The next morning, sunlight streamed through the kitchen window, mixing with the smell of breakfast — eggs, toast, and a faint trace of mischief still lingering in the air.
Everyone was seated around the table, chatting and eating casually. Foiletta sat quietly beside Nate, still getting used to her new form, her heart-shaped ahoge bobbing slightly whenever she chewed.
Across the table, Lily had been staring for a solid minute, fork hovering midair.
Nate finally noticed. "Uh… Mom? You okay?"
Lily blinked a few times, then sighed, placing her fork down with a tired chuckle. "Yes, sweetie. It just… took me a few seconds to figure out who that was."
The table went quiet for a beat before Kuroka broke into a grin. "Nyaa~ to be fair, she did glow, evolve, and get a new hairstyle overnight."
Foiletta flushed, rubbing the back of her neck. "Y-yeah… surprise?"
Hailey leaned on her hand, amused. "You look good, Foiletta. Still weird explaining to the neighbors why we have a blue-haired ghost at breakfast, though."
Serafall giggled. "At least she's cute! Sparkly, even~"
Kunou smirked. "And her hair still reacts every time Nate looks at her."
The heart-shaped ahoge twitched.
Lily watched the interaction, then pinched the bridge of her nose with a knowing smile. "You know what? I'm not even surprised anymore. As long as no one floods my kitchen again, we're fine."
Nate laughed nervously. "Uh… define 'flood.'"
Everyone: "Nate!"
Lily adjusted her Yokai Watch, the gears clicking softly as she tightened the strap. "Anyway, Nate, me and Yasaka are going to be gone for a few days. Some Yokai problems popped up in southern Japan — looks like a few old spirits are acting up again."
Nate froze mid-bite. "Wait… if you're gone…" His eyes widened as the realization hit. "That means… it's only Dad at home."
Aaron, who'd been quietly reading the newspaper, lowered it slowly and looked at his son over the top edge. "Hey, I can cook."
The room went dead silent.
Hailey whispered under her breath, "That's what they said before the Great Kitchen Fire of last year."
Fumika nodded solemnly, sipping her tea. "May the rice rest in peace."
Foiletta tilted her head, curious. "What happened last year?"
Kunou smirked. "Let's just say… the eggs fought back."
Aaron crossed his arms defensively. "That was one time! And the stove was possessed!"
Kuroka purred teasingly, tail swishing. "Nyaaa~ and who tried to exorcise it with soy sauce?"
Aaron pointed his spoon at her. "It was an experiment!"
Lily just sighed, grabbing her bag. "Try not to burn down the house again, dear. And Nate—" she looked at her son with a smirk, "keep your girlfriends from turning the living room into another Yokai arena."
Nate scratched his cheek sheepishly. "No promises…"
Yasaka's voice echoed faintly from the other room. "Lily, come on, we're going to miss the portal!"
Lily waved and walked out the door, muttering, "If the kitchen's gone when I return, I'm moving us into a shrine."
Kunou tilted her head, tails swaying thoughtfully. "Miss Lily, what kind of problem are you and Mother dealing with that both of you have to go personally?"
Lily paused at the door, hand on the frame. "We don't know yet," she admitted, her tone calm but casual. "We'll figure it out once we get there."
She smiled, waved, and closed the door behind her.
The younger generation just… stared.
A moment of silence hung in the air.
Hailey blinked twice, then slowly turned her head toward Kunou and Nate. "It's genetic," she said flatly.
Nate groaned, slumping against the chair. "You have no idea."
Kuroka smirked, tail flicking. "Nyaaa~ spontaneous danger-seeking clearly runs in the family."
Foiletta nodded seriously. "It explains so much."
Aaron, still pretending not to hear while reading his newspaper again, muttered under his breath, "I'm surrounded by comedians…"
The rest of the day passed… surprisingly peacefully.
No Yokai-related incidents, no sudden attacks, no supernatural nonsense. Just quiet.
Well—
Mostly quiet.
Foiletta had spent most of the afternoon glued to Nate's side, her new form apparently coming with an affection buff. She'd kiss him on the cheek, then the other cheek, then the forehead, then—well, you get the idea.
Every time she did, Nate just laughed softly and patted her head, half flustered, half resigned.
At least the others had stopped teasing him after the twentieth one. (Mostly.)
By evening, everyone had settled down. The sound of rain had faded, and calm filled the house.
Then came morning.
And with it—
the true test of human endurance.
Scene: Kitchen – 7:32 AM
A faint sizzle. A small pop. A flicker of smoke.
Nate, still half-asleep, blinked toward the kitchen. "...Dad?"
Aaron stood proudly at the stove, spatula in hand, wearing an apron that said 'Best Cook (When Lily Isn't Home)'.
He grinned. "Morning, champ! Breakfast's almost ready!"
Behind him, a frying pan erupted in flames.
Hailey, entering the kitchen, deadpanned. "So… we're having smoke for breakfast?"
Kuroka sniffed the air and tilted her head. "Nyaaa, smells like carbon with a hint of despair."
Kunou pinched the bridge of her nose. "Father-in-law, do you always cook like this?"
