Friday April 8th, 2019.

  Tumbling head over heels, Helo and his party are swept back by the winds and force of high-level movement. Spitting the sand from his mouth and wiping his eyes Helo looks up to see what appears to be a sudden sandstorm.

  Only it isn’t a sandstorm, but a chase happening to try and catch Jabari. Helo can only track their movements by where the sand is being whipped up into a storm. Standing where she was seconds ago in her own personal grassy field, Yuki looks back with an apologetic look. “Sorry kids. I forgot to block that.”

  The only person to speak up is Hinata. To most of the party Yuki is their boss’s boss. Helo and Alli might be comfortable enough to speak up, but they don’t know Yuki enough to read the subtle hints of amusement in her eyes.

  “Not cool mom!” Hinata shakes out her clothes as she levels a glare on her mother. “It’s going to take forever to clean all this out.”

  Yuki covers her mouth with a delicate hand that can grind stone to dust and snickers to herself. Turing back to the fight she watches while the tier 1 party walks back up next to her. This time any wind or force that is generated during the fight is stopped before it can reach them.

  “Tch.” Yuki makes her annoyance known.

  “Is something the matter, Mrs. Kashiwagi?” Carl asks her in a respectful tone.

  Yuki looks toward the armored knight. “Nothing dear and call me Yuki. Jabari is just doing better than expected. He has quite a few items that are helping him stay alive.”

  The tier 1’s can’t see. But Micah and the tier 3 guards are chasing Jabari through the desert surrounding the pyramids. Every time Jabari comes close to being caught, he pulls out a random artifact or talisman and uses it to break free.

  Everything goes quiet as the chase enters the largest pyramid. Standing in front of Helo, Cleopatra and Akira are talking quietly while the remaining tier 2 guards are keeping watch. Off to the side the four teleporters that brought Micah, Akira, and Yuki here are waiting patiently.

  Stomping her way up to Cleopatra, the Queen’s guards tense as the angry mother approaches. Holding out a hand Yuki stares at the Queen expectantly.

  After a few seconds of glaring into one another’s eyes Cleopatra asks. “What?”

  “A Bennu Tear.” Yuki says while wiggling her fingers.

  Cleopatra stares at Yuki aghast. “A BENNU TEAR? Do you know how rare those are?!? They are only found in the deepest places within the Mausoleum.”

  Yuki shrugs and looks back at the stump where Helo’s arm should be. “This happened on your watch and a Bennu is within the same Mythological Family as a Phoenix. It can heal a missing limb without long term side effects or a multi-year long rehabilitation.”

  Cleopatra’s beautiful face slowly forms into one with resignation. Holding her hand over Yuki’s for almost ten seconds, the Queen sighs. “Fine…”

  From a ring on Cleopatra’s hand a circular object that shines like the sun drops down into Yuki’s hand. Without saying anything else Yuki nods to Cleopatra and gives her husband a wink. Then she walks back to the teenagers.

  Turing Yuki slowly starts to push the kids to the side. “Come on. I already approved it with your teacher, she is making sure that the other students are safe, let’s go.” Yuki shuffles them to the teleporters that she came with and instructs the two men to bring them back to Japan.

  With a twist of space, one that lasts longer than when the Spacecallers work, they appear in the outskirts of the main settlement in Japan. Helo looks on at the familiar walls and buildings, with the towering tree overhead and sighs in relief.

  On either side of the group the teleporters stagger slightly and look exhausted. Taking in their exhaustion, Yuki says. “You have the next two days off, go spend time with your families.”

  The younger of the two looks relieved at the news, but the older looks toward Yuki. “But Ma’am. What about Akira?”

  Yuki waves her hand casually. “He could have come with; he will just have to find another ride.”

  The men in the Twin Heiress party look on with surprise, she just left her husband in Egypt. But Gabi looks at Yuki with stars in her eyes. I want to be just like her when I’m older!

