Reve Crozzo, the middle child of the Crozzo trio, felt his face heat up at what was happening to him. 

"Fortifications are being made!" Rex shouted as he shoveled sand into different molds. 

"Fortifications!" Rin shouted while raising her hands. The little girl was quite energetic in copying Rex. 

Rex's project consisted of a five-meter-deep moat and with the beginnings of a fortress wall...

His problem involved what he was doing now. The fourteen-year-old blushed up a storm as he stared at Rita's back as the duo stayed under the shade of a parasol. Her soft, silky-smooth back was presented to him as he held a bottle of sunscreen. 

"Oh, baby~, I love you~," Reinhardt sang as he manned the grill with a pink frilly apron, courtesy of a smiling Elysia. Speaking of who, Elysia, smiled as she laid on a beach chair, sunbathing while reading a book. A stick of barbecue was in her other hand, with some drinks on the table next to her. 

"Uhm, Master Reve, please put the sunscreen on," Rita's voice made the young man focus back on her, missing how Rex and Rin peeked over the pile of sand. Elysia looked at the two, peeking over her sunglasses, while Reinhardt. 

The oldest Crozzo raised a brow as he saw Elysia's stick and looked at his plate. She freaking took it!

"Oh, sorry," 

"Ahem, Wuss, ahem," Suddenly, Rin covered Rex's mouth as the duo hid behind their cover. 

"I heard that!" Reve shouted as he squirted some sunscreen on his hands before.

 A moan escaped Rita's mouth as she felt the firm, yet soft hands on her back. An act that made Reve blush even more. 

"You two look like you're having fun," 

"Uncle Ryoma!" Rex greeted with a smile before yelping as he slipped on the patch of sand. 

"Ah! Rex-nii!" Rin shouted as she tried to help, ending in her slipping and lading beside him.

The two grabbed their heads and moaned in pain at the same time.

A young girl around a year older than Rex stood by her side, watching the downed duo while Reve pulled his hands away, missing Rita's pout. 

Reinhardt smiled as he greeted Ryoma, only to have the barbecue in his hand bitten by Elysia. 

"What the?!" Noticing this, the eldest Crozzo glared at Elysia. The unofficial matriarch of the current generation of House Crozzo smiled gently as she gave him a pair of puppy dog eyes. 

Knowing he could not do anything to Elysia, the young man just sighed before holding the barbecue towards her. Seeing this, Elysia's ears twitched as she took the barbecue and leaned in to kiss her cheek. 

Far away from the group, a group of members of the Crozzo order raised several high numbers. 

"Thanks, Rein~," Elysia whispered as she took some bites from the barbecue before feeding him. Having no desire to wait for the next batch to finish, the young man took a bite, taking a section of the barbecue before returning his attention to his cooking process. 

Sweatdropping at the insanity of his friend's family, Ryoma looked at the castle walls made by Rex and felt himself get confused. This boy, only a year or so younger than his daughter managed to make a moat that deep. 

-===-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==

Rex blinked as he looked at the weird purple-haired girl looking at him. He was in the middle of  fortifying his-

"Ow! Big sis!" Rex whined as he felt his ear get lightly pinched by his big sister. Sure, she was not related to him by blood but she did help raise him. 

"Stop acting like Rein and talk to the poor cutie," Elysia said with a sigh, recognizing how her little brother started acting like Reinhardt. She loved Rein but he can be... wait... where did that come from? 

"Hey! Don't hurt Rex-nii!!!"Rin shouted only to stop when Elysia handed her a stick of barbecue. "Carry on!" 

Unknown to them, Reinhardt looked at the sight with a smile. Thankful to have Elysia by his side through everything. 

Sensing something, Elysia turned around and smiled at the oldest of the brothers and waved. Reinhards mind blanked as he looked and waved. 

"Dumbass, your food is burning," Sakura said as she looked at him, only to not react. "Reinhardt?" 

Sakura raised a brow as she took a spatula to turn and flipped some of them. Kallen noticed the dumb expression Reinhardt had and tilted her head. Just arriving with Sakura, Kallen immediately went to her childhood friend. Turning around and following his sight, the young woman's eyes went cold as she saw Elysia. 

Elysia was bending a bit to guide Rex with how to talk to a girl his age. She could read his lips and noted how his words repeated 'fortifications' and stuff. No, focus! Looking back at Reinhardt and back at Elysia, the young woman noticed how he seemingly stared at her behind. 

Frowning at this, Kallen reached in and grabbed his chin. Making him look at her, Kallen smiled. 

"Where were you looking at, Perv~?" Kallen asked with a sweet smile, her blue eyes cold as ice. 

==---=-=-=-=--=-===-==-=-=

Mei Raiden spent most of her life alone. She was a lonely little girl who only wanted to be better. Curious at the boy a year younger than her, Mei noted how he seemingly latched and became more talkative to the pretty big lady, 

"Why are you sad?" The boy asked as he finished talking with the big lady. 

"Uhm..." She was too confused to answer. 

"Ah, you're like me," Rex said as he looked at her. "You don't get out too much, do you?" 

