The night passed peacefully.
For the first time in a long while, the world of Kael'Ar experienced a morning without the immediate threat of destruction hanging over its inhabitants. The sun rose above the eastern horizon, bathing the cities in warm golden light. Merchants opened their shops, adventurers prepared for their daily expeditions, and the streets gradually filled with people returning to their usual routines.
The war had ended. Life continued and in the city of Arkion, inside the Hoshigawa Restaurant, its owner was having a rather unpleasant morning.
Arata Kurogane lay on his bed upstairs, staring at the ceiling with a blank expression.
He had been awake for several minutes. He simply didn't feel like getting up. "What an irritating situation." His gaze drifted toward the window.
He had spent considerable time establishing himself in Arkion. The restaurant had become his place of residence, the children had grown accustomed to his presence, and his daily routine had developed into something he genuinely enjoyed.
He could wake up whenever he wanted, cook whatever he felt like eating, read in peace, and ignore anyone who tried to involve him in their affairs.
It was an excellent arrangement.
Unfortunately, the Great Circuit had other plans.
"I finally establish a comfortable life, and now I have to leave it behind."
Arata sighed.
He was not particularly attached to the city itself. Arkion was merely one place among many, and he could always return whenever he wished. However, the restaurant was different.
It was more than a building where he cooked meals.
It was where he had built a small, ordinary life away from the expectations associated with the Kurogane name. The children had become part of that life, and leaving them behind was the only aspect of his departure that gave him any reason to hesitate.
Still, he had taught them well.
They could manage the restaurant without him.
And Veyra would be there to protect them.
That thought reassured him enough to finally sit up.
Arata crossed his legs on the bed, rested his hands on his knees, and closed his eyes for a moment.
"From now on, I'll have to take matters into my own hands."
His lips curved faintly.
"But this mystery surrounding the Great Circuit really does sound interesting."
For years, he had possessed the Soul Circuit without fully understanding the greater structure to which it belonged. He had learned through experimentation, battle, and the occasional discovery that forced him to reconsider everything he thought he knew.
Yet there was still so much he had not explored.
The forty-fifth dimension.
Evion and Semaki.
The connection between his circuit and Sirius's Pen of Creation.
The voice that had directed Sirius toward him.
And, perhaps most importantly, the reason the Great Circuit contained infinite possibilities in the first place. He had spent enough time accepting the information available in the books he had read.
It was time to look beyond them.
Arata opened his eyes and stood.
He crossed the room and stopped before the mirror.
His reflection stared back at him, his black hair slightly disheveled from sleep and his crimson eyes carrying their usual analytical calm.
He studied himself for a moment.
"To think I actually settled for the knowledge contained in those books."
A quiet laugh escaped him.
"How boring."
He turned away from the mirror and straightened his bed before opening his closet.
His usual casual clothes hung neatly inside. After a brief inspection, he selected a new outfit: a fitted black undershirt, a black pullover, and black trousers that matched his build. He finished with a pair of black shoes.
Nothing extravagant.
Nothing that announced his identity. Yet the simplicity suited him perfectly. Arata dressed, adjusted his sleeves, and ran a hand through his hair before returning to the window. He opened it. There was no wind outside.
Nevertheless, his hair moved gently, and the open edges of his pullover flowed as though an invisible breeze had begun circling him.
Arata looked out over Arkion.
The city was already awake. Sunlight illuminated the rooftops, and the streets below were filling with people who had no idea that the man standing above them had recently fought a being capable of commanding constellations.
He smiled. "Since I'm not going to continue my background role on Kael'Ar anymore, I'm going to do what I want." For once, he had no intention of restricting himself merely to preserve his anonymity on this planet.
He had already seen what happened when fear of the Soul Circuit became the foundation of an entire war. He had no interest in repeating the same mistakes by allowing other people's expectations to dictate his choices.
He would pursue the Great Circuit.
He would investigate the mysteries surrounding his power and if that meant stepping beyond the quiet life he had established in Arkion, so be it. Arata glanced toward the horizon, mentally reviewing the geography of Kael'Ar.
The planet possessed ten continents and was approximately five times larger than Earth. Its vast territories held countless civilizations, ancient ruins, powerful families, and places that even the most accomplished scholars struggled to understand.
Among the major regions he had learned about were Arkion, Karveth, Virelia, Amorak, Valhalla, the Sky Islands, Kameth, canyan ,jurang and Great Xiang, the homeland of the Kurogane family.
Great Xiang.
The name meant to soar.
