“What will the punishment be, Gatekeeper?” Champ asked, a crooked smile on his face, after Kyoi punched him.

“That rests with your leader. I would restrict your powers, but you need them to face the Traveler. If you attempt this again, all of us will be here not just the top two,” Tess admonished, swiping her key across in the air.

Everything returned to normal. We were back in the actual restaurant. There was no damage as expected. Felicity’s head moved, but she still slept. Yuka raised her head, a groggy look on her face. She stared at me for three seconds, before face-planting onto the table.

“Tomo, I apologize for the delay. I requested Jin and Feng be on standby, but Champ’s artificial dimension contraption took effort to break. I take full responsibility for the wait,” Tess said.

Five minutes later, Lilith and another woman arrived. She looked angry, berating Champ for his idiotic decisions. Everyone else kept their distance. Stacia and Champ showed the least remorse, nodding their heads during the arduous lecture. Ksi and the woman with the flashlight flinched during Lilith’s tirade, indicating they were regretful about the entire mess. Lionel was unconscious and Bartholomew sat at one of the tables, stretching out his leg.

“Let’s go, I’m not done with this matter yet. Tess, this was my fault for not overseeing them. The Traveler is a threat, so I’ll call a temporary alliance. I’m not so uptight that I think we can do this alone,” Lilith announced, giving a slight bow to Tess.

I inspected my leg, but found no wounds. However, I felt a sharp burn with each step. Ichaival’s arms hung downward, unable to lift them up. While the injuries sustained in the dimensions didn’t carry over, the physical and mental pain did.

“Hey, is Ichaival going to be okay? Stacia kind of well, you know, f'd him up,” I asked, looking over at the portal user.

“He’ll be fine. Right?” Kisai responded, giving Ichaival a small slap on the face.

“What the….? We won then,” Ichaival said after Kisai’s slap.

“Alright, we ready to go?” Kisai asked.

“Ah, you can go if you wish. Thank you for the help. Tomo, I have a few things I wish to discuss,” Tess answered.

“Aight, Darryl, you want a ride home?” Kisai offered.

“Felicity drove me here, but she’s not awake yet. I feel bad just leaving her here,” Ichaival said, considering his options.

“Head home and rest. Jin, take care of Darryl. I’ll explain everything to Felicity, don’t worry,” Tess ordered.

Kisai took off his cap, escorting Ichaival to his car. Tess, Kyoi, Kuan, Yuka, Felicity, and I remained in the restaurant.

“Kuan, before you go, what’s your power?” I asked, curious about it.

“Animal perks and well, something else that’s more useful. Tess doesn’t want me to tell you yet, so I won’t say anything just yet. Tess, I’m leaving,” Kuan responded, departing too.

I should have expected an answer like that. Tess sat down, glancing at the two sleeping woman. I took a seat as well, awaiting her words.

“Tess, I’ll check around and make sure everything’s clear,” Kyoi declared, heading toward the kitchen.

“Tomo, your fighting was a bit lacking. This is not an insult directed at your skills, but more of an indictment of my poor preparation. Thus, we’ll work on mastery of the more demanding skills. For the next few weeks, you’ll work with Jin. We can worry about your physical operations with a weapon later. I, of course, will be around too,” Tess revealed.

“Champ and the others seem quite strong even for lower tiered heroes. I feel like there’s no separation between the lower ranks of the upper tier and those in the upper ranks of the lower tier. I couldn’t even beat that girl with the flashlight,” I responded, pulling on my leg.

“It may seem that way. There is a difference, however. It’ll become apparent once the restrictions on everyone’s powers are lifted. This is not to belittle those in the lower tier. They could defeat an upper tier hero, if fighting with the proper strategy. So you are correct in your assumption,” Tess said.

Kyoi returned with a smile on her face. She handed Tess an object. Tess grasped it in her hand, dropping it into a small bag.

“Tess, I’ll take my leave now. Tomo, anything you wish to say to me?” Kyoi questioned, staring right at me.

“Yeah, but you’ll probably dodge it somehow. I’ve learned that by now,” I replied.

“You’re learning fast. I will leave you with one thing. Felicity isn’t a sparkling angel. She and Champ are much more than mere acquaintances. I will give you one hint, Kaisi Konoe. Consider it something you can think about when you go to bed tonight,” Kyoi chuckled before leaving.

If anyone knew, Tess would, but she wouldn’t reveal anything until she deemed it appropriate. Tess showed no reaction after Kyoi’s statement, continuing her discussion about future plans. What a freaking tease.