One thing had been nagging at me.
"Chiyama," I called to her. "Why do you call him 'Pops'?"
She blinked, then glanced at Fangstrong before returning her eyes to me.
"Who knows?" she shrugged. "It just… felt right. Do you mind, Pops?"
Fangstrong shrugged. "I don't. Honestly, I feel more connected to you than any of the others. Perhaps… in our past lives, we were family."
"Ehhhh?" Chiyama grinned wide, wrapping her arms around his thick neck. "Then let's keep getting along—just like the Supreme Lord said!"
Then she turned to me, mischief dancing in her gaze.
"What?" I asked cautiously.
"Heh. What about you?"
"What about me?"
"Why do you call Bladir 'brother'?"
Ah. I'd almost forgotten.
Before I ever asked them, I hadn't even fully figured out my own circumstances.
I turned to glance at Bladir, who was watching the battle with a kind of pure, undivided attention.
"Well…" I said slowly, "I believe we were siblings before."