Cetza

Dad's gaze locked onto Calamitas, his expression unreadable at first—then, slowly, his eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. The muscle in his temple twitched as his arms crossed over his chest, his fingers drumming once against his forearm before curling into a slow, deliberate fist.

A dangerous, unsettling silence filled the space between them.

Uncle Hinata, ever composed, simply let out a low hum, his wings shifting slightly as he observed the unfolding tension. "Ah, so you finally see the surprise I arranged."

Dad exhaled through his nose. "You planned this."

"Of course," Hinata replied smoothly. "I thought it best to handle this personally."

Dad's eyes flicked between him and Calamitas, a storm brewing beneath his otherwise controlled demeanor. "I'm debating whether to punch you square in the face—" his gaze snapped back to Calamitas, sharp and assessing— "or to attack her on principle."

Calamitas smirked, clearly unfazed. "Oh, please. If you were going to attack me, you would've done it already."

Reilan stiffened beside me, his grip on his sword tightening. Asmodeus, still grinning from earlier, now looked between the three adults with growing amusement. "Wow. This is the most awkward family reunion I've ever seen."

I remained silent, watching as my father rolled his shoulders once, exhaling through his nose before turning back to Hinata. "We'll talk about this. Inside."

Uncle Hina inclined his head. "As expected."

Without another word, the gates swung open.

The doors to the Tomaszewski estate shut behind us with an unsettling finality. The tension in the air felt suffocating, thick enough to drown in.

Dad stood just inside the grand foyer, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. His sharp eyes flicked between Calamitas and Hinata, the weight of his scrutiny pressing down like a vice.

"Talk. Now," he commanded, his voice dangerously low.

Uncle Hina only gave a small, amused hum, folding his arms leisurely. "No pleasantries, Tomaszewski?"

Dad's glare sharpened. "You don't get pleasantries after pulling this. Exp-"

"Enough," my mother's voice rang through the foyer, steady and composed. Mom stepped forward, her gaze flickering between the gathered figures before settling on her husband. "Whatever this is, it can wait until everyone is seated and not glowering at each other like children about to duel."

Dad's jaw tightened, but he said nothing as she turned toward the others. "I'll have drinks brought in. Reilan, Chiori, come with me."

She didn't wait for a response before turning on her heel, already walking toward the hallway leading to the kitchens. I hesitated, glancing at my father, but the look in his eyes told me this wasn't a request.

Reilan gave me a subtle nudge, and I sighed before following my mother, leaving the tension-filled room behind—for now.

Calamitas chuckled softly, unbothered. "I've never seen you shut up that quickly before." She smirked, leaning back slightly as if enjoying the moment. "You were going to send for me eventually. Consider this saving you the trouble."

Dad exhaled sharply through his nose, his fingers twitching in frustration. "That's irrelevant. The decision wasn't yours to make."

"And yet," Hinata interjected smoothly, "the decision is made. You should be thanking me, really."

Dad's glare turned on him with full force, his body tensing as if considering whether this was the moment to finally punch Hinata square in the jaw.

Asmodeus remained in the room, standing slightly off to the side, equally uncertain of what would happen next. Unlike the rest of them, he looked way too entertained by the whole thing.

"So?" Asmodeus piped up, grinning. "She's teaching Chi, right?"

The silence that followed his words was so dense it might as well have collapsed in on itself.

Asmodeus groaned, throwing his hands up. "What? It's a valid question!"

Calamitas smirked, amused at the whole exchange. "Smart boy. He's got the right idea."

Dad inhaled slowly, turning fully to face her. "Even if I wanted this, why would you accept?"

Calamitas tilted her head. "Because I'm curious."

Asmodeus scoffed. "That's it?"

Calamitas ignored him, her amber eyes glinting as she met Dad's gaze. "Your daughter is an anomaly. And I like anomalies."

Dad's expression darkened. "That's not an answer."

