"Big bro, just give up and apologize to Mother already."
"How many times do I have to say it?! Call me 'Big Sister,' you idiot little sister!"
"Ew! You're using Momonosuke's way of speaking with that face and body! It's so gross!"
"Hey! Don't call your own sister disgusting!"
"It's extra disgusting coming from you, okay?!"
In the back garden of the shogun's estate, Kozuki Oden's two daughters, Kozuki Rin and Kozuki Hiyori, stood facing each other—one high, one low.
The "high" one was Kozuki Rin, the "low" one Kozuki Hiyori.
Though, the only reason Rin was "high" was because she had been strung up on a garden lamppost—specifically, hogtied and left to dangle.
Kozuki Rin—formerly Momonosuke after undergoing Ivankov's gender-swap surgery—had clearly already faced Kozuki Toki's divine punishment.
However, ever since becoming a girl, Toki had subconsciously avoided hitting her in the face.
This discovery thrilled Rin beyond belief!
She had expected her mother to beat her within an inch of her life this time.
Instead, she just got a few hundred lashes on the backside with a wooden rod before being hung up to dry.
Compared to past punishments, this was practically a vacation!
Meanwhile, Hiyori stared awkwardly at her former brother, now sister, Rin...
Though she couldn't help feeling a little repulsed, Hiyori and Momonosuke had always been deeply close siblings.
Accepting this change overnight would've been impossible.
Ironically, the one who adjusted the fastest in the family was Kozuki Oden himself.
He simply asked, "Are you still my child?" and, upon receiving confirmation, flashed his usual carefree grin before returning to his nationwide mine-clearing duties.
Just as Hiyori struggled to figure out how to face her new sister, the sound of approaching footsteps interrupted them.
There stood Michael, Kozuki Toki, and the daimyo's.
Especially Michael—seeing his appearance, Kozuki Hiyori reacted as if she had spotted a savior!
"Grandpa!!! Save me!!! Big bro got turned into a big sis!!!"
Her wild, noisy demeanor made it impossible to imagine she could endure humiliation for twenty years just to restore her country.
Michael reached out and caught Hiyori, who had leaped up to deliver a flying double kick at him.
'Was this really how she was used to greeting her brother?'
'A flying kick as a greeting gift?'
After setting the excited Hiyori back on the ground, he smiled and said.
"But Hiyori, have you ever asked your brother what he truly wants? Becoming a girl was his own wish... I made him confirm it many times before recommending someone who could change his gender to him."
The moment Michael said this, the atmosphere in the room instantly shifted.
Including his in-law, the daimyo all wore troubled expressions, subtly shifting their positions and trying to make themselves as inconspicuous as possible.
"Huh? What's with you all…" Michael turned around and saw the daimyo's faces, as if they were staring at demons from hell.
"Am I really that scary?"
"G-g-g-grandpa, it's not you who's scary…" Kozuki Hiyori pointed behind Michael, her face pale.
Michael froze, then slowly turned around.
Kozuki Toki, who had been calm just moments ago, now seemed to be radiating an endless stream of dark aura.
Michael gulped involuntarily.
He… suddenly realized a problem.
Then he whipped his head around to glare at Kozuki Rin.
"Rin! Don't tell me you never once mentioned to your mother that I only agreed to this because I respected your wishes!?"
"Grandpa! I'm the most righteous woman in the Kozuki family! Betraying my own grandpa? Absolutely not!"
"...Holy shit!? You little traitor! How come your mom hasn't beaten you to death yet!?"
Michael's face also drained of color in an instant.
If Kozuki Rin had ratted Michael out from the start, Kozuki Toki would still have been angry, but after so many days, her anger would have cooled somewhat.
But now, with the truth suddenly exposed, Michael had to face Kozuki Toki at the peak of her fury!
"Uh… Toki, let your father explain—"
"Explanations can wait." Kozuki Toki smiled kindly and gently at Michael. "Just as you taught me, Father… when you make a mistake, own up to it. When it's time to take a beating, stand straight!"
Yamato and Jack, who had been watching the commotion from a nearby rooftop, both Shuddered involuntarily.
"Yamato, that aura… truly worthy of a woman raised by Michael-sama himself."
"You're right… She might not be stronger than me in pure power, but that presence… makes her seem unbeatable."
"Maybe it's the intimidation of an elder? Should we go help?"
"Let's not… We're not actually idiots."
Before long, Michael found himself strung up on another streetlamp by his own daughter.
Once hung up, he could only sigh in resignation…
"Ah, daughters grow up and start bossing their dads around."
"It's all your fault, you damn brat! Why couldn't you have just exhausted your mother's anger earlier?!"
"I thought you'd already informed my parents when you sent someone to notify them!"
"Enough talk! Once I get down from this lamppost, I'll make sure you learn why flowers aren't as red as a backside!"
...
The Empty Throne.
This palace was typically accessible only to the Five Elders—ordinary Celestial Dragons had no such privilege.
Yet now, a Celestial Dragon other than the Five Elders had arrived here.
He slowly knelt to the ground, offering eternal loyalty to the towering Empty Throne.
"Figarland Garling… You are no longer the commander of God's Knights."
"Imu-sama, even so, I remain your most loyal servant."
"...Stand and speak."
"Yes," Figarland Garling stood up. "The reason I came here unannounced is to inform you of one matter..."
"What is it? If it's not important enough... I won't hesitate to make you disappear from this world."
"Rest assured, this intelligence is absolutely crucial." Garling nodded, watching as Imu emerged from the Flower Room.
"I've confirmed that the Revolutionary Army's headquarters is located at Baltigo, where Michael is currently stationed. Moreover..."
"Moreover?"
"Moreover... the item Michael retrieved from the ruins of God Valley is also at Baltigo."
Upon hearing the words "God Valley," Imu's eyes widened abruptly.
For the first time, the ever-composed figure displayed an emotion that could be called "urgency."
But... it was fleeting.
At that moment, Imu noticed something about Garling...
He was missing his right arm.
Judging by the still-bleeding bandages, it was a fresh wound.
"Is this... the price you paid for the intelligence?"
"Ahahaha, this?" Figarland Garling's lips curled into a mocking grin.
"This was severed by a rebellious son who broke his promise... You could say it's the price for the intelligence."
"But I prefer to think of it as a father-son bonding moment."