Blood Is Thicker Than Water.Kotetsu takes a paid vacation to visit his hometown and family. His mother Anju and older brother Muramasa soon realize that something is wrong with him and he has a hard time getting on his daughter Kaede's good side. While confessing to Muramasa that his powers are declining, Kotetsu reminisces about the promise he made to his late wife Tomoe to always be a hero, moments before she died. The next day, Kaede is trapped in a temple when a storm breaks out. Kotetsu uses his power, locating Kaede thanks to his sharpened hearing, and manages to rescue her even after his power runs out. Having reconciled with his daughter, Kotetsu decides to resign from being a hero and focus on his family. When Kaede bids him farewell, Kotetsu is surprised to find that she is a NEXT, seeing that she was running after the train using his powers.