  “Come everyone.” Yuki says while leading the group into the main Kashiwagi residence. As they approach the central courtyard that houses the main house, the Dojo and the Mother Tree, Yuki shoos the party away into Hinata’s house that is off to the left side of the courtyard.

  “Go everyone, get settled in and get your rest. You will be staying here for the weekend.” Before Helo can leave Yuki grabs his hand. “Not you, you’re coming with me.”

  Yuki drags Helo into the main house and sits him down in the living room. Then she disappears after saying that she is going to go find Healer Eriana. As Yuki leaves Kristen appears and sets a cup of tea down in front of him.

  Finally in a safe place and sitting down, everything that happened starts to come back to him. Reaching for the tea, Helo comes up extremely short when his left arm isn’t even there anymore. Staring at where his limb is supposed to be Helo starts to think that he can feel it.

  Am I going crazy? Helo starts to think as his heart rate and breathing pick up. Dropping back into the couch, Helo stares up at the ceiling while trying to take deep breaths that just don’t seem to be coming.

  He isn’t sure how long he stays here hyperventilating, but his eyes regain their focus as he hears someone next to him.

  “Breathe child. Just breathe.” The white-haired grandmotherly healer says to him. “You know, last time you were here I told you to be more careful.”

  “Ha. Ah. Yeah… Sorry.” Helo struggles to speak at first, but he manages to catch his breath.

  “It’s fine child.” Looking at Helo with care and some worry, Eriana sighs. “It can be hardest for people like you.”

  “Like me?” Helo asks.

  “High vitality regenerators. Fighters like you just keep coming back, no matter how hard you get hit. But once you take a wound that you can’t easily heal from, it takes some getting used to. Most finally learn that they are not invincible.” Eriana says in a sad tone.

  “Thankfully Yuki really does love you.” Eriana starts some objects from a ring on her finger.

  Bennu Tear (Epic)

  A miraculous healing treasure. Legends say that only a mature Bennu that experiences heartbreak can produce a Bennu Tear. Can heal almost any wound, cure any poison, and banish any curse up to epic tier.

  Helo’s breath hitches at the sight of the glowing orb. It shines like the sun and radiates extreme levels of vitality and heat. “That’s….” Helo has no clue what to say as he stares at the item. His bloodline flips between desiring the item and making him wary of it.

  Seeing Helo’s hand reach out, then stop, pull back, and reach out again, Eriana smiles. “Well at least you have some common sense. This item is far too powerful for you to consume. If you survived, you would be in a worse state than when you started. At the same time, this item holds enough vitality for you to cultivate from where you started when you come to Japan, to past where you are now.”

  Eriana looks at the item with a smile. “Now this didn’t cost Yuki anything, from what she told me, she guilt tripped that haughty Queen. Good for her.” Eriana smiles at herself. “Anyway, this is how you know she loves you.”

  Eriana proceeds to pull tens of different natural treasures and magically enhanced plants from her storage ring. “Working with Kiyoki, who is a Master Alchemist. I can dilute the Tear into multiple extremely potent rare grade healing potions. But diluting it down to tier 1 or 2, without losing its most potent healing effect, regrowing what isn’t there. That takes a lot of time, skill, and resources.”

  Helo stares in awe as everything settles. Finally feeling like himself again, he asks. “How long?”

  Eriana shrugs. “A week, maybe two. Then you will need about a month of rehabilitation.”

  Seeing that Helo is feeling better, the grandmotherly healer stands up. After grabbing her cane, she looks back at Helo. “This does mean that you will have to put off your tier 2 advancement until your fully healed. One last thing, focus on what you can do right now, it will help you stay present.” Smiling at Helo, Eriana heads out to find Kiyoki.

  “What I can do right now...” Helo mutters to himself. Sitting back and relaxing takes a few seconds. He feels lopsided and has trouble getting comfortable. Laying down Helo starts to wonder what he can do. It doesn’t take long for him to start looking toward the new development.

  Activating ‘Bloodline Awakening’ Helo stares in awe as his veins glow with a warm copper light and wisps of dark purple shadow form around him.

