In the evening, Agami sat on the couch, temporarily evicted from his room. He looks around the living room and notices it's more lively than usual. Looking in front of him, he sees that Maria and Vito are in the middle of a card game he didn’t recognize. At a glance, Vito is on the verge of tears, while Maria has a calm look on her face. Looking at the kitchen, Olya and the pink-haired girl happily cook and chat. From what he could smell, it seems like dinner is something to look forward to.

  He hears voices from the balcony and finds Imino and Sora speaking, their words unable to be heard. All he can see is Sora walking around while Imino stands with her arms crossed. From Sora’s expressions, it seems like a serious discussion.

  His attention is suddenly stolen away as one of the people from Ken’s group napping on his left shifts their position. Sighing, Agami returns to staring at the ceiling before noticing Ken sitting beside him. Agami slightly jolts in surprise when he sees him. How long was he sitting there?

  Ken looks at him and says, “Don’t worry, I’m not dangerous.”

  Fixing his composure, he replies, “Gotcha.”

  The two don’t speak for a while, not having anything to say to one another.

  Several minutes go by, and the awkwardness gets worse. Agami peeks to see his expression, and it looks as if Ken is in deep thought. Unable to handle it any longer, Agami asks, “So…uhm, how are you?”

  Ken doesn’t respond, lost in his own thoughts.

  Agami tries again, “Hello?”

  Ken suddenly looks at Agami, realizing he is talking to him, “Oh, are you asking me?”

  “Well, yeah,” Agami answers.

  “I’m…I’m alright.”

  “That’s good to know.” Agami looks at the people Ken brought with him, well, two of them. “You're no longer working with Senzo and Byron?”

  Ken remains silent for a few seconds before answering, “You could say that, yes.”

  “Did you have a falling out?”

  “No, no… There were just some complications,” Ken answers, a sound of defeat in his voice.

  Agami lies back on the couch, saying, “Sorry to hear that.”

  “You’re sorry? Why?” Ken asks, confused by the remorse.

  “Well, from how you said it, you sound disappointed.”

  “You aren’t wrong,” Ken sighs before changing the subject, “By the way, those recorders, where are they?”

  “Recorders?” He says in confusion.

  “Yes, the ones you used in the Ascenders meeting last night. Do you have them?”

  “Oh, those,” Agami responds in realization, “Olya took them to Gearfried.”

  “Noted. Thanks,” Ken replies.

  The two sit in silence for a bit before Agami changes the topic. “So, how did you do that arm and eye thing last time?”

  “Arm and eye thing?” Ken becomes silent, thinking. He remembers the interrogation and answers, “Oh, right. The interrogation three days ago.” He pauses again for a minute before he answers, “I am not sure. All I know is I say the words and the stakes are taken.”

  Agami gives a confused look and asks, “Stakes?”

  “Oh, right.” Ken pauses for a moment before continuing, “So to put it simply, I can make bets using things other than money. For example, that night you were interrogating me, I bet my arms and eyes that I could convince you just by telling the truth; hence, my arms and eyes were taken.”

  “That’s pretty…cool…I guess?” Agami says after listening.

  “Is there something wrong with what I said?”

  “Well, it just got me thinking…can you make any kind of bet and stake?”

  Ken touches his chin, “Not really. The bet and wager need to be related. Plus, I can’t use money until I clear my debt.”

  “Oh, cool. Is there anything else you can’t bet?” Agami asks.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, from how it sounds. You can bet body parts and money. Well, without debt, I mean. Those two things are really different if you think about it. One thing that isn't attached to you and one other that is.”

  Ken pauses in thought, as if realizing something, “Interesting. I haven’t thought about the limits.”

  “Then another thing,” Agami says as he interrupts Ken’s thoughts, “What's the purpose of it?”

  “Purpose?”

  “Yeah, purpose.” Agami shows his right arm, “The armament on my hand uses Soul Power to give me cool abilities.”

  “Soul Power?” Ken repeats with a confused expression.

  “It’s a long story, but the reason it needs to do that is so I can fight and… absorb Benefactors?” Agami pauses as he quickly looks around for Tenmei. Earlier, he flew off to give Agami some alone time in the shower, but he hasn’t seen him since. “Well, to absorb for now. So mine is to Vanquish them- wait, Vanquish, that's the word!” Agami smiles as he remembers the terms Tenmei used.

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  “So that’s what you used… You really did take him out,” Ken says in surprise.

  Agami scratches the back of his head and says, “Well, it was actually Tenmei that did all of that.”

  “Tenmei?”

  “It’s the soul of my grandfather. He passed his power down to us to take down the benefactors. You can’t see him without an armament, but he is usually floating around.”

  “I see,” Ken goes silent for a few seconds, digesting the information that Agami shared with him. “What is its purpose?” Ken asks as he stares at the ceiling. The conversation runs dry as Ken becomes more distracted by his thoughts, so Agami returns to waiting for Gearfried to wake up.

  While waiting, he looks on the balcony to find Imino and Sora speaking to Tenmei. Answering his question to where he had disappeared. Returning his attention to the twins, it seems that Vito was victorious in the game, unsure what happened in between the last time he looked.

  Deciding to entertain himself by watching television, he reaches for the remote. As he grabs it, Olya and her new friend call everyone over for dinner. Before he reaches the dining room, Olya calls Agami to her.

  She is busy preparing a plate as he walks over and asks, “Hey. Sorry to do this, Stella and I are busy preparing dinner and need an extra pair of hands.”

  “So that's her name?” Agami says as Stella walks past them, finally able to put a name to the face.