"N-no... not really," Mei replied with a blush. 

"Okay," Rex said with a shrug as he looked around. "Come on," In one movement, the young boy stood on his legs. Before she knew it, a hand filled with callouses and some marks from strings appeared in her sight. "We can sneak out and explore." 

Gently and shyly, Mei reached her hand out and felt herself get pulled as his hand tightened around hers. Before she knew it, the two of them were already running away.

Rin watched the scene while nibbling on a barbecue. Something tingly appeared in her brain as she watched. Her pink eyes glowed ominously. 

'Now, it begins,' She thought before blinking as she noticed something. "Ooh, Shiny~," In the ground was a beautiful gem of purple color with a golden border with wings. 

=-=-=-=-==-===-=-=-=

Ren Cruz, the patriarch of the entire Crozzo Family, gulped as he found himself on his knees and he looked at his best friend, Fu Hua. His fellow Fire Moth soldier and immortal crossed her arms as she glared at him while tapping her foot rapidly. Blue eyes fixed into a firm glare pierced his soul. 

"Okay, I was busy making sure my businesses are going steady," He explained before yelping as the temperature increased. 

Inside their location, one of his numerous safehouses in the form of a small house, he knelt in front of her in the living room. 

"Don't. Lie. To. Me." 

"I was!" Ren shouted only to yelp as Fu Hua removed her sunglasses and pinned him on the ground, showing how serious she was, 

"Explain," She repeated calmly as she kept him in place. 

"Why are you even reacting like this?!" Ren said, panicking as he tried to get off. Curse his chosen ability of Regeneration and endurance! Why didn't he ask to be stronger than the other MANTIS?! 

"You promised to spend time with me last week," Fu Hua said as she looked at him, her glare still in place yet her lips were formed into a cute frown. Puffing her cheeks, the young woman looked at him. "I even dressed up for you and everything."  

Finally having no choice but to tell the truth, he looked at his... girlfriend? Nah, they were more of best friends with benefits since they never really got into a relationship. Well, they did pretend to be married. Shit... this was confusing. 

"I... I found a lead on where Griseo might have been," He explained and soon, the firm yet playful grip weakened. 

"Are you sure?" Fu Hua asked, her voice wobbling. 

Sitting up, Ren nodded toward Fu Hua. 

"I am," He said with a smile. Seeing her tears made him feel bad. 

"Ren... we're not alone anymore..." She whispered as she hugged him, crying into his shoulders. Gently wrapping her arms around him, the young man hugged his best friend and one-time mother of their ghoul child (Test Tube baby) 

"I'll find our little sister... I promise," Ren said as he held her close, the two immortal warriors enjoying each other's company. 

=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-==-=-==-=-==

Omake: In Another timeline

Rex Crozzo, Crozzo Knight, and an interdimensional traveler hummed as he found himself in the underworld of Belobog accompanied by Sampo. After an accident with containing a rogue interdimensional-traveling Herrscher, he was stranded on this planet for a week now. 

'Damn it, Kiana is so gonna skewer my ass when I get back,' The young man thought, fondly remembering how volatile his best could be. It has been a while since he got her back after coordinating with the Xipe of his universe in exchange, he was to travel and help people globally. 

Sure, he was too busy and had to travel but it was fun and he got to meet a lot of people. He even became a major stockholder in Bronya's game company and a part-time instructor in St. Freya with his student, Adam, being placed in Mei's care while he traveled. Now, he was stuck in this dimension for a few months. 

"Seele, get some sleep," Rex said as he noticed how this version of Seele, with long hair and a wilder personality, shook her head. 

Knowing how stubborn she could be, the young man sighed. 

"Well, lovebirds, I will leave you two now," Sampo said with a smile. Rex shook his head as he felt a weight on his shoulder. Hearing a snore, the young knight sighed as he knew it would take a while before he could move again. Suddenly, he froze as for some reason... he could see the pouting face of his adoptive cousin, Seele. 

'Oh yeah, Seele started to hate being my cousin...' He thought before raising a brow when the Seele beside him hugged his arm. 

Back in Earth

"You little... tell me where Rex is!" Kiana shouted as she held a sword and aimed it at the tied-up Herrscher's face. 

Mei stood by her side, lightning crackling on her body as her hand twitched and reached for her blade.

Bronya's gun was aimed at the Herrscher's skull from behind while Seele pouted while holding her scythe. 

Rin, while terrified, smugly made herself comfortable in Adam's arms much to Carole, Timido, and Lyle's terrified annoyance. 

"You girls need to chill, Rex will be fine," Senti said, only to hide behind Fu Hua and Ren when the girls glared at her. 

=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-

Omake: If Rex helped Mei instead of Kiana

Rex blinked as he saw Kiana hissing angrily like a cat while she sat on his lap. 

"Insect, remove yourself in my seat," Mei, rather than her Herrscher self, said with a smirk. "Only Goddesses like I are allowed to have a regal seat. 

"Back off, Evil and uglier copy of Mei!" Kiana shouted as she hugged Rex. "This is my and Mei's seat! Not yours!" 

=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=----==-