Time passed, and Yorui’s eyes gently opened, feeling sluggish from a long slumber. After regaining consciousness, she sluggishly scanned the room. Compared to the messy room full of scrunched papers, the room had a complete makeover.

Pictures of Ishio were spread across the desk, but the floors were sparkling clean. A refreshing scent of mint wafted through the air, and the bed was made with fresh sheets; everything looked tidy and organized. Her hands, which she used as support, sink into the soft pillows under her.

Her body felt lighter but tight. She reached towards her injured back and felt a thin, clean white cloth wrapped around her body. Her excruciating pain disappeared. Her eyes shifted to her side, feeling a presence.

Koroki sat in the room, resting with his back against the wall, his sword leaning on him. Hiding under his clothes, Yorui could see his body also covered in cloth and bandages.

“Where… where am I?”

No answer. Koroki’s eyes were shut, so he must be asleep.

To test her wounds, she hopped off the bed. After keeping her balance, she certified that her wounds were healed. Feeling full strength, she strolled towards the opened door.

As she stepped towards the door, Koroki sensed her footsteps and opened his eyes slightly, yawning, “…Where are you going?”

Koroki stopped Yorui in motion. She turns to him. “How long have I been asleep for?”

“About 4 days.”

“Did you stay here, watching me this whole time?”

“Yea’. Ishio wanted me to watch you until you woke up.”

Yorui’s face flushed as she quickly swayed her weight from side to side. She stood there in a defensive stance, her hands covering her private parts. “What did you do to me?”

“W-What?” Koroki’s eyes widened, flustering red. “I-I didn’t do anything!”

“Oh, really? A boy and a girl alone in a room,” Yorui brushed her dangling hair to the side and elegantly shifted her body into an intimate pose. She gracefully posed, showcasing her beauty, intending to tease and captivate his attention. “And you didn’t do anything… at all?”

“What! N-No, I did not!!”

"You sure?" she asked, smirking.

"Yes!"

Yorui could not hold in her laughter. Seeing the embarrassment on Koroki’s face, she excessively laughed at Koroki. Teasing him brought her joy, like messing with your sibling.

Koroki’s nerves ticked, feeling aggravated at being laughed at. “Shut up! Leave me alone!”

Yorui laughed even harder at his response, and tears welled up in her eyes. She leaned forward, clutching her stomach, as her laughter became uncontrollable, almost peeing herself.

During her amusement, Ishio stepped into the room, interrupting their moment.

“Wow, guess you slept well, miss Yorui.” He gently acknowledged.

Her laughter immediately stopped to show respect. “Oh, Mr. Ishio,” She hastily lowered her head, showing her gratitude. “Thank you for healing my wounds.”

“Raise your head up, Yorui. There’s no need for that, but... you’re welcome.”

His calm and gentle smile made Yorui feel welcomed and happy. She never thought she deserved this treatment from a stranger; at least, that’s what she thought.

Ishio fixed his attention to Koroki. “Koroki, breakfast is ready. Surata is waiting downstairs for you.”

“Oooo, I wonder what he made.” Koroki jumped up and comfortably strolled out of the room with his usual relaxed stance.

Before joining the boys, Ishio stayed with Yorui. “Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable with Koroki sleeping in here. I just needed someone to look after you while I occupied his room.”

Yorui’s eyes subtly softened for a moment, thinking about Koroki. “That explains why he was here then. It’s fine, it didn’t bother me.”

Her beautiful face became tinged with sadness as she sat there, lost in contemplation, her thoughts swirling in her mind. “These people already helped me so much. Stopping Dad... Healing me…. I should probably leave as soon as possible.”

Dwelling on that, Yorui gathered her belongings and hastily made her way to the door, bowing her head as she went. “Umm, thank you once again for this Mr. Ishio.”

“Just call me Ishio or a dad if you want,” he joyfully suggested with a grin smeared across his face.

“Oh, uh… ok. Thank you, Ishio, for the hospitality, but I have to go.”

“But, Surata made food. At least stay and eat.”

“I’m sorry. I’m not hungry right now.” She’s already in debt from them, so she did not want to add more to it.

