Afternoon light pooled like warm tea on the floor, as Eastern Moon Aixue and Faya slipped away to student council work like swallows.

The Yumigawa sisters sat with Hill and Elyar at a four-player board, moving pieces like leaves on a quiet pond.

“Ugh, I’m bored, like a windless lake; I wish something, anything, would happen,” Yumigawa Senki murmured, sliding a piece like a drifting boat.

“Qianji Sister, forget it; you can’t do a single chore, like a cat trying to sweep,” Littlesky shot back, her tone crisp as frost.

“Indeed, I’ve despaired of thy housecraft, Yumigawa Senki, like a farmer staring at a barren field,” Elyar added, dry as winter reeds.

“Whatever; as long as Sumeragi’s here, it’s fine if I can’t cook or clean, like a chick under a warm wing—Sumeragi will take care of me,” Senki huffed, lips tilted like a careless breeze.

“Qianji Sister, you won’t get married like this; you cling to Big Brother like ivy on a wall,” Littlesky frowned, cheeks puffing like buns.

“Why would I marry out? I want a life with Sumeragi, like twin stars; let Sumeragi care for me forever, like a shadow at noon,” Senki declared, bold as a bell.

Her fondness for Yumigawa Sumeragi ran past sibling warmth, obvious as the noonday sun on white stone.

“How can you say something so shameless so righteously, like beating a gong in the street?” Littlesky grumbled, voice thin as smoke.

“Don’t you want to stay by Sumeragi’s side your whole life, Littlesky, like a lamp by the window?” Senki asked, eyes bright as dew.

“Of course I do,” Littlesky answered without a heartbeat’s pause, firm as an oak in wind.

Elyar breathed out like wind through reeds. “Our brother draws hearts easily, like a hearth on a cold night, though I’ve said it a hundred times.”

Truly, Elyar had never met a girl who disliked Yumigawa Sumeragi—Dark Demon aside—with the Mizumi Clan girls flocking like bees to spring blossoms.

“That’s only natural; who wouldn’t like Big Brother, clear as daylight? If someone doesn’t, they’re bad people, like thorns in a path,” Littlesky said, chin lifted like a small banner.

“Hey now, Littlesky, that’s a bit much, like painting clouds on clouds; but I agree, Sumeragi’s easy to like, like spring rain,” Senki smiled, eyes soft as silk.

“Oh, oh! This small one likes the Boss too, like a cat loving the sun—he’s beautiful like a bright moon, gentle like a stream, his cooking tastes like village smoke at dusk, he cares like a warm quilt, and he smells especially good, like pine after rain,” Hill burst in, tail-wag eager like a sparrow.

Hearing them talk about Yumigawa Sumeragi, Hill hopped into the chat like a pebble skipping across water.

“Didn’t expect you to know so many of Big Brother’s good points, Hill—nice work, like stacking stones just right,” Senki nodded, amused as a lantern flicker.

“Of course; but it’s been ages since I saw the Boss, like clouds losing the moon, and I don’t even know where he is,” Hill sighed, shoulders drooping like a wilted leaf.

At that, Hill’s energy sagged like a sail in dead wind; her longing for Yumigawa Sumeragi showed plain as rain on stone.

“FrostyLily Dream Sister said Big Brother should be touring the Northern Abyss Continent, like a crane over distant marshes; honestly, if she hadn’t meddled, he’d have brought back the Ice Dream Lotus,” Littlesky muttered, grievance curling like smoke.

Thinking of it, she did blame FrostyLily Dream a little—come if you must, but why not bring Big Brother, like a traveler carrying a lamp?

“I don’t think FrostyLily Dream Miss was wrong; if Sumeragi stays by Xinuo Miss all the time, his strength won’t grow, like a tree potted indoors,” Senki said, gaze steady as stone.

“It’s time he grew alone, like a wildflower that’s met storm and rain, not a greenhouse bloom—so I support her way,” she added, voice calm as a lake.

“I agree with Yumigawa Senki; he can’t follow Sir Xino forever, like a shadow chained to dusk,” Elyar nodded, solemn as a bell.

