"Mother, what can we do to help Tanaka control and get along with Erevos?" Sakura asked anxiously. The word death still echoed in her mind, and for a long time, she had harbored a deep love for Tanaka—though it wasn't obvious to him or anyone else. In fact, it was a secret she intended to keep until the perfect moment to confess it arrived. She didn't want to lose him to a demon that had tried to take over him at his weakest moment.
Sakura had voiced the very question Itsuki was about to ask, but she had beaten him to it.
The girl's mother stared at them intently. Clearly, she knew the answer.
"You must travel back to the moment in history when Erevos was born, and solve the most desolate puzzles of his life. They are mysteries even he himself could not unravel before he died and became what he is now," she replied.
Sakura's father, who had remained silent all this time, finally spoke. Her uncles and cousin, Jiji, stayed quiet as well, nibbling delicately on their mooncakes as if they were watching an entertaining play.
"No, Tomoyo! How on earth could you put such ideas in their heads? They're children! They wouldn't survive the task without at least one attempt on their lives. Time travel has only just become possible thanks to the powers awakening in our world. They're barely learning to control their own abilities! That mission is far too dangerous for them!" shouted Sakura's father, his voice filled with both worry and fear at the thought that the children might even consider such a reckless idea.
But for Tanaka, it wasn't madness. If he wanted to learn how to coexist with the cursed demon inside him, he knew he would have to risk whatever it took.
"Forgive me, Mr. Okamoto, but I don't care what I have to risk if it means learning how to survive with this demon within me! Please, Mrs. Okamoto, tell me how I can achieve that goal. I want to go on living without hurting anyone else more than I already have!" Tanaka pleaded passionately. His voice rose louder than he intended, fueled by the frustration of not knowing the origin of what had awakened inside him—the very thing that had denied him the chance to be a hero.
Tomoyo Okamoto held his gaze, guilt flickering in her eyes for bringing up such a story. Yet deep down, she knew it was her duty. Fate itself had allowed this encounter with Tanaka to happen in her home. Who was she to deny help to a seventeen-year-old boy whose very survival depended on it?
"Enough, Kairo. Please. Tanaka Itsuki has the right to know. If he wants to survive, he must accept this mission. Only then can Erevos remain quiet within him, and only then might he live a normal life. If he needs me, I will help him," Mrs. Okamoto declared firmly.
Tanaka's heart raced with hope, praying she wouldn't take back her words. She seemed to be the only one who could guide him through this life-or-death mission.
"Listen carefully," she continued in a grave tone, ensuring they understood this was no child's game, though her words carried an uncanny magnetism. "Tanaka will not defeat Erevos by fighting him… at least, not in this timeline. If you want to help him, you must travel back to the very moment Erevos was born… and unravel the riddles that defined his existence, the ones that drove him to become what he is now."
The children exchanged tense, confused looks.
"Riddles?" Jiji asked, frowning.
"The most desolate puzzles of his life," the woman explained, lowering her voice as though revealing a forbidden secret. "Wounds he never managed to heal before he died and transformed into what he is now. If you solve them, if you uncover his origins, you'll teach Tanaka how to live with that darkness… and perhaps one day, turn it into something he can control—maybe even wield to his advantage."
By instinct, Tanaka and Sakura glanced at each other. Neither fully grasped her words. Tanaka then turned back to Mrs. Okamoto, this time with renewed determination.
"Do you think you, as a seer, could help me with some kind of ritual to start this mission?"
Sakura's mother blinked rapidly, as though trying to process the weight of his request.
"No, she cannot," another voice interjected. "She only foretells people's futures. But I can. That's my ability. I can create interdimensional portals and send you to the past, present, or future through them. All I need is for you to go to Chinatown and buy some materials, and we can begin tonight," Sakura's aunt said excitedly, her tone almost childlike.
Tanaka's face lit up with relief, and he leapt to his feet.
"Give us the list—we'll buy everything!"
"Hm? Us? That sounds like a pack," Sakura's cousin grumbled.
But Sakura didn't take it as a complaint. She was delighted at the thought of joining Tanaka on such an adventure. She only hoped he wouldn't oppose her, because between the two of them, she was the one with the most experience controlling her powers.
"Yes, we will go. You're coming with us. I know you and Tanaka don't know each other well, but this is the perfect chance for you two to become friends. Besides, you're on vacation. Wouldn't you like to brag to your friends back in the U.S. about how you spent your break in Tokyo? Imagine telling them you had the most fantastic, extraordinary vacation instead of a boring one. Don't you want to be the most popular guy in your school?" Sakura teased softly, trying to persuade her cousin to join them, knowing his powers would be a valuable asset.
Tanaka and the rest of Sakura's family watched closely, awaiting Jiji's response.
His parents seemed utterly unconcerned. Jiji knew how to control his powers at will, and they were confident that if he agreed to accompany Sakura and Tanaka, it would be the perfect opportunity for him to train and decide whether he wanted to become a true hero or remain just a human with powers used solely for personal benefit.
"So… what do you say, Jiji? Do you accept?" his cousin pressed.
Jiji nodded firmly.
"I'll do it. Let's go, Mother—give us the list of what you need to open the portal. We'll buy it all right away. We have no time to lose," he said with determination.
Jiji's mother jotted everything down on a sheet of paper Sakura handed her. Among the items, she added more mooncakes, claiming that if the ritual was to work, she would need all the energy she could get—and the cakes were exactly what would fuel her.
As they hurried along the street toward Chinatown, which wasn't too far from Sakura's house, Tanaka sent a message to his mother, letting her know he would be back later since he would be away for a few days. Before giving her the chance to object or complain, he immediately texted his best friend, Shizumi, convinced that the mission would be easier to carry out with more people by his side.
After hearing everything, Shizumi agreed and arranged to meet them in Chinatown within the hour.