Her mind was fixated on leaving, but her stomach had other plans. While Yorui scurried to the door, she felt her stomach scream at her. Ishio and Yorui could hear the loud rumble of her stomach.

Ishio kept his gentle demeanor, trying to hold his smirk. “Um…are you sure you don’t want to eat?”

Her heart dropped to her stomach, and her cheeks flushed red. Her body froze up. The weight from the embarrassment made her want to curl up in a ball. If she had left earlier, she could’ve saved herself from this. Afterward, she gave in. She refused to look at Ishio, mumbling, “Mhmm…Maybe eating something won’t hurt.”

Ishio happily escorted Yorui to the kitchen as she walked in shame.

___

Soon, they descended downstairs and arrived at the kitchen. The food covered the long, wooden table with organized plates and utensils on each seat. The rich scent of cooked pork chops and white rice made it feel like Thanksgiving, but in May.

Surata carefully removed the large pot from the stove and carried it to the table. The steaming pot had an earthy yet savory smell.

As he arrived at the table, he noticed the two hungry guests. “Oh, hello Yorui. Father, everything’s ready on the table.” He placed the pot in the center of the table, signifying the main dish. “Today we’re having curry!”

He presented the food with a grin, a showcase of his sweat, tears, and love into his food.

Koroki sat at the table, fidgeting, waiting impatiently to start eating. “Can you guys be any slower? If you guys stall any longer, the food’s going to get cold.”

Eventually, everyone found a seat and sat down at the table. Everyone's mouths salivated from the smell, dying to take a bite. Before they started their feast, Surata and Ishio closed their eyes and began their prayers out loud.

“Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful feast you have bestowed us upon. Thank you for allowing Yorui to eat with us…”

Yorui never prayed before eating. She observed the guys, seeing their poses. Ishio and Surata were engulfed in their prayer. Across the table, Koroki’s eyes were closed shut, but his hands were fidgeting around.

It seemed like Koroki tried to blend in but praying. His effort made her feel a little happier, not feeling like the only one let out.

She followed their lead and close her eyes.

After a minute, Ishio concluded his prayer. “…Let us enjoy this with your love and guidance, Amen!”

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

As the prayer ended, everyone opened their eyes and dug into her food.

Yorui carefully poured the curry into the freshly made white rice. She picked up her filled spoon, blew on it to cool it down, and took a bite. Her eyes popped out of their sockets from the taste. “Wow! This is so good! This is like heaven!”

She devoured the food instantly, like a famished, starving stray dog. Everyone momentarily stopped eating and observed Yorui’s eating style. Ishio and Surata exchanged amused glances, wondering about Yorui’s unusual eating habits.

“You know, there’s more where that came from,” Ishio reassured her to take her time with the food.

Yorui quickly asked for seconds as she got teased.

Everyone continued to enjoy the food and themselves. They gossiped about the fight, school, etc. As she watched Ishio and Surata playfully teasing Koroki, savoring the delicious food, and sharing joyful laughter, a warm smile spread across her face. This moment reminded Yorui of the wonderful homeless individuals she befriended. After getting stuffed and spending time with this family, Yorui stacked her dirty dishes on the table, which stood taller than her height. Then, she got up from her seat, expressing her gratitude again.

“Thank you, guys, so much! I don’t know if I will ever repay you, but I really have to get going.”

The room fell silent as the atmosphere shifted. After showing her gratitude for their help, Yorui turned around, her slender figure gracefully moving towards the front door. As she walked, her eyes subtly drooped, revealing the quiet emotions that lingered within her.

“And where exactly are you going?” asked Koroki, breaking the awkward silence.

Yorui stopped in motion, confused by the sudden question. “Huh?”

“Your dad was sent to jail, right? So, where are you gonna go? Back with the homeless people?” commented Koroki with food in his mouth as he continued eating. “You can go back if you want. But I think-”

Before he could finish his sentence, Ishio punched Koroki, slamming him into his bowl of food. The sauce and chunks of vegetables from the curry flew out of the bowl, smearing on his face.

“That’s enough, Koroki,” Ishio exclaimed. The atmosphere turned gloomier. “Koroki told us about your situation. Your father forced you to help him kill those people, right? You probably still hate your father for that.”