Foiletta floated beside Nate, blinking. "Is this… an exorcism ritual?"
Aaron waved them off confidently. "Relax! I've got everything under control!"
The toaster exploded.
Nate sighed, facepalming. "Dad… this is why Mom and Yasaka take the missions together."
Nate sighed softly and walked up to the stove, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
Without a word, he reached up to the shelf, grabbed a bag of flour, and poured a careful handful over the flaming pan—extinguishing the small kitchen inferno with practiced ease.
"Whisper," he said calmly, not even turning his head. "Trash the toaster. Get a new one from the storage copies."
Whisper saluted dramatically, tablet in hand. "Already on it, Master Nate! Toaster No. 127, coming right up!"
The rest of the group watched this like it was a morning routine—because, well, it was.
Aaron just scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "I almost had it that time."
"You almost had us on fire, you mean," Hailey muttered, flicking her fingers to air out the smoke.
Nate just sighed again, not unkindly, and looked over his shoulder.
"Frostina, freezer. Can you get me the eggs and the butter?"
She nodded elegantly, mist trailing behind her as she opened the freezer and handed the ingredients over. "Of course, Nate."
As he began mixing and frying with smooth, measured motions, the chaos faded into quiet.
The soft crack of eggs, the faint hiss of oil, the rhythmic stir of batter.
And with that rhythm… came memories.
Flashes.
A smaller kitchen. Laughter.
A pair of siblings squabbling over pancakes.
A voice—his own, younger, saying: "Come on, if you don't eat, Mom'll be mad."
Warm sunlight through the window.
Then nothing.
The smell of the present brought him back.
Nate blinked, realizing his hands had moved on their own, flipping the food perfectly.
Fifteen years. He'd lived in this world fifteen years now.
His sixteenth birthday was coming soon.
And yet—
Those memories from before, that other world, other life…
They were slipping away like mist in morning light.
He smiled faintly to himself.
"Guess… even dragons can't fight time forever," he murmured under his breath.
Foiletta, hovering nearby, tilted her head. "Hmm? Did you say something, Nate-kun?"
He shook his head, chuckling softly. "Nah. Just thinking about breakfast."
Kunou glanced at Kuroka, remembering all too well how the older neko had moaned in delight just minutes ago. Then she looked back at her fiancé, a wry smile tugging at her lips.
"If this is rushed," she said, tail flicking, "I don't even want to imagine what everyone's reaction would be to the not-rushed version."
Kuroka's ears twitched, cheeks coloring slightly as she muttered, "Nya~ don't give him ideas…"
Aaron just groaned into his hands. "I'm never touching the kitchen again."
Frostina raised her hand dramatically, eyes wide. "Wait—this was rushed?" she asked, her tone like she'd just witnessed a culinary miracle. "Then what happens when he takes his time? Does heaven open?"
Whisper was floating in circles, holding his cheeks. "M-master Nate's talent knows no limits! I feel emotions I haven't felt since my death!"
Jibanyan, licking syrup off his paws, nodded furiously. "Nya! This is food so good I could die again!"
Hailey, mid-bite, slammed her fork down, tears in her eyes. "I deleted three pancakes in thirty seconds, and you're telling me this was rushed?!"
Foiletta was leaning against Nate's shoulder, looking dangerously proud. "My fiancé is basically a cooking god~" she hummed, her tone smug enough to make Kunou's eyebrow twitch.
Fumika adjusted her glasses, her calm tone betraying her inner awe. "At this rate, Nate could probably challenge divine chefs from the Spirit Realm… and win."
Even Insomnia, usually composed, just blinked once and said softly, "I think reality lagged a second while I was chewing."
Aaron peeked between his fingers at his son. "Seriously, Nate, how? I can't even toast bread without creating fireworks!"
Nate just laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Guess old habits die hard."
Hailey groaned dramatically. "Old habits?! What were you before this, a Michelin star dragon?!"
The table burst into laughter, the chaos of disbelief slowly fading into fondness.
The words that left Nate's mouth hung in the air for a moment.
Everyone blinked. Then, almost in unison, their heads snapped toward him.
It took a few beats before anyone said anything. His casual line — "I kinda rushed it." — would've sounded normal in any other situation… except the food they'd just eaten tasted divine. Nearly as good as Lily's cooking — and she was practically a culinary goddess.
Meanwhile, in South Japan, where Yasaka and Lily were handling a Yokai disturbance, Lily suddenly sneezed.
"Someone's talking about me…" she muttered, rubbing her nose. Yasaka just sighed.
Back at the table, everyone stared at Nate, the same thought flashing through their minds like a lightning bolt:
"RUSHED?!"
Kunou glanced at Kuroka, remembering all too well how the older neko had moaned in delight just minutes ago. Then she looked back at her fiancé, a wry smile tugging at her lips.
"If this is rushed," she said, tail flicking, "I don't even want to imagine what everyone's reaction would be to the not-rushed version."
Kuroka's ears twitched, cheeks coloring slightly as she muttered, "Nya~ don't give him ideas…"
Aaron just groaned into his hands. "I'm never touching the kitchen again."