  “In the meantime, could you please take this over to Gearfried? He has a super specific diet and will be hungry when he wakes up.”

  “Sure,” he simply responds.

  She smiles as she hears his answers, “Thank you! I’ll be sure to save you a spot at the table. Here is his meal, drink, and supplements,” She walks back to the kitchen, leaving Agami to do his tasks.

  Picking up the tray of items, he walks to his bedroom…well, Gearfried's for now. Balancing the tray on one hand, he knocks on the door and awaits a response.

  “Come in!” Gearfried's voice suddenly responds.

  Opening the door, Agami says, “Hey. I’m supposed to deliver your me-” He suddenly cuts off in surprise as he notices Gearfried's body. It was rare for Gearfried to be seen without his baggy clothing, but Agami only caught glimpses of what was underneath. In front of him sat Gearfried, his shirt off, revealing a body that was half mechanical. Maybe even more so underneath. A specialized toolbox sat beside him as he held a screwdriver in his right hand, adjusting a part of his upper legs.

  Noticing his nephew's surprise, Gearfried calmly says, “Oh, right, didn't mention that I am basically half machine. My bad.”

  He places the tray on the bedside table near him, not tearing his focus away from the moving mechanical parts. Curious, Agami asks, “What happened to you?”

  Gearfried sighs, “Let’s just say a mix of consequences and decisions from my youth.”

  Agami doesn't hide his stare, continuing to ask questions, “So what are you fixing?”

  “From my check-up today, Helga told me to properly maintain myself. She gave me full access to the inner parts with free rein to tune my body how I want.” He mutters something under his breath.

  “I’m sorry?” Agami says, asking Gearfried to repeat himself.

  “It's nothing,” Gearfried quickly responds. Changing the subject, he asks, “So how are you adjusting? Imino heard from Dad that you were a little insecure earlier.”

  “From Sora?” Agami says in surprise.

  “No. Tenmei. My father and your grandfather.”

  “Oh, right. Keep forgetting that.”

  Gearfried tightens a screw on his leg and moves his ankle. “Much better,” Gearfried says. He places the screwdriver on the table beside him and grabs the tray Agami placed.

  “I was worried about my strength earlier, but after talking to Tenmei about it, I feel much better.”

  “That's good. And relationship-wise?”

  “With Sora and Imino?”

  He opens the drink Olya left for him as he says, “I meant in relation to everyone, but that's fine.”

  “Well, I have been getting to know Imino better. She is pretty cool and has been warming up. Sora has also been friendly to me, but there's just something off.”

  “I noticed,” Gearfried says.

  “What do you mean?”

  “From what I hear, you are saying that you are getting along with them, but you still don't know them. Possibly why you haven't even fully accepted them.” Gearfried takes a bite out of his meal after he speaks.

  “I haven’t accepted them?” Agami asks as he sits on the chair, “How do you know that?”

  “Since your arrival, I have only heard you call them by their name. Even Danzo and the twins.”

  “Oh, I'm sorry. it-”

  “Don't apologize,” Gearfried interrupts, “I can't imagine being in your situation right now. Coming back to life. Discovering your real family. Being a part of a larger picture. Must be a lot to take in. Don't let it bother you. I'm guessing Dad is trying his best as well. Trying to prevent you from spiraling and keep you on track. If it becomes too much, I understand if you want to get temporarily away and clear your head. Just let me know and I'll accompany you somewhere. Still can’t have you roam alone with the Benefactors after you.”

  Standing up, Agami nods and says, “Thanks, Gearfried.”

  “Don’t mention it. Now go and enjoy dinner. I'll be out shortly.”

  Agami leaves the room and closes the door. Entering the dining room, he finds dinner in full swing. Not everyone is at the table, especially his family. The twins are eating in front of the television, watching Cosmic Shine, while Imino and Sora eat on the balcony with Tenmei.

  Olya waves at him from the table and points to an empty seat next to her. Taking the kind offer, he sits and grabs a plate, dishing out his meal. As he looks around the table, he notices the dynamics before him. To his left sat Danzo and the dark-haired lady from earlier. Danzo had a blank expression as she was doing her best to grab his attention.

  On his and Olya's right sat Ken and Stella. From the fragments of conversation he can gather, Stella is giving ideas and plans, while Ken explains why they wouldn't work.

  Olya is busy speaking to the person in front of them. She invites him into the conversation, learning that the person across from them is named Bristol.

  While eating, Olya asks, “So what happened to you guys? Stella tried to explain, but her version sounded a little…”

  “Nonsensical,” Bristol says as he takes another serving of salad, “I still can’t get over how fast bad things went, but she probably isn't embellishing. All I can say is that when those freaks tried to enter through the door, Sora smashed through them without issue. I think he was even playing with them. Heh, that's what you get for facing an Apex.”

  “Right,” Olya smiles in agreement.

  “An Apex?” Agami asks, stopping mid-bite.

  “Yep. Apex. They are the strongest in one aspect, which makes them an Apex. For example, Sora is the Apex in strength due to his, well, strength, and Imino in speed.”

  “Although, isn’t Sora also there in terms of endurance?” Bristol adds.

  “He does qualify, but said it's boring to have multiple titles and would rather just keep the one,” Olya says as she shrugs her shoulders.

  The three continue their conversation throughout the night. Eventually, Gearfried joined, but by the time he arrived, they were cleaning up.

  Taking his return as a cue, Agami retires for the night, the exhaustion from the day's

  training finally catching up with him. Once his head hit the pillow, he was overcome with sleep.