Arata had always found the irony amusing.
His family had spent generations establishing itself among the strongest clans on the planet, yet he had chosen to become a restaurant owner and disappear into the background.
Perhaps that chapter of his life had finally reached its conclusion.
He turned away from the window.
"Before leaving, I'll visit my family for a day or two." A faint smile appeared on his face. "This should be entertaining." He opened his bedroom door and walked downstairs.
The restaurant was already awake.
The smell of freshly brewed tea drifted through the dining area, mixing with the fragrance of ingredients prepared for the morning's meals.
Sirius sat beside the familiar window, holding a cup of tea between her hands. She appeared perfectly comfortable, as though she had been living there for months rather than having arrived only the previous night.
Nearby, Rei, Mitsuki, Asar, and Nax were gathered around the kitchen.
Rei was thirteen now, while Mitsuki was fifteen. Asar and Nax were both fourteen. They had grown considerably since Arata had first taken them in, and the differences were becoming increasingly apparent in their personalities and behavior.
Rei was the first to notice him.
She turned toward the stairs, and her eyes widened.
"Good morning, Boss!"
Mitsuki, Asar, and Nax immediately looked up.
"Good morning, Boss!" they greeted together.
Arata smiled as he approached.
"You're all up early."
"We have work to do," Mitsuki replied.
"Someone has to keep this place running," Asar added.
Nax nodded seriously. "And make sure breakfast doesn't burn."
Arata looked at him.
"Did you burn something yesterday?"
"No."
Mitsuki turned toward him.
"He did."
"Traitor!"
Arata chuckled. Their bickering was familiar, comforting even. He had heard countless variations of the same arguments over the years, and he suspected that he would miss them more than he wanted to admit.
Rei, however, was barely listening to her siblings. She was staring at Arata's outfit. Her eyes practically sparkled. "Big brother, you look so cool today!" Arata glanced down at his clothes.
"Do I?"
"Yes! Really cool!" She stepped closer, examining the black pullover and the way the outfit fitted him. "You look like someone important!" Mitsuki folded her arms. "The Boss was always cool."
From her seat by the window, Sirius turned around. The moment she saw Arata, she paused.Something about him seemed different.
Yesterday, he had been visibly annoyed by her presence. He had sighed whenever she followed him, questioned her intentions, and treated her decision to remain near him as an unnecessary inconvenience.
Today, however, that tension was gone.
He seemed lighter somehow.
Not weaker, nor less calculating, but more comfortable with himself. The irritation that had surrounded him the previous evening had disappeared, replaced by an almost playful confidence.
Sirius studied him for a moment.
Then she looked down at her tea, hiding a small smile.
So you have this side to you as well.
She had begun to suspect that the personality Arata showed to the world was only one part of who he really was.
Now she was becoming more certain of it.
Arata continued toward the kitchen, where the children had gathered. He stopped in front of them and looked at each one carefully.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then his expression softened.
"You kids have grown up."
The four exchanged glances.
Arata reached out and patted Rei on the head, then Mitsuki, Asar, and Nax in turn.
"I still remember the day I took you all in."
Rei's smile faltered slightly.
Mitsuki lowered her gaze.
Asar's hands tightened at his sides, while Nax suddenly seemed very interested in the floor.
They knew something was different about this morning.
Arata rarely gathered them together just to talk.
And he had never looked at them quite like this.
He withdrew his hand and spoke calmly.
"I'll be leaving you in charge of the restaurant."
The room fell silent.
Rei blinked.
"What?"
"I've taught you everything you need to know to run this place. You know how to cook, manage the supplies, handle customers, and keep the accounts in order. You can use the restaurant however you see fit."
He glanced toward the dining area.
"There's money in my room as well. Enough to help you establish yourselves and build your lives. Use it wisely."
Mitsuki stared at him.
"Boss, where are you going?"
"Somewhere I need to be."
"How long will you be gone?" Asar asked.
Arata considered the question.
"I don't know."
That answer hurt more than any definite departure could have.
Nax lowered his head.
"So you're really leaving?"
"For a while."
Arata looked at them, his smile returning.
"When I come back, I want to see how great you've all become. Don't spend your lives waiting for me to return. Make a name for yourselves."
His gaze moved from one child to the next.
"Build something you're proud of. Learn new things. Travel if you want to. Find out what kind of people you want to become."
He paused.
"And don't let anyone convince you that you have to live according to someone else's expectations."
The words carried a meaning the children could not fully understand.