Frostina raised her hand dramatically, eyes wide. "Wait—this was rushed?" she asked, her tone like she'd just witnessed a culinary miracle. "Then what happens when he takes his time? Does heaven open?"
Whisper was floating in circles, holding his cheeks. "M-master Nate's talent knows no limits! I feel emotions I haven't felt since my death!"
Jibanyan, licking syrup off his paws, nodded furiously. "Nya! This is food so good I could die again!"
Hailey, mid-bite, slammed her fork down, tears in her eyes. "I deleted three pancakes in thirty seconds, and you're telling me this was rushed?!"
Foiletta was leaning against Nate's shoulder, looking dangerously proud. "My boyfriend is basically a cooking god~" she hummed, her tone smug enough to make Kunou's eyebrow twitch.
Fumika adjusted her Pendent, her calm tone betraying her inner awe. "At this rate, Nate could probably challenge divine chefs from the Spirit Realm… and win."
Even Insomnia, usually composed, just blinked once and said softly, "I think reality lagged a second while I was chewing."
Aaron peeked between his fingers at his son. "Seriously, Nate, how? I can't even toast bread without creating fireworks!"
Nate just laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Guess old habits die hard."
Hailey groaned dramatically. "Old habits?! What were you before this, a Michelin star dragon?!"
The table burst into laughter, the chaos of disbelief slowly fading into fondness.
Nate then looked at Foiletta as he spoke, "That reminds me— I gave you your evolution item yesterday. What more do we need to find for the others?"
Whisper floated up immediately, pulling out his ever-reliable spectral tablet. "Excellent question, Master Nate! Let's see…"
He scrolled dramatically, the tablet glowing with a long list. "Well, we need to finish the Glacial Clip for Frostina to become Blizzaria."
Nate blinked—then glanced at Frostina.
Frostina was smiling sweetly at him. Too sweetly. The kind of sweet that could freeze lava. Her voice was calm, melodic, but her eyes screamed 'Darling, you better find mine next.'
Nate internally screamed, his soul turning into an icicle. "R-right. Frostina first. Got it."
Whisper continued like a man possessed. "We also need to find the Raging Blade for Hissfit to become Zerberker… ah, and then the Legendary Blade, Cursed Blade, and Holy Blade so the Chansin Brothers can evolve into Sheen, Snee, and Gleam respectively!"
From the corner, the Chansin triplets were striking exaggerated poses with toy swords, yelling, "We're ready for our glow-up, brooo!"
Whisper scrolled further. "Next, we need to find the Mermaid Pearl for Mermaidyn to become Mermadonna and then eventually Mermother—oh my!"
Mermaidyn squealed, clasping her hands. "Nate, I know you can do it, you will complete the Promise of finding them".
Whisper nodded sagely. "We already have the General's Soul to evolve Beetler into Beetall, thankfully. But we still need a Dragon Orb for Draggie to become Dragon Lord!"
Draggie flapped his little wings proudly. "I'm gonna be so majestic, rawr!"
Whisper sighed, swiping one last time. "And the list… goes on…"
The table collectively groaned.
Nate gave him a grin of pure pain and exhaustion, giving a shaky thumbs up. "Haha… lots of work…"
Foiletta leaned over, giggling. "Don't worry, darling~ I'll help you gather the items. Besides…" she winked, "a hero who can cook and evolve Yo-kai? That's my type."
Aaron nearly choked on his coffee. "Help him?! Last time you 'helped,' you turned the living room into a mini blizzard!"
Frostina, sipping her tea with elegance, muttered, "That was my finest work."
Whisper floated off, muttering to himself. "I swear, managing this household feels like running a multi-dimensional RPG."
Hailey sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Well, that's gonna take us a few weeks—maybe months. The swords are easy enough, but the Mermaidyn Pearl…" she trailed off, groaning. "Let's just hope it's not actually sitting in some random pawn shop."
She turned toward Whisper, raising a brow. "Still, credit where it's due—thank you, Whisper. You're actually… useful."
Whisper puffed up like a proud balloon, bowing dramatically with one hand across his chest. "But of course! I am, after all, your ever-reliable Ghost Butler, at your service!"
Foiletta chuckled softly, whispering to Nate, "He's so dramatic sometimes."
Nate grinned, watching Whisper float around smugly polishing his nonexistent monocle.
In his head, he couldn't help but laugh. "Seriously, how is he so much more useful than his anime and game counterpart? Oh, right…" His gaze drifted toward the ceiling, recalling that one chaotic day. "Yasaka trained him after I freed him from the Crank-a-Kai. That explains everything."
Nate stretched, leaning back in his chair as everyone drifted into their own chatter — Foiletta humming happily beside him, Hailey scribbling notes, and Whisper still muttering about "fox tail drills."
He exhaled with a small grin. "Looks like we've got our work cut out for us…"
Outside, a soft chill brushed against the window, like the world itself was hinting at what came next.
Because if the next hunt was for the Glacial Clip...
Then Frostina's story was about to begin.
To be continued
Hope people like this ch and give me power stones and enjoy