"That was fun!" I said, running over to Daddy, Serra, Setty, Tetsu, and Eita.

Piedad nodded as she stood next to me.

Tetsuya grinned and ruffled my hair. "Glad that you enjoyed it, Rabbit Boy!"

"Indeed, it was entertaining," Suzuki said, joining us on the court.

Eita blushed. "S-sorry that I couldn't win despite your cheers."

Suzu turned away. "It's fine. Like that pompous king said, even those who try their hardest don't always win." She lowered her head. "If anyone would understand that, it would be me."

"Why do you say that?" Serrano asked, frowning.

She took a deep breath. "We rebels fought long and hard, yet we failed to defeat you knights."

"Well, we are strong," Eita said, grinning.

"Uh, you're not a knight," Tetsuya said. He wrapped an arm around his basketball partner and grinned. "At least not yet!"

Suzuki smiled. "He still has to work a lot harder."

Eisuke scoffed as he walked down from the stands. "I'll beat him. Capitolinus' next knight will be me!"

Eita rolled his eyes. "Like I'll lose to my kid brother! Bora and Ei-ei are the ones that I fear."

Eisuke narrowed his eyes at him. "I'll make you take those words back."

Sparks flew between the two, literally.

"Hey, this is a basketball court, not an angelic dome," Serrano said, splitting the two apart. "Go there if you want to fight."

"Fine, but it seems that Eita should eat something. In the state he's in, I don't think he'll be much of a match at all," Eisuke said, shrugging.

"I can still beat you as I am!" Eita said, growling.

"Hmph, dream on! You're not Eii!"

Setty sighed and snapped her fingers, disappearing the two.

"W-where did you take them?" Daddy asked, laughing nervously.

My cousin put a hand on her hips. "I teleported them outside one of the angelic domes. LIke Serra said, if they want to fight, they can do it there."

"Good call," Suzuki said, snickering.

Serrano sighed. "Those two are just like Tetsu and Tere when they were around their ages."

Tetsuya laughed. "Though, I'm pretty sure I was stronger than Tere when I was Eisuke's age."

"Were you now, little brother?" a voice called out.

Tetsuya shivered as he turned around to see Teresa smirking at him.

"Oh, Tere! Uh, you aren't a ghost, right? I thought only ghosts appeared when their names are mentioned. Well, guardian angels too, but I doubt you're one."

"Jerk! How dare you say that right after seeing me again? Even if you're taller than me now, I can still teach you a lesson!"

"Sis," Tetsu said as Tere whipped up a scolding storm.

Nico, who had walked in with her, laughed.

"I'm glad we don't fight," I said, glancing at Serra.

He smiled. "Same, Connie, same."

"How about we go out to town after I get washed up?" Daddy said, glancing at us.

"Thought at we were going to have our race," Serra said. He narrowed his eyes at Daddy. "You aren't backing out of it, are you?"

Daddy laughed. "Of course not! But a bit of rest would do me some good. Or would you rather beat your old man while he's tired?"

Serra smiled. "No, you got a point there."

"Can Piedad come too?" I asked.

"I-I don't want to intrude," Piedad said, waving her hands.

Dad smiled. "Of course! You can bring your little girlfriend. Setty, you can come too."

Setty and Serra blushed.

The princess looked down and coughed. "T-thanks for the invitation, but I should get back to training."

"Come on! You've been hard at work! A little playing won't hurt," Daddy said, grinning.

Setty sighed. "Fine. You win this time, Uncle."

He held out his fingers, forming a V. "Another win for old man Aza!"

Setty laughed while Serra rolled his eyes.

Piedad stared at her simple pink dress. "Wonder if I should try on some of the other clothes Lady Amun gave me."

"I'll help you pick something," Setty said, following her.

"Oh?" Daddy said.

Setty turned around. "What?"

Daddy put a hand over his mouth, stifling a snicker. "I'm just surprised to hear the tomboy wants to help someone with clothes."

The princess's face turned red. "What? I can be girly too!"

Serra sighed. "Setty, don't let him get to you."

"Funny hearing you say that as you've been struggling to do that yourself," Daddy said, grinning.

Serra glared at him. "Setty, let's knock him into next week!"

The two dashed at him, but Daddy jumped over them. "Toodles! Gotta shower!"

"He's so fast!" Setsuko said.

Serra continued to chase after Dad. "Yeah, but I'll get him."

"Wait!" Setty said, intercepting him. "As he said about the race, wouldn't it be better to face him when he's rested?"

He took a deep breath and nodded. "Guess I'll let him go this once."