Arata knew what it meant to have others expect something from him simply because of his family name. He knew how easily a person's life could become a performance designed to satisfy everyone except the person living it.
He did not want that for them. They deserved to decide their own futures.
Rei's eyes began to fill with tears. "Big brother..." Mitsuki turned her face away, trying to regain her composure. Asar pressed his lips together, and Nax's shoulders trembled slightly.
Then Rei stepped forward and hugged Arata.
The others followed. Within seconds, all four had gathered around him, holding him as though they could somehow convince him to stay. Arata stood still for a moment. Then he wrapped his arms around them.
His expression softened.
"Come on. Don't make it difficult."
"You're the one leaving!" Rei cried.
"That's true."
"Then don't tell us not to cry!"
Arata gave a quiet laugh.
"Fair enough."
He held them a little closer.
For someone who had always preferred solitude, he found it surprisingly difficult to pull away.
The children had become part of his life without him realizing how much they mattered. Their presence had turned the restaurant into something more than a convenient place to stay.
It had become home.
And leaving home was never as simple as walking out of a door. Eventually, the children loosened their embrace. Mitsuki wiped her eyes and took a breath.
Then she looked at the others. Asar nodded. Nax reached beneath the counter. Rei stepped back from Arata, her cheeks still damp. Together, they produced a carefully folded black scarf. Arata looked down at it.
The scarf was made from fine silk, woven with intricate geometric patterns that crossed the fabric in precise, repeating arrangements. The craftsmanship was far better than he would have expected from a group of children who had been staying up late every night.
He accepted it and examined the stitching. His eyes narrowed slightly.
"So that's why you guys were so tired every night." The children froze. Arata looked at them. "You've been staying up late making this, haven't you?" Mitsuki scratched her cheek.
"Maybe."
"All of you?" Asar nodded. Nax rubbed the back of his neck. "It took longer than we expected." Rei smiled through her tears. "Happy birthday, big brother." For the first time that morning, Arata's expression genuinely changed.
His eyes widened slightly. He looked down at the scarf again. His birthday. He had been so occupied with the war, the Great Circuit, and the mysteries surrounding Sirius that he had completely forgotten.
He had not expected the children to remember.
For a moment, he remained silent. Then he smiled. "Thanks, guys." His voice was quieter than before. He unfolded the scarf and wrapped it around his neck, adjusting the ends until they rested comfortably against his pullover.
The geometric patterns contrasted with his otherwise simple black outfit.
He glanced at his reflection in the nearby window.
It suited him. More importantly, it meant something. Arata looked back at the children. "You reminded me of something." They exchanged curious glances. Arata raised his hand. "Veyra." A faint shimmer appeared beside him.
The little dragon materialized on his shoulder, blinking sleepily before looking around the kitchen. Its small body settled comfortably against Arata's neck. "Master?" Arata gently lifted Veyra and placed the creature on the floor. Then he raised his hand again. The seal that had concealed Veyra's true form began to dissolve.
A series of intricate markings appeared around the little dragon, glowing with a controlled crimson light. Its body grew taller as its shape changed, and the transformation unfolded without disturbing anything in the surrounding room.
Within moments, the small dragon had become a humanoid figure.
Veyra now stood tall, with long black hair, narrow crimson eyes, and two red horns emerging from his head. His features retained the unmistakable qualities of a dragon, although his form was now suited to moving among humanoid inhabitants.
He looked down at his hands. Then he touched one of his horns. "...Oh." Rei's mouth fell open. Nax took a step backward. Asar stared. Mitsuki blinked several times.
"Veyra?" The transformed dragon turned toward them. "Yes." Arata placed a hand on Veyra's shoulder. "Listen carefully. While I'm away, you'll protect the children and this restaurant." Veyra immediately straightened.
"Understood."
"Keep the place safe. Help them when necessary, but don't interfere with every little problem. They need to learn how to handle things themselves." Veyra lowered his head slightly. "I will follow your orders, oh great one." Arata gave him a flat look. "And stop calling me that in front of them."
"Understood, Master."
Rei stared at Veyra with wide eyes. "You're going to stay with us?"
Veyra turned toward her. "That is my assignment." She smiled. "Then we're counting on you!" The others nodded, their sadness temporarily displaced by their curiosity about Veyra's new form.
Arata watched them for a moment.
"Good. They would be safe."
He had ensured that the restaurant could continue operating, provided the children with enough resources to establish their futures, and assigned Veyra to protect them if anything unexpected occurred.