"It's the only one you're getting." Calamitas crossed her arms. "Let's not pretend you don't already know she's dangerous. I'm here to make sure that danger is controlled."

Dad's jaw tightened. "She's not a weapon."

"No," Calamitas agreed. "She's worse. A weapon is predictable. She's something new. And you know as well as I do that new things make the world very, very nervous."

The door to the room opened, and I stepped in alongside Reilan, carefully balancing a tray of drinks, my mother following behind us.

We had walked in just in time to hear Calamitas' last words. My grip on the tray tightened slightly as my gaze flicked toward my father, his jaw clenched, his posture stiff. Whatever had been said before we arrived, I could tell it hadn't done anything to ease his mood.

"Oh?" Calamitas glanced at me, her smirk deepening. "And here she is. Speak of the anomaly."

Reilan shot her a sharp glare but wisely said nothing as he set his own tray down on the nearby table. Asmodeus, still looking far too entertained by the whole thing, reached for a drink immediately, as if oblivious to the tension still crackling in the air.

Hinata, who had been watching the exchange with mild amusement, finally stepped forward. "You don't have a choice, Tomaszewski."

Dad turned to him sharply. "Excuse me?"

"Do you really think you can keep her hidden forever?" Hinata's tone lost its usual teasing edge, his golden eyes sharpening. "Sooner or later, the world will find out what she can do. And when that happens, you need someone who can handle that fallout."

He gestured toward Calamitas. "And I think we both know—there's no one else qualified."

Silence.

Dad clenched his jaw, his fingers drumming once against his arm before he exhaled slowly. He wasn't convinced. But he wasn't rejecting it either.

Which meant—

I had just gained a tutor.

One that terrified my father.

Mom, ever composed, turned toward Calamitas with a small, knowing smile. "Thank you for taking on this responsibility. Chiori will benefit greatly under your instruction."

Calamitas studied her for a moment before her gaze flickered back to dad. "Ah. Now I see why he yielded so quickly." A chuckle escaped her lips, but there was something thoughtful behind it.

With the matter seemingly settled, Hinata exhaled and stretched slightly. "Well, I suppose that concludes things for today. Asmodeus, let's go."

Asmodeus, mid-sip, nearly choked. "What? Now?"

Hinata's golden gaze leveled on him. "Yes. We have a talk to start. About the weapons shop."

The blood drained from Asmodeus's face. He looked at his father, and pure, unfiltered hostility radiated off Hinata in waves. The air itself felt heavier; his usual calm now sharpened into something far more ominous.

A chill ran down Asmodeus's spine, his expression tightening as he slowly turned toward his father.

[Notice: Avian Demihuman named Asmodeus has entered a high-risk scenario. Predictive analysis suggests impending disciplinary action from Guardian Entity: Hinata Saegusa. Recommended course of action: Avoid eye contact and create distance.]

For once, Great Sage and I were in agreement.

I barely suppressed a smirk as Asmodeus swallowed hard. "...Oh no."

Hinata didn't wait for further protest. "We're leaving. Now."

Asmodeus sighed dramatically, shoulders slumping as he trudged toward the door. "If I don't return, tell the world my story."

Hinata placed a firm hand on his son's shoulder, steering him forward with a grip that allowed no escape. "You'll return. Just a little more disciplined."

The door shut behind them, leaving a momentary silence in their absence.

Dad exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple before leveling a sharp gaze at Calamitas. "I need to understand exactly what your plans are for my daughter."

Calamitas smirked, tilting her head slightly. "Oh? And here I thought you'd already accepted it."

Mom stepped in smoothly, her voice measured but firm. "Calamitas, we appreciate your willingness to take Chiori as your student, but we need to know what this training entails. What exactly do you intend to do?"

Calamitas hummed, tapping a finger against her arm before shrugging. "Simple. I'll shape her into something the world isn't ready for." She let the words settle, watching the immediate irritation flicker in dad's eyes. Before he could snap, she waved a hand lazily. "Relax, Tomaszewski. I don't intend to break her—just refine what's already there."