I sighed. Serra and Dad argue as badly as the perverted knight's brothers. I blinked. Where was the perverted knight? He didn't go with Rosa and the others.

My eyes turned rightward. At the top were Eiichi and Sabine. He appeared to be sleeping on her shoulders. Had he not slept well?

"Why do you care?" a voice echoed in my head.

Shivers ran down my spine. I-Ifrit!

"He killed you and hurt Piedad. Just because you're on the same side doesn't mean you're friends. Now's your chance. Hurt the one he loves and kill him as he did to you."

I shook my head. "I won't!" I yelled, running off.

"Con! What's wrong!" Serra asked, chasing after me.

I ran out of the gym.

"Don't be a coward," the demon voice said.

"Shut up! Leave me alone!"

"I-I'll try to get along better with Dad, just don't get mad," Serra said.

"He's not talking to you," Setty said as she joined him. She overtook him, appearing in front of me. "It's that snake, isn't it?"

I hugged her. "Setty! He's back!" I cried.

"How pitiful, running to others for comfort. You're weak, child. Give in to your dark impulses. You'll be happier that way!"

"Con, it's okay," Setty said, stroking my hair. "Don't panic. It's what he wants you to do. He feeds off of the fear of others."

"Setty's right! Don't listen to him! Just relax," Big Bro said.

I took a deep breath.

"You won't ever be free from me for as long as you keep living, Bunny Boy. I'll make your life a living Cianio until I'm free or you're dead!"

Y-you're part of me now! If I die, then you will too!

He clicked his non-existent tongue. "That's not true. I will simply be reborn once more."

You will, but with me!

"Argh, shut up! Even if that's the case, I'll take over the baby's body! Once I have, I'll murder his or her parents and grow from there."

You make it sound easy, but you'll be starting from zero! And whose to say that your consciousness will still be intact?

"Shut up!"

I smiled. You're afraid, aren't you?

I saw his eyes widen in my mind's eye. He could lie to others, but not to me. After all, he and I were one now. And I did not like lying to myself.

He laughed. "Don't think you're the only path. I have many alternatives to you."

Alternatives? My eyes widened as it hit me. If Ifrit came from Hanketsu, how could he have caused the fall of humanity?

"So, you noticed the inconsistency. Perhaps, your angelic self is not as nice as you think."

You're trying to muddy up the waters. Tell me, how did you do it? How did you travel back in time?

He snickered. "You might be overly nice, but you certainly aren't stupid. Since you insist, like Leviathan, I traveled back in time. To do so, I had to cast aside my humanoid form and take on the appearance of a serpent. Regaining my humanoid form took time, but it was worth it. Once I regain control, I'll cast you aside too, taking your power with me."

I gritted my teeth. I won't let you!

He laughed. "That isn't something for you to decide, my naive double personality. Just like I assured that I would be born after the changes I made to history, so too will I assure my triumph over you. I mean, I already did before!"

Y-you did something to Hanketsu's family, didn't you?

"Perhaps. I'll leave it up to your imagination. Oh, but you are me, so if you want to tap into your twisted side, you can. Go on, let your curiosity take over."

I won't!

"Then stay ignorant of the truth. It suits me."

Regardless, it will benefit you somehow...

"Indeed. As I said, I have alternative paths to victory."

Yet, despite that, you can't beat the Sky Father.

He growled. "I will beat him!"

I smiled. While you mess with time, he is outside of it. You can't touch him at all.

He snickered. "You are a nuisance, but I do admire your fortitude. It makes me feel a tad better about having a goodie two shoes as my current life. Wisdom, after all, is power. That something that both Father and I can agree upon."

Even I couldn't deny that. My lack of knowledge and wisdom led to my death. Ironically, the bearer of the Universal Seed of Knowledge revived me. And Grandma Aster imparted a bit of her wisdom upon me. Their gifts wouldn't go to waste on me.

"Conrad," Piedad said, her hands clasped together and held against her chest as if in prayer. "Y-you heard the Archdemon of Wrath, didn't you? That's why you ran off, right?"

I frowned and nodded. "Yeah. D-did you hear yours too?"

She shook her head. "Fortunately, no, but it's only a matter of time if you did."

Setty took a deep breath. "It'll be fine. We have Nori and Takuya with us. Not to mention, Alma."

"Alma?" Serra said, looking at her right leg.

Setty smiled. "My angel tool doesn't only affect the physical, it can hit the spiritual too. That includes the evil spirits within you."

"Wait, but Itou and Connie fused. Wouldn't that hurt him too?"

"If it keeps me from hurting others, I'm fine with pain," I said, looking down.

"Connie," Piedad said, rubbing my back. She took a deep breath. "The same goes for me."