  “What’s happening?” Helo says to himself, to him, it feels like a step back. It used to be gold and black. These new colors feel diluted to him.

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  Closing his eyes it takes Helo a few extra seconds to find the right headspace to gaze inward, but when he finally does, he almost shocks himself back out into the waking world.

  Shit! Helo looks around his core area. I totally forgot! For the last four months he has been constantly forcing his physical and mental energy to follow separate paths within his core area. But after his concussion, and during the fight, Helo forgot.

  Helo rushes to fix things, but when he reaches deeper into his metaphysical space, Helo sees something surprising. The silver-grey energy that is formed from the combination of his vitality attuned physical energy and his darkness attuned mental energy is seeping into his body and very slowly flowing toward his heart.

  What the…? Helo watches in confusion for a few seconds before reaching down with his will and pulling his two energies onto separate paths.

  He has no idea what is going on, if it happens to be a good thing, he can let the process continue later.

  After his energy is taken care of Helo’s mental gaze travels through his channels up and to his heart. Once he is there he stares in silent awe. This feeling gets him every time. The amount of power and… majesty that he can feel within his bloodline is amazing. Not to mention the intricate and powerful seal that wraps his heart and contains his bloodline.

  Looking inward, not much has changed with his bloodline, it still looks like strands of black and gold energy. Without external vitality to absorb, the black energy is coiling around and suppressing the golden energy.

  Helo awe continues, then he flinches as he remembers what just happened less than an hour ago. I need more control.

  Snapping out of his reverie, Helo studies the energy flowing in and finds small, tiny motes of silver gleaming within the gold and black. At the moment, it doesn’t look like anything is happening.

  Watching his bloodline lulls Helo into a comfortable daze. The energy feels like raw untapped power, but also personal and familiar. Before Helo realizes it, his metaphysical eyes close, just like his physical ones.

  Waking up the next day, Helo slowly rises from the depth of slumber. It takes a while, far longer than usual this last month. Hearing noises around him, Helo rolls to his side. He reaches out to grab his blanket, only for nothing to happen.

  Finally starting to wake up. Helo blinks slowly, the light is far brighter than his room should allow. He intentionally hung blackout blinds when he started sleeping in later, much to his alarm clock Hinata’s annoyance.

  It takes a few more seconds for his eyes to come into focus. Looking around Helo finally remembers where he is. He lay down on the comfortable sofa the night before, in the main house at the Kashiwagi clan.

  Turning to looks across from him, Helo finds Hinata and Alli talking. In their laps is sleepy Inka, and a very annoyed looking Lelai. “I know. He left you all alone.” Alli scratches Lelai’s long ears.

  “You poor fox, Helo is such a meanie.” Lelai’s annoyance slowly changes to tongue hanging contentment as she rolls over and lets Alli rub her stomach.

  Helo sighs, rolling all the way to the other side, Helo grabs the blanket and pulls it over his head. He has enjoyed growing closer to his party, especially the two heiresses. But not everyone got better when they got closer.

  Hinata is more than comfortable coming into his room in the morning and yanking away his warm blankets. Alli no longer tries to talk quietly when Helo is napping and has no issue sitting down next to him and chatting on the phone.

  “Ahhhggg.” Helo groans. “I’m up. You win!” Rolling over Helo pushes himself into a sitting position.

  He can’t see it but the two heiresses’ smirk at one another.

  Looking toward the window Helo tries to find the position of the sun. Giving up he asks. “What time is it?”

  “Oh? It is just after ten in the morning.” Alli says, reaching forward she grabs a treat from the table that separates the couches.

  Looking down Helo’s mouth drops as he finds a full spread of breakfast treats and a steaming tea.

  Hinata smirks at Helo and speaks. “Kristen already stopped by and set up a nice breakfast for Alli and I.”

  “In the room that I was sleeping in… In a different house than the one that you slept in…” Helo doesn’t know if he should feel annoyed or impressed by the audacity of the two teenage girls. “Silver Spoon.” Helo says and sticks his tongue out at Hinata and Alli.