Dad clearly wasn't convinced, but mom pressed forward. "Then at least tell us what you need to know before starting."

Calamitas turned toward Chiori, amber eyes sharp with curiosity. "What skills does she have?"

Dad straightened slightly, his stance shifting to something more guarded. "Her magic form is Summoner. Her element is Gravity."

Calamitas chuckled softly, shaking her head. "I know."

Silence stretched in the room as both dad and mom exchanged a look—one of immediate confusion and concern. They never told her. And Chiori wouldn't have spoken of it either.

Mom narrowed her eyes slightly. "How do you know that?"

Calamitas flicked her gaze toward Chiori before answering, her tone casual. "Because I stopped her from using magic earlier."

Satoshi stiffened. "You what?"

"Temporarily," Calamitas clarified, rolling her wrist. "She was suspicious of me. Rightfully so, I might add. And in that moment, her magic reacted. That light wrist grab told me everything I needed to know."

Reilan, who had been silent for most of the exchange, suddenly stepped forward and dropped to one knee. His head bowed low. "I failed in my duty, Lord Tomaszewski. I was incompetent in protecting Lady Chiori. I take full responsibility."

Dad's gaze landed on him, but instead of anger, there was something else—something closer to approval. "You did your duty. You stood against someone leagues beyond you, knowing you couldn't win, and still tried to protect her. That is not incompetence, Reilan."

Reilan remained still, but there was a subtle shift in his shoulders, as if some of the weight had lifted.

Dad's gaze lingered on Reilan for a moment, but then slowly turned toward me, his sharp eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my stomach twist.

"We've had this conversation before, Chiori." His voice was low, dangerously controlled, the kind of tone that sent a shiver down my spine. "No magic. Especially in public."

His glare could have burned through steel, and for a second, I genuinely considered whether staying silent would be the best course of action. But before I could open my mouth, his fingers curled slightly, his fists clenching at his sides. "Do you understand the risk you took? Do you have any idea—"

"Oh, please," Calamitas interjected, lazily waving a hand. "Public? I wouldn't exactly call Garrik's shop 'public.' No normal person just stumbles their way in there."

Satoshi turned his glare on her, but she merely smirked, utterly unfazed.

I swallowed, keeping my expression neutral, but the weight of his words pressed down on me.

Calamitas continued, "now, let's get back to the important part. What skills does she actually have?"

Dad hesitated. "She has manifested her Summoner ability through an unusual construct—a tail. It behaves more like an extension of her body than a standard summoned entity."

Mom added, "Her gravity manipulation is instinctual, not structured. She has not been formally trained, but she demonstrates a natural grasp of spatial control."

Calamitas chuckled. "And her mana output?"

Dad exhaled. "We don't actually know."

Calamitas smirked. "No kidding. You've all been around her long enough to get used to it—her flaunting that ridiculous amount of magic like it's nothing."

Mom frowned slightly. "It's not like she does it on purpose."

Calamitas folded her arms. "Maybe not. But take her outside of this place, and anyone with half a brain would call her a monster."

Mom's expression darkened slightly, but she didn't refute the claim. "People have already been calling her something other than human."

Calamitas arched a brow at that, glancing between me and my parents. "Really? And what, pray tell, are they calling her?"

Dad's jaw tightened. "They claim she isn't fully human because of her eyes."

Calamitas blinked. Then, slowly, she looked at me, then back at my parents. Then back at me again. Finally, she exhaled sharply and shook her head. "You're all human. What the hell are they talking about?"

My father exhaled, rubbing his temple. "It doesn't matter what we know. What matters is that people believe it."

My mother folded her arms, her face unreadable. "We understood this the moment we saw you use magic as an infant. That was when we realized the world wouldn't see you as just another child."

Calamitas scoffed. "Oh, so this isn't news to you. Good. Then you know that if you keep standing out, people are going to stop whispering and start acting."