"It is just one option. Nori and Takuya's methods would be our go-to ones," Setty said.

"Yeah. So, please don't look so demoralized. It's what they want."

I smiled at my big bro. "Thanks, Serra, Setty." My tummy grumbled again. "Ugh, carrots..."

Tetsuya laughed as he joined us in the hall. "We're well ahead of you. Suzuki went to prepare some for you."

Serra blinked. "Suzuki? That's unexpected."

My cousin folded his arms and sighed. "Think that she can relate the most. Given her own struggles."

"She hasn't been able to control it yet?" I asked.

"I don't think she's tried. Given what happened the other two times she used the demonic power, it might be for the best too."

"I haven't seen it, but I did hear about it from Rosa. Neither were pretty sights," Setty said.

I frowned. Poor Suzuki.

"Anyway, go and get your carrots. I'll catch up with you later," Tetsuya said, running off.

"You're coming with us?" Serrano asked.

He looked over his shoulder. "After hearing all that, yeah. I can stop the two should things go wrong. I did trap Leviathan for a short time."

I smiled. "Thanks, Grandpa!"

Tetsuya stopped and turned around completely. He put his hands on his hips and sighed. "I'm Tetsu, Bunny Boy, not Orlin."

I chuckled. "I know!"

He gasped.

"What?"

My cousin rubbed his neck and chuckled slightly. "Hanketsu once called me Grandpa too. At the time, I thought he was just joking around like usual, but I think there was more to it now."

Serra sighed. "Hanketsu sounds like Dad..."

Tetsu snickered weakly. "Yeah, they're very similar. Both get on your nerves."

Big Bro chuckled. "Though, you aren't much better."

Tetsu laughed. "You got a point there!"

"Speaking of Daddy, Hanketsu also called you Papa!" I giggled. "He wanted Yuko to be his Mama."

He blushed. "I wish you hadn't forgotten that memory."

I chuckled and ran off. "Let's go get carrots, Pie!"

"I would prefer some meat," Pie said, sighing.

I laughed. Before we died, I compared her to my brother because of their love for red meat. Well, he was a tiger. Was Pie some kind of big kitty too? Or maybe a doggy like Mama!

Pie and I rushed downstairs. Suzuki turned around and put down a plate of carrots. "Are you joining us too, Piedad?" Suzuki asked.

"Yeah!" I said, smiling at my friend.

"I'll prepare another plate."

"Oh, can you get her some meat? She loves red meat."

"Alright. Think I saw some pork."

"No piggy!"

"Okay, I'll get her some beef steak then."

I sighed. But grandpa was a bull... Good thing I wasn't a meat eater. Wouldn't know what to eat other than fish and turkey. Well, not like I would be limited to only meat. Most people were omnivores. Even I wasn't a complete plant eater, enjoying the occasional mushroom saute. Serra used to make it for me. I think he said he'd learned it from Daddy. Good thing he taught him how to cook, as Mommy wasn't very good...

"Thanks," Piedad said, taking a seat.

"That said, I'm surprised by how quickly you became hungry."

I rubbed my stomach and chuckled. "Cheering for Papa used up more energy than I thought."

"True, it was an intense game." She sighed. "Too bad that Eita couldn't have won."

Piedad giggled. "You did give him a second wind. If not for that, the game might've ended with a bigger difference than one point."

Her cheeks turned rosy. "Perhaps. I'll be right back!"

"So, she does care about Eita," Big brother said, poking his head into the dining room.

Setty walked in. "He would be ecstatic if he found out."

"True. He would probably get a big head. That said, I'm glad that he found someone who somewhat likes him back. He doesn't have to hound Xime anymore."

Setty narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't forget that she said you wouldn't work out."

He smiled slightly. "I was just saying that because of how much of a hassle it was to her."

"Jelly Setty," I mumbled.

Piedad snorted. "That rhymed."

Setty cleared her throat. "Anyway, eat up. Who knows how much walking we'll do."

"Hey, we can always stop to get some street food," Serra said, taking the other seat next to me.

His fiance beamed as she sat across from him. "True! Now I want some street tacos..."

"Me too!" Piedad said, gleaming.

Big brother smiled. "We'll get you two some in that case."

"Really?"

I nodded. "Yeah!"

"Yahoo!" our significant others said.

Serra and I looked at one another and smiled. While we still could, we could spend these fleeing summer days together with the ones we loved.

**Solar Note: Hope that you've enjoyed today's episode! Today marks five years since my original publication of The Shadow of Justice. Thanks for sticking with this tale this far. Your reads, comments, and votes are encouraging.**