  Hinata chuckles before responding. “At least I’m not some kind of cave creature.”

  Shrugging his shoulder Helo reaches toward the food. He doesn’t mind; he likes his cave. Sometimes, he even misses it. Especially when the two heiresses decide to wake him up.

  “So, what did you learn?” Hinata gestures to Helo’s missing left arm.

  “Well. Eriana said she needs two weeks to make a potion to regrow my arm, and then a month until I’m back to my peak.” Helo says as the crumbs from his treat fall onto the blanket in his lap.

  Hinata just rolls her eyes. “Cave Creature.” Helo gives Hinata a fanged smirk and goes back to eating.

  The five of them fall into a comfortable silence. Helo appreciates the quiet becomes it gives him some time to think about what he saw last night.

  He knows that he needs more control, he also knows that the silver energy is doing something to his bloodline. He just doesn’t know what. Part of him wants to just let it play out and see what happens.

  Leaning his head back Helo starts to mumble into the ceiling. “Maybe the silver energy will give me some kind of control? It changes both the gold and black energies into a different color, it affects them both.”

  “What?” Alli perks up and asks Helo. Out of the five of them. She and Inka are the two that like sitting quietly the least.

  Activating ‘Bloodline Awakening’ Helo shows Alli and Hinata the change. After the two girls get a good look at the changes, Helo explains what is happening and what he was thinking.

  Playfully swatting at the dark purple energy Alli says. “It’s prettier than the shadows.”

  Rolling his eyes Helo responds. “That isn’t the point.”

  “Well… The silver energy is pretty to, but it doesn’t really have a feeling.” Alli says absentmindedly as she lets the swirling purple wisps dance along her fingers.

  Helo sits up straight at what she just said. “You right.”

  Alli scoffs at Helo. “Duh.”

  “No… I mean… Yes.” Helo tries to comfort her while clinging to the thought he just had, only he doesn’t do so well.

  Hinata chuckles at the two of them.

  Helo summons a silver wisp and watches the energy move within his Will containment. “Maybe it needs an affinity.” Helo says while staring intently.

  The image reminds Hinata of what Helo did for the last month. Only instead of being lost, he looks revitalized.

  After sharing his ideas with Akira and Micah, both men agreed that finding an affinity that matches the silver energy, even if it isn’t the answer, is a good idea. Akira did mention that the silver motes might be affinity less, like pure mana.

  But Helo thinks it is unlikely. Maybe if it came from his pure physical and spiritual energy. But it only comes into being when his bloodline is involved, both sides, at the same time. Like his newly cultivated physical and spiritual energy.

  On Sunday Helo spends the entirety of the day within a Kashiwagi warehouse. Trying to mix his energy with random mana cores. Without a cultivation ritual set up he doesn’t risk absorbing any of the energy. Even if his null affinity would erase any harmful energy.

  While Helo does that, Alli and Hinata are with their parents in the main house at the Kashiwagi estate.

  Akira is slightly annoyed at his wife. She left him halfway around the world, with no way home. Fortunately, it was easy to find someone who could bring him most of the way back. Then with his tier 3 body and illusion affinity. He made it back quickly and without anyone seeing him.

  “So. School is going to look different after this attack. It was the second one this year on you all.” Graham says. He has been tense for the entire meeting. He has still been dealing with the fall out of Micah blasting Leo Carbani halfway across his country.

  “Yeah, that Bi…” Alli looks at her father. “Isla better not show her face.” She says, her posture shows just how much she wants to punch the other girl in her face. Not only did she invite Kenneth to her party, but she is working with the same people that attacked Mount Fuji.

  “Yes…” Akira looks out the window, his entire being just looks sad. “Things are coming to a head much faster than expected. There is supposed to be at least four more years until the Integration starts. But people are already making bold moves.”

  Yuki reaches over and squeezes her husband’s hand. “All we can do is prepare Love.”

  Akira sighs. “I know. That is why we are rolling out our new phones early.”

  “You are?” Hinata asks. As the sole heir to the clan, usually she hears about things like this.