“…” Her lips were sealed, but her eyes spoke for themselves.

“However, even though he’s a manslayer, you still think of him as a father.”

“!” Yorui is stunned by what Ishio said.

“Why are you telling her this?” Koroki urged as he tried to clean up the mess.

“Do you want to get hit again, Koroki?” Surata posed, knowing the outcome of his actions.

Koroki smacked his lips annoyingly, “You got a point.”

Yorui's lips quivered with a mix of fear and anger as they slowly parted. Her words spat out, carrying with them an unmistakable sense of unyielding determination and a chilling lack of remorse.

“You’re right! My dad wasn’t a good father to me. Forcing his own daughter to hurt other people for his own sake. It wasn’t fair to anyone… especially me. I-I never wanted to hurt people, but he taught me that to survive.”

She rambled on, raising her voice. “But what was I supposed to do? Defy my own father?! Yeah, I hate him with my guts. Ever since he killed my mom and forced us to leave our house, he made me do some horrible things to people. All I wanted was to live a happy life with my family!”

Her outburst flickered her eyes to glow dark green, flashing her Noye for a second. She stopped her rambling to take a deep breath and calm down.

Ishio carefully gazed at her glowing eyes and vulnerable state. “That color… and her powerful emotions towards her family. So, her power must be Greed. Her strong desire to live with her family manifested in her Noye, which resembles green. Poor kid, she must have been feeling like this for a while.”

After calming down, she lowered her voice, “But… even though he can’t undo what he did, he’s still… my father.”

Koroki and Surata sat in silence, letting her words sink in. However, Ishio understood her pain and softly smiled, comforting her. “Wow, you really are… a kind girl, Yorui.”

As Ishio referred to her as "a kind girl," Yorui was taken aback. The unexpected comment left her feeling bewildered and unable to fully grasp the meaning behind Ishio's words.

Ishio added, “If you really must go, then I won’t force you to stay. However, you can stay with us if you like.”

“Huh? Stay here?! What do you mean? But… why? I’m just… a complete stranger. Why would you ask something like that to me? You don’t even know me. Sorry. I can’t, I… still have my family waiting for me.”

“Family? You mean the homeless people? Don’t worry about them.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” She curiously asked Ishio.

“I sent my people over there to help move them into a nearby shelter home. Your family told me they felt bad that they couldn’t repay the favor to you. So, they begged me to take you in.”

Ishio rambled on. “At first, I kindly rejected them, but their words felt genuine and pure-hearted. They decided to put their trust in me. After I agreed to ask you, they all smiled happily and said they wanted you to live a good life. Don’t worry, though. You can still visit them whenever you want.”

“They did that for me?” Her heart swelled with joy, and tears filled her eyes. Now that her other family was settled, even if only temporarily, she found herself reconsidering Ishio’s offer. “I can’t stay with these guys. But now, the homeless people don’t need my help anymore. Even though we weren’t close at all, I still felt at home.”

Yorui closed her eyes and recalled the good times she had spent with the homeless people.

“I met them one day alone at the park when Dad left to find food. I was laying on the bench, starving for food. I still haven’t stolen anything yet. But the homeless people noticed me alone and starving. They came up to me with some bread. The bread tasted moldy, but it was good at the time. The bread was supposed to be shared by all of them, but they gave me the whole loaf.”

“They welcomed me with open arms, and ever since then, I wanted to return the favor to them. When I started stealing for my dad, I would keep some money and buy the homeless people some food. I started learning about their lives and struggles. We would laugh our pain away and enjoy ourselves. I felt like I could… connect with them and that that was our home. But now, they have a new home. They can start over.”

“But… I don’t want to start over! I want to stay with them. I enjoyed spending time with them. But, maybe I shouldn’t. If they were begging me to stay here with Koroki, maybe I should. I do like spending time with Koroki. And… Koroki’s family reminds me of them.

After reconsidering the offer, Yorui quietly asked, feeling guilty and hesitating, “Really? You’ll… let me… stay here?”

“Yes, I can’t let a helpless child leave my sight.” Ishio kindly reassured Yorui.

Surata, who had remained silent until now, smiled warmly. “Sure, I don’t mind having a sister in the family.”