“But…” Even understanding it, Littlesky couldn’t accept it fully, like a winter that lingers; she hadn’t seen her favorite brother in too long.

“This small one hasn’t tasted the Boss’s cooking in ages, like a cat sniffing fish—my mouth’s watering,” Hill confessed, eyes shining like wet jet.

Faya’s food was good, like fair weather; but Hill still preferred Yumigawa Sumeragi’s, like rain after drought.

“Sumeragi’s cooking…” Qianji Sister looked out the window like a crane on a branch. “Yeah, I’m craving it, like tide on a shore; I hope he comes back soon.”

“What if…” Littlesky brightened like a lamp being lit. “We go to the Northern Abyss Continent to find Big Brother?!”

“I approve!” Hill shot up like a spark. “Honestly, Egisia Academy is boring me to death, like paint drying; adventuring with the Boss and the Master is way more fun!”

“This might be a good idea, like a road opening after fog,” Elyar said, eyes narrowing like crescent moons.

“Eh? Do ye truly mean to seek our brother, like geese flying north?” Elyar blinked, old-fashioned as a copper bell.

Just as they were about to prepare to search the Northern Abyss Continent for Yumigawa Sumeragi, Xinuo’s voice rang in their minds like a temple bell. “Don’t rush to the Northern Abyss Continent to seek Servant; I have a task for you.”

“Sister Xinuo?! Where are you now, like a star behind clouds? It’s been ten days—why aren’t you back?”

“Xinuo Miss, what is this task, like a sealed letter?”

“Master, come back soon, like rain to dry fields—this small one misses you!”

“Did Sir Xino run into trouble, like a ship in reefs?”

Hearing Xinuo’s voice, all of them fluttered with excitement like startled birds.

“As Elyar said, I’m in some trouble, like being caught in brambles; I can’t get free for now,” Xinuo replied, calm as moonlight.

At that, their hearts grew heavy at once, like clouds piling over the sea—even straightforward Hill sensed the storm.

If Xinuo called it trouble and couldn’t step away, it had to be grave, like thunder beyond the ridge.

“Sister Xinuo, can you tell us more, like lifting a veil?” Littlesky asked, voice small as a reed.

“In short, because of my oversight, a troublesome fellow’s intrusion plan succeeded halfway, like a crack in a dam,” Xinuo said, words clipped as frost.

“Luckily we caught it early; otherwise the consequences would be unthinkable, like flood over a plain.”

“So FrostyLily Dream and I are repairing the seal of the Worldgate, like weaving a net over a tear.”

“But it’s trickier than we thought, like knots in old wood, and we won’t be able to leave the Worldgate for a while.”

Worldgate business was no small matter, like mountains under snow; they didn’t pry further but reported every Dark Demon move, like unrolling a map line by line.

“The task I’m giving you concerns Dark Demon,” Xinuo went on, voice steady like a taut string. “To think that guy started centuries ago, like roots burrowing deep—it’s a headache.”

“Dark Demon is his main partner—his puppet—in this world, like a hand in a glove.”

“So, Yumigawa Senki, little sister, and Elyar, I want you to wipe out Dark Demon’s forces across the entire Eastern Moon Continent, like a fire cleansing fields.”

“If it’s too difficult, you can ask Eastern Moon Aotian for help, like calling thunder to your side.”

“No problem,” Senki said, bright as steel in sun.

“Leave it to us,” Elyar added, grave as stone.

They had a heap of questions, like birds in a thicket, but Xinuo’s orders were a north star, steady as Polaris.

“Master! What about this small one—do you have a task for me, like a leash to loosen?” Hill piped up, eyes shining like mica.

“Hill, go to the Northern Abyss Continent and find Servant and the others, like a hawk seeking its handler,” Xinuo said, warm as coals.

“You’re carrying a token that can return you to the Dragon Realm in an instant, like a key for a storm door; I believe it’ll be useful soon.”

“Oooh, great! I can go find the Boss, like a pup off the leash!” Hill cheered, voice popping like firecrackers.

Under Littlesky and Qianji Sister’s envious eyes, Hill nearly danced in place, like willow leaves in a gust.

...