As Delilah and Eric's transformed self, now referred to as "Handsome," walked away from the spot, Delilah's intentions were far from pure. She aimed to track down the old man and the child from Ganja, intending to put them out of their misery. But what she didn't know was that she was being watched.
Clara and Neko were perched on one of the rooftops, their eyes fixed on Delilah and Eric's Handsome as they disappeared into the distance. As soon as they were out of sight, Clara and Neko turned to face each other, their determination palpable.
Without a word, they nodded at each other, as if they had read each other's minds.
At that point, they separated, each taking on a different role. Neko descended to the ground, her eyes locked on Delilah as she trailed behind her, careful not to be seen.
Meanwhile, Clara ran along the rooftops, her feet pounding against the tiles as she jumped from one roof to the next. Her face was set in a determined expression, her eyes fixed on some point in the distance.
"Neko's gonna keep her eyes on the strange lady that did something to Meatso," Clara thought to herself as she ran. "In the meantime, I should go tell Daddy about this."
As Clara and Neko went about their mission, they couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. They were no strangers to destructive individuals entering their village, after all, Battleground Territory was a haven for rebels. But there was something about the strange woman's technique that made them hesitate.
The two 12-year-olds knew that their top priority was to protect the villagers without drawing attention to the problem. They had learned to navigate the delicate balance of keeping the peace while dealing with the occasional troublemaker. But Delilah's unique abilities had thrown them off guard.
"We can't take her on directly if it's just me and Neko," Clara thought to herself as she ran along the rooftops. "Maybe Daddy'll know what to do."
Meanwhile, Kiseki returned to the clock tower, his eyes fixed on the massive structure. He couldn't help but wonder about the history behind it. "How long did it take to build something so tall?" he mused, his curiosity piqued.
As he stood there, lost in thought, the clock tower loomed above him, its intricate mechanisms ticking away with a soothing rhythm. It was a reminder that even in a place like Battleground Territory, where chaos and destruction lurked around every corner, there was still beauty to be found.
Kiseki entered the clock tower, his footsteps echoing off the stone walls as he made his way to the room where Hikari and his grandfather were conversing. The air was thick with tension, and Kiseki could sense the weight of their discussion.
"It's still a suicide mission," Hikari said, his arms still crossed, his gaze stern and focused. "How can they be so sure I wouldn't plan an attack on Ganja myself?"
Kiseki's grandfather's expression was equally serious. "Ganja is your home," he said, his voice firm but laced with a hint of emotion.
Hikari's composure remained unwavering. "But Father—"
Kiseki's grandfather interrupted, his voice rising. "You have to protect it because that's where your family is!"
The room fell silent, the only sound the ticking of the clock tower's mechanisms. Hikari's expression remained unchanging, but his voice was laced with a hint of resignation. "Yes, Father."
Kiseki watched the exchange, his mind racing. "Whoa, Grandpa's behaving like Dad," he thought to himself.
Hikari's eyes drifted to Kiseki, and for a moment, they locked gazes. There was something unsettling about looking into Hikari's eyes, something that made Kiseki feel like he was staring into an unknown universe. It was a sensation that Kiseki had grown accustomed to, one that he had experienced whenever he looked into the eyes of his family members. The Indomu family's eyes seemed to hold a secret, a thin ring of brightness that rested in their blue pupils like a whispered promise.
Hikari's calm, deep voice broke the silence. "He's one of us, isn't he?"
Kiseki's grandfather looked at Kiseki and giggled, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. He turned back to Hikari, his expression serious once more. "Akira's firstborn," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Hikari's eyes flickered with a hint of emotion, but his face remained neutral. "Akira," he sighed, the name hanging in the air like a ghost. It had been years since he'd last heard his little brother's name, and the memories that came flooding back were bittersweet.
Hikari's calm, deep voice continued, his words measured and deliberate. "Brother... I'd love to see him and have a talk after all these years." He paused, his eyes clouding over for a moment. "I've decided to go along with this, Father. But only after I've had a discussion with the Ganja Village Board. I will only be visiting Ganja as the head of Battleground village... And more importantly, I desire to see Akira while I'm there."
The room fell silent, the only sound the ticking of the clock tower's mechanisms. Kiseki's grandfather's face was a mask of sadness, his eyes avoiding Hikari's. Kiseki's face, on the other hand, was frozen in terror, his eyes wide with fear.
Even at 13, he understood the pain of losing a loved one, and he knew that he wasn't going to be the one to deliver the news of Akira's death to his big brother, Hikari.
The silence hung in the air, heavy with unspoken emotions. Hikari waited calmly for a response, his neutral expression a mask for the turmoil brewing beneath the surface.
Kiseki walked out of the clock tower, his footsteps echoing off the stone walls. He stopped a little distance away, turning back to look at the door as he waited. As the minutes ticked by, his impatience began to surface. His foot tapped repeatedly against the ground, the rhythmic sound a testament to his growing frustration.
But Kiseki was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't notice Clara sneaking up behind him. Her curious face was a picture of mischief, her hand thrown high back in the air. Clara paused for a moment, observing Kiseki's impatient demeanor before her hand descended.
A hard slap, reminiscent of a rookie sumo wrestler, landed on Kiseki's back. He grunted in pain, the slap exacerbating the discomfort from the bandaged injuries hidden beneath his shirt. Kiseki spun around, gritting his teeth in annoyance. "Hey! What was that for?!" he exclaimed.
Clara's lips quivered as Kiseki yelled at her. "I thought you'd dodge it," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Kiseki's face twisted in incredulity. "Well, obviously I didn't!! Why would I?!" he retorted, his voice rising in indignation.
Clara's eyes shut tight, and she covered her ears, her lips quivering. "Clara," Hikari's calm voice interrupted the commotion as he and Kiseki's grandfather walked out of the clock tower.
"Daddy!", Clara exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with excitement. Kiseki's eyes narrowed in skepticism. "Daddy?" he repeated, his tone laced with confusion.
Clara ran over to Hikari, grasping his hand and looking up at him with tears clouding her eyes. "Daddy, he just started yelling at me! I didn't even do anything," she said, her voice trembling.
Kiseki's face twisted in frustration, his teeth gritted and his fist clenched. "Oh, you little!.." he began, but Clara quickly pointed at him, her lips quivering.
"See? He even said I'm not smart," she said, looking up at her father with a pitiful expression. "He's mean."
Kiseki's anger boiled over, and he took a step forward, his finger pointing accusingly at Clara. "Y... You're the one who hit me when I wasn't looking. That hurt like hell, you know!"
Clara's tears disappeared in an instant, replaced by an innocent, unknowing face. "But—" she began, before Hikari calmly intervened.
Hikari looked his daughter straight in the eye. "Did you hit him?" he asked, his voice firm but gentle.
Clara looked away, pouting with her arms folded. "I thought he'd dodge it," she muttered.
Hikari's expression remained calm, but a hint of disappointment flickered in his eyes. He patted Clara on the head, his voice soft. "Be polite with him, Clara. He's your cousin."
Clara and Kiseki's eyes widened in surprise, their voices echoing in unison. "Cousin?!" they exclaimed, their tones a stark contrast - Kiseki's annoyance palpable, while Clara's surprise was tinged with curiosity.