Yorui stood hesitating, her mind filled with doubt. “But... I might just use you guys again… or betray you.”

“I don’t think you will do that anymore.” Ishio confidently exclaimed, with a voice filled with sincerity.

Yorui really wanted to stay; however, she did not feel she deserved to ask for another favor. What if something were to happen to them again because of her? She wouldn’t be able to live with herself, having to hurt more people. She wanted them to reject her as a way of atonement for the things she did. However, these people are different. Their strength. Their kindness. Their love. They made her feel at home.

Having doubts, she made a decision. “Well… I guess I can stay with you guys for a little bit…” She slowly gazed at Koroki. “If that’s okay with you, Koroki?”. Since she knew Koroki the most, she wanted his assurance.

Seeing Koroki’s dull expression, Surata playfully teased him, bumping him with his elbow. “C’mon, you can’t say no to your girlfriend.”

“Shut up! She isn’t my girlfriend.” Koroki turned his attention to Yorui, staring in silence.

If she stayed, they would think they were dating. With his mindset, he usually did not care about strangers. But he also hated the idea of her going back to her old routine. With that thought in mind, he muttered, "Suit yourself," trying to conceal his sincerity.

It wasn’t the sweet words she hoped to hear, but they were the words she expected. A spark of joy struck Yorui, and her eyes brimming with happiness.

After everyone’s confirmation, Ishio happily clasped his hands, “Well, that settles it. Welcome to your new family, Yorui.”

Yorui took a moment to take it all in. “Thank you!” she shouted with a smile, tears of joy running down her face. For the first time in what felt like forever, she allowed herself to feel something other than fear or anger- hope. Maybe, just maybe, things could be different now.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and returned to the table, where they joyfully welcomed their new family member. The battle had been won. However, their joy would soon fade into the darkness.

___

In the dead of night, within a dimly lit warehouse in a nearby city, the pungent scent of gasoline permeated the air. The rhythmic hum of conveyor belts and the rumble of trucks reverberated throughout the vast space. Teams of men worked tirelessly, unloading crates from the trucks and transporting them into the depths of the warehouse.

The heavy darkness hung in the air, shrouding the men as they shared sinister chuckles and laughter. As they moved the heavy boxes around, the sharp clinks of metal colliding echoed through the space.

“The boss really is something. He managed to get off these weapons and lots of them.” A worker eagerly commented.

“Yeah, and soon we’re going to put these to good use.” Another worker added, exposing an evil smirk.

Above on the balcony, a handsome man dressed in baggy pants and a sweater leaned on the railing, observing the workers. He had walked out of his office and gazed off towards the whole warehouse.

A worker walked up the stairs to the balcony, the entrance of his office. He approached the boss with the utmost respect, standing stiff and clearing his voice. “Sir, all of the weapons you requested have arrived.”

The boss casually nodded at the worker and sent him off. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. After a moment, the boss descended from the balcony to stroll around the building, getting a closer look. As the boss walked around, a well-dressed man caught up to the boss, fixing his glasses as they constantly fell and holding on to his clipboard.

“Mikado!”

The boss, Mikado, continued walking away, not acknowledging his assistant. “What is it, Kaen?”

Kaen chased Mikado while observing his notes, flipping through the pages. “It appears that Majuro “the manslayer” has been taken to prison.”

Mikado’s calm expression remained, unbothered by Majuro. “Oh, really? What a shame. I had hoped he would have caused more trouble. So, who turned him in?”

“He said that he was defeated by the Heartless Demon.”

“Huh?” Mikado abruptly halted his steps, the sound of his shoes scuffing against the pavement echoing in the empty alleyway. The name seized his attention, and his eyes widened with a sudden spark of excitement.

Kaen briefed Mikado on the situation. As Kaen's thorough explanation unfolded, a subtle smirk began to form on Mikado's face, a clear indication of the wheels turning in his mind as he processed the information.

“I see. That makes things interesting. I always wondered where you went… Heartless Demon.”

___

Yorui has joined the family, and the squad is complete. Everyone in the country discovers that Majuro has been arrested. As more enemies grasp the situation, how will they react to the news? Who is Mikado, and how does he know the Heartless Demon? What will happen to this new family?