  “Mhm. We just decided last night.” Akira gestures to himself, Graham, Yuki and Cheyenne.

  “The more people that have them, the more likely they will survive when things truly start.” Cheyenne says to the teenagers. “Once there is enough mana on earth to support the system, things that require extremely technological devices will start to fail, the first to go will be devices that are wireless.”

  “Exactly. We have been prepared for a long time. We already have enough phones made so that every person in Japan and in central and western USA can have one.” Graham looks pleased as he says that. “It will go a long way in mitigating the damage. The integration will be tough, then the war will make things worse.”

  “Why does there have to be a war?” Alli asks. She never truly understood. All sixteen of the clans already have a piece of territory, there isn’t reason to fight over one another’s.

  Graham looks sad as he answers. “When I was a kid, I dreamed of the Integration starting when I was a clan leader. I was already the Clan leader for five years when I learned that the Integration was coming. At that moment, I wished it was someone else.” Graham sighs.

  “The war needs to happen because the system won’t fully integrate earth until there is a world leader. A thousand years ago, all sixteen clans signed a treaty that we wouldn’t start attacking one another until the population was stable and could take care of themselves.” Graham says to Hinata and Alli.

  “The problem is… it seems like this group… The Undeserving. They want to weaken everyone. They aren’t part of the treaty.” Graham leans back into his chair. “Because of them, the already bloody Integration is going to get a while lot worse.”

  The next day when Alli and Hinata were picked up by four Spacecallers and brought back to school, many things were different. For one, Isla and many of the Australian students were missing. At the same time Luca and most of the Italian Guardsmen were much rougher with the students from other clans.

  Shopkeepers were getting weary as more shops were looted and vandalized. Due to this, Jorden and his party had a lot more work to do keeping everyone safe. But for the Two Heiresses and their party, they just kept their heads down and finished off their year. Their only goal is reaching tier 2. There is no way that they can reach tier 3 by the time the Integration starts. But they can do a lot more to help their people as tier 2’s.

  While his party went back to Iceland, Helo was kept back by Healer Eriana. She wants Helo to cycle his energy and prepare his body.

  Helo had no issue agreeing. His focus was on finding a matching affinity for his silver energy. He can feel it in his bones that whatever he is doing, it is the key to everything, control, a way forward, and new strength.

  As the two-week deadline creeps closer, Helo starts to feel more and more frustrated. He was hoping that by the time whatever potion Healer Eriana is making is done, that he would have found what he needed.

  One thing he was interested to learn was that after a few days of no longer letting the silver energy mix into his heart, his ‘Bloodline Awakening’ skill went back to its normal colors. But for some reason seeing the Gold and Black colors of the skill felt like a step backward for Helo.

  For the last week he even gave up on trying to sperate his energy. Along with his frenetic frustration, the extra mental strain was bothering him. After he gave up and let his energy mix, things got slightly easier. He no longer had to stop what he was doing every fifteen minutes mediate.

  Exactly two weeks after Healer Eriana promised to have the potion done, she showed up to the main house with Kiyoki and a brilliantly shining golden potion in hand.

  At the time Helo was in the Dojo with Akira. With only one arm his ability to fight using twin daggers is vastly weakened. Not to mention the fact that one of his Kukri was destroyed.

  At the same time, he can no longer wield a Naginata. He enjoyed learning the weapon, he enjoyed the technical skill that was necessary to wield the weapon. Training his body and energy control to use the techniques was also something he enjoyed.

  But no matter how much he trained, it would always feel more awkward than wielding twin daggers or even just fighting with his claws.

  With Helo back around the house and not able to do much, Akira spent some of his free time training Helo on how to wield Katana. To Helo’s surprise the movements and positions come easily.

  He is proud of himself until Akira mentions the similarities between the naginata and katana’s katas. But Helo still appreciates something to keep his mind off his lack of progress in finding a matching affinity, and his lack of left arm.

  “HELO!” Yuki shouts toward the Dojo from the front door of her house. “It’s done!”