both have half of two different seeds. Should they perish, that's one step closer to the demise of all creation."

Yuko gulped.

"Frankly, I wouldn't put it past my grandma to eliminate the seed bearers. Doing so will force us to surrender to Abyssia's demands."

Yuko shivered.

"There are also other things that need protection. Such as the dimensional pillars."

"What are those?"

"They're the buildings built over the various portals leading to and from Abyssia. A certain abysmal clan made them to better protect what otherwise would be invisible pillars. Well, invisible to those who are not in the know."

"Why would abysmals want to protect them?"

"This clan isn't like the other abysmals. Father referred to those of the Sun Clan as traitors, for siding with the Goddess of Light. Alas, we might share the same genesis, but we are not the same. They're beings of light. While we are beings of darkness."

Beings of light? Yuko wanted to meet one! Yuko bet they were really pretty!

"Well, go and eat. We don't have all day."

Yuko nodded and rushed back to the dining hall. Yuko had to eat well to maintain her strength. It would be needed to protect Yuko's home and loved ones. And not just Yuko's but Uncle's too, as well as the other realms like Wynaga and those Yuko hadn't been to like Munil. Even those Yuko had never heard of.

**Solar Note: Hope you enjoyed the chapter ^^. Pardon the long gap. The next one should be out sooner as I began work on it (might even yield two chapters given it is well past the typical length).**