There was little else he could reasonably do. He turned toward the entrance. "All right. I'm leaving." The children's smiles faded again. Rei stepped forward and hugged him one last time. Mitsuki followed, then Asar and Nax.
Arata returned their embrace. "Take care of yourselves," he said. "And remember what I told you." "We will," Mitsuki replied. "Come back soon, big brother," Rei whispered.
Arata smiled. "I'll try." He released them and walked toward the door. He stepped outside. Sirius rose from her seat, placed her cup on the table, and followed him.
The door closed behind them. For several moments, the children remained where they were. Then Rei wiped her cheeks and looked at the others. "We have a restaurant to run." Mitsuki nodded. "Let's get to work."
Asar began organizing the kitchen, while Nax hurried to check the morning supplies. Veyra watched them for a moment before taking his place near the entrance. The Hoshigawa Restaurant would continue and when Arata returned, he would find that the children had grown even further. That was the promise they intended to keep.
Arata stood outside the restaurant, his hands in his pockets.
Sirius appeared beside him, looking back at the building. "So," she asked, "what now?" Arata glanced at her. "I'll be visiting my family for a few days." He smiled faintly. "This will be entertaining." Sirius studied his expression.
There was something about the way he said it that made her suspicious. She knew enough about Arata by now to understand that his definition of entertainment was not necessarily shared by ordinary people. "What exactly do you mean by entertaining?"
Arata began walking. "You'll find out." Sirius followed him for a few steps before another thought crossed her mind. She turned toward him. "Wait a minute."
Arata glanced over his shoulder. "What?" She hesitated. Then, with an expression that seemed to be half curiosity and half disbelief, she leaned closer. "Are you suggesting that I go as your temporary wife?"
Arata stopped.
For a moment, he simply looked at her. Then his lips curved into a smile. "Since you want to play, I'll satisfy you." He turned toward her and walked closer, reducing the distance between them until Sirius instinctively straightened.
Arata leaned forward slightly. "What if I was?" Her golden eyes widened. He maintained his smile. "Would you still tag along?"
Sirius took a small step backward. Her composure, which had remained intact through their conversations about the Great Circuit and the mysteries of their connection, suddenly became considerably less reliable.
"Of... of course not!" She turned her face away. "I wouldn't do something like that!" Arata watched her for another moment. Then he smiled more broadly and turned away. "Unfortunately, that's not the reason."
Sirius froze. Arata resumed walking as though nothing unusual had happened. "My family is one of the strongest clans on this planet. My father must have noticed that everyone was placed into a state of deep sleep during the battle."
He glanced at the sky. "That's how strong he is. He would have recognized that something was wrong, even if he couldn't see the exact circumstances." Sirius slowly turned toward him. Arata continued.
"And I'm already aware that a few others have probably noticed as well. The Soul Circuit isn't exactly subtle when existence itself nearly comes to an end." He spoke with complete indifference. "My visit might be more interesting than I initially expected." Sirius remained silent.
Her cheeks were red. "Humph! I was played." She glared at the back of his head. "How dare he?" Arata appeared entirely unconcerned with the indignation radiating from beside him. Sirius quickened her pace until she was walking at his side.
He snapped his fingers.
Space folded around them.
The streets of Arkion disappeared, replaced by a vast landscape of rolling hills and distant mountains. A cool breeze swept across the open terrain, carrying the scent of trees and fresh earth.
In the distance, an enormous estate stood surrounded by towering walls.
Its architecture combined traditional grandeur with the imposing presence of a clan that had held power for generations. Several buildings rose above the surrounding gardens, and watchtowers overlooked the roads approaching the property.
The Kurogane Estate.
Arata stood at its outskirts, his hands returning to his pockets.
Sirius looked toward the distant buildings.
"So this is where you were born?"
"Yes."
She glanced at him.
"You don't seem particularly excited."
Arata looked at the estate for a moment.
Then he smiled.
"Excited? No."
His crimson eyes narrowed with quiet amusement.
"But I'm curious to see how my family reacts when I show up without warning."
He began walking toward the estate.
Sirius followed, her white hair moving in the morning breeze.
Behind the distant walls, the Kurogane clan continued its daily routine, unaware that its youngest son had arrived.
Arata had left the restaurant behind. He had stepped away from his quiet life in Arkion.
And for the first time in a long while, he was returning to the place where his story had begun—not as the powerless side character his family had once sent away, but as someone who had decided to write his own future.
Whether the Kurogane clan was prepared for that future remained to be seen.